| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES
Term 1
Week 3
Friday 17th February - Challenge Wānaka - info below
Week 4
Monday 20th February - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Week 5
Pod 8 Swimming
Monday 27th February - Parent Voice Meetings 3:15pm - 5pm (Pods 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8)
Tuesday 28th February - Teachers Paid Union Meeting - SCHOOL CLOSES AT 12 noon
Wednesday 1st March - Parent Voice Meetings 3:15pm - 5pm
Thursday 2nd March - Parent Voice Meetings 3:15pm - 5pm (Pod 2 only)
Friday 3rd March - El Gregoe Performance - 9:15am and 11am
Friday 3rd March - Pod 5 Assembly - 2:15pm - Hall
Week 6
Pod 7 Swimming
Monday 6th March - Teacher Only Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tuesday 7th March - Run, Jump, Throw - Years 1-3
Week 7
Pod 3 Swimming
Tuesday 14th March - Athletics Day - Years 4-6
Week 8
Monday 20th March - Otago Anniversary - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tuesday 21st March - UC Athletics
Friday 24th March - Pod 3 Assembly - 2:15pm - Hall
Week 9
Monday 27th March - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Monday 27th March - Pod 7 trip to Arrowtown Museum
Wednesday 29th March - COPSSA Athletics
Friday 31st March - Pod 8 Assembly - 2:15pm - Hall
Saturday 1st April - Wānaka Trail Ride
Week 10
Thursday 6th April - End of Term 1
Term 2
Week 1
Monday 24th April - Teacher Only Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Tuesday 25th April - ANZAC Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday 26th April - First Day of Term 2
IMPORTANT NOTICES Parent Voice Meetings - Book Now Bookings for our Parent Voice Meetings are open. Please go to https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code to make a booking. Time slots are available between 3:15 to 5pm.
Pods 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8
Monday 27th February and Wednesday 1st March 3:15 - 5:00pm
Event Code: yj5nn
Pod 2
Wednesday 1st March and Thursday 2nd March 3:15 - 5:00pm
Event Code: 7d654
No Subway Lunch Orders This Friday - 17th February There will be no Subway orders this Friday, 17th February, because children will be at Challenge Wānaka.
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 Monday 27th February. |
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Junior Challenge
Date: Friday 17th February 2023
Location: Glendhu Bay
Who: All students – compulsory
Please drop off bikes at the Wānaka Primary School Courts from 8.30am on Thursday if you would like them to be transported out to Glendhu Bay. All bikes must have the student/s MTB race plate number cable tied to the front of their handlebars before being dropped off. Bikes will be racked/placed in year groups and by gender in the bike transition area.
Parents are allowed to collect their children when they have finished their race - contrary to the information Challenge sent you. Please sign your child out with your class teacher once their race is finished - at the WPS tent.
Please ensure your children have: - bag - named!
- sunscreen
- water bottle
- plenty of food
- a hat!
- shoes - named
- Y4-6: towel, togs, change of clothes
- Y1-3: to wear their challenge teeshirt (in race pack)
Children will not be allowed to purchase food at Challenge.
PLEASE FOLLOW ALL instructions that come with the children's race pack. There is a very good chance that they will not have their racing chip before Friday - this will be sorted on Friday morning at Glendhu.
An email to all Y6 children will follow in the coming days regarding transport.
RACE BRIEFING & EVENT START TIME
Race briefing is compulsory for all children and will take place 5 minutes before each age category starts.
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2023 Annual School Activity Fee The annual activity fee is $40.00 per child for 2023. This is a compulsory fee which covers extra-curricular costs, such as those incurred by bringing visiting performers/specialists to Wānaka, for example, sports coaches, dance/music/drama performances and special events. Collecting this annual fee avoids the time consuming exercise of collecting 500 plus entry fees each time there is a performance or activity. The $40.00 payment is required by 20th February 2023. Please make your payment as soon as possible, as participation in such activities is on a user pays basis.
Please ensure you have paid this activity fee by the first performance for the year. This is on the 3rd March when El Gregoe, the magician, comedian and 'teacher of values' extraordinaire shares his final performance with us after 25 years of working in schools.
