What’s happening in term four of 2020?

 

What’s happening in term four of 2020?

There is no doubt that the year 2020 will stay seared in our memories for the rest of our lives.

Before we get too far into it, I think it’s worth reflecting a little on term three. Some of the things mentioned may or may not have escaped your attention.

 

Did you know that …

 

·  Our two senior classes managed to go on camp to Waitawheta last term. The children had a great time, the weather held and we managed to run it despite Covid-19.

·   Our senior E-Pro eight team came second in our area. Last year the same team won.This was an outstanding effort.

·  Lilly Donaldson came second in her category of the Thames speech competition. Well done to Lilly.

·    Last term, we had our second round of reports delivered to parents and whanau, and we managed to hold parent-teacher conferences. This was no mean feat given the year we have had.

·    We now have a new garden area outside the library thanks to Brendon, Tracey and Kane.

·    We received funding from the Harcourts Foundation to assist in the build-up of our stock of Junior readers.

·  We also received funding from the Ministry of Education to assist students who have been impacted by Covid 19 and that we have appointed Mrs Bayer in term four to specifically work with small groups of children to accelerate their learning based on identified needs.

·    Project Energise is changing the model that they have used over the last fifteen or so years and shift to a more advisory capacity. This means that we will not have the Energisers working in the schools anymore. This is not very reassuring; schools get enough advice from ‘experts’ what we need is ringawera.

·   Moanataiari School was awarded the ‘School Spirit’ award at the Gymfest and that Leoné and Lilly then represented Thames over in Hamilton. We had 19 gymnasts practice in their lunch breaks and competed in the interschool gymnastic competition. We had many place getters in addition to Leoné and Lilly.

·   Ross Ashby from TCDC met with our senior students to brainstorm the initiative ‘Creating the Vibe’.

Last term we also ran Firewise, Res-kids and Maori Language week. The juniors would like to say thank you for helping with fundraising for the zoo trip, which was very successful. There were also some great Bee awareness murals done. You can see Room four’s bee in the foyer of the office.

 

What is planned in term four – Overview

 

In the big picture, we have several important things happening that are expected to happen, but the time frames are a bit sketchy. This coming term, we are launching a new website to assist with our communication with parents. You are going to love it. The calendar is going to be very useful in terms of keeping you informed, and the graphics will be exceptional.

Reasonably early on in this term, we are going to complete the mural at the front entrance with fish that the children have painted under the artistic eye of Rebecca Coggins.

During these past holidays, we received a grant to set up a radio station. The radio station will provide our children with another exciting opportunity to learn. You will find out more about this as we work through the process of setting this up. We may get this set up in term four but is more likely to launch in term one of next year. There will be quite a bit of organisation involved in getting this up and running.

Room seven is getting a specially designed Reskids programme being run by Mr Mike Wilkes for about six weeks.

At the very end of the year, the school is going to undergo some much-needed maintenance which will improve our: drainage, roofing, senior classroom spaces and the quadrangle area. The makeover should take place over the summer break.

 

 

Here is what we think will happen …

 

But please keep reading the newsletter and checking in on our new website when we launch it. Keep an eye on Facebook and also watch out for bits and pieces occurring on our new school Instagram account. Schools are dynamic places, and we still have Covid hanging around. Dates can change, and events are sometimes postponed or cancelled.

We have no current dates set but this term we are launching the ‘Electric Garden’ with Mrs Nankivell. We will be able to work out soil moisture and humidity, which will tell us the best time to plant things. Mr Howes will be taking Room eight to look at streams. This project was delayed from the last term.

Week one, Term four

On Wednesday the fourteenth day of October, there will be an information evening for parents of Year eight students who will be attending Thames High school. The school has received no information for parents who may have opted to send their children to Hauraki Plains High school.

On Thursday, the fifteenth day of October, we are taking part along with many other schools in the New Zealand shakeout exercise. This will take place at school at 9.30 am. If the weather is fine, it will also include a tsunami practice. This means that students do need to have suitable footwear for walking.

On Friday the sixteenth day of October New Zealand cricket will be at school doing sessions with the students.

If you haven’t already voted, please vote in the election on the 17th. We are so privileged to live in a democracy that has this freedom. Many countries don’t have these rights, and our votes do make a difference in the way things work or don’t work.

Week two, Term four

On the twenty-second day of October, Touch rugby gets underway at 4.00 pm after school at Rhodes Park. We have created three teams for this.

The school is being visited on the same day by Coropure honey.

