Term 2 Week 8 17/6/2024 - 21/6/2024

From the Principal's Desk

Greetings Parents, Caregivers and Whanau,                                     Week 8,             Friday 21st of June 2024

Health and Safety

This is a key focus at the moment as we get a variety of jobs done around the school and we implement new processes and strategies to improve in several areas. A key focus is our Health and Safety policy and the processes to implement. If you see a health or safety issue please email us straight away to sort out.

Winter blues

At this time of the year, we need to remember good hygiene with the common cold and other bugs during winter. We now also have some community members with Chickenpox. Chickenpox (varicella) is a highly contagious disease most common in tamariki. It causes itchy, fluid-filled blisters on the skin. Infections are normally mild, but chickenpox can make some people sick. For more information please follow the link to https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/chickenpox/

General good hygiene habits help - 

- Wash hands before eating.

- If you have to blow your nose or cough try to do this into tissue. Then dispose of tissues in the rubbish.

- If sick try to stay home and rest.

- Let us know if your child is sick, this makes the absence justifiable due to sickness. We can also track the sickness, inform others and get outside Health agency support where needed.

Surveys  

We appreciate everyone who has been completing surveys. We are in the process of collating the data and looking at how we make changes for improvements and implementation. 

Health Survey update - This survey helped us understand the need to teach more about mental well-being. We also learnt we have a wealth of knowledge with parents and community in this area and will ask for more help and support when we design and deliver the new programmes. A sub-committee will be set up to analyse this information further.

Trips to Whitianga

We have had some great trips to the ice skating. A huge thanks to all the parents who helped us cover the gaps. A special mention to our teachers/support staff and our very talented relievers. We were very lucky for the trips to go ahead with their support.

Jump in June and Jumping into July

On Wednesday 3rd of July from 2 pm - Please join us for the fun! we will be running a fundraiser for the Heart Foundation, We will be Skipping for fun, gaining sponsors and improving our fitness skills in June. Please see the brochure for your child/family. All money gets directed into an online banking system and no physical money has to be collected or brought into school. Each child has an account that gets set up.

Update on new Website and Skool loop App

This is getting the final work completed, photos and videos uploaded and the final checks at a school, BOT and community level. The Grand opening is on the 3rd of July! Part of this process is uploading the Skool Loop App, so we can continue to improve communication.

Nga mihi,

Excellence in Being a K.I.T.E Kid Classroom Award Winners

Certificates presented to: -

• Room 1 -Ivy Bowen, Marie Jack
• Room 2 - Jake McLaren, Aubrey Blomfield, Thea Pavitt
• Room 3 – Mairah Baroro, Ada McInnes-Brink, Gihansa Mahamalage, Aurelia McDonald
• Room 4 – Hunter Nicholson, Inara Jamieson, The whole class
• Room 5 –Raala Gray, Israel Black
  
• Room 6 - Catliya Wickrama Arachchige, Noa Jensen
• Room 7 - William McGovern, Isla Fogarty

Principal Award - Valerie - For always working hard to achieve great results

                                        Clara - For some excellent artwork

Sports corner

Room 6 ice skating.

Snapshots from the skating

Under 12s

We had a very tough game against Te Rerenga at home. It was a fast paced match with lots of goal attempts made. We eventually won 3-2  with Nate Walsh taking player of the day!  

U10’s Football Report 15/6
The team travelled to Whangamata on Saturday for an exciting, fast paced and high scoring game that finished up in a 5-5 draw. They played with so much confidence this week with some brilliant teamwork, great passing and support play and also showing some great communication on the field. Arguably their best game yet, I’m sure all the supporters will agree it was an awesome game to watch. Players of the day this week were Israel for his solid defence and Levi who scored his first ever goals in style with a hat trick!

Rock Fossils

Carmen spoke to Rooms 6 and 3. She brought in rock fossils and discussed with the children where they came from. This was a follow on from research conducted about geology in this area

Matariki

Matariki Hakari Celebration 

Important Hangi Information – 21/06/24 

Thank you for all the donations of time, food, money and materials for our hangi.  Monday is the last day for donations as shopping for extras will be done Monday night.     

A big thank you to Monrad Excavation for digging the hole for us. Thank you to Gary Hinds for the donation of a sheep, Tairua Butchery for the processing, The Church Accommodation, and Shortland Family for donations of roasts.   

Hangi – Wednesday, 26th  June.  Postponement due to weather – Tuesday, 2nd  July.   

A few final bits of information: 

• Postponement to Tuesday, 2nd July, will be put on Facebook and sent home in note form with your child on Tuesday.   

• Children will need to bring along a large morning tea as lunch will be an hour later than usual.  

• Preparation of the food will be done the day before from 12.30 - 3.00pm in the Activities Room if you can help, please come along and meet Nicola Riedinger in the Activities Room at 1.00pm. If possible, please bring a peeler, knife and chopping board.  

• The fire will be lit at 4.00 am. 

• The hangi will be put down around 8.00 am. 

• Please remember to sign in on arrival.  Parent toilets are at the back of the staffroom.  

• A Welcome, waiata and karakia will start at 12.45 pm outside Rooms 2,3,4 there will be seats set up for whanau.  