School Donations for 2023 Since 2010, the Ministry of Education has frozen core funding to schools. This has increased the reliance on receiving a donation from parents to adequately staff and resource the school.
Your donation assists the Board to fund the following: - Specialist Music (e.g. band, instrumental)
- Arts extension programmes
- Specialist Maori Tutor and Kapa Haka Programmes
- Extra assistance for children in specific programmes (extension programmes, Boys/Girls Club etc)
- Excursions outside of the classroom to learn about our history and the environment
- Specialised equipment for the classrooms (e.g. computer/IT equipment)
- School shows (e.g. Pantomimes)
Unfortunately, Wānaka Primary only receives the bare minimum in operational funding due to the school being a Decile 10 as determined by the Ministry of Education, hence the donations received truly make a difference to your child’s experience at Wānaka Primary School.
The suggested School Donation is $150.00 per child for 2023. Tax deductible receipts are issued for all donations.
Payment of the Activity Fee and School Donation can be made by:
Direct Credit to Wānaka Primary School – account 02-0673-0023784-001
Eftpos (cheque or savings no credit) available at the school office
Cash – please ensure you provide your child’s name and room number with payment
Brendan Hearle
Board Chair
Board of Trustees |
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Welcome Back to School Jump Off Yesterday It was fabulous to see such a great crowd of parents and excited children turn up yesterday. Thanks to everyone who came, for making our first parent event such a happy, positive one. Thanks to Gary Hape for responding to Jason's welcome, on behalf of parents at the mihi whakatau, which started off our evening. Thanks to the PTA for the mineral water cans of drink and the most welcome ice blocks. We got to see some pretty cool routines from all pods, even though they only had 7 days to learn their Jump Jam and practice it. I hope you managed to catch up with teachers in their pods and are now thinking about the Parent Voice meetings, where you can tell the classroom teachers everything they need to know about your child. Book that session now using the codes above. These meetings are scheduled for Monday 27th February and Wednesday 1st March for Pods 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, and Wednesday 1st March and Thursday 2nd March for Pod 2.
Writing Guru at School This Week
Murray Gadd, renowned educationalist, researcher and expert in teaching writing to children, has been in school for the last two days working with teachers, demonstrating the teaching of writing strategies with a class so the teachers in that Pod can observe. They then critique what they have observed with Murray. This follows on from our teacher only day earlier in the year. We are working with Murray over this year to further develop our strategies. This is part of our work on the NZ Curriculum Refresh initiative, where we are focusing on writing and maths this year and ensuring we provide quality, balanced programmes and the best possible pedagogy.
Band for Children in Years 4, 5 and 6 Pete and Helen are here tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) and so we ask that all children intending to be in the band bring their instruments along tomorrow morning.
Kapahaka Group We kick started Junior (Year 3/4) and Senior (Year 5/6) Kapahaka today and encouraged a lot of children to come along. If you think your child would be interested in joining our Kapahaka group and didn't come today please let the classroom teacher know so they can prompt them to attend next week.
Year 5 & 6 Sing Squad (Choir) This week Anne and I will also be seeking interest from Year 5 and 6 children wishing to be in Sing Squad for the year. This will be in school time and we are looking forward to performing at a few events and places this year; hopefully even at a Musical Festival or Showcase. If you know your child would be great in Sing Squad, but may need a prompt or invite, please also let the classroom teacher know.
We are a Sun Safe School We were surprised to see so many children turn up to the Jump Off last night without a sunhat on despite the 30 degree heat. Please note that we expect children to wear sun safe sun hats to all school events in term 1 and term 4, whether within school hours or not. Please ensure that at the upcoming Junior Run Jump and Throw and the Year 4-6 athletics all children bring a sunhat, not a cap. It would be great to see parents wearing them too as we are developing a safe lifestyle habit for all.
Term 3 Enrolments This year Wānaka Primary School is not taking enrolments for children who intend to engage in any snowsport programmes during the school week. Families will need to make their own arrangements for their children's schooling.
The correspondence school, Te Kura, is able to provide online learning whilst students are residing in Wānaka. You can also approach your current school and seek online learning from them for term 3.
Enrolling at Wānaka Primary School is not an option for children who are in snowsports programmes during the school week, as this does not constitute regular attendance.
