FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
The cenotaph with Wainui School’s wreath on the left!!
Kia ora Koutou, and welcome back to Term 2!!
Term 2 marks the official start and implementation of the “No cell phones in school policy”. This is not just at our school but throughout all schools in the whole of New Zealand. Here is the link to our policy to ensure you are aware of the details Phones away for the Day. To date, we have not had any issues concerning this matter, thank you to everyone for being respectful of this requirement.
After an amazing two weeks of weather, we have all returned to school feeling well-rested and ready for a very fun-filled Term 2, packed with programmes planned to ensure exceptional learning continues here at Wainui School. During the break, all classes and learning spaces were given an electrical upgrade which includes lighting and all power points.
What will be happening in Term 2:
- Friday 17th May is Pink Shirt Day – This day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness.
- Cultural Diversity Week – Celebrations will continue over and throughout Week 4 (20th-24th May) enabling us all to celebrate the origins of our cultures, the differences, the rituals, shared through dance, song, music, games, stories and comparisons. All will be built into programmes of literacy and inquiry.
- Itinerant Music Teachers – Welcome back to the wonderful and skilful Maria O’Flaherty! Maria was recovering from a shoulder injury last term. She will be teaching singing lessons during term 2, but not guitar just yet. Maria provides lessons every Wednesday at our school. The talented Ross Hutchison also returns for another term. Ross is available to instruct music lessons on the drums, guitar and keyboard.
- Waifactor – Year 7 &8 Student Leaders are again running and organising our annual competition. Those who haven’t and would like to sign-up are still able to, Student Leaders will be providing more information to all students at school this Friday.
- Matariki will be celebrated the week of 24th June, more details to come in future communications.
- Mid-Year Reports will be sent home at the end of the term.
- FOWS will be organising and raising funds this term by selling Whittakers Chocolate. Do come along to the FOWS meetings on Wednesdays, 1st and 29th May to help with the planning of other major events for terms 3 &4.
- Attendance will be monitored, please ensure all requests for time away from school (ie. holidays, bereavement, sporting, cultural representation) are in writing to myself. Attendance is monitored, and all concerns are reported to Ministry of Education. Presently, we celebrate the fact that we do have great rates of attendance here at Wainui School – thank you and well done everyone!
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
Ella reads the Ode in Te Reo Maori.
ANZAC DAY – Some of us celebrated ANZAC Day at the Upper Waiwera Cenotaph on Weranui Road. It is always a very special ceremony for our school, as many of the men listed on the cenotaph have or did have descendants at our school. Our students all marched up to the cenotaph behind the Scottish Marching Band. We were all very proud of Student Councillors Ayla Lodge and Ella Wells-Lakeland, for speaking at the ceremony and Arielle Oswald and Kassidy van Dam who had the the duty of raising the flag during the last post. We then enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea at Maureen Patterson’s homestead. Thank you to Kylie and Grant Allen for kindly organising this, and for always ensuring all Wainui School families and teachers are made to feel so welcome.
Bike-a-thon winners were announced at the Assembly held on the last day of Term 1. It was wonderful to have so many parents come and celebrate the end of term with us and especially Bike-a-thon prizegiving!! We raised $23,186, just fantastic! Thank you once again to Monique Ritchie from the FOWS for your work in organising the prizes and the sponsorship. Thank you to PitStop Silverdale and Platinum Homes for sponsoring our fabulous prizes!
All prizes for the classes will be organised over this week! The winners are listed below:
THIS WEEK
FOWS (Friends of Wainui School) – Will have the first meeting for the term this Wednesday 1st May at 7:00 pm in the staffroom. Come and join this group, make new friends, contribute to the life and rich community of our school. We also make time for drinks and nibbles. If you want to help, but can’t make the meeting, just let us know and we can talk to you about other ways you can support the school!
FINALLY
Thank you to everyone who has contributed their school family donation, this really helps us reach our goals, keep improving our facilities, programmes and achieve all that we do! We are proud of our environment our play areas, our classrooms and our continual quest as a Board for this to happen. Please make this contribution on Kindo, using eftpos or cash in the office or internet banking number 12 3046 0155685 00, you can also set up part-payments.
