FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Kia ora Koutou, and a very warm welcome back to Term 4!!

Spring is the quintessential time for fresh starts and growth – and we’ve got a lot of hard mahi going on to refresh and make things better for our school by the BOT, FOWS and staff with the children! But for now the weather continues to blast in rain and wind.  Lets hope it is all gone by Friday for our Young Farmer competition!!

Term 4 is super well planned by all the staff to ensure we can all enjoy Ag Day, Young Farmer and camp if you are in the Intermediate area of the school. We have also got Athletics days and we end the year with celebrating Christmas, and of course Prizegiving. All teams have their programmes well planned and you will receive a team newsletter by the end of the week with all the details. Team newsletters will be online as well as the weekly newsletter, If you do require either of these forms of communication in print, please let someone in the office know and they will certainly provide a print copy.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING

Driveway and top Carpark area – This has been sealed over the holidays. The carpark markings have yet to be completed and will now need to wait for a fine day. We will then ensure all the areas are clearly marked as to who can park where. Please remember the buses must get in to pick up a large percentage of the children. The design of the enlarged driveway was to allow buses to park in line with the swimming pool and the top of the driveway.  This needs to be clearly marked out and as yet I am not sure the buses fit in this area very easily. Please, once again be patient whilst we work this through. There is definitely far more room than before and safety can only improve. The seal on the  top carpark is only designed for light vehicles. We ask you not to take horse floats or heavy vehicles on this area, thank you.

Ulearn Conference – Three of our staff members, Mrs Blackburn, Mrs Taylor and Mrs Stevenson attended this conference with 15 others from the Kahui Ako in Rotorua last week. This conference organised by CORE Education is largely focussed on exchange of ideas and best practices on national education-related issues, the future of education in our country with a range of influencers and innovators presenting global and national perspectives. They have all returned enthused and brimming with information, perspective and ideas to share.

THIS WEEK 

Team Newsletters – Will now be shared through email. They will contain all dates and information pertinent to your child’s class and team.  These will be sent by Friday.  The website has an up to date school calendar with all dates entered and an events calendar, which can be found at the bottom of the home page.

Young Farmer – This annual competition will be run Friday.  Years 1-4 are 10.15am – 12.15pm and Years 5-8 are 12.45pm – 2.45pm. Mrs Taylor has this so well organsed with a few new ideas in as well!! The children compete in their team levels – Years 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and 7 & 8. The finals for Years 5 – 8 will be on the afternoon of Ag Day where the much-coveted “Cups” are the prize to win!!  Such activities include:

Year 1 & 2:  Ordering Gadgets, Balls in a bucket, Kashin knock and Gumboot throw

Year 3 & 4: Horseshoe throw, Brick challenge, Shooting target and Stacking firewood

Year 5 – 8: Fencing, Nailing staples, Wheelbarrow slalom and Farm tools and Machinery ID

NEXT WEEK

Ag Day and Country Fair – We all very excited that Ag Day is just around the corner !!  Classes have almost finished their arts and crafts for display. The FOWS team have organised a fabulous Counrty fair. Lots of you have been feeding and training your animals and birds over the holidays and we cant wait to see them all!!

I have included a few important notes here to be very aware of

1.  There will be tickets available for pre-purchase in the office, each ticket is worth $1  This can be purchased via eftpos or cash at the office and available online via Kindo. This will allow parents who aren’t able to be there on Ag Day to pre-purchase tickets for their children. There are pre-made ticket bags which come in $5, $10 and $20 bags. The tickets can either be collected from the office at the time of purchase or held by the school and the kids can collect them from the ticket stand on Ag Day. 
2. Donations – this week’s donation is a grocery item for the raffles. We’re still looking for more prizes, chocolate bars, lolly bags and lucky dip items, so if you haven’t made your donation yet, we would love to receive it.
3. Stall Helpers – we still have spaces on our stalls roster, so please either contact your teacher or fows@wainui.school.nz, if you’re able to help.
4. Registrations – registrations for your chicken, goat, lamb and stalls are all due by this Friday (15th October). The forms are in the Ag Day information booklet that was sent home in the last week of school, on our website and they are also available in the office.
5. Parents/ Grandparents and friends, We know it is tricky being a school day but try and come as it is such a wonderful fun day to come to school and be with your child!!

COMING UP

Takahe Team Camp On Motutapu Island – 29 October – Friday 1st November. Please ensure if you are a parent of a Year 7 & 8 child you are fully informed of all the requremtns of attending the camp. This is always a highlight for these students.

FINALLY  

Working Bee – Sunday 20th October! It is time to bring back the Working Bee, many of you have offered help so we thought it was time to do, particularly with spring in the air and Ag Day around the corner!! Mr Lee (Caretaker) and Mrs Steen (Gardner)  and I have put together a list of tasks we would love help with. Please spare a few hours on Sunday to come along and help!!! The FOWS team led by Kay Elliott will be providing morning tea. I have included below the list of tasks, bring yourself, your family (the children love helping, or playing!!!).

We have a wonderful offer from the Mayes Family ” Dizzy Heights ” who are bringing a team of workers to chop and mulch some of the trees and wood.  All offers are very gratefully received.  Please help make our school even more beautiful as we are so lucky to have such amazing grounds.

  1. Spread gravel on Matauranga & path behind the pool.

Requires:

  • Walker mower & cart
  • 2-4 people on shovels
  1. Mulch – Requires mulch from Dion.

