Kia ora e te whānau,
How is it that I am writing this pānui with only three and a half days of school remaining? It feels like just the other day I was writing my very first pānui to you all way back in January. Is it a sign of getting old when the years fly by like this? I had a really proud moment on Monday morning when I had a special visitor, my Dad Barrie. He was also a proud principal for over 20 years at Bombay School in Auckland. It was nice to finally show him around our school and for him to meet all the amazing kids and teachers that make this place so special. He said Turitea reminded him a lot of his school and he saw many similarities like the rural vibe, strong sense of community and pride in the school.
Welcomes/Farewells:
Next week marks the last week of school for Juliet Holt. She has been a member of Turitea School for the past 20+ years. We want to acknowledge the amazing service she has given. That is a whole lot of students that she has had a massive impact on in their formative years of their schooling life. We wish Juliet all the best for the next chapter. We will look to appoint her replacement in Term 2 2023.
Earlier in the week we made the appointment of Meagan Gooding to our Year 1 vacancy that will cover Bridgit James while she is on refreshment leave. Meagan is a former parent of the school, her daughter Isabella is now 17 and attended Turitea School back in her day. They both have fond memories of the school and we look forward to welcoming her back officially at a teaching capacity in 2023.
End of Year Events:
Year 6 Graduation – Monday 12th December at 5.30pm
This will be in Tane Mahuta and will be just for our Year 6 leavers and their whānau. We will have the ceremony, a few speeches and presentations then share some kai together before leaving around 7ish.
Prizegiving – Tuesday 13th December at 2pm
This will be a formal event for our whole school to give out End of Year certificates from each class and our Turitea Trophies. It will be in Tane Mahuta, unless it is a sunny day and then we have it under the shade sails in the quad. You might receive an email today if your presence might be ‘required’ to attend.
PTA Christmas Party: Wednesday 14th December from 1-3pm
The pool will be open, kids will be encouraged to bring their water guns and pool toys for an afternoon of fun to finish the year. A couple of slices of pizza, an ice block and a visit from Santa to finish the day. There will be quiet options for those who prefer that too.
End of Year Reports Live on Hero: Wednesday 14th December
If you are not connected to Hero, please come and see us at the office before the end of school to get you sorted, it won’t take long. You will need to be connected to read your child’s report. If you want to print it out to keep it, I will provide instructions on how to do this. You will also find out your child’s class placement
School Stationery for 2023:
Next year we are enlisting the services of OfficeMax for our back to school stationery. You will be able to purchase your child’s stationery directly from them as a pack. Each class has a slightly different pack so once you know your child’s class, you can order these through the MySchool page which we will send to you once it is all set up. Just so you know, we are outsourcing this to them, so will not be selling it through the school. We have been able to use some leftover books from previous years in some classroom spaces, so don’t panic if you think ‘Why does my child only need 2 books’ when you see their pack.
Pool Keys:
Ben James has been putting in the hours to get our pool ready for kids for the Pool Party next week. Ka rawe Ben! If you would like to hire a pool key for the Summer Season, please come in and see Julie at the office and she will give you a contract to fill out and it will cost $35 per key. We have limited keys available, so get in quick. He is getting the water tested today and hopefully it will be safe for everyone and we will let you know when it’s bombs away…
Holiday Programme:
Manawatu GymSports has a super holiday programme running, this is a great way to try out their club if you are keen to enroll next year, or just book in to have some fun! Head to www.manawatugymsports.co.nz
Sports @ Turitea:
-Touch Draw – Friday 9th December (Tonight – Final Game of the Season)
U6’s Turitea Titans vs. Takaro @ 4pm on Field 15A
U8’s Turitea Tigers vs. Lil’ Souljahz @ 4pm on Field 7B
U10’s Turitea Thunder vs. Our Lady Of Lourdes @ 5pm on Field 16A
U12’s Turitea Terriers vs. Parkland @ 5pm on Field 8
Then each of the teams have their sprint relay after their match instead of the second game
If you have a Turitea School Sports uniform at home, please can you send it into the office next week (unless your child is a soccer player and they have their last game next Wednesday. Can you please bring a change of clothes to the game, so your child can get changed after the match and give their coach their uniform back)
Reminder that the last day of school for 2022 is next Thursday 15th December at 12.30pm
Ngā Manaakitanga,
Troy