Nau mai hoki mai ki te wāhanga tuarua, (Welcome back to Term 2)
On Monday, we held our traditional mihi whakatau to welcome new whānau to our kura. I’m always proud of how natural and normal this process has become for our tamariki. Nau mai Haere mai (Welcome) to Ari, who has joined Cameron in Pōhutukawa, Finn, who has joined Carly in Rātā. Finn is the younger brother of Luca who was a Year 6 with us last year, and Tyde, who has joined Anna in Rimu. Tyde is Dani’s son, Julie’s grandson and Makenna’s little brother.
Over the break, we received official recognition from the Ministry of Education for hitting the government’s attendance targets last term. Most impressively, 93% of our learners achieved 90% or above attendance. They highlighted the progress we’ve made compared to previous years, noting our focus on student engagement and strong whānau relationships is making a difference. This achievement is a testament to the commitment of our families to prioritise regular learning, thank you for being part of this success!
Yesterday, retired serviceman Terry Kingi brought four Army Horses from the Mounted Rifles and their riders to school for our students to meet and learn about the important part they played in our history. A really cool opportunity for our tamariki to get up close and personal with them. These horses featured in the 2024 documentary Devils on Horses, which explores the bond between soldiers and horses during war. This premieres on Whakaata Māori (Māori TV) at 8am tomorrow morning (repeat at 6.30pm) if you are interested.
On Tuesday, We held a Trial Evacuation and we are proud to report that everyone was safely accounted for in just 3 minutes and 37 seconds. Our goal is to streamline our processes and beat this time in six months for our next drill. We do these to build ‘muscle memory’ and prevent panic that can happen in a real crisis.
Tomorrow Meagan, along with our tuakana (seniors) Mackenzie and Makayla, are laying an ANZAC wreath on behalf of our kura at the Civic Service at Te Marae o Hine (The Square). A reminder that because ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday this year, it is ‘Mondayised’ so there will be no kura this Monday 27th April.
This term, Lynley is joining us for an extra day in Rimu every week, now doing every Tuesday in addition to the usual Thursday she already works. This is to make sure our newest learners get the best start possible with an extra set of hands.
Out of Zone Ballot:
You may have seen that we are advertising our upcoming Out-of-Zone Ballot offering an opportunity for new families to join our hāpori (community). For this intake, we have spaces available specifically in Year 2, Year 4, and Year 5. Filling these positions is important, as maintaining a full roll allows us to retain our current resourcing and staffing. If you know of anyone who would be a great fit for our school, encourage them to contact us or visit our website for application details before the closing date on Thursday 7th May.
Turitea School Merch:
Next week, we will be putting out orders through Hero for our all new ‘Turitea Merch’ which now features T-Shirts, Crew Neck Sweaters and as always, the staple Hoodie. Lisa from DJL has helped us roll out some new designs for these too and the samples she has created look pretty flash! If you get your order in, these will be ready for our kids to be rocking by the start of June.
Ngā Whakanui Ākonga (Student Celebrations):
Hopefully you have already seen the amazing mahi toi (art) done by Mataī which was on Facebook earlier in the week. I have to acknowledge Ethan, because his piece pictured above really stood out to me. Isn’t it brilliant? Ka pai (Good job) Ethan, I love seeing your artwork and the precision you always put into it.
End of Summer Harvest:
Our wonderful kaitiaki (caretaker) Meryl got some of our tuakana from Tōtara to help her harvest our Sunflowers and Popcorn plants. Check out the neat video about how they did it here.
Kindo Credit:
Every Ezlunch order placed between 27th April – 22nd May goes in the draw to win a $50 Kindo credit each week. We offer Domino’s every Wednesday and Subway every Friday. You can order through Ezlunch.
From the Community:
- Aokautere New World has free Facepainting this afternoon from 3-5pm to celebrate the first week back at school, as well as the upcoming ANZAC weekend.
- West End Scouts meet during term-time: Keas (5-7 yrs): Wednesdays 4:15-5:30pm, Cubs (7-11 yrs): Wednesdays 6:30-8pm. Get your first 4 weeks free. To learn more, sign up here or email here.
Term 2 Important Dates:
Here are all the dates to get on your calendar. (Please note Te Pae Tamariki has been now moved to Term 4)
- Week 2 (Next week)
- SCHOOL CLOSED for ANZAC Day (observed) on Monday 27th April
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 1st May
- Week 3
- PTA Hui at 7pm in the Staffroom on Wednesday 6th May
- Cluster Chess Tournament at Ōpiki School on Friday 8th May
- Out of Zone Enrollment Ballot on Friday 8th May
- Mobile Library Bus Visit at 9.30am on Friday 8th May
- Week 4
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 15th May
- Week 5
- School Cross Country on Friday 22nd May
- Kapa Haka Performance at West End School Whānau Day on Sunday 24th May
- Week 6
- Year 3-6 Tough Guy/Gal Challenge at Massey on Monday 25th May
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Thursday 28th May
- SCHOOL CLOSED for Staff Only Day on Friday 29th May
- Week 7
- SCHOOL CLOSED for Kings Birthday on Monday 1st June
- Year 1-6 Cluster Cross Country at Stewarts Farm in Tokomaru on Thursday 4th June
- Year 5/6 Interschool Cross Country at the Ashhurst Domain on Friday 5th June
- Week 8
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 12th June
- Week 9
- PTA AGM in the Staffroom at 7pm on Wednesday 17th June
- Mobile Library Bus Visit at 9.30am on Friday 19th June
- Week 10:
- Year 5/6 Interschool Ki O Rahi on Wednesday 24th June
- Hui Ā Kura at 2.20pm on Friday 26th June
- Week 11:
- Mid Year Reports Live in Hero on Tuesday 30th June
- Last Day of Term is Friday 3rd July.
Hei te Turei (See you Tuesday)
Troy
principal@turitea.school.nz
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