| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES Term 2
Week 2
Wednesday 12th May - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Thursday 13th May - Upper Clutha Rippa Rugby
Friday 14th May - Pod 3 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 3
Monday 17th May - Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Monday 17th May - Nathan Wallis Parents' Evening 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Friday 21st May - Pink Shirt Day
Week 4
Monday 24th May - Board Meeting 5:00pm - Staffroom
Friday 28th May - Pod 1 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 5
Wednesday 2nd June - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Week 6
Monday 7th June - Queen's Birthday - School Closed
Thursday 10th June - WPS Swimming Comp
Friday 11th June - Pod 8 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Monday 17th May - Nathan Wallis Information Evening
The Developing Brain, and Anxiety and Trauma - this presentation aims to address these concerns post COVID. Join us in the Wānaka Primary School Hall 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Gold coin donation.
Scholastic NZ Brochure The latest Scholastic NZ Brochure is available from classrooms. If you wish to place an order, please follow the instructions on the inside back cover using Option 1 – Credit Card / LOOP. No cash / orders are accepted at school. If your order is a gift, please tick the ‘GIFT’ option, otherwise all orders are handed out to the children. Orders will close at 3pm on Tuesday 18th May. |
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Teachers Only Day Next Week A reminder that Monday 17th which is next week is a teachers only day so all of our staff, teachers and teacher aides can learn from the wisdom Nathan Wallis has about the brain, and the impact of change, stress, anxiety and loss on how a child perceives the world and as a learner. We have 80 teachers including all of our staff, early childhood teachers and primary teachers from our Central Otago schools. School is closed for children so please ensure you have an alternative plan for childcare on Monday.
Parents Evenings
Whilst we have Nathan Wallis here we have planned 2 parent sessions. On Monday he is speaking in our school hall and will talk about anxiety and depression (0-10 years) and on Tuesday night we have arranged for him to talk about the teen brain and this is happening in Cromwell College's auditorium as Nathan is working with teachers from Cromwell College and our RTLBs as well as few Year 7-8 teachers that day. A gold coin entry will get you into either or both parent evening sessions.
Many thanks to Kerry Guise, our DP, for doing all of the corresponding and organising and applications for funding that have enabled us to have teachers and parents have access to this very inspiring and knowledgeable speaker at a very small cost. Thanks to NZEI both the Central Otago and Otago branch, our RTLB service, and the Central Lakes Trust for funding this initiative.
Maker Spaces
We are soon to kick off our consultation with the community and staff about the Maker Spaces we are going to build using funds from our innovative property funding provided by the Ministry. We not only will be building a Maker Space built in area in each pod but also will be setting up equipment, tools and materials for children's 'making' projects. A huge thanks to the Wānaka Lions who have granted us funds to assist this setting up of resources. You are awesome!
Seasons for Growth
Our 3 groups have had their first Seasons for Growth session. These are happening each week over 6 weeks on a Thursday. Mandy who is working with our year 5 & 6 group and the year 3 & 4 group is running her sessions in the morning and Hannah who is working with the Year 1 & 2 group is with them in the afternoon from 1:45 - 2:45pm. Both of these ladies have sent out emails to parents of their groups. Please email them if you have any questions or want to talk about what they are doing in these sessions.
We have the opportunity for a Seasons For Growth adult program which also deals with changes, loss and grief. See the flyer attached here. A trained 'companion' facilitates the small group program in which participants explore feelings, memories, loss and grief in a safe and creative way. This can either be 4 or 8 weekly sessions or a 2 day retreat. Please contact Mandy Greer at REAP in Alexandra mandy@coreap.org.nz or ring 03 4486115.
What's Coming Up In May
We have a busy couple of weeks coming up with the Rippa Rugby competition now taking place on Thursday 13th, Pod 3 assembly on Friday 14th at 2:15pm, teacher only day Monday 17th, reading with the space station on Wednesday 19th, and pink shirt (anti bullying day) on Friday 21st May. And then we have Starlab here on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th May. The Starlab will be set up in the hall and all students will take part in the two part programme which has half of the time in the starlab looking at the stars and the other half will be working at the science station also set up in the hall. Thanks to Lisa from Pod 5 for organising this for us all. We need to capture these opportunities when they are offered.
Awesome Writing We have some wonderful writers in classes throughout the school. They work hard on surface features (grammar, spelling and punctuation) and also on deeper features where they learn to use writing tools to improve the quality of their writing.
