| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES
Term 3
Week 3
Thursday 12th August - First Snow / EOTC Day 1
Friday 13th August - Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Week 4
Monday 16th August - Chess Tournament - Hall
Thursday 19th August - Snow / EOTC Day 2
Friday 20th August - Pod 3 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 5
Wednesday 25th August - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Thursday 26th August - Snow / EOTC Day 3
Week 6
Thursday 2nd September - Snow / EOTC Day 4
Friday 3rd September - Fathers Day Breakfast - 8-9am
Friday 3rd September - Pod 1 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 7
Tuesday 7th September - WPS Cross Country
Wednesday 8th September - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Thursday 9th September - Snow / EOTC Day 5
Friday 10th September - Pod 7 Assembly 2:15pm -Hall
Week 8
Monday 13th September - Board Meeting - 5pm - Hall
Tuesday 14th September - UC Cross Country
Thursday 16th September - Pod 8 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
(Please note assembly is on Thursday not Friday)
Friday 17th September - Friday Night Lights
Week 9
Swimming Pod 3
Thursday 23rd September - CO Cross Country
Week 10
Swimming Pod 1
Friday 1st October - Pod 7 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Damage to School Bus
GoBus has recently reported damage to one of their buses. This is unacceptable behaviour. Please remind your children it is a privilege to travel on the bus and respect needs to be shown to the drivers and bus at all times.
Katrina - Bus Controller
Scholastic NZ Brochures
The latest Scholastic brochure is available from classrooms. If you wish to place an order, please turn to the inside back page and use Option 1 - Credit Card LOOP system. No cash orders are accepted at school.
If you wish purchases to be a gift, please tick GIFT option, otherwise all orders are handed out to students.
Orders will close Tuesday 17th August at 3:00pm. |
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Snow Sports / EOTC Programme Please find below information for the Snow Sports / EOTC Programme which starts this Thursday 12th August.
Cancellations - Cancellations are made by the resorts either the afternoon before or by 8am at the latest on the morning of. Any cancellations will be on the school website and the school app. Please ensure you check every Thursday morning. If the programmes are cancelled it will be school as usual for all children.
Cardrona Ski Resort - Please always remember to be early and patient.
- Please ensure you arrive at the Ski Resort by 9:30am at the latest.
- On arrival at the mountain please sign your child in with the Wānaka Primary School staff who will be located in the courtyard by the Café. They are easily visible in high viz vests. They will be able to help direct you to where to go for the lessons.
- Lesson Times – 10:15am – 3:00pm.
- Groups will be assigned an early or late lunch on the 1st day of the programme. Parents will be required to supervise children for 45 minutes over lunch.
- If you are renting equipment please ensure you are up the mountain by 9:00am. On the first day of the programme rentals are often very busy. Look out for a Wānaka Primary School staff member in a high viz jacket who will be able to assist you if you are having any problems.
- Hope you and your children have an enjoyable day.
Treble Cone Ski Resort - Please always remember to be early and patient.
- Please ensure you arrive at the Ski Resort by 9:00am at the latest.
- On arrival at the mountain please sign your child in with the Wānaka Primary School staff who will be located in the front of the ticket office. They are easily visible in high viz vests. They will be able to help direct you to where to go for the lessons.
- Lesson Times – 9:30 - 11:30am and 12:15 - 2:15pm
- Parents will be required to supervise children for 45 minutes over lunch.
- Hope you and your children have an enjoyable day.
Snow Farm - A separate email will be sent to you this evening with details of the programme.
Cardrona 1 Day Experience - A separate email has been sent to you with details of the programme. You will receive another email prior to your child’s groups day on the mountain.
School Based
For the first day (Thursday 12th August) we would like all children to meet in the hall. A roll will be taken, they will then learn which pod they will be based at and move to this pod. For the remaining Thursdays, they will go straight to this pod at 8:55am.
All groups will spend part, or most, of the school day outside so it is necessary for students to come to school dressed warmly, with jackets and sturdy footwear. Students are allowed to wear their own clothes.
Each Thursday, check the school website and school app for any postponements - it will be school as usual if the snow programme does not go ahead.
