Kia ora e te whānau,
I write you this pānui whilst in isolation as Covid has finally affected my household. Luckily it hasn’t hit us too badly, but it has kept me at home this week if you had noticed that I wasn’t around. The powers of technology though with me still being able to keep up with what has been happening in the classrooms through Seesaw, still attending my meetings just via Zoom and connecting with others through email or phone. Julie and I joked about potentially having a virtual principal one day in the future, Imagine that! I would miss interacting with the kids though, which is my ‘why’ for being a principal and that has been lacking for me this week.
Learning Conferences:
As of 11am today we have 42 conferences booked for Wednesday 11th May. Remember that school closes early that day at 12.30pm. Book your 15 minute slot through the Skool Loop App in the Interviews Tab. If your child is in Cameron or Trish’s class, some times are available after school on Thursday 12th as well.
From the PTA:
Massive congrats to our Monster Garage Sale Raffle winners who are listed below. Enjoy your prizes and thanks for purchasing a ticket. Although we were gutted that the MGS couldn’t go ahead this year, we are lucky to have such a supportive community that embraced the alternative. Ka pai tō mahi (great work) Jackson, Samantha and Grace who sold the most tickets, you will get a koha (gift) too for your efforts. The money raised will go towards replacing the old red shade sails in the quad area. Reminder, if you haven’t already ordered, the Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser closes at 3pm today. Order online here.
Volcano Fever:
This to me is why we teach: Last week in Totara, a child said “I heard on the news that Mt. Ruapehu is at volcanic alert level 2. If it explodes, will it get us?” This sparked robust discussions and a few videos of the mountain’s previous eruptions literally blew up Cameron’s planned day as he followed the passions of his learners. Sophia brought her mum Anke into school, who happens to be a Research Officer in Volcanology at Massey University. She shared her expertise and rock collection with her class. Word got out and she came back in working with other classes, so Volcano fever erupted at our school. You totally can’t explain volcanoes without doing the Coke and Mentos experiment either. DO try this at home. Oh the excitement!!
Pa Ray:
Your kids may have come home talking about Pa Ray this week. As I mentioned last week, he has been in working with our tamariki teaching them Ngā Tāonga Takāro. (Traditional Māori Games) Check out this video from Rimu and Mānuka, it might bring back some memories of when you were at school.
Sport:
Registrations are open for Term 2 Hockey. Hockey Manawatū run a holiday programme which including team challenges, arts/crafts, movies and outdoor activities. It is on Thursday/Friday of both weeks of the holidays. Have a look here if you are interested. Next week is the last game of Netball for our Year 1-4 teams with our Year 5/6 team starting on Saturday 14th May. Basketball is now starting on Thursday 12th May.
Ngā manaakitanga,
