Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa (Warm greetings to you all),
Writing the pānui is one of Troy’s favourite jobs and something he holds pretty close, so I’m honoured to be passed the baton in his absence. Wasn’t the sunshine earlier this week an absolute treat? We were spoilt with beautiful days of warmth and sun, which would have been the perfect way to farewell the last week of hōtoke (winter) and look forward to koanga (spring). Perhaps Troy sent us some of that sunshine our way from Brisbane, where he has been attending the APPA Conference. However, in true Palmy fashion, the sunshine never lasts long does it? The rain has hit hard this morning, with lightning flashing and thunder booming. If that wasn’t enough, check out the hail that came pelting down around our kura (school), forming the most extraordinary shapes!
Not to worry though, our tamariki brought the sunshine today in a sea of kōwhai (yellow) for Daffodil Day. Thanks to your generosity, so far we have raised $237.70 in support of the Cancer Society, ka mau te wehi (awesome)! If you’d still like to donate, you can do so online here. Thank you for helping us support the Cancer Society and the vital mahi (work) they do.
Thank you for your cooperation and support as our kaiako (teachers) and kaiāwhina tautoko (support staff) attend their NZEI Paid Union Meeting (PUM) today. These meetings are an important opportunity to come together and discuss collective rights, conditions, and the future of education. Kia ora ki a koutou katoa (thank you all) for adjusting your day to collect your tamariki at 2pm, we appreciate your support.
With much needed gumboots and rain jackets on, Mātai and Pōhutukawa have braved the heavy rain to get stuck into the garden, preparing and planting to make it beautiful for spring and summer. To keep toasty and warm, they’ve been using up the last of the pumpkins from Matariki, cooking pumpkin soup in the kitchen… the perfect treat on such a miserable day! Last week, they baked beetroot cake and spent time in the garden separating strawberries, re-potting, and sowing new seeds which you can see here and here. Ngā mihi nui (a big thanks) to Meryl, Kirstin, and our volunteers who make these special experiences for our tamariki (children) possible.
Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Kura o Turitea (Welcome to Turitea School) to Pascal and his parents, Caroline and James, the first in their whānau to join our kura. Happy school days, Pascal! We hope you and your whānau are already feeling the aroha (love) from our wonderful Turitea community.
This week, 20 of our Year 5 and 6 students have started giving up their morning tea and lunch times to practise with me for the cluster Ki o Rahi competition at Linton Camp School in Week 10. Ki o Rahi is a fast and exciting traditional Māori ball game, based on the pūrakau (story) of Rahitutakahina and Tiarakurapakewai. It’s all about teamwork, skill, and strategy and I can’t wait to see how our tamariki go in a few weeks time!
Our tamariki have been practising hard for the upcoming production on Friday 12th September (2 weeks away from today), and I’ve loved hearing all the creative ideas each class has come up with for their road trip stop. The paint brushes have certainly been busy, adding colour to the props (and maybe a little to arms and faces too). Tickets are selling fast so get in quick and order now to make sure you don’t miss out!
Board of Trustees (BoT) Elections:
With only 12 days to go until voting closes for our Board of Trustees elections, I highly encourage you to take some time to read through the profiles of our seven candidates standing for the five available positions. So far, only 30.54% of eligible voters have had their say. This is a really important kaupapa (topic), as our Board is responsible for the governance and strategic direction of our kura.
You should have received all the information you need to vote in an email from Election Pilot. You can cast your vote for up to five candidates. Online voting closes at 4pm on Wednesday 10 September. If you’re voting using the paper form, please drop it into the office voting box by Wednesday 3 September so it can be sent to Election Pilot in time.
In recent pānui, Troy has been asking some really important pātai (questions) and has been gathering your responses through a series of multi-choice questions. These are all based on the central question: “What qualities, dispositions, skills, and knowledge do you think our tamariki need to thrive?” Your responses have been compiled here.
Last week’s pātai was: “Among the skills that were listed, which ONE do you believe is the MOST crucial for our tamariki right now?”
Here are your responses:
–21 people chose problem solving
– 3 people chose creativity
–20 people chose critical thinking
– 3 people chose teamwork
– 9 people chose self-management
– 1 person chose digital confidence
As Troy shared last week, this process is helping us gather informal voice as we prepare to update our Strategic Plan next year. We’ll be sharing more communication about this soon but let’s keep this important kōrero (talk) going with this week’s pātai:
“Among the knowledge that was listed, which ONE do you believe is the MOST crucial for our tamariki right now?”
There’s lots on offer in the community, check out what’s coming up:
- At New World Aokautere, there will be free face painting as part of the Daffodil Day fundraising event for the Cancer Society NZ, today from 2:45–3:45 pm.
- Tākaro Softball Club are hosting a ‘Try It Day’ on Saturday 30 August and Sunday 7 September, from 9.30am-12.00pm at Tākaro Park, Botanical Road, Palmerston North. It’s a great chance to give softball a try before the season starts, with no obligation to register. Check out their poster here.
- Bunnings is having a free Father’s Day Family Night on Thursday 4th September, packed with activities like DIY projects, interactive games and pizza and a sausage sizzle.
- iBike4Kids is back at the Esplanade on Sunday 7th September. More information found here.
- Registrations are now open for the Kelly Sports Holiday Programme these upcoming school holidays. The programme is packed with fun, active, and engaging activities designed to keep tamariki entertained, learning, and moving throughout the break.
- Manawatū Cricket Association (MCA) is gearing up for Smash Cricket season, it is open for Year 1-4 students. Scan the code on the poster if your child might be interested. For older children, check the previous Hero post from Dani about joining.
- The Kung Fu School in Palmerston North is promoting fun, fitness, and focus for all ages. They are growing their peewee class (ages 5-6) children’s class (ages 7-11) and are offering half price fees for new students for their first term.
- HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters) is a FREE home-based programme that helps parents to get their 2-5-year-old* child ready for success in education. Check out their website here for more information.
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the pānui this week, however I’ll gladly hand the baton back to Troy. He will be back on Mane (Monday) and I know he’ll be looking forward to reconnecting with you all at the gate.
Kia pai tō koutou wiki mutunga (have a great weekend).
Anneliese
anneliese.kakau@turitea.school.nz