Kia ora Koutou and Howdy partners!!

This week is all about partnerships, books and a few reminders!!

Congratulations once again to all who planned, organized and ran the annual Fishing Competition and Summer Festival!! We raised $8500!! Top effort to everyone who came, sponsored, helped and fished!! Thank you, this year we have lots of plans to begin on really improving the grounds, you will see the shade sails are up, the Board of Trustees are looking at developing a plan for the grounds so we can improve things every year in a more cohesive manner. We look forward to keeping you all in the loop.

WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN HAPPENING

EOTC Week, Kiwi Team – The Kiwi team had two great days last week enjoying our bush, fishing and visiting Shakespear Park. Thank you to all parents who helped. There is one final EOTC day in the last week of term for this team, Wednesday 11^th April, so if you missed being able to attend you will be able to join the last day.

Paid Union Meeting (PUM) – Thank you to everyone who did pick up their children earlier last week, this really helped with being able to enable our teachers to attend a union meeting. To keep you informed as a community, this is the outcome from the meeting:

From this recent paid union meeting, teachers have voted for change.

There is currently a Kua Tae Te Wa/ It’s Time campaign been launched to achieve the significant investment we need so that all children can reach their potential, and teaching is an attractive, valued and well-supported profession.

There is currently a crisis in education that needs to be urgently addressed. A pay increase is needed to address these issues. Your kids (or grandkids) may miss out because there aren’t enough teachers. 

Schools are struggling to attract and retain great teachers. There is also a drop in the number of people choosing to train as teachers. Teachers are leaving because they are overworked and undervalued.  

The teachers ask that you stand with us to make this change and bring communities together, so that teachers can provide the quality education that your child deserves.

Tomorrow is the Principals Paid Union Meeting (PUM). It will require Principals to discuss the same issues as the teachers have. We have different unions hence the different meetings.

THIS WEEK 

Scholastic Book Fair – The Wild West is the theme, we all enjoyed the opening of the Book Fair week; a focus on literacy, books and reading with a fun Character parade. Thank you Miss Stevenson for inspiring us all, organising the Book Fair and getting us enthused about reading. For very book or item we sell, we earn points, these give us the opportunity to buy books for the library.

Learning Conversations – By now you will have made a time to meet with your child’s teacher. At the learning conversation you will be able to see the child’s learning change map and discuss your child’s learning with your child and their teacher. If you can’t make the times we have set aside, please make another time. We have a goal of 100% attendance to ensure we engage with all parents. We know this is vitally important for all parties involved in the learning journey of the child. The times are Tuesday 27th March 2 – 5.30pm and Wednesday 28th March 3 – 8.00pm.

FINALLY  

Some housekeeping and Board of Trustees News.

Parking and driving on the school grounds:

1. Please park in the carparks, not on the roundabout. The roundabout is a part of our gardens, it is also dangerous as children will run across the driveway to get to the cars parked on the island.
2. Please drive around the roundabout before you cross over to the top car park, from time to time drivers will cut across the top of the roundabout. Cutting across is also dangerous.
3. Speed – on the school grounds. Please be vigilant about keeping your speed down, even if you are late on in a hurry. It doesn’t need to be explained, we are full of children and preschoolers who can be very unpredictable around traffic.
4. After school pick up – The buses do have priority at the top of the roundabout. When it is raining it is imperative this is respected, all buses are gone by 3.10 – 3.15pm then you can drive around easily.

Policy – Legislation Restraint and Easter Tuesday – Restraint is a highly topical subject at present, being a fairly new legal change. We have a clear policy on our School Docs website.

There are clear rules around this stated in the policy, it is one we as a BOT are just reviewing currently to ensure we are abiding by all the regulations.

Easter Tuesday for your interest – Under the Education Act 1989 section 65c Holidays (1) Subject to subsection (2), every board must ensure that every school it administers is closed on—(a) Saturdays, Sundays, New Year’s Day, 2 January, Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, Anzac Day, the Sovereign’s birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day;

On that note enjoy the long weekend. Hard to believe term one is coming to an end so fast.

Thank you for the feedback re Sir Ken Robinson. I will finish today’s newsletter with another one of his many famous quotes, I have also purchased his latest book for parents. You are most welcome to borrow it from me.

“All children start their school careers with sparkling imaginations, fertile minds and a willingness to take risks with what they think” (Sir Ken Robinson).

We see this every day, it is why we are passionate about our role as teachers at Wainui School. We look forward to talking with you this week.

Ka kite ano,

Gillian Bray

OTHER

Netball Season 2018 – I will be registering all Netball team lists in the Pinehurst competition for Years 1- 5 by the end of this week. If you have not brought your form back, can you do so asap, thanks. We are still in need of some year 1 players so we can make up a team, they play 6 aside on Saturday mornings.

 
Hockey Season 2018 – Thank you to all those who have registered to play winter hockey. Wainui School will have 7 winter teams – 2 Year 3/4, 3 Year 5/6 and 2 Year 7/8 teams.  We now need coaches and managers please so we can get the season started.  Please contact the office if you are able to help.

CERTIFICATES

At the last assembly, the following students received certificates for “Reflective”.

• Kauri: Roman Hutchison, Ella Woodcock. Writing: Paris Headford.
• Kahikatea: Julia Buchajczyk, Jakob Kerr. Writing: Daniel Phillips.
• Rimu: Charlotte Robinson, Grace Wallace-Pram. Writing: William Houghton.
• Matai: Talia Minton, Bonnie Smith.  Writing: Bella Browne Hale.
• Totara: Logan Grey, Stevie Waugh. Writing: Kelly McMillan Mayes.
• Nikau: Jakob Brown, Pearl Glasgow.  Writing: Ashton Russell.
• Kowhai: Tyler Newman, Isaac Scott.  Writing: Katelyn Burgess.
• Kohekohe: Milly Dixon, Andre Potgieter.  Writing: Quinn Richardson.
• Pukatea: Hamish Allen, Reece McDermid-Venter.  Writing: Charlize Taylor.
• Rata: Lara Ibbett, Ella Brea Wells-Lakeland.  Writing: Connor Kerr.
• Karaka: Ava Portig, Cooper Russell.  Writing: Dylan Catchpole.
• Puriri: Charlotte Gooding, Hunter Olliff. Writing: Indie Hawkins.

Our amazing Hellyer Cup Winners were Kayden Le (Puriri), Felix Latham (Karaka), Phoenix Sweetman-Jones (Rata) and Jackson Wright (Pukatea).

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

• Scholastic Book Fair – Monday 26th – Thursday 29th March.
• Tuesday 27th March – Learning Conversations – 2 – 5.30pm.
• Wednesday 28th March – Learning Conversations – 3 – 8pm.
• Friday 30th March – Tuesday 3rd April – Easter Break – NB: Schools are not open on Tuesday.
• Wednesday 4th April – FOWs Meeting – 7pm.
• Friday 6th April – Kiwi Assembly – 9.15am.
• Tuesday 10th April – Board of Trustees Meeting – 6.30pm.
• Wednesday 11th April – EOTC Yr 3/4 – School Bush.
• Friday 13th April – End of Term 1.

COMMUNITY