• Please bring along your own plates, cutlery and a drink. Remember that there is also steamed pudding. A bag to pop them in afterwards would be handy as they can be rinsed but not washed.  

• After the lifting of the hangi, and the return of the ute to the field, all students will be asked to go and wash their hands, get their plates and cutlery and meet back outside Rooms 1,2,3.  

• The hangi will be served in the Activities Room at around 1.30pm.  

• The food will be set up on four tables that people will be able to go down either side of.  We will need some helpers to set out the food and dish it up, then clean up at the end.  There have been so many offers of help that we haven’t been able to contact everyone.  Please just join in or offer help on the day. 

• Country Kids will go to get their food first, then Rooms 1-7 students.  Families, please join your children when they go. 

• Tables and tarpaulins to sit on will be set up around outside.   

• Bins for scraps and washing plates will be set up outside the Activities Room, we will ask older children to rinse plates in their classrooms.  

• Please feel free to take some leftovers home, it would be a great idea to bring a container.  

• Children can go home after the hangi with their families, but please let their teacher know and sign out at the office.  

• All Whenuakite whanau are welcome to come and share this Matariki Celebration and Hākari with us.  

Nga mihi    Whenuakite School Staff  

Dear Parents/Caregivers, 

To celebrate Matariki, Whenuakite School is going to have an in-ground hangi for lunch. 

Matariki Celebration Hakari (Feast) 

When: Wednesday, 26th June – term 2, week 9, (With a rain off day of – Tuesday, 2nd July.) 

Time: 12.40 pm - Waiata, and karakia.  

1.00 pm - Hangi lifted. 

1.30 pm – Kai Hākari - lunch 

Who: All Whenuakite children, families and whanau are welcome. 

Thank you so much to The Church Accommodation, Tairua Butchery and the Shortland Family for donations of meat.  

We are asking that people donate something from the list below to add to our hangi. Alternatively, a koha (donation) towards purchasing items would be helpful, please take this to Donna.    

Donations please on Friday, 21st June and Monday, 24th June, only they will be stored on tables in the Activity Room.  Cold items to Donna in the office, please. (Monday night we will be shopping for any extras needed.) 

Items that are needed:     

Helpers – please return slip on the back of this notice.   

• Helpers will be required in school the day before (25th or 1st July - depending on weather) to prepare food, please bring along a chopping board, peeler and knife.  

• 3-4 helpers are required to put the hangi stones and baskets down, at 7.30 am, please bring along gloves, helmet, overalls – if you have them – just something to keep you safe from heat.  

• Hangi fire will be lit at 4.00 am – anyone welcome.  

• 3-4 helpers are required to lift out the hangi, at about 1.00 pm and heat safety equipment.  

• Many other helpers are needed to set out food from 1.00 pm, a board and knife may be helpful.  

Nga mihi nui 

Whenuakite School Teachers                                                          Any questions to: nicola@whenuakite.school.nz 

BOT updates

From the Board:

Last Tuesday the BoT had our monthly meeting. A big shout out to Gary and his team for their hard work and a quick recovery to those on the sick list. A big thank you to the relievers and support staff for covering so well.

Key discussion points included the new build, financial support for the AIMs games and the Kapa Haka Group and the review of some key school policies.

Matariki is approaching fast and we look forward to as many of the school community sharing in the celebrations including our Hangi.

Stay safe.

Ray

Coromandel Area School Matariki Celebration

Murder Mystery Night

Saturday 22^nd June 6pm  - 8pm @ The Museum

TICKETS GO ON SALE MONDAY 10th JUNE 2024!!

Join us for a night of fun filled detective work!

Can you catch the killer??

Dress up as a historical character - but be sure not to tell anyone anything - don't want to spoil the fun! 

Join in the fun of chatting to your fellow characters and gathering clues that will help you SOVLE THE MYSTERY!!

Tickets are $40 each available from the Museum - but be quick tickets are limited! You must collect your tickets before the night as we will give you your character so you know how to dress!

You must be 18 and over to join us.

Refreshments are included in your ticket.

RAFFLES - don't forget to get your raffle tickets before the night and if there are any left (these are going to go like hot cakes!!) they will be available on the night!

What is happening in the next few weeks

Week 9

- Monday 24th of June - Earthquake drill "Shake, rattle and roll"

- Tuesday 25th of June - Room 6 and 7 will be walking up on a neighbouring farm to plant 800 trees to help with keeping waterways/ponds and streams in good condition. Leaving at 9ish and parents welcome

- Wednesday 26th of June - Matariki Celebrations, Kapahaka - Hangi - Kai at lunchtime

- Thursday 27th of June - Electives, part 2, rotation 2 and 3

- Friday 28th of June - Aotearoa/NZ day - Matariki celebrations with a day at home with family and whanau

Week 10

Monday 1st of July - Interim mid-year reports go home

- Tuesday 2nd of July - 

- Wednesday 3rd of July- Jumping July celebration at 2pm                                 

- Thursday 4th of July - New website and Skool loop opens 

- Friday 5th of July - Mihi Whakatau to the Honourable MP Scott Simpson

                                            Last day of the term