Wānaka Primary School Newsletter for Term 1  Week 3
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Newsletter Term 1  Week 3
13th February 2024

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

IMPORTANT DATES

 
Term 1 2024
Week 3

Wednesday 14th February - Parent Voice Meetings 3.20pm - 5.00pm
Thursday 15th February - Parent Voice Meetings 3.20pm - 5.00pm
Friday 16th February - Challenge Wānaka - NO SUBWAY this day
Week 4
Pod 1 Swimming all week
Monday 19th February - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Tuesday 20th February - Parent Welcome Picnic and Jump Jam - 5.00pm
Week 5
Pod 6 Swimming all week
Thursday 29th February - Athletics (Years 3-6)
Friday 1st March - Athletics (Years 3-6)
Week  6
Pod 7 Swimming all week
Tuesday 5th March - Tutus on Tour Performance - Lake Wānaka Centre 
Thursday 7th March - Upper Clutha Athletics
Friday 8th March - Ballet Workshops with RNZ Ballet
Friday 8th March - Pod 6 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall
Week 7
Friday 15th March - Pod 7 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall
Week 8
Monday 18th March - Life Education Trust with Harold the Giraffe here until 5th April
Monday 18th March - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Wednesday 20th March - Author Visit - Steve Mushin - 1.30pm
Week 9
Monday 25th March - Otago Anniversary - School Closed
Wednesday 27th March - COPSSA Athletics (Years 5&6)
Friday 29th March - Good Friday - School Closed
Week 10

Monday 1st April - Easter Monday - School Closed
Tuesday 2nd April - Easter Tuesday - School Closed
Wednesday 3rd April - Top Bike (Year 6)
Friday 5th April -  Life Education Trust with Harold the Giraffe last day
Friday 5th April - GRIP Student Leadership Training
Week 11
Friday 12th April - Pod 4 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall
Friday 12th April - Last Day of Term 1 - School Finishes at 3pm
Term 2
Week 1

Monday 29th April - First Day of Term 2
Tuesday 30th April - Thursday 2nd May - EPro8 Challenge
 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

 

Parent Voice Meetings

Parent Voice Meetings are tomorrow Wednesday 14th February and Thursday 15th February from 3.20 - 5.00pm.  Click on the link below to make your booking.  There are spaces left but these are filling up fast.  Please make your booking tonight as bookings will close at 8am on the day of the interview. 
 
A parent voice script with a variety of suggested questions for your consideration can be found here to help you prepare for your meeting.
 

Scholastic Book Club

Scholastic Book Club Issue 1 is out for the year.  You can collect a copy from the office. 

Close off date for orders is Monday 19th February at 9.00am.
 

What to Wear on Friday 16th February

If you are competing in Challenge please come dressed ready for the event in your Challenge t-shirt.  Those not taking part in Challenge are welcome to come dressed in mufti.

Challenge Wānaka 2024

You will all receive an email today - so please check your inbox

BIKE DROP OFF AT SCHOOL
All bikes that Challenge Wānaka are dropping to Glendhu MUST be at school on Thursday by 9am.  These MUST have their race numbers on them and have been checked ready to go.  Please take them into the courts and place them in their year groups in numerical order.  Staff will be there to help.  

HELP NEEDED
If you can help Jason and Kath on Thursday morning, loading bikes, it would be much appreciated.  We need at least 5 parents at 9am.

ORGANISATION
Please follow the instructions in the race packs about race plates and numbers on arms.

Bikes and Helmets (please name - write names on back of race plates and on helmets).

The timing chips for years 5 & 6 only are NOT in the packs, but will be given out at the event prior to their race. Y1-4 events are not being timed.

Timetable - link to the challenge timetable for more information

The buses will not wait for children who are late.  Please be prepared for traffic.

BUDDIES
There will be Yr 6  buddies to support our younger athletes, as identified by their teachers, for their races.  Please make sure your child’s class teacher knows if your child cannot ride a bike.  Non-swimmers have the option of running along the beach instead of entering the water.  

RACE FINISH
Once the children have finished their race they will congregate in the finishing tent.  We will not allow children to leave this tent until all children have finished the race.  A year group teacher will then take all students back to the WPS tent where if you are taking your child after their race (they are not returning to school) you MUST sign your child out with Charlotte. This will only happen at the WPS tent before we climb on the bus.

Please do not take your child from the finishing tent.  

  WHAT TO TAKE ON THE DAY 
  • HELMET
  • Sunhat
  • Challenge T Shirt (wearing it)
  • Water Bottle (must be named)
  • Lunch box (named)
  • School Bag - PLEASE NAME with a tag
  • READ THE RACE PACK INSTRUCTIONS
*** a few tattoos have ended up in the wrong bag. If this is the case please just ask them to write their tattoo number with a vivid on their leg.

*** TShirts have been put in each bag however some children will have the wrong size as these were ordered in July from last year's sizing list.

CHALLENGE WANAKA INFORMATION

BOARD BUZZ

2024 Annual School Fees

 

Activity Fee

The annual activity fee is $60.00 per child for 2024. 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 450 plus entry fees each time there is a performance or activity. The $60.00 payment is required by 20th February 2024. Please make your payment as soon as possible, as participation in such
activities is on a user pays basis.
 

School Donation for 2024

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 items or activities that the Ministry of Education do not fund, for example:
  • Specialist Music (e.g. band, instrumental)
  • Extension programmes
  • Kapa Haka Programmes
  • Digital Technology
  • Specialised equipment for the classrooms
  • 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 2024. 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
Wānaka Primary School Board of Trustees
CURRICULUM COMMENT

Back to School...Yay!

