Kia ora e te whānau,
We had a beautiful Mihi Whakatau to welcome our new whānau to the school on Tuesday, which I found really special. It was nice to set the tone for the year from this and ‘live and breathe’ our uara (values) of Whanaungatanga (Positive Relationships) and Manaakitanga (Kindness and Hospitality) in doing this important ceremony in Te Ao Māori.
We are delighted to welcome to our school; Billy, Ethan, Greer, Mila, George and Michael, who are all brand new whānau to Turitea School in Rimu with Meagan. Finally joining their older siblings who are already here at Turitea are Buffton, Braxton, Ben and Bronwyn, also in Rimu. Andre joins Shane in Pōhutukawa from Waiouru School and Nate is a returning student joining Karen in Kahikatea, coming home from time in Canberra, Australia. It is wonderful to have you join our Turitea Whānau, we know you will be embraced by our community as we are like one big family here.
Finances – Hero:
Yesterday we turned the Finance option on, so you should see a Finance tab in Hero on your Home screen. If you click on it you will see a School Donation and an Activity Fee for Term 1 added. Like every New Zealand school, School Donations aren’t compulsory, we do rely on these to help us pay for the extra things that we’d love to have, that our operations grant from the MoE doesn’t cover. We ask for $100 per year if you have one child at school, $150 if you have two or more children at school. The Activity Fee is there to help create less work for Julie in the office who used to deal with little bits of money coming in for trips that we go on. This also gives the teachers a budget to stick to when they are planning excursions or bringing experts on site to work with our children. Payments are preferred online; either through the Hero app directly or through Internet Banking; Westpac – 03 0726 0572091 00 and please include your child’s name and surname in the Reference and Donations/Act Fee in the Particulars. Thanks to those of you who saw this and have paid already. That is a new record!
Overnight Camp:
Information for this was on a separate Hero post on Wednesday. Reminder that the date has changed from that which was on the board out the front of school for a short time. It is now on Friday 17th February. If anyone has spare tents, please can you let someone from the PTA know as we would hate people to miss out on this event if they don’t have a tent.
Swimming Pool:
Huge thanks to Ben James and Wei Chua who have kept up our swimming pool maintenance over the last few weeks. We couldn’t have opened the pool over the summer without your service, so whakawhetai koe! (we are grateful for you) With the beautiful warm weather at the moment, I know the pool has been getting a lot of use by our tamariki in and out of school, which we love!
Absent from School:
Just a friendly reminder that if your child is going to be away from school to let the office know, rather than the teacher. Julie is the one who handles making sure everyone is accounted for. You can let us know through Hero by clicking the three lines up the top left hand corner and then going to Report an Absence.
Waitangi Day:
Not up to much on Monday? Why don’t you take the whānau down to Te Marae o Hine (The Square) for a community BBQ, activities and stalls, followed by a concert and food trucks in the second half of the day. It starts at 11am and finishes at 6.30pm. An awesome opportunity to connect with Rangitanē Iwi in acknowledging our history and learn a bit more about the significance of Waitangi Day.
Sport @ Turitea:
This term we have three sports on offer to play after school; Netball, Hockey and Football. Please refer to the separate Hero post that will also be sent out today for information and registration. Dani, our sports coordinator will organise the teams and get this information back to you as soon as the teams are made. You can contact her on sport@turitea.school.nz
Kelly Sport Afterschool Programme:
Craig and the team are running their afterschool sports clinics again like last year. Sign up here or check out the poster for more information. They run for an hour and start next Tuesday 7th February. Meet the coaches on the field. Plenty of spaces are still available, so get involved!
Triathlon Series:
The Palmy Kid’s Tri Series returns for its 20th anniversary in 2023, starting on Monday 13th February for 5 weeks. These events are aimed at children aged 4-12 years old, which saw a record total of 780 tamariki having a go on the final night two years ago. It would be exciting to equal that, if not surpass that again! More information can be found on this flier. Here is a video showcasing what their events are all about.
Marist Hot Shots Tennis Programme:
Beginner skills development programme for 5-12 year olds run by experienced coaches.These 50 minute sessions run on Saturday mornings over Term 1 and will focus on improving strokes, footwork and court work. All levels catered for and equipment provided. For more info contact Big John on 0274 808 808 or see the flier.
KickStart Hockey Development Programme:
This programme is designed for those in Year 3-6 and will run for four weeks beginning on the Sunday 5th March. It is on every Sunday from the 5th – 26th March. It costs $60 and is from 10-11am at the Twin Turfs on Manawaroa Street. Register for this awesome programme by following the link.
Red Kiwi Orienteering:
Their first event will be at IPU on Summerhill on Sunday 12th February. Start anytime between 10:30am – 1pm. Follow the Orienteering signs for parking at the Gym. Map costs (including SI eCard rental): Students $3, Adults $5, Max cost for a family $10.
Children’s Drawing Classes
Does your child love to draw? Mike Ryan is an experienced art teacher and portrait artist with spaces available this term for children to develop their drawing skills across a range of subjects. Classes are held at the Chinese Association, 98 Napier Road on Tuesdays 3.30-5pm and cost $150 per term. Contact Rachel Summers on 021 624 892 or Mike Ryan 022 460 7311 or visit his website.
Music with Heather:
If your child would like to learn the piano/keyboard this year, please contact Heather de Ridder on 027 245 2780 or email harmonyhouse@xtra.co.nz. Children receive their weekly lesson on Monday during the school day, but it will be Tuesday next week because of Waitangi Day. Keyboards are available for hire.
Epic Music:
Quite a few of you have signed up for this already, which is great to see. Lessons start next week on Friday 10th February and we are lucky to have Oscar back taking the Drums, Guitar and Foundation classes. Oscar used to attend Turitea School, so it’s cool for him to give back to his local school and community.
Summerhill Farmers Market:
This is on this coming Sunday 5th February from 9-1pm. Head down for yummy locally sourced treats!
Bit of a long one from me sorry whānau, hope I held you till the end. Enjoy the long weekend and we look forward to seeing you all back on Tuesday 7th February.
Ngā Manaakitanga,
Troy