FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Kia ora Koutou,

Ag Day and the Country Fair was a real success due to the huge efforts by everyone from the FOWS group led by Kylie Allen and Nikki Browne, as well as Mrs Taylor and all the staff.  Thank you to all the parents with helping your children to rear their animals, helping with the classroom artifacts and helping on stalls.  Thank you to each and everyone of you for your support, what a wonderful day we all had. I have included photos taken by Amy Hawkins Photography – Amy is mum of Indie and Kade and takes absolutely awesome photos!!

We had 31 lambs, 9 goats and 9 chickens.  Well done to all the families for your participation and obvious hard work in leading, calling and ensuring your animals were looking their best.

The final amount of funds raised will be included in next weeks newsletter to ensure we have included all expenses etc and then it can be accurate.

Group Day – Friday 1st November – All lambs and goat kids that received a placement of 1-4 are eligible to go and need to register by today (Tuesday 29th October).  I will be attending for some of the time on Friday. The event which is a very big “interschool” show of the animals with the same categories includes schools from the Kaipara region, from Coatesville, Dairyflat, Wainui, Waitoki, Kaukapakapa to Helensville, Parakai, Waimauku andWaioneke.  Registration is from 9.00am with a start time of 9.30am and prizegiving at 1:30pm. We wish you all the best, this day is very traditional and has cups and trophies for all categories. Information has been e-mailed home to those attending.

THIS WEEK 

Takahe Team (Intermediate area) are on camp –  The Year 7 & 8’s are on Motutapu Island!!  At 10.00am the bus drove out of the school with 58 very excited students on board. There are 3 teachers and 17 parents. It is our philosophy to take all parents who volunteer to attend camp as it is a very special time for all families. Camp Motutapu has been a camp since 1966, it was once an Artillery Camp in WW2 then decommissioned and upgraded of course!!  Mr Irvine and his team self cater for this camp enabling us to keep the costs down.  All parents also pay their keep for the week (not for the activites).  The camp activites are a range of outdoor activites that will be physically challenging, as well as the environment for the group enables friendships, confidence and personal growth to be nutured. We wish you all the very best weather, fun times and look forward to hearing about all of your adventures when you return.

HATS are required by everyone for outside play. Please ensure your child has a hat and knows they must wear it outside.  This is in our SunSmart policy.

NEXT WEEK

Principal for the Day – I am personally looking forward to a rest on Tuesday November 5th when Milla and Tripp Glasgow become the Principals for the day!! I have heard so far there will be lots of sports on this day as well as perhaps having free choice lunchboxes!!

John Parsons Cybersafety – John Parsons, an Internet Safety and Risk Assessment Consultant to the education sector, the private sector, and the health sector, will be at Wainui School to work with children, teachers, and parents. John is highly regarded in his field and was awarded a “Paul Harris Fellow” by Rotary International for his work in child protection online and in the community. He delivers cybersafety workshops appropriate for the age of the participant and is extremely thought-provoking. Visit http://www.simulate2educate.co.nz/ for more information. We are thrilled at hosting John again. The students will have an age appropriate session throughout the day. The adult session will be for teachers and parents together at 5:30 pm. ( the talk will be about an hour and half). Please let us know if you will be attending thank you.

COMING UP

Classes and Teachers for 2020 – We are in the process of planning classes and teachers for 2020. It is really helpful if you inform us if you are moving schools and finishing at the end or 2019, likewise it is very helpful if you can inform us if there are other family members, frineds or neighbours wishing to enrol for 2020. The roll count currently looks very similar to this years numbers. Please be aware not all teachers will be in the same class next year. For various reasons teachers change levels as we try new combinations. This has not been finalised as yet.

FINALLY  

Teacher only Days – For the next 3 years one of the outcomes of the collective contract bargaining, as well as the pay rise for all teachers and principals, was the implementation of 8 teacher only days for teachers to participate in time to refresh and improve teaching knowledge and practice, strengthen assessment and have time to implement curriculum changes. These 8 days are to be used over the next three years and have to be agreed upon by the BOT.  At the next Board of Trustees meeting we will make the decision as to when we will have these days.  It will be probably two next year, two in 2021 and perhaps 3 in 2022.  Colleges have been given set days and dates they must take.  Primary schools have a choice of when the days are.  I am always happy to discuss what this may mean for our school so please do not hestitate to approach me.

Ka kite ano,

Gillian Bray

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

  • Tuesday 29th October – Friday 1st November – Year 7 & 8 Camp
  • Friday 1st November – Group Day
  • Tuesday 5th November – Milla and Tripp Glasgow – Principal for the day
  • Wednesday 6th November – FOWS Meeting – 7.00pm
  • Thursday 7th November – John Parsons Cyber Safety
  • Friday 8th November – Year 5 & 6 Athletics Day at Sinclair Park
  • Wednesday 13th November – BOT Meeting
  • Friday 15th November – Tui Team Assembly – 9.15am
  • Wednesday 20th November – Kids for Kids Concert at Bruce Mason – 7.00pm
  • Tuesday 26th November – Year 5 / 6 Interschool Athletics
  • Friday 29th November – Year 1-4 Junior Athletics

OTHER

Lost Netball Medal – Amy Lowe, Year 3 student had her netball medal for Prizegiving the last Friday of Term 3. She had left it in her tray in class and when she came back into Term 4 she went to get it and it was gone out of her tray?  Amy is in Miss Ross’s class. Could all parents please check their children’s bags just in case it has accidentally gone home.  It doesn’t mean anything to anyone else but it’s very special to Amy.