News letter No1 7th February 2008
This news letter contains:
|
welcomes permission
to attend coming
and going ‘cars’ stationery/fees parent
help bought
lunches and drinks litter
|
PE/
Swimming school
development ERO BOT/
vacancy Virtues coming
events Community
Notices |
We have been pleased to
welcome seven new staff to our school for 2008. (five
full time and two part time) It is great
to have them with us, and all staff, along with the classes are
off to great start. (see attached 2008 staff list) We
are as well delighted to have back with us Mrs Nerolee Devery and Mr Matt
McKenna who were on leave in 2007.
We
will soon be saying farewell Mrs Linda
Mc
Cartney. Linda leaves us after having
done seven years of great work as a teacher aide in the school. We acknowledge too the excellent work done
for the PTA over that time. We wish Linda
happiness and every success in the future.
To the new children Maraea, Natalia, Anico,
Lily, Edylson, Bailey, Wanita, Eden,
Asa, Braedon, Hemi, Stanton, Hamish, Gishane, Tavita, Mason, Selena, Quaylah,
Ying-qi, Carwyn, Tchanze, Tatai, Kobe, Penahia, Sean, Michaela, Thomas,
Savanna-Dorne, Arake, Daniel, Heremiah, Cyrus, Salome, Angela, Angelo,
Tayla-Marie, and Keegan. We welcome them and know that they will enjoy their
learning as part of the
FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE,
INFORMATION AND REMINDERS
In signing this you give permission for your
child/ren to go on any educational trip within the city boundary with the
understanding that you will always be informed of the trip or visit with
necessary details prior to the children going.
Trips to the river or streams require specific
written permission. Please return the
form to class teachers as soon as possible.
Children
coming to school and returning home
Thank you to the parents who keep to road rules
when dropping off or picking up children.
Please do not use the main
Please
don’t double park, or park on dotted yellow lines. Please use the pedestrian
crossings if taking children across Featherston, Aroha, or
Stationery and School Donation
The
school stocks quality stationery at discounted prices. We appreciate you buying the stationery
through the school because we can then be sure that children have the ‘right,’
and good quality books. Please note also
the compulsory charges and the school activity donation of $50 or $65 for a
family. We appreciate this being paid to
enable to the Board to provide the best in resources and equipment possible to
support the teaching and learning programmes. On a comparative basis our donation
request is very reasonable!
Please pay promptly for the
books, so the children can get quickly underway with their book work.
Sunhats/ Dress code
All
children are expected to wear a school sun hat and the purchase of the school
hat is the responsibility of the family.
If you haven’t got a hat for your child please do so urgently. They are a ‘giveaway’ at $2, second hand, or
$14 for a new one. They will be clearly
named for your child and kept at school for the summer season.
Parent help and support of
the school
I
acknowledge the number of parents who assist with sports teams, in classrooms,
with school visits, the patrolled crossings, on the PTA committee, and on the
Board of Trustees. We couldn’t manage without you and I am sure that you will
‘get in behind’ all the programmes of the school in 2008. If you
are able to help by being an adult support for the children on patrol at either
the
Litter Free School
Thank
you for the wonderful support for our litter free school. The concept has made
a huge improvement to the school environment and we hope it is giving you an opportunity
to talk with your child/ren about what they are eating, or not eating at
morning tea, or lunch time. Please ensure that your child has a plastic bag in
their school bag in which to put any sticky food scraps, yoghurt pots etc to
take home. (the children are requested to take home
all their wrappers and uneaten food rather than dispose of it at school. We
encourage the use of containers rather than paper and gladwrap.)
Bought Lunches and drinks
for children at school
Following
the consultation with parents in 2006 we have a ‘
Physical Education
Swimming
makes up the bulk of the P.E programme at this time of the year. Please ensure that your child has suitable
swim wear for their swimming days. (see Dress code
attached) We will look forward to the
children making much progress with their swimming this year.
Please note; there have been a few
abusing the privilege of using the school pool in the holidays. There must be no more than 6 swimmers per key
holder (tags), and the pool rules must be kept. Remember that during the school
term family swimming is only available at the weekends. If there is any trouble phone ADT/Armourguard
security 3570607 or 0800111238 and ask for support.
