FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Kia ora Koutou,
It’s week three, routines are going well, and our students are very well equipped to learn! Thank you parents, the lunchboxes are looking healthy, water bottles are full and most children seem to be getting plenty of sleep!
NEWSLETTER FOCUS
- Meet Us All
- BNZ Court of DREAMS Breakers Night
- Strategic Plan 2024
- Winter Sports Muster
- FOWS, Fundraising, Community Voice
“Meet Us All” Meet the Teachers and the Community – Today, Tuesday 13th February 5:00pm – Come and meet the teachers, hear about the Strategic Plan, ‘Meet Us All’ and have sausage on us – first one free! It is so important to meet your child’s teacher and find out how the classroom will work this year!
At the ‘Meet Us All’ we will share the team newsletter. This contains information about all further financial contributions that families will incur this term.
Please be aware all year 5-8 students will have a camp experience this year. Details will be shared as soon as the costs are finalised and the camps booked. More details can be found here: “MEET US ALL” 2024 Tuesday 13th – Google Docs
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
BNZ Court of DREAMS Breakers Night – What an amazing experience we had last Friday! 31 of us (children, parents and Mr. Bray and I) were treated to a most wonderful experience thanks to Harry Browne Hale, one of our year 8 student leaders in 2023, for writing his winning letter to the BNZ Breakers Dream VIP night. We were all picked up after school on Friday and taken to Spark Arena. On the way the film crew and host Breakfast TV’s Matt Gibbons jumped on the bus at Takapuna and began filming the students!!
We were then welcomed into Spark Arena, given a special VIP room, goody bags and lots of food and drinks throughout the evening. The highlights were to come, the students then were given singlets, split into teams and played a game on the Breakers Court, whilst we all cheered from the side lines. We were all given a BNZ Court of Dreams t-shirt and sat in a special box next to the drummers where we watched the game. What an exciting game, for the Breakers versus Illawarra Hawks! The score was so close for most of the game, and much to our delight, the Breakers won by a few points! We were then taken home by bus. The whole experience was filmed, and Harry was interviewed many times for Breakfast TV. We are all still smiling today, and will be for a long time!!
This will be shown on Breakfast TV this Thursday 15th February. If we find out an exact time we will let you know!
Strategic Plan 2024 – The first draft for the next 2 year Strategic Plan has been completed. The goals were worked on at the end of last year by the Board, staff, whanau ropu representatives and have been reworked into 3 key goals, which we will present tomorrow at the ‘Meet Us All’. The Plan will be presented for approval at the first Board meeting and then sent to the Ministry of Education.
NEXT WEEK
Winter Sport’s Muster – On Friday 23rd February, we have a wonderful group of parents keen to get our sports teams for 2024 organised! Thank you to Melissa Mexted and Cairin Long for driving this initiative!! We are so grateful to have such wonderful support and early planning. Each family will receive an information flyer, and you can also view the flyer by clicking this link: muster day
FOWS “Friends of Wainui School” or think PTA rebranded! – Last year FOWS were headed by the amazing mum, Leslie Ann Linn, and the group was able to raise just over $60,000!! Quite incredible!! The funds raised mean so much to Wainui School! Now we want to do it again, but we need way more people on the FOWS to help! Every event held – Quiz Night, Ag Day and Country Fair, and of course the huge Christmas in the Country – have been successful, BUT we need more parents and friends to help. Our teachers need more help at the events as more people have been coming and enjoying our community!
So, the first meeting will be Wednesday, 21st February at 7:00pm in the staffroom. There will be drinks and nibbles, so come and make new friends and get involved to make Wainui School an even better place!
A morning tea will be held during the Welcome Powhiri for all new families. This is a time for FOWS to meet as well. Do come and join us!
The Welcome Powhiri is on Friday 1st March 9:15 a.m. All new families, please meet at the school entrance ready to be called into the hall.
FINALLY
Thank you for your smiles and your greetings in the morning at drop off, it makes us all feel happy and is a great to start the day. I can remember this time a year ago, Cyclone Gabrielle, the flooding and storm that affected many of us. What a scary time it was. I am so thankful the culvert is being widened, and for the respect and help that Downers have provided at the school entrance, enabling us all to arrive and leave safely whilst fixing the problem.
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.
- Wednesday, 21st February – FOWS Meeting – 7:00pm.
- Friday 23rd Frbruary – Winter Sports Muster & BBQ – 3:15 – 5:30pm.
- Friday 1st March – Welcome Powhiri – 9:15am.
- Wednesday 10th April – Bike-a-thon.
OTHER
Rhythm Interactive – On Monday 4th March all of the students at Wainui School will have the opportunity to attend a show in the school hall. The show is called Rhythm Interactive and is an interactive percussion experience.
Leaving New Zealand in 1996 to go on his big OE, John returned to New Zealand with an exciting idea – to set up an interactive percussion business for the corporate events industry. In 2003 Rhythm Interactive was born, and it has grown to become one of the most innovative, interactive, and entertaining shows.
Since then, John has travelled throughout Australasia and Asia performing for thousands of people of all ages.
The school will be subsidising this experience but It would be fantastic if the children could contribute by way of a gold coin donation.
If anyone has access to cheap garden mix to replenish our garden beds please let us know.
Any other items you think might be useful. Please contact Leanne Stevenson if you think you have items we may need.