On Friday the 23^rd, Room eight is being visited by Thames Coast Kiwi Care who will be working with the students for two to three sessions. It is ‘Save Kiwi Month’.

On Friday the 23^rd at 1.30 pm we are holding a whakatau to welcome all new families and students. This is in place of our regular assembly. Please feel free to come along and join in. There will be light snacks to conclude the process. Parents who attend may take their children home after kai as long as the teachers are informed.

Week three, Term four

Monday the 26^th is Labour Day. Tuesday the 27^th, is a teacher only day. This day is being put aside to work on literacy progressions, including oral language. We need to work on the literacy progressions ahead of 2021, and there is no time to do this later in the year. On Wednesday the twenty-eighth day of October, there is a soccer and netball tournament at Rhodes Park. This tournament replaces some of the opportunities missed earlier in the year. We are entering two football and netball teams.

On the 29^th (Thursday) Doug Ashby is coming to speak with the children in Room two, four and five about lizards.

Week four, Term four

On Monday the second day of November, we are holding the first of two hui for whānau. The first hui will take place shortly after three o’clock so that we can make the meeting time accessible for parents with young families. The second hui will take place on Tuesday on the third day of November at 5.30 pm. We want to establish a regular meeting for whānau that we have had previously, but not recently. Several issues would be worth discussing that will look over the next one or two years. If there is anything whānau particularly want to be raised, please come and talk to me, ring me or email me at principal@moana.school.nz The meetings will take place in Room one.

On Wednesday, the fourth day of November, we are holding Moanataiari School athletics for years four to eight. The saving day for our athletics is Thursday the 5^th. There is a standing invitation for Tapu to take part. Event winners and place getters then go on to our Thames cluster event which we are hosting. This year we will be using our digital sign to highlight place getters. We are unable to predict when a student’s event will take place. We want you to be here if you can be, but we can’t give you exact timing.

On Friday, the sixth day of November, we have the delayed Auckland zoo trip taking place. Hopefully, Auckland doesn’t go into another lockdown. This trip is for Room four, five and two. On the same day, the Thames principals are being visited by the New Zealand Principal Federation president Perry Rush.

Week five, Term four

On Tuesday the tenth day of November, we host the Thames Cluster for athletics, i.e. all the schools from Tapu through to Puriri. Our saving day is the eleventh.

On Thursday, the 12^th we have a group of senior students attending National Young Leaders Day in Auckland. This is a very worthwhile event and is rescheduled due to Covid. On Friday, the 13th we are holding Junior Athletics.

Week six, Term four

This week sees the start of new entrants in our mid-term cohort entry.

On Wednesday, the 18th, we have the best of all our athletes attending Paeroa to represent our Thames schools for the Thames Valley. Our Year seven and eight immunisations are happening on the same day.

On Thursday, the 19^th we have a sizeable group of students who have been working with Mrs Trenwith on the inaugural Thames Valley drama festival. Mrs Trenwith will be working hard to get these students prepared. Please support your child at home as much as you can if they are in this group. The other schools involved are Pūriri and Pārāwai. There will be a workshop with Thames Drama and an evening show to be held at the Civic center. Times will be confirmed closer to the event.

Week seven, Term four

On Thursday, the 25^th our Year five students are taking part in the international PIRLS reading study. The school does not get any feedback on this. We take part because it is crucial for us as a country to know how well students are doing in reading.

Week eight, Term four

On the very first day of December, we have some of our older girls involved in a cricket tournament.

On Thursday, the third day of December, our students are involved in road patrol training for 2021. We encourage all our students to take responsibility. This is a constructive way in which our senior students support the safety of our children after school.

Week nine, Term four

This week is hectic. On Tuesday the eighth day of December, we are holding the Year 8 leaver’s dinner.

On Wednesday, the ninth day of December, we have our ‘Helpers morning tea’ where we acknowledge all the people in our school community who have helped in small or large ways. The food is delicious!

On Friday, the eleventh day of December we have our final assembly at 1.30 pm. The Thames Santa parade follows this. Please join us in the Santa parade.

Week ten, Term four

The final sprint before Christmas comes to an end on Thursday the seventeenth day of December. In this last week, we complete any classroom shifts, finish tidying up the school and attend to all those last-minute jobs.

On the very last day, we have a mufti day run by the PTA. Money raised from this will go into purchasing sports equipment, probably balls which always get well used. The PTA are also selling juicies this term and the money from those is going to purchase some more outside tables for parents and families to sit on in our playground areas.

As you can see, this term is packed. We look forward to working with everyone to make it a great success!