Alan Visits the Dentist

Morena tamariki mai, well I really enjoyed assembly on Friday - both the wonderful junior performance and the visit by the lovely dentist Natasha! I am looking forward to getting my pack with my tooth brush and toothpaste! I was so enthusiastic that yesterday I took Mrs Cox to see her dentist. Luckily she looks after her teeth extremely well. I'm always allowed to go with her because I'm so well behaved. 

I'm sure everyone is doing their best to brush their teeth morning and night to keep them healthy. 

Remember one of the other important things you can do to keep your teeth healthy is to cut down on sugary drinks and stick to milk or water. I only drink water (milk is not good for dogs unless it's special pet milk) and my teeth are perfect!

Have a great week and remember my message at assembly - come to school every day unless you are sick and be on time so you don't miss out on any learning!

keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

Alan 💙🐾

 Ata marie tamariki ma, I can't believe how quickly this term is going - it's nearly time for the holidays again! It's been very nice to have some better weather lately especially because it means I can bask in the sun when I'm at home and also I seem to get taken for more walks! My favourite hikoi at the moment is the Point England walk from  Kiano Place along until you reach the playground on Point England Reserve. It's great fun because I don't have to have my lead on and there is so much to see and do! Yesterday we saw so many pukeko that I couldn't count them and there were some chicks! They were cute and fluffy. Definitely a sign of spring! We also saw a beautiful bird called a kingfisher (according to Mrs Cox). We usually meet other dogs to play with - well I play with them; Mrs Cox just gives them a pat or says hello! There's a beach for me to play on and the water is wonderful to have a quick swim in. 

If you are looking for a great walk to take your family on - this is it! You might get to see me there one day. You may have already been there... if you have write and tell me what you like best about it. 

Did I mention you can ride your bike along the path?

keep safe and take care

ma te wa

Alan 💙 🐾

  

Alan and his Alan Awards

 Kia ora tamariki ma, gosh it's week three already! How did that happen?! Do you know what bit of last week I enjoyed the most? It was that I got to come to school on Friday and give out the Alan Awards in person..or is that dogson...? Mrs Cox helped a bit. 

The attendance and ready for learning percentages are really improving which is great to see although of course there is always room for improvement. The Alan Attendance Award was won by the wonderful Room 10 - ka pai room 10! The Alan Ready for Learning Award was won by the awesome room 13 - mahi pai!

I also got to wear my dinosaur costume because it was fluffy day at GTS. There were so many people wearing onesies, fluffy jumpers and fluffy hair ornaments! Such a lovely day. But then, I love everyday at Glen Taylor School. Home and Glen Taylor School are my two favourite places.

Have a great week

Be safe and be kind

ma te wa 

Alan  💙🐾  

Alan Enjoyed his Holiday

 Kia ora tamariki ma, I hope you are all glad to be back at school - I certainly am! I did love the holidays because I got to do some cool stuff like my big walk around Cornwall Park...it was so pretty especially as the daffodils are starting to appear and I'm pretty sure I saw a lamb! I was quite keen to make friends with the sheep and the cows but Mrs Cox said I have to be on my lead when we are there because dogs and farm animals don't always mix especially at lambing and calving time.  

It was disappointing to see that there are signs up saying not to pick the daffodils! You'd think people had the integrity to leave them for everyone to enjoy. It's stealing if you take them!! I'm glad all my friends at GTS know how to act with integrity that's for sure!   

I read a very interesting plaque at the park - all about the pa that used to be here and about Rongo the God of the kumara. So it was an extremely educational trip as well as fun.

Have a great week

Be safe and be kind

ma te wa 

Alan  💙🐾

Alan and the Last Week of Term

Morena tamariki ma, kei te pehea koe? It's the last week of term and I'm a little bit sad I won't get to see my friends for two weeks but I'm just thinking about how exciting term three will be to cheer myself up.

