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Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa – warm greetings to everyone

Welcome to 2018!

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to both returning families and new families to our school. This year is already shaping up to be an exciting one as we begin to fill in the school calendar. Please make sure to keep up to date with what is happening by referring to our calendar on this website and reading the newsletter every Wednesday. The newsletter will continue to be published live on the website and a link emailed out to your email address. The link will also be added to our facebook page and be accessible on our school app. If you wish to have a paper copy of the newsletter, please contact Maureen at the office and she will print one off for you.

Life Education is starting tomorrow and the Life Ed bus will be arriving later today.

Classrooms:

The teachers have been working very hard moving classes and clearing out lots of rubbish over the holiday period. We filled a skip bin! I also have cleared out room 7 which is now a tidy classroom learning space for extra programmes and meetings.

Remember we have changed rooms around.

Year 1&2 -Room 1
Year 3 -Room 3
Year 4, 5, 6 -Room 5&6

As communicated last year, Esther Beattie is no longer with us. She accepted a position at Waipahihi  on the last day of school. Whaea Rachel will continue with the class for term one as the numbers are not yet too high. We have advertised a junior team leader who will start in term two and the class will split then, when the numbers have grown a bit. The new teacher will go into room 2. Esther is keen to come back to say her goodbyes and we are working to make sure that happens at a time that suits.

Communication:

Please remember that your first port of call needs to be the classroom teacher. Most issues are able to be easily resolved at this level through having an open, honest, respectful conversation. If you are not satisfied with the response/action taken, then please feel free to contact me. Our contact details are on this website. Teachers will not be able to respond during class time, but will always make sure to call you back. I can be contacted through the office phone number, via email, or via the school cell phone during work hours. Please do not private message me through social media. If the concern is serious, a formal letter to the BOT may be sent either through the office or to the BOT email.

Wanted – helpers in 2018 for “STEAM”:

 

This year we will be running a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) programme on Friday afternoons. We will be splitting into mixed age groups and running classes for 5 weeks at a time. If you have an expertise in any of these areas and can take a small group for 5 weeks on Friday afternoons to complete a project, we would love for you to help us deliver these curriculum areas to our children! Get in touch with Richelle for more information!

what-is-steam2

Stationery

Thank you to those who have sent their children to school ready to learn with their correct stationery. It is very difficult for teachers to begin classroom programmes appropriately without stationery. The lists are on the office max school website. Please make sure your child’s stationery is sorted out before the end of the week if they do not yet have it. Thank you.

Wanted – Breakfast Club Volunteer:

After a discussion with teachers about the number of children arriving at school hungry in the mornings, we wondered if it is time to begin a proper breakfast club. This would operate out of room 7 from 8:30-9am every morning. If this is something you think you could do, please get in contact. It would involved making weekbix and supervising the eating/cleaning up prior to classes starting.

Community of Learning :

The Reporoa COL is up and running this year. We will be working closely with Rerewhaakaitu, Broadlands, Mihi, and Reporoa College this year. Teachers will be taking a ‘Teacher’s Only Day’ on the 9th of March to learn alongside the teachers from the other Reporoa schools. This is an exciting time as we move towards being more collaborative with our neighbouring schools.

Phil McIndoe will be our in school COL teacher. This means she will be spending a small amount of time out of the classroom each week meeting with the other leaders in the COL and running some of our staff development.

green-star-11Stars of the week:

Ka Rawe te mahi (awesome work) to Linda McDonald! Linda cleaned our school from top to bottom over the holiday period. She did an incredible job and put many hours in to make sure we started nice and fresh today.

Also, a huge thank you to the Guyton family who came and helped us clear out the junk and move classes. Your assistance was much appreciated!

Sports-1Sports:

Our sports coordinator this year is Phil McIndoe. She will be the point of call for all sporting information and questions. Phil is excited to be taking on this role and is currently working on the calendar for the sporting year. She will be liaising with Sport BOP for all of their events.

This year we will be involved in the Go4it programme and are excited to have an expert coming in throughout the year to take PE lessons. We also have Sammy (a youthtown Taupo worker) working with us. Dates are yet to be decided.

The teachers will be having some training in how to teach swimming effectively shortly. The pool will be up and running by Monday and lessons will start straight away. We will be preparing for our swimming sports in week 5!

Calendar:

 Term Dates
 Term 1  31 Jan – 13th April
Term 2 30th April – 6th July
Term 3 23 July – 28th Sept
Term 4 15th Oct – 20th Dec
Tues 6th Feb Waitangi Day – No School
Tues 13th Feb 9-11am Dynamoes
Thurs 15th Feb BOT meeting 6:30pm
Fri 16th Feb Meet & Greet 5pm
Fri 9th March Teacher Only Day – COL
Fri 30th March Good Friday – No School
Monday 2nd April Easter Monday – No School
Tuesday 3rd April Easter Tuesday – No School
Friday 13th April End of Term 1 – 3pm finish
Monday 30th April Term 2 starts – 9am

 

Lunches:

Lunches are back this Friday watch out for the new menu coming out this week.

Back to School Stationery Orders:

Stationery lists are online and can be purchased online from today myschool.co.nz or instore.

Property:

Please remember to name your child/rens clothing.

Nãku i runga i aku mihi ki a koe – Yours with thanks

Richelle McDonald

and our team –Jill, Phil, Susannah, Rachel, Julie, Maureen, Heather, Tina, Mary, Kim, Ross & Stevie.