FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Haere Mai, welcome back officially to 2024!!
This is our first official newsletter of the year! SO… here we go!!
Thank you everyone for making our first few days so enjoyable and positive, enabling all children and their teachers to have such a good start!!
We know you are all on board for the year! We all have stationery, hats, togs, school bags and a really happy attitude towards being at school.
A few things to remember are:
(1.) Please ensure lunch is a healthy lunch – this enables learning.
(2.) That your child has a drink bottle of water – we all need water for the brain to really work.
(3.) And that they have had plenty of sleep! These factors all contribute to be ready to learn and play!
It has been lovely seeing everyone at drop-off in the morning!! Below is a photo of most of the staff for 2024. Welcome to our new teacher Mrs. Fiona Sutton, and welcome back to Mrs. Tracey Uhe. Missing in this photo are some of our support staff: Tanya Glover, Laura Watt, Richard Bray, Sue Johnson, Mel McDermid.
Newsletter focus:
- Events for Term 1.
- Cell Phone Policy.
- Education Outside the Class Room.
- School Donation, Fundraising and Sponsorship.
Events for Term 1
- “Meet Us All” Meet the Teachers and the Community – Tuesday, 13th February at 5:00pm – The BBQ will be going, the FOWS will be here, as well as the sports managers getting ready to start their organisation for the year. Kelly Sport, Music Tutors and P-form have also been invited. The BBQ’s will be going. Details can be found here: “MEET US ALL” 2024 Tuesday 13th – Google Docs.
- Welcome Powhiri – Friday, March 1st at 9:15am – This is a gathering for all new families. Meet outside the hall at 9:00 am to join the group. This will be followed by kai/ morning tea in the staffroom.
- BNZ Breakers Courtside Experience – Is happening this Friday. We will report on this very special experience next week!
- Bike-a-thon Date has been set for 10th April 2024 – More details will be shared over next month.
Cell Phone Policy
Wainui School has always had a policy of “no phones needed.” This will be formalised in a policy at our first Board meeting. The catch phrase “phones away for the day” has always stood in our classrooms. If your child needs a phone for after school please ensure they know they must be handed in to their teacher for the day.
Education Outside the Classroom
Surfing – Years 7&8 have begun their programme with an Outdoor Education trip to Orewa Beach to participate in an introductory session in surfing. This begins the Intermediate area’s orientation to “build collaboration and team skills as a new group”. Each term there is an outdoor education experience that will be for many challenging, and possibly new, but something to add to the well-being and development of the students.
Goat Island Snorkelling and Marine Education – Years 5-6 are participating in a snorkelling and marine/ environmental education day at Goat Island Marine Reserve in week 4. All information has been distributed to the parents of these students.
COMING UP
Welcome Powhiri 9:15am Friday 1st March – This is a gathering for all our new families joining Wainui School. The Powhiri is also for anyone who hasn’t been welcomed officially in this way last year as well. This will be followed with kai/ morning tea in the staffroom. Please let the school office know if you will be coming.
FINALLY
School Donation, Fundraising and Sponsorship – This time of the year is budget setting, goal setting and planning for our year at Wainui. To ensure we can do everything we plan, we need all families to contribute the donation. This would enable even more of our planned goals to be attained.
The school donation is $200 for the for the first child, $175.00 for the second child. No further requirements are needed if you have more than two children.
This can be done via KINDO, online banking, eftpos or cash in the office. We can also set up time payments of which have been well used. Please email or see Miss Ludwig in the office to set this up.
As a Board we have endeavoured to keep this contribution manageable.
Fundraising – Is vital to our school and was immensely successful last year BUT we need more to join the FOWS (Friends of Wainui School) that make this happen!! We will struggle to sustain our successful events without parent support and people stepping forward to help. Please set some time aside to help with an event or be on the FOWS. Next week we will send out more information on joining and being a part of this.
Sponsorship – We welcome sponsorship from businesses, families or individuals. We thank the sponsors we had last year. We had a number of sponsors that enables us to meet our goals, including the Bike track upgrade, affording the Teacher Aides we have, keeping the pool going and much more. Over the next few weeks we will share the sponsorship agreement and be more specific about the areas we will focus on. Please contact myself or Board members Annaliese Hewitt who has the community focus hat on or Chad Mexted who has the responsibility of finance.
See you all next week at the “Meet Us All” event.
Ka kite ano,
Gillian Bray
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
- Tuesday 13th February – “Meet Us All” BBQ – 5:00 – 7:00pm
- Monday 19th February – Yr 5/6 Goat Island Trip – Kahikatea & Nikau
- Tuesday 20th February – Yr 5/6 Goat Island Trip – Totara & Kauri
- Friday 1st March – Welcome Powhiri – 9:15am
- Wednesday 10th April – Bike-a-thon
OTHER
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In week 3 we will be starting our Garden to Table programme. This year the year 3’s and 4’s will also be involved in this popular programme and I know they are very excited about this.
If you would like to donate items to use in our gardens, we would be very grateful.
We are specifically needing the following items:
- Horse poo
- Worms so we can restart our worm farms
- Any garden tools
- Fruit trees
- Seedlings both vegetables and flowers
COMMUNITY