I've been seeing students showing great confidence in themselves lately which is great to see. It reminds me of my friend Barney who lives in Wellington - he's been going to dog obedience classes and has tried so hard even though he found it a bit tricky....he kept on believing in himself and telling himself he could do it. That takes confidence! And guess what? He passed his course and felt so proud of himself!

Another great example of confidence I saw recently involved a student in room 5. I showed her a maths game I had and taught her to play it. When we had finished she asked " Can I teach someone else to play it?" Of course I said yes and away she went - incredible confidence. I was so proud of her and more importantly she was proud of herself. Tino pai!  

I would love as many students as possible to write and tell me about a time they showed confidence in themselves - I can't wait to hear from you! And remember I always reply!

 Have a great week everyone!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

-Alan 💙 🐾

Alan Loved Samoan Week

Ata marie tamariki ma! It might seem a while ago now but I really really enjoyed being at school during Samoan Week seeing all the great activities and learning that was taking place. I saw lots of wonderful Samoan art and many people writing awesome information reports on Samoa and creating posters about Samoa to show off their knowledge and share it with others.

I especially liked seeing students and staff wearing their traditional dress (some Samoan but also other cultures) Such gorgeous colours and lovely materials - and such smiling faces on the people who are proudly displaying the symbols of their culture.

I was extremely disappointed that Mrs Cox didn't bring me to school when it was time for the Samoan food! She really should have known that would be my favourite bit! I saw photos and it looked delicious...I heard everyone enjoyed it very much. Perhaps next time someone will take pity on me and at least give me a taste? (No Alan nobody will be giving you any food - Mrs Cox.)

Anyway it was such a good week - I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!

 Have a great week everyone!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

-Alan 💙 🐾

Alan Goes to the Park with a Friend

Kia Ora, tamariki ma, 

Well I had another great weekend full of walks and treats and lots of cuddles and playing with my toys, especially my latest toy which is my otter toy. 

Did you know that Ms Karl looked after me the other weekend? Mr and Mrs Cox went away for the weekend and I wasn't allowed to go. (I don't know why - it didn't really seem fair...) Anyway Ms Karl stayed at my house and played with me and gave me lots of extra treats which was really fabulous and extremely delicious. 

The most exciting part of the weekend was when I went to the park with my new friend Marley....a beautiful Alsatian who is Ms Karl's dog. We were instant friends when we met and we had such a wonderful time at the park we visited. You can see we both have big smiles on our faces can't you?

I was sorry when Marley and Ms Karl went home but it was quite nice to see Mr and Mrs Cox again!   

                    

Have a great week everyone!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

-Alan 💙 🐾

My Holiday!

Kia ora tamariki ma! I hope everyone's week is going well so far. I had such a wonderful weekend - Mr and Mrs Cox went away for a bit of a holiday (I can't believe they didn't take me......) so Ms MacKenzie and Ms Karl looked after me. I had such a good time. I got to stay a night at Mrs MacKenzie's house and they have a great bean bag that I like to curl up on - so comfy! And of course I get so many pats and get to play with toys. 

On Saturday Ms Karl came and got me and we went to my house and hung out together. She is so much fun and I even got to play with her dog Marley -  he was a lot of fun so now I have a new friend which is very cool. 

I got to go to school as well and that was the best bit as I don't like missing days at Glen Taylor. Today I hung out in Ruma Wha. They were awesome and really respected my space and let me rest on my blanket whenever I wanted to and didn't disturb me. Tino pai Ruma Wha! I was very impressed.

Mrs Cox came and picked me up - it was lovely to see her but in a way I was a bit sad my lovely long weekend was over.....I'll have to try and arrange another one as soon as I can!

Have a great week everyone!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

-Alan 💙 🐾

Alan is Back at School

Morena, tamariki ma.  It's been the best week ever in my world!! I couldn't believe it when Mrs Cox told me that Mr Herlihy had said I could come back to school! How lucky am I? I had been missing everyone so much. I was so thrilled when we drove up the driveway and I could see some of my Glen Taylor friends looking very exciting to see me which was a lovely feeling. 

