We have recently introduced a “right to disconnect” policy at school. We are establishing that it is reasonable to send/receive emails/text messages between 8.00 am and 5.00 pm but outside these hours is 'out of work' time and we would prefer staff not to send or respond by email/text. This means that staff are not required to respond to an email/text before 8.00 am or after 5.00 pm. For our wider community, this means that we will endeavour to get back to your email in a timely manner between the hours of 8.00 and 5.00. This goes for texts and messages too.

05/05 /23

Saturday play date is on! 20th of May, 10 am to 2 pm. Base school grounds will be open for whānau to come and hang out and for their tamariki / rangatahi to play. The staffroom will be available for parents, carers and whānau and there will be tea and coffee and biscuits provided. Staff will be at the gates to ensure the place safe is safe and secure. Play equipment will be out - including water trays, shaving foam, bubbles and a bouncy castle. Oaklynn staff will supervise throughout the day. Several senior leaders, teachers and therapists will be around. We will also pay kaiāwhina extra hours to support our tamariki and rangatahi to have a good time. Parents, whānau and carers have an opportunity to chill out and put their feet up.

14/02/23 3:46 pm update:

We are updating you on the situation at Oaklynn School after assessing the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. We do hope that you and your whānau have not been too badly affected by the storm. We see that in some areas it has created real havoc, we hope you are safe in your homes. The impact on Oaklynn School is significant and messy!! So we have a mixed response for tomorrow Wednesday 15th Feb. We apologise in advance for class closures. Please note the following:

New Lynn Primary classes are CLOSED tomorrow - Wednesday 15th as the main school is closed for the day.
Arahoe 1 and 2 classes are CLOSED due to a lack of staff in both classes.
We have approximately 34+ staff who either cannot come into school or are unsure if they can come in due to the impact of cyclone/daycare issues. This will put huge pressure on the whole of the school.
Due to the extreme pressure on the school tomorrow, we ask that if it is all possible that you keep your child at home - this will allow us to redistribute staff across the school. We appreciate many parents have to go out to work but some may be able to be home. We do appreciate your support.
If you are keeping your child at home please contact
Caro, Cross Country Taxis 0272524154
Auckland Co-op Taxis - please email transport@oaklynn.school.nz
South Auckland Taxis - please email transport@oaklynn.school.nz

Stay safe whānau.

Ngā manaakitanga

Louise Doyle, Principal

12 February 2023 2:56 pm update:

School will be closed tomorrow and Tuesday. We have made this decision as early as possible to help whānau make plans for the next 2 days. A decision will be made by 3.00 pm Tuesday whether or not school will be open on Wednesday.

We understand that closing school can be very disruptive for whānau who may be required to go into work - this is one of the reasons why we are informing our school community as soon as possible. The primary decision behind school closing is to ensure that our students, staff and community can stay home, keep off the roads and remain safe while the predicted extreme weather from Cyclone Gabrielle passes through Auckland.

Stay safe whānau.

Ngā manaakitanga

Louise Doyle, Principal

12 February 2023 11:00 am:

The school is actively monitoring Auckland’s weather event closely and all advice from Auckland Emergency Management. The school has procedures to deal with severe weather events and the likely impact not only on the school but also on the surrounding areas which may affect the ability of students and staff to get to and from school safely. The safety of students and staff is at the forefront of all decisions

The school will make a decision later today on tomorrow's response, which may include a school closure. We will inform you all late this afternoon.

Ngā mihi

Louise Doyle, Principal

January 2023:

Recent flooding in Auckland - Please find below a newsletter that explains our response to our start date in February 2023 in light of recent Government announcements.

Auckland regional flooding - Oaklynn update

September 2022:

Mask-wearing at school - Please find below a newsletter that explains our response to mask-wearing in light of recent Government announcements.

Mask-wearing or not

June 2022:

SchooI Board Parent Election 2022 - Nomination round. Our school will be undertaking a parent election for 5 School Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community by Friday 15 July 2022. We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. Please see their information below.

School Board Election Newsletter

Nomination advertisement 2022

March 2022:

Highest Needs Review - The Government is committed to ensuring all children and young people can access high-quality education and receive the support they need to succeed in education. It is important that education supports are designed so that the potential of all our children can be fully realised, which is at the heart of what whānau and kaiako strive for every day.

The purpose of the review is to ensure that these children and young people, and their families, whānau and aiga, receive the right learning support they need, when they need it, and for as long as they need it. The education journey of children and young people, from early learning to leaving secondary school, falls within the scope of the Review.

We strongly encourage you to have your say at

https://conversation.education.govt.nz/conversations/highest-needs-review/

The Review’s online portal is now live and will remain open until 31 March 2022.

December 2021:

A message from Louise. “In 2020, I was most fortunate to be awarded a principals sabbatical for a term in 2021 - which the board and I postponed (because of my concussion last year) to 2022. This means that I will be away from school during term one next year. In my absence, Pilar Romero will be our school’s Acting Principal. She has the absolute full backing of both the SMT and the BOT. I know that with her experience and skills, she will steer the ship well in my absence. I have every faith in the team around her to support her in this role.

The Primary Principals’ Sabbatical is a period of 10 school weeks paid leave for you to undertake professional learning, reflection and rejuvenation. Each year there are 105 sabbaticals available to principals covered by the Primary Principals’ Collective Agreement (PPCA), in state or state-integrated primary schools.

During my study time, I plan to investigate the following elements of our practice, and how they link together;

School leadership. Educational/relational neuroscience and Te Ao Māori - Te Ara Whakamana The study will involve visiting other schools in Aotearoa New Zealand that may have some of these practices happening in the schools. My goal is to create a framework/guidance document that pulls these elements together with Oaklynn’s values.”

Aug 2021:

Louise recently had an article published in the magazine Principals Today. It considered the consequences of online learning for our learners here at Oaklynn.

Online Learning Post CoVID - Is it feasible for everyone?