It's Great to be Back

Our children constantly amaze me.

Yesterday was day one following our earthquake and we were a bit worried to be fair. Would the children be OK? How would they be able to concentrate? Would they be tearful and anxious? Would all the parents keep them home?

There is no doubt that our children have in many instances been through a very difficult time. Some have lost their homes and possessions. Many have been lacking in sleep. But they are an extremely caring, concerned and open group of children. They were happy to share their experiences and talk about how they felt, who helped them, and what they did when the earthquake struck. They were equally willing to listen and inquire about the experiences of others, quick to laugh, and happy to be back at school.

They really are an amazing bunch, taught by a fantastic staff, and we should be very proud of all of them.

Back to School

Kia ora koutou

Freeville School will definitely be underway tomorrow Monday 13th September. School will start for all students at 9 a.m. as usual. There is a briefing for all all staff at 8 a.m.

I am sure that we are all ready to try to get back into our routines and restore some kind of normality to our lives.

Please remember that parents are welcome to gather in the library for a chat and a cup of tea or coffee after dropping their children to their classrooms.

On another note I have been away in Wellington over the weekend coaching the Canterbury Metro Primary Schools' U65kg rugby team. The concern from our hosts for the welfare of all Cantabrians was very genuine. Our experiences have certainly heightened the awareness of Wellingtonians in regard to their own earthquake preparedness. We found ourselves looking around with an 'earthquake aware eye,' pondering the strength of the central city buildings we were walking between.

Unfortunately the concern and hospitality of our hosts did not extend to the rugby field where we were taught a very harsh lesson, but one I am sure our boys will learn from.

Earthquake Update

Our thoughts are with our whole Freeville School family as we reflect on what has been a very difficult week. We know that many of our families have undergone significant hardship and we can only say that our thoughts and best wishes are with you all.

Our school itself has been very fortunate. In the initial quake we had no damage whatsoever and our school was deemed to be safe for staff to return following a check on Tuesday afternoon. However the large aftershock yesterday morning has caused some mainly superficial cracking. This now has to be rechecked by a structural engineer. We expect that this will happen over the next couple of days.

Our Board of Trustees is meeting at 4pm on Sunday to make a final decision about opening on Monday. We will not reopen unless we are sure that the school is as safe as it can be. At this stage though we expect to open for students and staff on Monday, September 13th.

Managing the Trauma

This morning I attended a session run by the Ministry of Education's Traumatic Incident Team at which they gave advice to schools about how best to manage adults and children when school reopens. Here are some of the key messages for adults and children which may be of use to you over the next couple of days:

• Expect and accept that people react in different ways to what has happened - there is no right or wrong way.
• Adults must look after themselves - work on keeping at least some routines around food, exercise, sleep and hydration.
• Identify at least one thing that you can do to calm yourself and make yourself feel better. Build this thing into your daily routine.
• Remember that children very quickly pick up on the adult talk around them. Try to keep adult talk away from children.
• Model coping, even if you are only pretending. Children will look to the adults around them for a model of how to behave.

When school does start back:

• We will be doing our best to, within reason, fall back into our routines.
• Parents are welcome to come to school and help their children to settle back into the classroom. We ask that parents don't stay in the classroom after the bell. Rather parents are invited to the library for a coffee and a chat.
• Teachers will give children the opportunity to share and talk about their experiences. As much as possible teachers will encourage children to think about what worked and what went well rather than dwelling on the negative or scary.
• We will be closely monitoring the school roll, attendance, and those children who may for one reason or another leave the school grounds. Please communicate closely with us.
• Remember that we will do whatever we practically can do to support you, the children and our staff. If we can do anything to help you, please ask. We will do our best.