Term 2, Week 10, 1/7/2024 - 5/7/2024
From the Principal's Desk
Greetings Parents, Caregivers and Whanau, Week 10, Friday 5th of July 2024
Mid-Year Interim reports
Congratulations to all the students for working hard "Mauri Mahi, Mauri Ora". The mid-year reports on the progress of your child/ren for the first part of this year should have come home on Wednesday. If you need any clarification on anything in the report don't hesitate to get in touch with your child/rens classroom teacher.
Jump in June and Jumping into July
On Wednesday 3rd of July we completed our fundraiser for the Heart Foundation, We skipped for fun and improved our fitness skills with a skip-off! Students/families will be able to start ordering their prizes. The great news is this will be a piece of cake. All people with a profile will be notified by email to order their prize reward through their profile page
Update on new Website and Skool loop App
The Grand opening was on the 3rd of July! Part of this process is uploading the Skool Loop App, so we can continue to improve communication. When you do download look at the ways to make our communication easier. Next term please start using the "Absentee button" if your child is away.
Electives
After a highly successful term of Electives run by Shona and her merry helpers. WOW, what amazing arts and crafts that we are offering the students. My favourite so far was the pool noodle rockets, I am not sure if it was arts and crafts but great fun! Thanks to the parents and community who have come in and helped. Still heaps of time to join the fun in term 3, we do need volunteers to run any electives, especially wood and metal creations.
Nga mihi,
Gary Veysi, Principal Whenuakite School - principal@whenuakite.school.nz
Excellence in Being a K.I.T.E Kid Classroom Award Winners
Certificates presented to: -
- Room 1 - Tulsi Stephens, Huia Gemmell
- Room 2 -Ashley Grogan, Fae Charles
- Room 3 - Verity Bowen,
- Room 4 - Lacey Fraser, Seth Black, Jack Drewitt-Fisher
- Room 5 - George Roach, Archie Hansby
- Room 6 - River Sims, Dylan Field
- Room 7 - Reiver Wallace, Wills McGovern
Principal Award - Evana Jamieson and Awana Clow - Helping in the office when we needed cover and setting up the lego containers.
Sports corner
Thames Hockey
Please find information about the new July School Holiday Programme at the new water turf in Ngatea.
Sign ups are open. They will be a fun filled couple of days with new skills learnt.
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/nVts9iZb3i2tFHe66
Please can you circulate to primary school parents/children via your usual channels?
much appreciated Alison
Years 5 & 6 Netball
Whenuakite Goal Diggers v Mercury Bay The Fireworks Final score 8 - 3 to Whenuakite Payer of the day Ana van Beynen This week the Whenuakite team had an amazing number of intercepts and showed great skills driving into space.
Tree Planting
Overview from Surveys and the Vision Map
Planning for change and improvements.
We have worked through the ideas and discussed them at a school level and at Board of Trustees (BOT) meetings. The” Vision Map” is up on the notice board by the office for feedback. This will continue to be developed and approved by the Ministry of Education. We then have an Action Plan to help direct us for the next 3-years with a focus on fundraising. We have a design group creating a “Vision Scape” – A digital map - a landscape plan of the areas around the school.
The following were the top 5 main points raised from the vision map.
- Swimming pool complex and covered court - Research has started to look at a variety of ideas. Next term we will share concept drawings/budgets. These will be community assets and need support by everyone.
- Adventure areas - This is an area that Discussions are underway with companies to sponsor these areas. Like parkour, hut building, skating/biking, and more sports playing areas.
- Environmental links - Pets, sensory trails, nature walks, stream improvements & gardens, Māori gardens, and planting natives – “Growing the green.”
- Health & Safety - Policy/procedures being reviewed and updated to improve process. Areas in the school and outside footpaths, crossing, roading/car parking, lighting and security are high priorities.
- House Groups - Whenua Whare Nui! House groups, mascots, house captains & student leaders form our Kaitiaki Mana Tangata who help us improve our school.
The following is a list of supplies and equipment to make some of the student ideas and our vision a reality. Please check with Mr Veysi – principal@whenuakite.school.nz for delivery to the concrete pad behind room 2. Our senior leaders will start these projects and classes assigned to be in charge and create the new areas.
- Natural materials for different gardens - rocks, boulders, shells, gems, driftwood, sand
- Recycled native timber
- Posts/wood, railway sleepers for Maori Po, entranceways, garden edging
- H4 timber posts/ /decking timber
- Native plants, shrubs, Harakeke, toi toi
- We need to gain a 20 ft shipping container to store gala equipment offsite. A second-hand one we can buy?
- Anything else, just check in.
Celebrations and Achievements
Thanks to everyone who completed surveys this term as a starting point for us to gain a better understanding of the needs and wants in our community. There will be other surveys out next term and we encourage you to have your say. In turn, this will help the BOT and teaching team make more appropriate decisions for positive improvement for student achievement.
Updates on some of the decisions and actions for improvements so far- "Celebrations and Achievements"
✔ Shipping container delivered, a big thanks to Rick at Mercury Bay Hi -Ab Services
✔ School and community notice board up outside the office for improved communication. As you come in please have a look at what is happening and the positive changes
✔ More funding applications completed to support sports teams and developments
✔ Football practices going well for the Year 7/8's going to the AIMS interschool games.
✔ Motivational and guest speakers being organised for Assemblies.
✔ Learning Support Coordinator space building consents in. This project starts in the holidays and the area will be fenced off outside the staffroom for everyone's safety.
✔Enviro area upgrades with planting fruits, vegetables, and food scraps for the Chickens
✔ The new Toyota minivan ordered – 10 months waiting time. Can you/anyone help with access to a Minivan for short-time use?
✔ Property projects being completed in the holidays
✔ The amazing learning activities and trips the teachers have organised
✔ Improvements by the Kapa haka and singing groups – including mihi whakatu welcomes.
✔ More involvement by parents and community
It is time for us to be "Innovative", to look at challenges more as opportunities and as Captain James T Kirk said, "To boldly go where no one has gone before", so jump on board and let us shoot for the stars. Or as Ngāti Whakuae iwi - Matua Reg would say, "grab a paddle, jump in the waka and let's start paddling in the same direction."
Kind Regards from the Whenuakite team and Gary Veysi, principal@whenuakite.school.nz.