From Acting General Manager Thomas Tawhiri

Kia ora koutou katoa

 Ka nui te mihi i runga I ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā.

Welcome back everyone to Term 4 – the last term of a year that by any measure has been quite extraordinary, and for many of us quite taxing. I hope the first week has gone well. 

Alert Level 1

And welcome back Auckland – it’s great to have you back with the rest of the country at Level 1!  

There is plenty of information on the website regarding the various levels and these are being continually updated.  

A reminder that QR code posters continue to be required to be on display at Alert Level 1 (parents and caregivers should be encouraged to keep checking in when doing drop offs and pick-ups) and you will need to be ready to support health authorities with contact tracing, should new cases emerge in your community.

Also, important:

  • Public health measures will also help to reduce transmission of illness:
  • maintain your good cleaning and disinfecting practices
  • keep encouraging good hygiene standards
  • people who are unwell should stay away, and seek medical advice
  • everyone should get tested if recommended to do so by health professionals.

Something we must all be aware of however is that COVID-19 will be with us for many months to come. New cases in our communities remain a possibility, as happened with the recent resurgence in Auckland. It is important we avoid complacency and remain vigilant.

Resignations

It is with regret that I inform you that our General Manager, Sean McKinley, has resigned.  In the short time I worked with Sean I was always impressed with his professionalism and his commitment to Playcentre.  He never wavered from his belief in Playcentre and what we could achieve if we all worked together.    

The Co-Presidents have asked me to stay on as acting General Manager. While I am in this role, I’m pleased to announce that Keri Milich has accepted the fixed term Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori role from 19 Oct-19 Jan.

Keri will be great addition to the Playcentre leadership team. I do feel it is particularly important that we have a kaitiaki overseeing the Te Ao Māori roll-out with both its strategic and operational focus for implementation across the organisation.

Sadly, our Communications Manager, Gael Woods leaves us on 28 October and returns to Te Kura to take up a manager role there. Like me, Gael has only been with Playcentre for a short time, but her journalism experience and work in communications has made a difference in the organisation.

Phase Two 

We continue to work on finalising the organisational restructure and we are getting close to  preparing for it to be set in motion. We will keep you posted. Thank you for your patience.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Whakataetae 

Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa i tukuna nei ngā kōrero, ngā whakaahua me ngā whakaaturanga mō te whakataetae i Te Reo Māori o Te Whānau Tupu Ngatahi o Aotearoa. Atu i te kotahi rau o ngā wharekohungakohuga i uru mai ki te whakataetae i tēnei tau, he mihi miharo ki a koutou e te whānau. Kei kōnei ngā Wharekohungahunga i whakawhiwhi nei ngā taonga mō ngā mahi tino pai rawa atu o te whakataetae nei.

He whakamihi rawa atu tēnei ki ēnei wharekohunghunga i te kounga o te mahi i tuku mai nei – Ko Ngaio, ko Newlands Tamariki, ko Paroa PC rātou ko Spring Creek. Hei tā tātau whainga nui mō te tau e heke mai nei, kia piki ake, kia rahi ake ngā whakaurutanga katoa.

Thank you to all who entered our Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori competition and submitted stories, pictures and video footage of your reo activities. We received over 100 entries in the competition this year.  Great work from those who submitted entries – a very good effort whānau.

I would like to make special mention of the high calibre of entries from the following centres – Ngaio, Newlands Tamariki, Paroa and Spring Creek. Our aim for next year will be to increase and extend our entries. Here are our winners of the taonga. Congratulations! 

Te Reo Māori Clock Winners (first 10 entries received) – NNI, LNI, USI, Maungawhau, Spring Creek, Eden-Epsom, Belmont, Mt. Wellington, Oakura, Haitaitai.

Prize winners 1-10 – Waterloo, Landsdown Terrace, Springcreek, Parkside, Blockhouse Bay, Park Road,Taupō Whānau, Paroa, Ngaio, Tawa-Linden.

Prize 11 – Morningside

Prize 12 – Belmont

Prize 13 – Woodend

Prize 14 – Newlands Tamariki

See prizes here. 

Finance

We’ve also had a terrific response from our Centres’ treasurers – almost all Finance Packs have been completed and are with the Finance Team.  Visit the website for more information if your Centre is still to complete its pack.

Ko te pae tawhiti whaia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tiina.  

Thomas