Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou, (Warm greetings to you all)
I have to send a heartfelt mihi (thank you) to those who came to our Whakanui i a Matariki (Matariki Celebration) last Friday. I did think that the poor weather might put people off coming, but whether you came and gave our tamariki another opportunity to share their kapa haka bracket, viewed their mahi toi (artwork) as pictured below, engaged in kemu (activities) in classrooms, lit a candle to commemorate the loss of a loved one or had traditional Māori kai from the Real Deal Hāngi Food Truck, I thought it was a perfect way to celebrate the coming of Te Tau Hou Māori (The Māori New Year). If you enjoyed the parāoa parai (fry bread) then perhaps over the long weekend you might like to try this recipe from Aroha of Maimoa Creative. Her work may look familiar as she designed our kura pepeha that is displayed proudly in each of our classrooms. Tomorrow marks a significant public holiday in New Zealand, a time to acknowledge a special moment in the maramataka (Māori calendar). While many Māori across Aotearoa recognise Matariki, here in the Manawatū and Whanganui rohe, (region) our focus is on Puanga, (the star Rigel) to signal the arrival of the Māori New Year. To learn more about why, check out this short video or just ask your tamariki, as they have been learning about it in class.
It was all excitement (and a little bit of stress) on Tuesday when we had a HIAB truck come and lift the roofing support structure up on top of Rātā as you can see above. We were not allowed access to our court or quad area for safety reasons, and of course this happened right at morning tea time! As I’ve mentioned to you, this is in preparation for the roofing project we are embarking on over the coming weeks. It interrupted hockey sessions with Michaela that she has just started with our tamariki, as she had to move from the turf to the field, then back again. Luckily our kids were very well-behaved and she was flexible about the change.
On Monday, we had the team from Datacomms Plus start to install our internal and external speaker system which you may have noticed. We are excited to use this system once it is ready. This will help us get messages to classrooms instantly, help us in the event of a lockdown/emergency and will play soft music to provide a prompt for our kids to action certain things such as return to class, signal the start/end of lunch etc.
Mihi atu ki a koe (Thanks to) Nathan Mooney (Van’s Dad) of Property Brokers who donated $1,000 to our school for selling the Brougham whānau home last month. We appreciate both of you for supporting our kura. If you, or anyone you know are looking at selling your whare (house) then have a chat with him. Any referral we direct to him, he will donate putea (money) to the school once it sells.
Cluster Cross Country:
Last Friday, we sent a big team of runners to compete in the Cluster Cross Country. Our event organisers from Tokomaru School have released the official results here. Whakamihi nui ki a koutou (Congratulations) to those who made the podium; Beckett was second in the Year 1 Boys event, Caleb, Archer and Harvey completed the Turitea Trifecta coming home first through third in the Year 2 Boys race. Marnie won the Year 2 Girls event. Rory was the fastest of the Year 5 Boys with Kyerin coming third in this event. Ka rawe koutou! (Awesome everyone!)
Board of Trustees (BoT) Elections:
Last night, we held our second bi-termly BoT hui (meeting) here at school. Our kaiako (teachers) always write a brief report about the ‘goings on’ in their class over the term. Why should just our BoT members get to view that though right? So here it is for you to have a look at. Next term, we’ll be sharing information about selecting new BoT members. All schools across Aotearoa follow a similar timeline for this process, which you can see outlined below. If you’re interested in learning more about what the role involves, or if you’re thinking about putting your ‘hat in the ring’ for this, feel free to chat with me or any of our current board members: Joeli, Peter, Sarah, or Fraser about this.
-Friday 18th July – We invite calls for nominations for potential BoT members.
-Wednesday 6th August – Nominations close at 12pm.
-Wednesday 13th August – Voting opens (by today).
-Wednesday 10th September – Voting closes at 4pm.
-Tuesday 16th September – New BoT members announced.
Reporting to Parents:
Next week, either through Hero or in your child’s bag if they are in Rimu, you will receive a mid-year report for your child. We have updated our information slide that explains to you the changes we have made in doing this, as well as help you understand the Overall Teacher Judgment (OTJ) that our teachers have made based on our refreshed curriculum. I urge you to take five minutes to have a read, as we don’t want parents/whānau to be alarmed if your child isn’t quite yet meeting the year level expectations as there have been quite substantial changes to some teaching areas.
Whānau Showcase Evening:
Please mark Thursday 24th July (Term 3, Week 2) on your calendars as we’re hosting our brand new event called Whānau Showcase. It will run from 3.30 – 7pm and you can come at times that suit you over the evening to give your tamariki an opportunity to shine and proudly share their learning and mahi (work) from the year with you. This evening will take the place of our usual Term 2 Kōrero Mai. If you’d still like a one-on-one chat with the teacher after receiving their mid-year report next week, you’re welcome to make an appointment. However, the main goal of this is to let your child be the star and show off their achievements.
Loose Parts Play:
You’ve probably noticed the bright blue shipping container for our ‘Loose Parts Play’ which is designed to spark our kids’ imaginations, encourage teamwork and get them creating and building. Check out this short article if you want to know more. The PTA has already purchased some awesome things for this, but if any families have any items from this list they’d like to rehome, please let us know or drop them off.
Tough Guy and Girl Challenge:
Next Monday at the Massey fields, we have 25 participants involved in this fun and muddy event. I will meet those attending down there so look out for the Turitea gazebo. Here’s hoping for a great day.
From the PTA:
Y’all can get ready to wrangle up your posse for our Wild West Quiz Night on Saturday 9th August. We’re having it in little ole Tāne Mahuta from 7pm for a ‘rootin’ tootin’ good time. Dust off your cowboy boots, sharpen your wits and prepare for an epic showdown. To help us rustle up enough grub and provisions, we’d appreciate it if y’all could register your team by 18th July here. Don’t fret if your wagon isn’t full; if you’re looking to join a team, just send us an email and we’ll see if we can help you find some scalliwags to join.
From the Community:
- PNCC is celebrating with their annual Puanga Festival tomorrow at the CET Arena Pit Lanes from 3pm – 7pm featuring kapa haka, live performances, food trucks and an activity zone for tamariki.
- Winter is upon us and the latest issue of Tots to Teens is jam-packed with content to help Kiwi parents over these testing times. Read it for free here.
- Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) has informed us of several cases of strep throat in our community. Public Health Nurses will run a free clinic to assess those who cannot access a GP.
- Manawatū Youth Theatre presents Elf Jr. at the Globe Theatre from July 2nd–11th. Join Buddy the Elf on his hilarious adventure, filled with catchy songs and plenty of festive cheer. Tickets are $17.
- Badminton Manawatū is running an 8-week Shuttle Time Competition next term. It is on Tuesdays from July 22nd to September 16th from 3:30 – 5:30pm in the Ballroom at CET Arena 4.
Holiday Programmes:
With only five school days remaining in the term, check out the options for holiday programmes below:
- Kelly Sports Holiday Programme – See their information here
- Bounce Basketball Academy – See the poster here
- Epic Music Academy – Check out our website for more information
- Manawatū Hockey – Information here. Year 3/4’s register here and Year 5/6’s register here
- Netball Manawatū – Information here and register here
- Massey Kids Club – Here is their information
- Marist Football Club – Have their Footie Fix holiday programme. Register here.
Manawatia a Matariki (Lets honour, acknowledge and welcome in Matariki)
Troy
principal@turitea.school.nz