Last week Hazel brought in her piece of descriptive writing, written in her own beautiful linked script, to share with me. She used personification so well. Hazel told me personification is making things in nature or man made things take on human characteristics. She certainly knows how to use this skill effectively. Hazel is a year 3 student in pod 4.
I loved it so much I would like to share it with you.
The gleaming stars winked down at us. The burning sun high-fived us in the sky. The orange leaves on the trees whispered silently. The birds in the nest sang their sweet song. The orange sky lay asleep while the moon got dressed. The big, heavy mountains snored loudly. The colours in the sky giggled as they told jokes.
by Hazel Robinson Room 13 |
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This Coming Monday - Nathan Wallis Parent Evening |
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ESOL Welcome Morning Tea An invitation to all our ESOL students and their families to a morning tea next Tuesday 18th May at 9:15am in Room 7, Pod 2.
We would like to welcome our ESOL community to visit our English classroom, learn about our language and cultural programme and meet Clair our Language Teacher and Leah our school SENCO. Morning tea will be provided. |
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Pink Shirt Day Friday 21st May is Pink Shirt Day. This is a day where we celebrate diversity, promote kindness, and work together to bring an end to bullying.
Wānaka Primary will be celebrating this day by holding an afternoon of fun, kindness-promoting activities that have been organised by one of our Year 6 Student Leadership Groups - the Junior Ambassadors.
We would like students to come to school on the day dressed in as much pink clothing as possible (it doesn't just need to be a shirt).
We will be collecting money for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, so we would appreciate it if students could bring a gold coin donation for this very worthy organisation.
For more information on Pink Shirt Day, please check out the following website:
https://www.pinkshirtday.org.nz/ |
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2021 Snow Sports Programme All information regarding the winter sports programme (skiing and boarding) is on our school website. Please read ALL information carefully. All enrolments for Cardrona, TC and Snow Farm are online. Please ensure you keep copies of your receipts etc.. for evidence of paying for the school programme.
LINK to Information and Registration |
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Great Value Kindling Fundraiser We are selling banana boxes full of hand-picked kindling for $10 each to raise money for our girls' and boys' clubs to allow them to do their planned activities this year. Come into the office to purchase a box. Thank you for your support. |
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Mothers Day Movie Night Thank you to those who came and supported our Mothers Day Movie Night. It was a really great night. |
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Wānaka Primary School Swimming Competition (Y4-6 only)
When: Thursday 10th June (9am - 1pm approx)
Where: Wānaka Recreation Centre
Who: Year 4-6 only - not compulsory
Wānaka Primary Swimming Sports is for children in Year 4 to 6 who can swim at least 1 length of the pool (25m). This is a competitive event and the children should be comfortable in the water, and be proficient in a swim stroke.
Events (by year groups): 25m Freestyle 25m Backstroke 25m Breaststroke 25m Butterfly Tribe competition 100m medley (if time allows)
Open Event - Championship.
We are not running the 50m open events as Y5-6 children will compete against Y7-8. If you wish your child to compete in this please have a conversation with either Jason or Hannah before next Friday.
We will be entering the children into events by Friday 21st May. Children will inform their teacher if they are competing. All children who enter must compete in at least 2 events. This gives us time to organise transport, event timing etc... No entries will be accepted after this date so please discuss this with your children ASAP.
Parent Help - we need parents to help with timing races. If you can help please email Hannah - hannahc@wanaka.school.nz. Without parents on stopwatches we will not be able to complete the events.
Future Events:
Upper Clutha Swimming Sports - 29th June (Y5-8)
Central Otago Championship - 8th July (Y5-8)
To qualify for the next tier children must place in the top 6 of their year groups. |
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Library News Click here to view our Library Webapp. Feel free to email Melissa at any time if you have any questions. |
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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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Pippins There are places available in Wānaka Pippins at the moment. If your daughter is aged 5 or 6, loves the outdoors and playing games, come along and visit and try us out. We meet every Monday 4-6pm at the Wānaka Scout Den at Eely Point. Any queries, have a look at GirlGuidingNZ website or email Sharon Stephens at wanakagirlguides@gmail.com. |
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Wakatipu Ski Club Snow Sports Sale The Annual Wakatipu Ski Club Snow-Sports Sale is a once a year community event that provides an opportunity for families to set themselves up for the snow season with quality gear at affordable prices. Click here for the WSC Snow-sports Sale Notice that describes the Sale and how to participate. |
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Highlanders vs Rebels Kids Go Free |
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Inspire Term 2 After School Sessions |
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Kids Yoga and Mindfulness |
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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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