A special thank you to Team Kea for their stupendous effort in writing such excellent persuasive letters to Mr Herlihy convincing him to allow me to return to school. What a great initiative and what amazing writing. Tino pai! I was also impressed by Mr Herlihy's response. The message in his letter was so important and it certainly worked in this case!

If you want something to change you must do something to make it happen. Something that is mature, respectful and makes the person making decisions really think about why they should change their mind. 

I spent a lot of my day saying hello to everyone and being patted - it was such fun. I have to admit I was quite tired by the time we went home and fell asleep dreaming about my wonderful day....

Have a great week everyone!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

-Alan 💙 🐾

Alan is a Busy Dog

Kia ora tamariki ma.  I can hardly believe it's term two! I'm very excited because I can come back to Glen Taylor School and see all my friends !! Do come and say hello - you'll make my day. I can't wait!! 

I've had another busy holiday going for walks and I also got to go to the hairdresser when Mrs Cox went to get her hair cut.  It was so much fun as I hadn't been there for ages! Everyone was so pleased to see me again and I got lots of pats and everyone kept saying how well behaved and gorgeous I was. I got to see Jacqueline my human sister when she came home for a visit which was wonderful because she plays with me a lot and sits on the floor with me when we are watching television.

I also got to go to Cornwall Park for a walk and we stopped at a cafe - there were two other dogs there a beautiful Labrador called Bacio (the Italian word for kiss) and a Vissler called Luna. It was a treat to have company while the humans had their coffee.

Even when we stayed at home there was plenty to keep me occupied - eating sticks, playing with my toy collection and of course dressing up for easter - don't you love my bunny ears?!

I can't wait to hear from you all!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

- Alan 💙🐾

Alan is Nearly Seven

Morena tamariki ma, 

I hope you are all having a good week so far. I'm getting very excited because it's my birthday tomorrow! I'm really hoping that Mrs Cox buys me a present - I mean I don't need anything big (I'm not a greedy dog...) but just something little would be nice....perhaps a new toy? Or a piece of steak? A sausage or two? Or even a handful of dog biscuits....I guess I'll just have to wait and see...it's so hard waiting though! Do you get excited waiting for your birthday? I'd love to hear all about your birthdays and how you celebrate them - don't forget to write to me will you? One of my favourite things is hearing from my Glen Taylor friends. 

I thought you might like to see the video from my birthday when I was five - a very important birthday when you are a person because you get to start school! Dogs can go to puppy school but they don't usually get to go to a people school unless they are very lucky like me!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your week - I'll keep you posted about my birthday celebrations!

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

- Alan 💙🐾

Alan Enjoys a Day Out

Morena tamariki ma, I  am finding it hard to believe it's week six of the term! So great to hear from Mrs Cox that lots of students are at school. I'm missing being there but it can't be helped.

I had a wonderful day yesterday - Mrs Cox was at school and Mr Cox has gone off on a holiday so Mr Fairbairn the Chairman of the Board looked after me! Lucky me...he turned out to be excellent at looking after me and I had a lovely time. I took some toys to play with and a snack for my lunchtime, a bowl for my water and a towel to sleep on so I was all set. The trickiest part of the day was deciding where to lie down for my multiple naps. I did think Mr Fairbairn would play with me but apparently he had work to do..... Luckily for me he decided to take me for a walk at lunchtime which was a lot of fun - a new walk to find all the new smells - my idea of a very good time. The day went so quickly and before I knew it Mrs Cox was at the door to pick me up to go home. I tried to look invisible and sink into the carpet so I could stay but to no avail....I was spotted and had to say goodbye. A bit sad but then on the way home in the car I spotted three of my Glen Taylor friends walking home from school and they called out and said hello to me - I was so happy to see them!! All in all an excellent day.

