Term 4, Week 8 2/12/2024 - 6/12/2024
From the Principal's Desk
Greetings Parents, Caregivers and Whanau, Week 8, Friday 6th December 2024
Already December! With two weeks to go, we will be working right up to the end. Friday the 20th of December is our official last day with prizegiving! Exciting times are ahead with this great weather.
Recently the Board Of Trustees (BOT) has finalised extra funding from the Ministry Of Education (MOE) for property, extra staffing and funding for now and in 2025. We have some big projects on the horizon and it will take a "Team" effort to get these projects completed. More information to follow next week.
As we are working on the 2025 school budget, we will be ensuring a focus is kept on gaining and getting the best resources for the students. We are aware that our best resources are our teachers and the team that works with children. Our goal is to get a teacher and Learning Support Assistant into every room where and when we can.
"He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" it is people that make the best outcomes for all our students. The teaching team is spending extra hours up-skilling and completing professional learning to improve our abilities. We are working on transition plans to best support all children into classes for 2025 and with the extra increase in roll finding a balance on numbers through the school. Please contact the class teacher and/or me directly if you have questions about where your child is placed for 2025, so we can meet and work through the process.
We do have an enrolment scheme and some year levels will be full moving into next year which may mean any new out-of-zone enrolments would be placed on a waiting list. So if thinking of joining the team in 2025, please see us in the next few weeks.
Nga mihi, Gary Veysi, Principal Whenuakite School -principal@whenuakite.school.nz
Trip to Hahei Beach
Our two senior classes went to Hahei Beach for some new learning, games, fun and the ultimate sandcastle competition. A huge thanks to parents, the community and the teaching team for organising these events.
Being a K.I.T.E Kid Awards
Certificates presented to: -
- Room 1 - Oliver Fraser, Sayul Rathnayaka
- Room 2 -Kaan Oztekin, Aubrey Blomfield
- Room 3 - Ada McInnes, Cohen Ryan
- Room 4 - Ashton Auricht, Hugo Popadich, Raewyn Wallace
- Room 5 - Christopher Olsen, Beaudyn Yearbury
- Room 6 - Riley James-Rameka, Aila Wills
- Room 7 - Zac Pauling, Jade Kekesi
Principal Awards - Ruby Bougan - Amazing sailing.
GAGA Pit in action. We are just fixing it up and should be back in action next week.
Cooks Beach Carnival
Reminder -Jar Toss at the Cooks Beach Carnival
Please remember to bring along your jars of goodies so we can have awesome results for our Jar toss. Last year we had over 500 jars which was incredible and so contributed greatly to our school's fundraising. We appreciate all your contributions to this fun event. We also have spare empty jars available. There is also an in-school competition where the class with the most jars will receive a prize and HOUSE POINTS given out for best ideas!!!
REMINDER - all Daisy Dung tickets should be returned to the office ASAP. We do have others who can help sell the final few tickets.
Potato in the Bucket Challenge
Wow!! What an amazing effort - Congratulations all
A MASSIVE 44.627 grms (44 kgs. 627 grms) of potatoes weighed in . Fabulous effort all.
Thanks to the Cooks Beach Garden Group - Rosanne, Anne and Joy.
Thanks to The Warehouse for potatoes and buckets and New World for the $25 voucher for chips.
Thanks to Ngaire and Leigh for helping with the "muscle".
Thanks to Isla, Pippa, Corey and Lucy for helping on the day.
Heaviest Crop of Potatoes
Room 1 - Willow Frost
Room 2 - Harper Monrad
Room 3 - Fleur Eggman
Room 4 - Beaudyn Yearbury
Room 6 - Karwyn Bahr
Room 7 - Ella Riedinger
Staff - Karin Nixon
Heaviest Individual Potato
Room 1 - Olive Hansby
Room 2 - Chase Hayward
Room 3 - Cohen Ryan
Room 4 - Fleur Eggman
Room 5 - Beaudyn Yearbury
Room 6 - Aila Wills
Room 7 - Farai Gray
Staff - Karin Nixon
Overall - Heaviest Potato Individual - Cohen Ryan, Chase Hayward 275g
Heaviest Overall Crop - Fleur Eggman 1425g
Spudtacular
Community
Mobile Ear Testing Caravan
In the Lee St Carpark - opposite the Cinema.
Monday 4th November and Monday 16th December 3pm-430pm DROP IN ONLY Tuesday 5th November and Tuesday 17th December 730am-5pm BY APPOINTMENT AND DROP IN CLINIC Wednesday 6th November and Wednesday 18th December 730am1030am BY APPOINTMENT AND DROP IN CLINIC
Please phone 07 838 3565 to book an appt.
Lost Property
The Lost Property box is OVER FLOWING! Please look for your belongings before the end of term as it will then be given to charity. Cyndy our cleaner has kindly offered to take the leftover clothing and wash and re-purpose it. This will all need to be done in the last week
Whenuakite Country Kids
Clothes and Book Sale Fundraiser!
We are holding a clothes and book sale fundraiser at the Cooks Beach Gala on Saturday 4th January and the Hahei Market on Sunday 5th January.
If you or someone you know are planning on doing a pre-summer clear out and you have any clothes or shoes (men’s, women’s and children’s) or any books that you are planning to take to the charity shop between now and Christmas, we would LOVE for you to donate them to us instead. You can make donations directly to the centre any time between now and Wednesday 18th December. All proceeds will go to funding resources for the children.
Ngā mihi, Thanks so much in advance! Whenuakite Country Kids
Up and coming events
Week 9
Monday 9th of December - Shake Shack Girls - Wet and Wid day - Bring your togs!
Wednesday 11th December - Year 8's Kayaking trip
Friday 13th December - Our 2024 Student Council and House Captains lunch at "The Family"
Week 10
Wednesday 18th of December - Year 8 speeches/video then trip to Puka Park
Friday 20th of December - Final day and Prizegiving in the Whitianga Hall starting at 9.45am - 12.45pm. This is a formal occasion and farewell. Let's celebrate in style. Congratulations Whenuakite
Sailing 2024 and aquatic programmes 2025
A final huge thanks to Roger Harwood who has helped us get the sailing up and running again for another generation. Roger explained that the programme has been going for 25 years. Next year we will be developing more aquatic activities for our students throughout the whole school. This starts with our juniors learning the basics of swimming and safety skills (our little nippers). Then, in Years 3-4, we will start developing more water skills and trying new water adventures. Then we will support our Year 5 -8's with activities like sailing and kayaking. We will be applying to help cover costs and if you are a business or group that would like to help we will have sponsorship proposals out soon.