School development 2008
At
the meet the teachers and parents evening of February 13th (Next
Wednesday) we will share with you information regarding the achievement of your
children and our goals for 2008. This year we will continue to put in
additional resourcing to support:
· Children between the age of 5 – 6 years who are slow getting
under way with their reading and writing.
· Children in the middle and senior school who are between a
year and eighteen months behind in Literacy. (i.e.
· Mathematics targets will be set,
· We will continue the range of programmes to support learning
needs, both remedial and for the gifted and talented.
(as
is Government policy, particular attention will be given to Maori children who
fit the above categories)
This
year the Board of Trustees
is wanting feedback, and your in put, as we put together our new
Strategic plan 2008 – 2010. This will
include a review of our Charter and the bringing ‘into line’ our curriculum statements
and school programmes to line up with the new ‘New Zealand Curriculum’
document. This document was presented to
schools late in 2007 for development over the next three years. (We believe that we have already made a good
start in this with the work done in the past two years with the Key
Competencies, Inquiry Learning and an Integrated Curriculum!
) We will value your contributions.
Education Review
Commencing March 10th our school is to have its
triennial Education Review.
Four
reviewers will spend three full days in the school and then report back to the
Board on Thursday March 13th.
Their review will focus on learning and teaching in the school, in
particular Literacy and Numeracy; they will provide feedback to the Board on
the work we have done, and are doing with Key Competencies, Inquiry and
Integrated learning; they will gather data regarding the programmes in the
school for Professional Learning and Development (staff).
Members
of the team will be happy to talk with any parents who may wish to give them
feedback about the school and its work while they are here with us.
Board Vacancy
Many will know that our
Board lost its second parent representative in 2007, with Mrs Kathy Rifle and
Tamati moving to
Are you interested? If so please contact Board Chairperson Trish
Mullane on 3571121.
Virtue for the month –
Respect
Respect
is an attitude of caring about people and treating them with dignity. Respect is valuing ourselves
and others. We show respect by speaking
and acting with courtesy. When we are
respectful we treat others as we want to be treated. Respect includes honouring the rules of our
family or school, which make life more orderly and peaceful. It is knowing that
every man, woman and child deserves respect, including you.
Please
talk about this virtue at home.
Up & Go Drink
We
have these drinks available for sale at the school office. $2.00 (4 flavours). We sell before 8.55 a.m. only!
Please return to school ALL
junior readers you may have found over the summer holiday break. These colourful and interesting readers cost
the school a lot of money! Thank you for
your support.
Spare Clothes
Room
3 & 4 would appreciate any spare Tshirts, shorts, boys/girls underpants to
replenish their spare clothes box. These
items are very helpful in times of small accidents.
February 27th : Parent Teacher Conferences – Goal setting
for 2008
1.30 p.m. – 5.30 p.m. (note: school will
close for the children at 1.30 that day)
February 28th Evening
parent conferences – 6.00 – 8.00 p.m. Goal setting
(Children are requested to
attend the conference with their parents)
March 6th Camp information meeting for parents (year
5-6)
March 10th ERO
Review
March 21 – 25th
Easter break
April 1 – 4
April 8 – 11
School closes for the end
of term 1
at 3.00p.m. Thursday April 18th and commences for term 2, Monday May 5th
Community Notices
Manawatu Gymnastics will take enrolments for Term 1. All ages catered for. The gym is at
Saturday Music enrolments for the year for children 7 – 12
years in a variety of instruments. Classes are held at
Boys
Brigade offers an opportunity to learn new skills. Mondays from 6.00p.m.
for Boys 6 and over.
Phone Brian Best 3561974 for further information.
Great
Forests Event at
Celebrate
the Opening of Highbury Library Saturday 9 February at
Thought for the month
A new life begins for us with every second.
Let us go forward joyously to meet it.
We must press on, whether we will or no,
And we shall walk better with our eyes
before us
Than with them ever cast behind.
Jerome K Jerome (1859 – 1927)