Newsletter Term 4 Week 5

NEWSLETTER

TERM 4 WEEK 5 2024

Kia ora koutou, 

Today’s Principal section of the newsletter is focused mainly on our senior students and whānau, but rest assured, the information is useful for all of our community. We all have a responsibility to keep our tamariki safe and anytime they have access to the internet, there is potential for concerns.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the well-being of our students, we want to raise awareness about the increasing concerns related to online safety, particularly around the social media platform TikTok. It has come to our attention that a significant number of senior students are engaging with TikTok, with some posting and commenting on content that includes inappropriate material, bullying, harassment, and other concerning behavior. Despite our best efforts to educate and monitor online conduct, TikTok remains a platform where these issues are frequently reported, and the content posted by some of our students has raised alarms.

We urge all parents and caregivers to take an active role in understanding what their children are doing on social media and to have open conversations about online behavior, digital footprints, and the potential risks associated with these platforms.

Key Points for Parents to Consider:

• Inappropriate Content: Many students have been found engaging with or commenting on content that is not appropriate for their age group, including material that may violate the school’s values.

• Cyberbullying and Harassment: TikTok, like many social media platforms, has been used as a space for cyberbullying, harassment, and negative interactions that can have lasting emotional effects on students.

• Digital Footprint: Actions online can have serious, long-term consequences. Students may not fully understand the implications of sharing personal information, engaging in harmful interactions, or posting inappropriate content.

• Privacy Concerns: It’s essential to ensure students’ privacy settings are properly configured to limit exposure to strangers and inappropriate content. Sharing passwords is also extremely dangerous but common among young people.  

• Potential Legal Issues: Some behaviors observed could escalate into legal concerns, particularly if bullying, harassment, or illegal activity occurs. It’s important to take these issues seriously.

What You Can Do:

• Have a Conversation: Talk with your child about what they are doing online, especially on platforms like TikTok. Encourage open, honest discussions about their online activities.

• Monitor Usage: Set clear boundaries and guidelines around social media use. Use parental controls where possible and ensure their devices are regularly checked.

• Educate About Online Safety: Teach your child the importance of respectful online behavior, how to protect their privacy, and how to report inappropriate content or harassment.

• Report Concerns: If you encounter concerning content, don’t hesitate to report it to the platform and, if necessary, to authorities.

We thank you for your continued support in ensuring our students’ safety and well-being, both online and offline. Together, we can help create a safer digital environment for all our children.

In term 1 next year we have an amazing speaker, Rob Cope, coming to our region to speak to our parent community about Online Safety for our tamariki. This is a not to be missed opportunity so pop the date in your diary now to avoid missing out.  See the poster attached. 

INTERSCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY:

We had an excellent day at Hunterville Cross Country. All of our tamariki displayed awesome PRIDE values, I was very proud of them. Confirmation of our top 20 place getters has come through and they are: 

Junior Boys: Jack B 7th, Jacob T 18th

Junior Girls: Emily K 7th, Angie B 9th, Katalina L 14th, Sophie U 17th. 

Int Boys: Jack K 5th, Patrick T 17th.

Int Girls: Peatalita L 15th

Snr Boys: Gus H 3rd, Miguel L 20th

Snr Girls: Libby B 7th. 

BULLS SCHOOL WHĀNAU CAMP OUT:

We are working on the details for this and will have more information to share with you soon. We are excited about this!

JUMP JAM – UNFORGETTA-BULLS:

I cannot finish this newsletter without taking the opportunity to mihi our amazing Jump Jam Team, the Unforgettabulls. They attended the National Competition over the weekend and it would be no exaggeration to say it takes HOURS to prepare for such an event. To begin with, you have to be good enough at Regionals to be invited to Nationals. Then the real mahi starts. You make changes to the choreography, the costumes, the timing, the practices, the hair, makeup, travel arrangements, fundraising….it all adds up but everyone just digs in and the results are absolutely stunning! Congratulations to everyone involved and the biggest thank you to Jo Price and Di Murray – whose dedication to the cause has been exemplary! 

Ngā manaakitanga, Kim Gordon, Tumuaki.  

Scooters & Bikes at School

We are happy that our children use these methods to get to school. Once they reach the school grounds we expect them to push their wheels to the bike stands in order to avoid accidents and mishaps. If your child is unable to adhere to these guidelines we may have to ask them to discontinue bringing their bikes or scooters to school. Students must place their wheels in the stands as soon as they arrive. We discourage ‘other’ types of wheels as this can create unnecessary issues. Our bike track is for everyones enjoyment. Helmets must be worn at all times.

Uniform Code

All students wear the Bulls School polo shirt, polar fleece, a sport & Cultural top, and the logoed red bucket hat available from Academy Apparel in Palmerston North. Their ‘bottom’ is non-regulation other than a colour restriction to plain black (no writing, logos, stripes or other colours). Shoes need to be suitable for school wear.

Please name ALL clothing and shoes.

In Terms 1 and 4 of each year, red Bulls School bucket hats must be worn when outdoors.

SUBSCRIBE TO APP GROUPS 

Di has refreshed this and named each group with 2024 so you know it’s relevant and up to date. You will all need to join the groups specific to your tamariki.

This has important notices for either the whole school or specific groups eg: Bus Students, Sports, Cultural, Hubs, etc that you can join according to what your child’s involved in.

Many notices or reminders go out via the APP so it is an important tool for parents to be aware of what is due eg: permission slips and dates for events offsite, transport required etc. This is also an efficient way to provide absence notices.

In many cases, parental permission may be given via the app as well.