FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Kia ora koutou,
A big welcome back to Term Two!! Special welcome to Mackenzie King starting this week in Mrs Colllins New Entrant class, we know Mackenzie’s family already as Miss Ross in Matai class is her mum. Welcome to Ella Brea Wells-Lakeland, a year one joining Mrs Richards and Miss Revell’s class. Ella’s family have moved to the area from Glenfield, we welcome you all.
I hope everyone has had a really good break and are ready for the next stage of the year!! This term our school wide theme continues “Kia maia te Whai”, Dare to Explore – each team takes the learning on a theme related to this. As well, we have coming up a number of key events and activities this term to be aware of.
All of these are on the calendar on the school website.
Week 1 – Thursday 4 May and then every following Thursday for the term – Footsteps Dance.
Once again we are having Footsteps dance, an Australian professional company we have worked with over a number of years bringing dance to everyone. Over the last two years we have only had groups of boys dancing, but this term we are enabling all children to have 10 sessions of dance, culminating in a small fun performance at the end of term. We participated in this 3 years ago. It was time to give everyone another chance at achieving success, fitness and fun. Please visit their website https://footstepsdancecompany.com.au/. We will be requiring all children to contribute $10.00 (a dollar a week), to the cost of this programme. The school has subsidised 60% of the cost through our Kiwi Sport fund enabling every child to participate in the fitness and sport programme.
Netball starts this Thursday 4th May.
Week 2 – 8th-12th May is Road Safety week – It begins on Friday with the year 7&8’s reminding all of us of a few things keep an eye out for on the drive to and from school.
Hockey starts Monday 8th May for the juniors and Tuesday 9th May for the intermediates.
Sunday 7th May – Friends of Wainui School Fundraiser, Deer Rustler Trail Ride – see flyer below.
Week 3 – Friday 19th May – Waifactor entries completed.
Week 4 – Monday 22nd May – Cyber Safety day – John Parsons an expert in this field, will be presenting to our children ways of being safe. There will also be a parent community meeting that evening. More details to come in next week’s newsletter. There will be a small cost of $2.00 per child to help with this, the school will cover most of the costs.
Wednesday 24th – Friday 26th May – Camp Tui Team – At Shakespear Park.
Week 5 – Friday 2nd June – Spellathon information and words handed out.
Week 6 – Tuesday 6th June – Friday 9th June – Matariki Week – includes this year a hangi!! Mr Robinson our BOT chairperson is our keen organiser of the hangi if you would like to help, have any baskets or other tools needed or would like to be a part of this organisation please let Mr Robinson or Mr Irvine know.
Week 7 – Friday 16th June – Spellathon test day and Waifactor Finals.
Week 9 – Friday 30th June – Wainui School Cross Country.
Week 10 – Tuesday 4th July – Thursday 6th July – Arts Cafe.
Friday 7th July – Music Performance Assembly.
Friday 7th July – Winter Sports Awards Assembly.
THIS WEEK
Housekeeping reminders and information
1. Attendance:
Under Section 25 and Section 31 of the The Education Act 1989, all enrolled students are required to attend whenever school is open for instruction. Schools along with parents and guardians are responsible for making sure students attend school regularly.
The school also has a policy on the school docs website you are welcome to refer to.
All attendance is collated daily on our student management system (computerised data), this is all sent each term to the Ministry of Education.
As a school we celebrate 97% attendance at the end of year prizegiving with a certificate.
To ensure we are ensuring the requirements of the Education act are adhered we require that:
1. Any Absence is communicated to the school office and the teacher even if it is for one day.
2. All sick leave after 3 days requires a medical certificate, please keep in touch with the classroom teacher and the office. The child is marked as sick on the roll.
Longer absence
3. If you are going away for a family holiday one or two weeks – written permision (email or paper) is obtained. Please address the request to myself. This will be marked on the roll as “Unjustified” according to the Ministry of Education definitions.
4. If you are wanting to attend a different programme not at Wainui School for a day a week. Written permission must be obtained from the Wainui School BOT. It is always good to discuss different options with the teacher first.
As attendance is one of the factors that contributes to success and has been proven in research, we take all requests for absence very seriously.
2. Late. Try not to be, children do not like being late, they find it very stressful. It is a good idea to arrive after 8.15am and before 8.45am, this gives your child time to play, socialise and be ready for learning. If you are after the bell at 8.55am then please go to the office for a late sign-in slip.
2. Drop off and Pick up
1. Morning drop off – 8.15 am. If you need to be earlier please arrange with the office.This ensures the classes are open and the staff are on site.
2. Afternoon Pick up – 2.55 pm. All bus children go to the hall, are checked off on bus lists and lined up to move to the buses.
All other children (except New Entrants) move to wait under the bus shelter to be picked up.
Please do not wait in your car in the bus up pick area from 2.45-3.15pm as we are endeavouring to load and move the buses quickly after school.
There is plenty of parking in the carparks after school. Please do not park on the roundabout or in areas that obstruct the buses.
Any changes to bus arrangements must be to the office by 2.00pm to ensure this is actioned in time.
Thank you everyone for your cooperation. Last term was great – after school especially.
COMING UP
Spellathon – This year our focus for an ‘a-thon’ is spelling as writing including spelling is the main area of development and the target we have to improve in our curriculum achievement. Children will receive a different set of words form their usual word list to learn. They will be required to obtain sponsors. We have the wonderful support of Simone du Bernard from Harcourts Cooper and Co who will be providing all the prizes. The information will be coming home later in the term.
Japanese Students Hosting – Thank you to those who have already completed the forms for hosting a Japanese Student. We have a group of 25 students from Hatsushiba Ritsumeikan in the third term of 2017, 30th July – 9th August. If you did not receive your pack of information at the end of last term and are interested in hosting a student of for the 10 days, please see the office who have spare packs. There is a meeting on Friday 12th May at 3.15pm straight after Assembly, to talk more about the experience of hosting a Japanese Student and see if you would consider helping out.
FINALLY
ANZAC DAY celebrations – Wainui School affiliates with the Upper Waiwera celebrations. This year our school was proudly represented by some of our year 8 councillors who have traditionally laid the wreath. Now they present the readings and the ode in Maori and the Ode in English. Well done to Neve Roe, Zac Browne Hale who read and to Keane Rechsteiner who recited the Ode in Maori, we were very proud of you. Some of our Kapahaka group performed at the beginning of the service, again this is a first time and one we were also very proud of. Thank you to Mr Irvine for ensuring this was so well organised and the students were able to participate in such a proud way at this very special Community occasion.
Ka kite ano,
Gillian Bray
OTHER
