Ahiahi mārie ki a koutou (Good afternoon everyone)
We appreciated your support with dressing your kids in yellow today for Te Rā Daffodil (Daffodil Day). It was a sea of yellow as you can see below. Such a worthy cause as over 30,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with Cancer every year. Having just lost my Dad to that last term, this one certainly hit differently. Your generosity raised over $360 for the Cancer Society. Ngā mihi koutou (Thank you everyone)
Tōtara and Kauri ākonga (students) have had an incredible week exploring ePro8, putting their math and science brains to work using frames, gears, pulleys and electronics to solve problems or create solutions. We were all blown away by some of their creations as you can see above. All the mini challenges throughout the week led to today’s whole school challenge. Two teams will be selected to represent Turitea at the Interschool competition in Week 10 where we, not to brag, are the defending champions!
Yesterday, we welcomed Professor Luciano Denardin de Oliveira to our school who came to watch our tuakana (seniors) in action doing ePro8. He is from the University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, specializing in teacher education with a focus on STEM. He was so impressed by our school, that he said how much his own sons (aged 6 and 8) would love to be students here. Nice to put Turitea on the world map!
Hui Ā Kura:
This afternoon’s assembly was led by Oliver, Quinn, Maya and Leo and as always, they did a great job entertaining us and keeping things moving. Mihi atu (thank you) to those who came along to watch. Congratulations to those who received a tiwhikete (certificate)
Rimu: Kevin – Mātauranga
Rātā: Reggie – Mātauranga
Pōhutukawa: Ayla – Mātauranga
Mataī: Grace – Manaakitanga
Kauri: Freddie – Mātauranga
Tōtara: Ella – Mātauranga
Meagan: Mackenzie N – Mātauranga
Troy: Griffin – Manaakitanga
Winter Bugs:
Winter illnesses have ravaged us again this week with 30% of our tamariki away most days. While we aim to meet the target of 80% of our students attending at least 90% of the time, student and staff well-being is our top priority. Thank you for keeping sick kids at home to rest and prevent germs spreading. If you can’t see your usual doctor, look into the Online GP Care, that is free for children 13 and under. You can book online via the Health NZ website.
Ngā Whakanui Ākonga (Student Celebrations):
Some exciting news to share about Harriet. She competed in her first-ever National Taekwon-Do Championships in Hamilton last weekend. With competitors from Japan and Australia, it was quite a big deal, and we are so proud that she came away with a bronze medal in patterns for her division.
Looking Ahead to 2027:
Thanks to those who filled out our pre enrollment form if you have a younger child in your house who turns five next year, it was great to see some familiar names on the list! We will be advertising our final ballot for the year to fill a few spaces we have for 2027 next week, so let anyone you know who might be interested.
Kiwi Lunchbox:
An Auckland parent has created a free, no-obligation tool here to help families plan affordable school lunches based on current supermarket specials. This website helps you organize your weekly meals and estimate costs without needing to create an account or pay for any services.
Warmth from Waste:
We are proud to join the Warmth From Waste initiative. Your empty foil chip packets can be recycled and transformed into warm thermal blankets for people in need. Participating is easy: simply ensure your empty chip packets are completely clean and free from crumbs, then place them in the collection bin at school.
From the PTA:
- Hopefully you have got our Decades Quiz Night on Saturday 19th September at 6.30pm on your calendar. Assemble a team of up to 8 for $100 by signing up here. We still only have 5 teams registered, so get your crew together.
- The pallet of Whittakers Chocolate has arrived as you can see above and we will be asking you all to come pick up your box (36 bars) from the office before or after school this Monday. The chocolates are $3 per bar, making a box cost $108. For every box sold, we raise just over $40 which will fund our swing set we hope to install in October.
Term 3 Important Dates:
We are halfway through the term now. Here is everything that is on for the rest of it.
- Week 7 (Next Week)
- PTA Whittakers Chocolate Fundraiser Boxes Go Home on Monday 31st August
- Week 8
- DanceNZMade on Tuesday 8th September
- Mobile Library Bus Visit at 9.30am on Friday 11th September
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 11th September
- Week 9 (Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori)
- Year 5/6 Cluster Kapa Haka/Ki-O-Rahi at Linton Camp on Friday 18th September
- Turitea School Quiz Night on Saturday 19th September
- Week 10
- Year 5/6 Interschool E-Pro8 Competition on Tuesday 22nd September
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 25th September
- Last Day of Term 3 at 3pm on Friday 25th September
We say Bon Voyage to Faye this weekend, as she and her husband David, head off to Europe. They’ll be celebrating his remarkable 40-year milestone with Air New Zealand with a 21-day Mediterranean cruise and a cycling trip around Lake Constance in Germany. Feel free to be jealous!
Kia pai tō rā whakatā (Have a great weekend)
Troy
principal@turitea.school.nz
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