FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Kia ora Koutou,
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!! Our classrooms are looking Christmassy, I even spotted a reindeer arriving at school today (antlers and a cheerful smile!!). A Santa’s mailbox is in the garden outside the junior school, apparently, it has been very busy, the joys of teaching in a primary school!! I so wish we could have had Christmas in the Country, we will wait for next year – it will happen!!
Please remember in case it feels a little strange with Auckland moving last week into the COVID Protection Framework (CPF) traffic light red, that schools in AUCKLAND are still all operating at COVID Level 3 step 2. This is a Government expectation not a Wainui School decision alone. Many of you will know all high schools have completed their large events virtually. This means status quo for us in terms of staggered days of the two-year groups.
It does affect a lot of what we would normally do, there can be no large events, no extra visitors on-site to keep the interactions to a minimum.
We have:
- Year 8 Picnic/ BBQ, outside with only the students and teachers Mr Irvine, Miss Stevenson and myself, and the Teacher Aide for the senior team Barbara De Cort. Between us we will serve the Picnic, we will ensure we celebrate the values of Wainui before the class of 2021 graduates at school on Friday 10th December.
- Four Team awards assemblies, outside with all children seated and spaced apart. These are based on our curriculum focus of our 5R’s and will be held in our last week of school, next week. There are only certificates awarded based on the school values and a citizenship certificate two per class. We were unable to award the usual certificates and cups at the year 8 level in any academic area, art performance, sports performance as there was not enough fairly based data to base judgments on. We will also present sports awards from the winter sports team activities, leavers certificates, and Ag Day ribbons for the participants in raising animals and chickens.
Times are: These are the respective days these groups of children are all here:
Monday, 13th December, Year 1&2 9:15 – 9:50am
Monday 13th December, Year 7&8 10:40 – 11:40am
Tuesday 14th December, Year 3&4 9:15 – 9:50am
Tuesday 14th December, Year 5&6 10:40 – 11:40am
The last day of school is scheduled for School A, Years 1&2 and 7&8 plus the every-day attendees. This day will finish at 1:00pm, buses will run at this time.
This is our last full week of a year that has challenged us all, was never planned to be so disrupted. I want to thank everyone for the positivity, the relentless support of change, whether it is in how we learn, drop-off and pick-up and how we can somehow farewell people, celebrate, and be together.
Competition Winners of the Whittakers Chocolate Drive!! Wow, what an amazing effort has been made by Tanya Cummack-Ledger to get this completed and we have actually made a profit!!! We can’t thank you enough. Tanya’s own children Maya and Jackson made a phenomenal effort to sell 17 boxes but will not be, on Tanya’s instruction, included in the prizes. We want to thank them so very much!! The results were all drawn on a random computer programme and sent to me as a movie clip, quite amazing what we can do in these difficult times!!
A message from Tania:
Well, we have finally come to the end of our Chocolate Fundraiser – what a wonderful effort from all given our circumstances!! We have raised just over $5,000 so far for our wee school!
We do ask that any remaining chocolates and/or cash are returned ASAP, you would have had follow-up emails/phone calls or text messages from the amazing Barbara De Cort – Thank you Barbara! Please contact the office on 027 525 1848 to organise. If your child is not at school and your are struggling to get the chocolates back please also let us know and we can organise one of our FOWS members to collect these from you. Every little bit helps.
We had planned something very different but yet again Covid changed our direction. Due to this, we have gift cards for our star seller students and families to buy something a little special for themselves to celebrate the wonderful job done and gift cards for 4 lucky students who sold a box in a surprise raffle!
This is all made possible by our wonderful Simone du Bernard from Harcourts for sponsoring our chocolate fundraising drive.
The top seller is: Te Pourewa Hape-Webby.
Our runner-ups are: Tyler Robertson, Capri-Rose Fairhurst, and Mackenzie King.
Our random draw winners for anyone who sold a box are: Anthony Doherty – Pohutukawa, Lachy Hendry – Rimu, Noah Hill – Rata & Alissa O’Connor – Kowhai.
Well done everyone! We will be in touch with families regarding the gift cards.
The House that sold the most boxes is…… LAMONT!!! Well done! We have a special treat for you all to enjoy next week.
FOWS hope you have a wonderful Christmas, stay safe, have fun and enjoy the summer holidays.
Bella’s Art Competition!! Again an amazing effort Bella, and this finishes her last leadership project. We have included a link to the file of winners and entries. These two winning entries will be printed onto a board and put up at the entrance to the school in New Year!! Click here to see the entries: Bella’s School Art Comp
Swimming Pool – Is ready to be used for instruction. Children can bring their togs to wait for instruction from the teachers. It will be in smaller numbers to ensure we are following health and safety procedures. We cannot open the pool yet to the community, we will see what we can do in the new year and what the COVID rules let us do.
Please return borrowed chromebooks, reading material (especially juniors), and of course the last chocolates/ chocolate money.
NEXT WEEK
We have a special card/ message for every child to take home either on Monday or Tuesday. If your child is not attending school still please drive in and pick up yours by ringing the office and the child’s teacher will come down and give you your special card.
FINALLY
Farewell and all the best for the future to:
Mrs. Marinda Van Dyk, and her family Marili, Hanco, and Limari. They are moving to Taranaki to begin a new adventure.
Mrs. Wendy Taylor is retiring from her full-time position as SENCO, Assistant Principal, and currently year 1 teacher.
We will farewell all children and families leaving at the Awards Assemblies as well and wish everyone all the very best for their future.
Mrs. Rachelle Alexander Teacher Aide for 7 years and Garden to Table Kitchen Specialist in the last two years.
Abby Cottingham Garden to Table Garden Specialist.
We wish you all the very best for your new directions in life, we’ll miss you, and want to know you are always part of the Wainui Whanau, and welcome here.
Gillian Bray
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
- Friday 10th December – Graduation Dinner for Year 8’s – 6.00 – 8.00pm – Wainui School.
- Monday 13th December – Pukeko Team (Years 1 & 2) Class Awards & Sports Awards Assembly – 9.15am – 9.50am.
- Monday 13th December – Takahe Team (Years 7 & 8) Prizegiving and Sports Awards – 10.40am – 11.40am.
- Tuesday 14th December – Kiwi Team (Years 3 & 4) Class and Sports Awards Assembly – 9.15am – 9.50am.
- Tuesday 14th December – Tui Team (Years 5 & 6) Prizegiving and Sports Awards Assembly – 10.40am – 11.40am.
- Wednesday 15th December – Farewell Assembly – now included in the Team Prizegivings.
- Wednesday 15th December – Last day of school for 2021! Finish time 1.00pm.
- Thursday 3rd February – First day of Term 1, 2022.