3-4 people on barrows. Will need to repair the tires on 2 of the barrows.

Our rounded nose shovels have gone missing since spreading the playground mulch. So people may need to bring their own as it’s very slow using the flat-nosed shovels we have.

  1. 1-2 people cutting back flax.
  2. General edging/ weed-eating.
  3. Pool fence – Either replace metal panels or put up plywood for a mural.
  4. Gutters – Clearing and reconnecting low-level gutters. If we can get someone qualified in heights that would be ideal for higher roofs & they can possibly give me a refresher on the ropes.
  5. Build/ create New Sandpit – Prepping & framing up.
  6. Chicken yard – Install fence panels. We are sinking posts over the holidays, so will need to get fencing panels/wire in advance.
  7. Pines rounds in the carpark. Cut/ split/ stacked.
  8. Edging around Garden to Table with old slabs that have been donated.
  9. Replace damaged fence panels above Courts.

Ka kite ano,

Gillian Bray

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

  • Monday 14th October – First day of Term 4
  • Thursday 17th October – NZ Shake Out
  • Friday 18th October – Takahe Assembly – 9.15am
  • Friday 18th October – Young Farmer Competition
  • Sunday 20th October – Working Bee – Delicious Morning Tea provided!
  • Wednesday 23rd October – BOT Meeting
  • Friday 25th October – Ag Day
  • Tuesday 29th October – Friday 1st November – Year 7 & 8 Camp
  • Thursday 7th November – John Parsons Cyber Safety
  • Friday 8th November – Year 5 & 6 Athletics Day at Sinclair Park

OTHER

Team CROM!!!! –  Carter Wright, Rosie Gulik, Oscar Price and Milly Dixon will represent Wainui School next Tuesday at the Tahi Rua Toru Tech Challenge regional finals.  They will compete against other schools in the Discovery Level challenge completing the following tasks: Binary numbers, Sorting Network and Parity Magic. These are all activities which introduce the new Digital Technology curriculum.

After School Art Tuition – These classes will continue this term in the Wainui School art room. During this course, children will learn how to craft vintage scrolls, feathered quills, and then write poetry and spells upon them using ink.  They will also learn how to make stunning gift cards using cold wax to achieve a stained-glass window effect.

Where: The school art room
When: Tuesday 22nd October – Tuesday 26 th November, 3pm- 4pm.
Who: Beginners to advanced.
Cost: $108 for 6-weeks, all materials included.

For further information and bookings, contact
Layal:artistic_flamingo@hotmail.com / 021-1509-193 / 421-0777
http://www.facebook.com/livetocreate.co.nz

CERTIFICATES

  • At the last assembly, the following students received certificates for “Reflective”.
      • Puriri: Vincent Bryant, Danika Skelton.  Writing: Jack Huggins.
      •  Puriri Rua: Jack Cooper, Eden-Rose Dixon.  Writing: James Gray.
      •  Karaka: Mackenzie King, Summer Starr. Writing: Logan Marshall.
      •  Rata: Mitchell Ibbett, Morgan Price.  Writing: Anthony Doherty.
      •  Pukatea:  Tripp Glasgow, Ayden Krynauw.  Writing:  Joshua Joubert
      •  Kohekohe: Lachy Hendrie, Oscar Price.  Writing: Travis Dunning.
      •  Kowhai: Nina Keller, Cade Mumby.  Writing: Liam Miners.
      •  Nikau: Flynn Becker-Crawford, Raya Sams.  Writing: Caitlin Bailey.
      •  Totara: Eliza Dunning, Reghan Portig.  Writing: Jacob Woodcock.
      •  Matai: Connor Lloyd-Read, Leonie Schweitzer.  Writing: Ryder Olliff.
      •  Rimu: Zahara Patterson, Riley Purdie.  Writing: Gorge de Leeuw.
      •  Kahikatea: Lily Glasgow, Tara Phillips. Writing: Dillon Ramby.
      •  Kauri: Ty Browne Hale, Johnny O’Flaherty.  Writing: Jakob Kerr.
    • Our amazing Hellyer Cup Winners were Jenna Els (Pukatea), Scott Tucker (Kohekohe), Felix Latham (Kowhai) and Katie Boe (Nikau).

COMMUNITY

Waitotara Workshops
The Art of Fermentation – Sunday 20th October 1:00 – 4:00 pm – Learn how to make kombucha and sauerkraut so that you can enjoy the taste sensations and health benefits at home for a fraction of the cost. Participants will take home what they have made. $45 Includes homemade afternoon tea.
Seasonal Vegetable Gardening – Sunday 3rd November 1:00 – 4:00 pm – Learn how to get the most nutrient dense vegetables for your time and effort.  Practical workshop covers soil and fertility, expert planting tips and follows all the practical steps involved from seed raising to saving. $45 Includes homemade afternoon tea.
Introduction to Permaculture – Sunday 10th November 10:00 – 4:00 pm – Practical workshop based on a permaculture property. Learn about a sustainable design system that connects elements together to function like a natural ecosystem. Low maintenance is the ultimate aim in permaculture!
$90 Includes homemade lunch and afternoon tea.
email: hello@waitotarasrl.education
phone: 4211807

Adventures in Parent Land – Please see attached flyer for this great event

NIGEL LATTA FLYER UPDATED 26 AUG.jpeg

Kelly Sports – See attached flyer
Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint +PDF