I hope you had a lovely time at school or if you had to be at home you also had a good day - perhaps you did some online school work? I'd love to hear about it if you did so do write and tell me about it.

Keep safe and be kind

ma te wa

- Alan 💙🐾

Alan at Assembly

Morena tamariki ma, 

I hope your week has been great so far and you're having fun in your classrooms. It seems that you are, judging by Room five's brilliant assembly on Friday. Kai pai Room five! It was wonderful to see and hear about all the learning you have been doing. It was also so wonderful for me to see all those familiar faces online that I've been missing! Remember to write and tell me what you've been up to so I can keep up to date with what is happening at school while I'm not there.

       

AWARDS

HUGE congratulations to Room 11 this week. They scooped up both Alan awards - the Attendance Award and the Ready for Learning Award. I'm not sure I can remember this happening before! So impressed Room 11 - I wonder if other rooms can match that effort before the end of term? 

Anyway - enjoy the rest of your week - I hear the pool has been in action again - Big thank you to Mr Pete who has worked so hard to fix the issue with the water. So impressed with his excellent work - real example of perseverance.

Keep safe and be kind

Ma te wa

- Alan 💙🐾  

Alan Loves Swimming

Kia ora tamariki ma, 

I can't believe it's week three of term 1 already! Time is flying by and I'm so pleased that you're back at school and having lots of fun. I'm a bit jealous of you getting to swim in the beautiful - and now warmer - pool and so much wish I could too. 

Remember to pack your togs, goggles and towel on your swimming days and if you're not sure which they are just pack them every day and then you'll always be ready to go! I always keep my towel in the car just in case we go to the beach or somewhere like Orakei Basin or Churchill Park which are my favourite places to swim. I don't need goggles or togs though! 

I asked Mrs Cox if we could go swimming in the weekend and we did - it was so much fun. It's so important to learn to keep ourselves safe in the water as we are so lucky in New Zealand to have such a lot of beaches we can get to. 

AWARDS

I was so excited when Ms Wrack told me who was getting the Alan awards for week 2. 

Congratulations to Room 11 for winning the Attendance Award. Tino pai - fantastic to see our senior students setting a great example for the younger ones.

And congratulations to Rooms 8 and 4 for winning the Ready to Learn Award with both classes having everyone on time each day! A special mention to Room 4 for achieving this for the second week in a row!! It's also the first time that two classes have done this. Let's see how many classes can reach this goal next week! 

Have a wonderful week and don't forget to write and tell me what you've been up to!

Keep safe and be kind

Ma te wa

Alan 💙🐾

Alan is so Happy School has Started

 

Kia ora tamariki ma. I hope you all had a good break before you came back to school.  My holiday was lovely, mainly going for walks, going to the beach, hanging out with my family and of course I did get some presents for Christmas...mostly food which suited me perfectly but also some toys.  

It is so good to hear that school has started and so many students are back - over 75% of akonga last week I heard - tino pai! Hopefully even more this week - there is so much going on at school. The swimming pool is open and has beautiful sunshades and is a bit warmer than usual! So bring your swimming togs and a towel - your teacher will know when your time for swimming is. If for any reason you are unable to swim let your teacher know why. The bike track is open - Mrs Cox says she's seen lots of enthusiastic cyclists zooming around. 

I wish I could be at school to see you all but at the moment I'm at home keeping Mr Cox company as he is working from home. Luckily Mrs Cox keeps me updated with all the happenings at Glen Taylor and of course I love it when students write to me so please write and tell me about the fun you're having at school.

AWARDS

The Alan awards for attendance at school and being ready to learn have started up again I'm pleased to see. The winners for week one were:

The Alan Award for Attendance : Room 9. Attendance 92% 

The Alan Award for being Ready to Learn: Room 4. Not one person was late to school in week one!

Tino pai to those classes - I'm looking forward to see who gets the awards for week two and the rest of the term!

I hope week two is wonderful for you all.

Keep safe and be kind

Ma te wa

Alan 🐾  💙