Keen to be involved? We would love and appreciate any parent volunteers to help us for a morning, afternoon, or a full day on any of the Thursdays! There will be a range of activities happening every day in our school grounds, which you may like to support, and having parents accompany groups leaving the school grounds will help ensure low adult-student ratios. Please email kathn@wanaka.school.nz if you are able to volunteer. |
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Surveys...we would love these done asap - please support these As said in previous newsletters, this year we are surveying our students, staff and parents to seek feedback on the teaching, learning and leadership at Wānaka Primary School. All of the surveys are multichoice, so we can analyse the data with quantitative methodology as opposed to qualitative. - Yesterday we sent all families an email seeking parents' involvement in the parent survey. All of the surveys are completely anonymous as no names are asked for. It only takes 10 minutes to complete and asks you questions about the school, your child's learning and behaviour in relation to our systems and expectations and also asks you about student well-being and achievement of students at Wānaka Primary School (Te Kura O Wānaka). This survey will only be live for a week so please get to it asap and help us build a clear picture of our school community's perceptions and attitudes of Wānaka Primary School.
- The staff survey closes this Friday, 13th August. This is an NZCER (NZ Council Educational Research) survey so is analysed by them.
- The student surveys are developed by NZCER and are only for Year 4 to 6 students. These are also NZCER analysed. These will be done on computer in class over the next 3 weeks.
- Later this term all students will undertake a brief 5 minute survey around well-being and our PB4L processes.
Maker Spaces This Friday, on our teacher only day, we have our NPDL (New Pedagogies for Deep Learning) guru, Margot, coming to develop our teacher pedagogy and strategies to use when our soon to be constructed Maker Spaces areas are completed. We will be looking at the pedagogy behind the Maker Spaces and the learner using design thinking skills. We will see examples of these in use and work out what equipment and resources we need to provide in these Maker Spaces to accelerate student learning, designer thinking and production to explore new ideas and concepts.
Maker Spaces are places that help cultivate creative interests, imagination and passion by allowing our students to draw upon multiple intelligences. Maker Spaces are an effective means of applying knowledge and they tap resources for learning. Maker Spaces embrace tinkering or playing in various forms of exploration, experimentation and engagement and foster collaborative learning. They are hands-on experience with new technologies and innovative processes to design and build projects.
Maker Spaces, when used as an integral part of Deep Learning, and when equipped and resourced well, are highly successful in 'empowering our learners' to take risks, have agency, and apply the 6 global competencies of - Communication, Collaboration, Character, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Citizenship. These are the competencies that are at the centre of our 'futures' education approach as they are the key to the success of a learner and as an adult facing an ever-changing world. Maker Spaces are also essential for a true Deep Learning approach.
'If we want learners who can thrive in turbulent and complex times, apply thinking to new situations and change the world, then we must reimagine learning: what's important to be learned, how learning is fostered, where learning happens and how we measure success...We call this new conceptualisation 'DEEP LEARNING'. Michael Fullan
Have a look at this link for an excellent explanation of design learning and Maker Spaces. |
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Chess Power Tournament On Monday 16th August Wānaka Primary School is hosting the 2021 Chess Power Central Otago Regional Tournament in our school hall from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
Students from our school will play 7 games of chess against children of their age and ability from all across the Upper Clutha area. We are looking forward to a great day of chess! |
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Friday Night Lights - September 17th Entries for the entertainment and the Cat Walk fashion sections are now open. - Our theme for the fashion parade is 'Light up History'. So get those imaginations going and start designing. Registrations will close 3pm on Friday 3rd September. So get your entry in by filling in this form.
- So far in the entertainment section we have our Kapahaka groups, our junior and senior choir and of course our school band. If your child(ren) would like to perform on our stage please fill in the form here also by Friday 3rd September.
If you have any questions please contact Wendy. |
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Seasons for Growth Programmes Central Otago REAP offer Seasons for Growth Programmes plus a range of information to support local families and professionals.
Seasons for Growth is an innovative grief and loss education programme that uses the imagery of the season to illustrate the experience of grief. It aims to strengthen the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people (aged 6-18) who are dealing with significant life changes.
Trained adult 'Companions' facilitate the small group programme, where participants support and learn from each other in age appropriate and engaging activities. Our Pod 5 teacher, Hannah Chisholm, is a trained facilitator in Seasons for Growth.
Young people learn that they are not alone in dealing with the effects of change, loss and grief, and build their communication, decision making and problem solving skills within a supportive peer group.
If you think that your child would benefit from the Seasons for Growth programme running this term you can find out more information here and register your interest by emailing lucyj@wanaka.school.nz by Friday 13th August. The programme is held in a private classroom here at Wānaka Primary and usually runs for 40 minutes in the afternoon between 1:30 - 3:00pm on Thursdays. |
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School Camps 2021 - Term 4 Costs have been confirmed. Payment is due for all camps by Wednesday 15th September.  Payment details:
Online to Wānaka Primary School Account No: 02-0673-0023784-001
OR
Eftpos / cash at the office
If there are challenges that would make payment of camps difficult please come in and see, ring or email Wendy (wendyb@wanaka.school.nz) or Lucy (office@wanaka.school.nz) as soon as possible.
