Newsletter Term 1 Week 4 2020

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Families
Kia ora, kia orana, talofa, malo e lelei, fakaalofa atu, hello and greetings

From the Principal

Week 4 and the mornings are starting to be cooler, and the mist is pretty when I drive to school. We have noticed that the children are getting very tired at the end of each day. The unrelenting heat plays a big factor in that so rest and a cold drink when they get home is a good pick me up.

The school has had a LOT of community events in the past few days. It is heart warming to see so many of you and outside community members joining in. Last Wednesday we had our first Hui at school with a number of past pupils attending ( very grown up past pupils!) A very lively conversation was held about the history of the school, the meaning of Tomarata, and sharing of stories ( like having to fill the school bus with petrol, and cleaning the toilets before they went home!). I am very lucky to have been given a memory stick containing very valuable photos of the school from its beginning, as well as a CD of other vital information that our students need to know about as part of their knowledge of where they belong. Thanks so much to the families who came to share their stories.

Our kapa haka group started on Monday with a huge group of students giving it a go. We are privileged to have the expertise of Te Puawai Connolly to assist Shannon and Leah to get things off the ground. I was also overwhelmed when we were gifted a beautiful korowai for the school. It will continue to be decorated with the story of our journey into Kapa haka and the Maori worldview as the year goes on. What an honour!

Last Thursday and Friday Tanya Dove from Dove Photography was in school snapping some gorgeous shots of your children as well as class photos. Very soon you will be given a password so that you can go online, see them, and order what you want. I’ve had a quick preview and I have to say the individual shots are stunning!!!

Our new Maths programme is underway and the children are enjoying the challenges that problem solving presents to them. They are learning how to work in a group (trio), participate, contribute, think, use symbols and texts, relate to others, and manage themselves. If you recognise all these they are the Key Competencies that our NZ curriculum asks us to teach in order for students to be able to grow, learn & work in their adult years. I was challenged yesterday by a very able Mathematician in Room 7 to do a knowledge test that he had done. It was a Stage 8 test and I must admit my heart sank. I completed it in 12 minutes, getting 53%. He did it in just over a minute with 100% accuracy. The way I was taught maths was it was right or wrong and if you didn’t get it you were “bad” at maths. This young man on the other hand used a variety of methods to problem solve and wasn’t afraid to take risks or make a mistake. We need to normalise mistakes at school, which is why it is one of our new values.

Our Whanau Fun Night was fantastically fabulous! A lively group of parents and children bought picnics, or sizzled sausages and had a really lovely time relaxing, chatting, socialising or playing games with their children. It was hard to get them to go home! I am planning another one, maybe with a mid-Winter theme roasting marshmallows. I hope to see you at the next get together.

The Tough Stuff Education night regarding Puberty was held last night. Kylie Ryan our facilitator is amazing and had us in stitches. Again Puberty and Sexuality Education is something that should be normalised. Kylie will be taking our Year 6-8 students for Puberty talks over the next 3 weeks. If you would like more information, or to see what the programme will be about please go to www.thetoughstuff.co.nz

Don’t forget this Friday our Assembly time has changed to 9 am. Then it is followed at 11AM (please note change of time) by our first ever Duathlon. It would be awesome if you could come to support your children. They have been practising really hard this week, and the school looks like a used bike yard! Good practice for when our Pump track gets built.

If you have any children that will be starting school this year, and you haven’t told us, could you please ring Vicki in the office. This helps with our class organisation, and organising school visits. Our roll is climbing! 119 students as of today.

Lastly I am very proud to announce the House Captains for 2020. They are:

Tayla Elliott; Koen Hare; Tenisha Barnes; Joshua Bromhead; Cody Watson-Walker; Sara Nicoll; Maddy Wallace; and Elijah Bowman. Congratulations to you all. See you on Friday for our fun day!