Teacher Paid Union Meetings - Tuesday 28th February SCHOOL IS CLOSED at noon to allow teachers to attend a paid union meeting to consider the government's latest work conditions offer. Have you sorted child care for this afternoon? |
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Wānaka Show Raffle The PTA are planning a raffle fundraiser for the Wānaka Show and are looking to parents or companies who have a stall at the Show to help us to sell the raffle tickets, without parents having to trudge around with a wheelbarrow, as we have done in the past. If you can help us with this, by selling raffle tickets on our behalf, please contact the school office. We need your support as this is our major fundraiser for term 1. We haven't heard from anyone yet, so please HELP. We are hoping for at least 5 or 6 stalls to offer to sell these on our behalf.
We are also asking that parents send along a donation item to go into the hampers to be raffled. These items could be food/beverage, chocolates/nibbles, vouchers, beauty products, magazines, anything that could be put into a hamper and would be great to receive in a raffle. Donations can be dropped off into the large boxes in the office and we would love to have these by Friday 3rd March. |
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Wānaka Trail Ride – Volunteer Registrations are OPEN! Greetings WPS families. I’ll keep this short and sweet (just like Gillian, my fellow volunteer Volunteer Coordinator : ) – Volunteer Registrations are now OPEN!
Every year we need around 80 – 100 people to pull off this fantastic event and raise thousands for our school. Roles range from pre-event food prep, like baking at home, to riders on the trails before the event, as well as marshalling on the day itself. There’s a wide range of roles to fill (and there’s also bread rolls to fill – pick that job if you can’t make it on the day). Time slots for the roles vary as well, so if you can spare a few hours on the day, please come and join our friendly team.
Don’t delay – help us to keep the momentum for WTR 2023 moving forward by signing up for a volunteer role today.
Cheers, on behalf of the WTR crew – Alix, Anne-Marie, Gillian, Jen, Lucy, Phil, and Steph
Rachel Allibone (Volunteer Coordinator) M: 021 1029 130 rachel@wanakatrailride.org WTR base paddock. Photo credit: Tonia Kraakman Photography |
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Garden to Table Produce for Sale
Garden to Table have been busy in the garden and the kitchen. We have some yummy jars of Piccalilli and Pickled Cucumber for sale for $5.00 as well as some fresh produce. Please come into the office if you would like some. We would love some more volunteers to help in the garden. If you are keen to help please contact Debbie or Jo. |
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Library News This week is the first week that classes are back and it's so good to see all their lovely faces. My motto as a librarian is this: The teacher's job is to teach children how to read as well as nurture their love of reading! I get the good bit - I get to find them the books that they will love and get them hooked! If you need any help getting your children addicted to reading please feel free to contact me: melissaa@wanaka.school.nzGraphic Novels I love G.N. and there is plenty of research to validate that they improve children's literacy (including Dog Man). I encourage all children to read a chapter book alongside a graphic novel, but graphic novels are especially fantastic for engaging reluctant readers! 
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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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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Coffee Cart  Wānaka Primary School are seeking a coffee cart to come to our special events throughout the school year. Please email office@wanaka.school.nz or phone 03 443 7687. |
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QLDC Pop-Up Games, Libraries and Sausage Sizzle This Wednesday 15 th February 3:00pm – 5:00pm Wānaka Dinosaur Park  FREE Sausage Sizzle Fun for all ages of children!!
QDLC Games Trailer, which is packed with games and fun equipment!
Hula hoops, tug of war, balls, tunnels, giant Jenga! Pop-Up Library |
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Volunteers Wanted for Wheels at Wanaka |
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The Incredible Years Parenting Programme  Family Works are pleased to be able to offer our Incredible Years Parenting programme again in 2023. It will be held in Cromwell on Wednesday evenings
6 - 8.30pm, starting 15th of March 2023. It runs for 14 weeks and is for any parent/caregiver
with a child aged between 3-8 years.Please click here for the brochure |
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Upper Clutha Junior Rugby |
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Dance Wanaka  Dance Wanaka are still taking enrolments for Term 1 dance classes. Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, & Acro styles. Cliff Wilson Street studios. More info & to enrol, visit www.dancewanaka.co.nz Enquiries to 021 575 569 |
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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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