Payment can be made by instalments.
More information will follow about each individual camp.
Please regularly check your emails. |
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PTA and Kai Pai Pie and Savoury Fundraiser On behalf of WPS congratulations to Kai Pai Bakery who have had their best ever results at the annual NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards. Kai Pai earned a gold award for its chicken, leek and bacon pie; a silver for its steak and gravy pie; and a bronze for its gourmet chicken, leek, mushroom and bacon pie as well as a further three placings in the top 10. WHO ATE ALL THE PIES!!
Due to demand the PTA are offering the PTA and Kai Pai Pie Fundraiser again. Please make orders by FRIDAY 27TH AUGUST and collection of pies and savouries will be on WEDNESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER. Click here to place your order. |
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WPS Netball - Millers Flat Tournament On Saturday, three Year 5/6 WPS Netball teams travelled to Millers Flat to play in the annual tournament. An absolutely awesome day was had by all teams, who thoroughly enjoyed playing against different teams from outside of Wānaka, 20 teams entered in total. Once again, our WPS girls displayed wonderful enthusiasm, sportsmanship and energy, on and off the netball courts. WPS Pulse and WPS Magic had fantastic games within their different pools and having come joint first in their pool, Magic missed out on a semi final by one goal on goal difference!
WPS Steel had a brilliant day, winning their pool games, winning their semi final and then won the overall Year 5/6 category playing an intense final against Clyde; who had some very tall players! A wonderful achievement. Congrats Steel! A heartfelt thanks to our coaches and umpires who made such a wonderful day happen. There is one last tournament on - today in Alexandra – so watch this space! We have 4 teams playing down there, go WPS Netball! |
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Ebooks and Audio Books The Wānaka Public Library has 2 fantastic Ebook Platforms which are highly recommended. All you need is a library membership which is free. Click on the image below to find out more and browse to see what is available: 
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Red Nose Day Dance The 30th of July was Red Nose Day. Everyone in the school dressed up in red and brought a gold coin donation for Cure Kids. In the afternoon, all the pods performed a dance to their parents, whānau and caregivers that they had been working on during the first week of term three. All the kids enjoyed showing off their amazing new dance skills and wonderful dances they had been learning. A big shout out to Mark for coming in and teaching every pod in the school a different dance. Created by Izzy, Sophie and Holly |
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Pod 4 Assembly On Friday was Pod 4’s Assembly.
This amazing pod shared their learning with us including: dances, mindfulness, sign language and an amazing example of cooking. Pod 4 did a wonderful job of creating their assembly and everyone had a splendid time watching them.
By Sophie Bull and Ila Duncan |
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Contact for our local Public Health Nurse Pip McLean is our local Public Health Nurse - should you wish to get in contact with Pip her contact details are: 03 440 4309 or 0272 839 395 or email Pip.McLean@southerndhb.govt.nz |
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UPPER CLUTHA SCHOOLS – SKI & SNOWBOARD RACE Tuesday 21st SEPTEMBER 2021 (postponement day Wednesday 22nd) Registrations for this event are open NOW! close Friday 17th September 4pm Open to all Year 3 to Year 8 students of intermediate skiing/boarding ability, no racing experience required. Come and have FUN racing down a Giant Slalom and Gravity X course. Get a team of 3 or 4 together from your school. PRIMARY OR INTERMEDIATE - they will have to race in the category according to the corresponding school year of the eldest team member. Teams are either - all boys, all girls or mixed where the best 3 combined times count towards medal placings. NO MIXED DISCIPINES – EITHER SKI OR SNOWBOARD TEAMS ONLY CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & HERE TO REGISTER Any queries please contact the Race Coordinator: Robyn Millar ucssevent@gmail.com or 0275 766 966 This event is brought to you by Wanaka Snowsports Club & Cardrona Alpine Resort |
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Teachers Only Day at Wānaka Kids Club |
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Upper Clutha Junior Rugby |
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The Developing Athlete Presentation A thought-provoking evening with youth athlete development educator and coach, Dr Craig Harrison. A ‘must see’ for parents/caregivers with kids who love their sport, and professionals working with youth athletes. Door open 6:30 pm – Interactive presentation 7 pm Get your tickets now. It is a must-watch for parents! |
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Celebrity Cricket Match Fundraiser |
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Alexandra Festival of Football |
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| Delicious, nutritious and popular with kids, Subway delivers school lunches every Friday. Order online at subwayexpress.co.nz by 9am. |
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