Sponsorship is another way of contributing, our sponsorship document is updated and you can view it by clicking here: Wainui School Sponsorship Document – April 2024. If you would like to sponsor the school events or in another way please do contact myself or Mel Ludwig in the office.
FINALY FINALLY 
The happy cheery hello’s and faces of everyone arriving back from holidays is always one of my favourite moments and feelings about our school! What a great way to start the term!! This simple act fits with our values our E tu tangata “we value you”! I am so looking forward to a fabulous term with lots of learning, lots of fun, lots of winter sports happening and continuing to make our school a great place to be!!!
Ka kite ano,
Gillian Bray
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
- Wednesday 1st May – FOWS (Friends of Wainui School) Meeting – 7:00pm in the Staffroom.
- Monday 6th May – “Wild Feelings” Yr 1-6- 9:15am.
- Monday 6th – Sunday 12th May – NZ Sign Language Week.
- Tuesday 7th May – Wainui School Board Meeting – 6:30pm.
- Friday 10th May – Kiwi Team to Botanical Gardens.
- Friday 10th May – Wainui School Disco – Junior Yrs 1-4: 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm. Seniors Yrs 5-8: 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm.
- Wednesday 15th May – School Photos.
- Friday 17th May – Pink Shirt Day.
- Monday 20th – Friday 24th May – Cultural Diversity Week.
- Wednesday 29th May – FOWS (Friends of Wainui School) Meeting – 7:00pm in the Staffroom.
- Monday 3rd June – Kings Birthday.
- Monday 24th – Friday 28th June – Matariki Week.
OTHER
“Wild Feelings” – This coming Monday the 6th May, Wainui School will be hosting the show “Wild Feelings” in the school hall. This is a show performed by Co Theatre Physical and is for years 1-6. It will combine the curriculum areas of Science and Hauora (health) through the characters of a jealous tūī bird and a famous bar-tailed godwit (kūaka). ‘Wild Feelings’ examines the life cycles of the tūī and the kūaka, their interaction with other creatures including predators, the threats to their habitats, and the impacts that humans have on these creatures. We would be most grateful if students could contribute to the cost of the show, by way of a gold coin donation.
Wainui School Disco – Get ready to dazzle and impress at the Wainui School Disco on Friday, 10th May!
Junior Years 1-4: 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm 
Seniors Years 5-8: 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm
Dress to Impress! It’s your time to shine brighter than a disco ball and show off your most fabulous outfits. Whether it’s your fanciest suit, your sparkliest dress, or your wildest costume creation, we want to see you strut your stuff on the dance floor!
Tickets: $15 each (available in the office or on Kindo)
Let’s make this disco a night to remember as we dress to impress and dance the night away!
CERTIFICATES
At the last assembly, the following students received certificates for “Whaiwhakaaro- Reflective”.
- Puriri: Oscar O’Neill, Kaia Huggins, Kieran Kouwenhoven.
- Karaka: Indiana Grant, Joshua Dobson, Bentley McIntosh.
- Rata: Thea Groves, Georgia Groves, Nixon Cooper (Resilience).
- Rimu: Sailor Sandwell, Tigerlily Allison, Jacob Vermeer.
- Matai: Teddy Williams, Ava McCann, Ashton Daverne.
- Pukatea: Murphy Mia, Bowie Robertson, Hayley Smith.
- Kohekohe: Hudson Stannard, Kelsie Ibbett, Harley Gaitau (Resilience).
- Kowhai: George Frost, Micky Long, Tristan Krull.
- Nikau: Nikau Laurie, Tiana Sweeney, Kyla Erasmus (Resilience).
- Totara: Maya Russell, Gabby Long, Hayden Uhe.
- Kahikatea: Mia Trail, Camryn Colquhoun, Eden-Rose Dixon.
- Kauri: Ollie England, Darcy Mash, Datsun Kockott (Resilience).
- Kawakawa: William Hewiitt, Charlie Graystone, Scarlett Thew.
- Pohutukawa: Hamish Fincham, Talia Flavell, Ethan Randeni (Respect).
- Our amazing Hellyer Cup Winners were Kobe Olivier (Kauri), Oliver Todd (Kahikatea), George Jarvie (Totara), Vincent Callaghan (Nikau), Lexi Albert (Pohutukawa), Anthony Doherty (Kawakawa).