The great weather has seen lots of outdoor activity as children play during their breaks, are out on the field practising for the upcoming school and regional athletics events, or rehearsing their Jump Jam routines for the picnic next week, or just hanging out having fun.  I love the sound of happy children.  The staff are looking forward to catching up with you at the Parent Voice sessions this week and at the Jump Off/ picnic next week.  
 

Welcome Back to School Annual Picnic and Jump Off

This is a great event and it is happening next Tuesday 20th February. Please arrive before 5pm and wait by the hall as the staff and Board would like to welcome you in with a mihi whakatau, which is a form of welcome similar to a pōwhiri, but less formal.  One of our dad's (who will respond to our welcome on behalf of you all) will meet you outside of the hall and lead you into the courtyard together at 5pm.  After this, I will introduce the teaching staff to you and ask the PTA to tell you about some of their events for 2024.  The welcome will be followed by the Jump Jam Jump Off, which you can enjoy whilst munching on your picnic or take-away tea.  The PTA will be selling cans of fizzy drinks (zero sugar) at $2 per can and iceblocks for $1 so please bring some cash along to purchase these.  If it is hot please remember sun hats as 5pm sun can be very hot.  This is a great event to connect with other families.  People usually start heading home around 6.30pm so it is not a drawn out event.  SEE YOU THERE!
 

Kapa Haka

Junior kapa haka practices are being held every Wednesday at 11.00am with senior kapa haka taking place 11.30am - 12.15pm.
 

Board of Trustees Meetings

These are held in the fourth and eighth week of each term on a Monday evening at 5pm.  We have a great bunch of trustees who are very child focused and passionate about ensuring our children are provided with the best teaching and learning environment possible.  Parents are welcome to attend any of our meetings. 
 

Complaints Policy

I actually prefer to call this the communication or concerns policy, as it epitomises getting in touch when you have an issue so we can fix it, before you have the need to make a complaint.  But the same policy works for either of these anyway.  Here is a link to the policy as we are required to advertise this.  All of our policies can be found in SchoolDocs.
SCHOOL NOTICES

Seasons for Growth

Please click here for a brochure

We intend to run the Seasons for Growth programme in term 2. 
Please use this link to register.
PB4L SCHOOL-WIDE GOAL

Positive Behaviour For Learning - PB4L

PB4L School-Wide looks at behaviour and learning from a whole-of-school as well as an individual child perspective.  The framework is based on international evidence and is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life.

Each fortnight we focus on a school wide goal to encourage positive behaviours.  The current goal is:  'I wear the correct uniform with pride'.

GARDEN TO TABLE

Garden to Table

LIBRARY NEWS

Library News

 Click the image below to view our wonderful Library Webapp.
 

 
It has been wonderful seeing all the children back in the library and as eager to get books out as they were last year.

Please feel free to email me if you want to ask anything related to books and your child's reading interests in our school library.
 

Scholastic Loop

Scholastic Book Club Issue 1 is out for the year. You can collect a copy from the office.  I haven't handed them out to all the students for this particular issue so that you are not bombarded with another extra thing at this time of year.

I will hand future issues out to the classes as I normally do. Remember not to pay at the office and don't get your children to bring money into school, it's all done online and instructions are clearly laid out at the back of the brochure.

If your order is a gift, please tick the ‘GIFT’ option, otherwise all orders are handed out to the children. 

Close off date for orders is Monday 19th February at 9.00am
 

Quote of the Week

 
ORAL HEALTH SNIPPETS

Top Tips for Toothbrushing

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Kōrero in the Library

Understanding Barriers to Reading

Financial Wellbeing Workshop

Jennian Homes Junior Trail Run

The Motatapu team are thrilled to announce the Jennian Homes Junior Trail Run is back on Saturday 2nd March 2024.

The Jennian Homes Junior Trail Run is open to children between 7 - 15 years old and will have a limited entry of 150, so is expected to sell out fast. 

For more information on the Jennian Homes Junior Trail Run here and to enter your little trail runner here.

Come join Aotearoa's largest off-road sporting event for all the family! 

The Incredible Years Parenting Programme

Community Oral Health

Wānaka A&P Show

OUT OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Aspiring Young Musicians

Dance Wānaka

Football Registration Open

Watercolour Art Classes

WATERCOLOUR RETURNS!

www.jojagoart.com / jo@jojagoart.com / 021-234-8855
FOR THE CHILDREN - Jo is pleased to be able to restart after-school watercolour classes this year (on Monday 12 February) for ages 8 and up.  Come and join the fun on a Monday after school at the Wanaka Arts Centre.  Funding may be available, please enquire.

FOR THE ADULTS - Beginners & Beyond for adults, teens, Mums, Dad's, Grandma's, Grandpa's, Great Aunt Daisy's and more...Join a relaxing evening class and have some chilled-out fun on a Monday evening from 12 February, at the Wanaka Arts Centre.  

But be quick, limited spots available for both classes
https://www.jojagoart.com/products/after-school-watercolour-lessons-term-1-2024-bookings

https://www.jojagoart.com/products/evening-watercolour-lesson-bookings

Artrageous Art Classes

Children's Art Workshop

Delicious, nutritious and popular with kids, Subway delivers school lunches every Friday.  Order online at subwayexpress.co.nz by 9am.
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Wānaka, Otago 9350
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