| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES Term 1
Week 10
Wednesday 6th April - Hot Cross Bun Morning Tea 10:30am - 11:00am
Thursday 7th April - Last day to order Pies and Savouries (see under PTA)
Week 11
Thursday 14th April - Last Day of Term 1
Term 2
Week 1
Monday 2nd May - First Day of Term 2
Week 3
Monday 16th May - Chess Power Chess Tournament
Tuesday 17th May - Marae Visit Senior Kapahaka
Week 4
Monday 23rd May - Board of Trustees Meeting 5:00pm - Staffroom
Week 6
Monday 6th June - Queens Birthday - School Closed
Thursday 9th June WPS Swim Competition
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Spring Bulb Fundraiser
Last day for orders is 31st March, delivery will be mid April 2022. Please see flyer in school notices for more information and to access order form.
Lost
Blue Garmin kids watch - Please bring in to the office if you have found it.
Watches in Lost Property
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Kindling For Sale We are selling banana boxes of dry pine kindling to fundraise for our girls and boys clubs. Support our students and keep your home warm this Winter. Available to collect from the school office.
$10 per box or 2 for $15
A big thank you to Doug from Wood for Good and Dave Collett Contracting for the donation and delivery of the kindling. |
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Covid Update Yesterday we had one active case reported and today there have been NO active cases reported as of 3pm. We currently have 25 families isolating because of a family member with Covid. We have 2 teachers who have reported as positive over the weekend and so will be away until next week - David in Room 26 and Coral in Room 17. We believe these were both from contacts outside of the school. Jen, Room 3, is also isolating this week because of a family contact.
Literacy - what is really happening? I have been teaching for 47 years...yes I am really old...and there has never been a time when phonics and phoneme awareness have NOT been a focus in the literacy teaching at schools I have taught at or led. Literacy teaching involves other crucial elements that must also be taught in balance with phonics, including language features, developing a sight vocabulary, decoding, fluency skills (reading on and re running etc), constructing meaning and thinking critically as readers. We also need to develop a love, excitement and passion for reading.
Things do not really change that much I have found and I have seen a move in education over the years from a purely phonics based approach, to a whole language approach and a balanced approach. Many of you will have been at primary school during the whole language times and if you were at a school that swung only that way, you may not have had much exposure to the learning of phonics or reading strategies. Many teachers of my era did not become seduced by the swinging pendulum but a lot of younger teachers missed out on a good foundation to teaching literacy at Teachers College and University during these times. At the moment there is a swing back to a more phonics or phonological awareness approach. The media and various organisations are calling this 'structured literacy'. I hope this doesn't swing too far as all of the reading strategies and forms should be deliberately taught in schools. They will be at Wānaka Primary School! I do believe that teacher training has been a bit hit and miss in the last few years with preparing beginning teachers to take on literacy and mathematics teaching, and schools have had to get teachers up to speed pretty quickly once they front up to a classroom. Most schools provide in-school training for new teachers about their particular approach.
Primary Schools are getting a bit of a bashing in the media around literacy levels. I would like to assure parents that the teaching team at WPS has always ensured a balanced coverage of all of the reading, writing and oral language strategies and we have continually reviewed, adapted and improved programmes for all kinds of children's needs. Not one approach or one emphasis on a strategy, can be less important than another in the teaching of literacy.
We do not jump on bandwagons but evaluate new ideas and resources critically. Not all children can be at or above in literacy just like not all children can perform well at high jump or singing. And in the scheme of things we all find our own strengths and these should be valued. We provide differentiated programmes and interventions to cater for the different learning needs and levels of students. We do not sit on our laurels and we are continually looking at our kids and their learning and saying 'how can we make more of a difference?'
Some of the developments in the teaching of literacy at WPS over the last few years include: - Over 5 years ago we worked with the University of Otago to develop an oral language programme to assess the needs of, and to support, our junior students.
- Over 8 years ago, all classroom teachers undertook PLD in using a consistent, balanced approach to teaching reading and writing using the literacy progressions and an excellent approach called 'Alpha to Omega'. To further develop our Sounds Alive phonics programme we took on an online platform and the associated pedagogy of the STEPS programme. This programme also forms the basis of our Literacy Lift programmes which is offered to students with challenges in grappling with decoding and encoding words. These children work within a group of 3 or 4 away from the classroom for 45 minutes, 3 days a week. Our DPs also work with small groups for 45 minutes 3 days a week, and our TAs support STEPs groups as well.
- In 2020 we worked with experts in literacy in both reading and writing to ensure we were using the best practice and ensuring balance in the learning.
- We are still providing a Reading Recovery programme for children who at the age of 6 years old need a boost to get them reading. These children have a 30 minute session every day of the week 1-1 with a Reading Recovery trained teacher. These are not usually the children with phonological awareness challenges but better suited to those children who need extra support in pulling all elements of the reading process together. They are usually in this programme for 2 terms. Jen Chandler is training this year and Jo Roberts also takes children as well as working with a small group. Many schools have dropped this programme saying it is outdated, however it is still a very powerful intervention to move specific children forward in their reading journey.
- This year we have taken on the Ministry of Education professional learning in the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) to ensure all of our junior teachers have the opportunity to consolidate their teaching of reading practice along with the best research about how children learn - and this is in many ways...not just phonics, but phonics is an integral part of a balanced approach. This approach includes a focus on oral language, vocabulary and writing as well.
Our reading and writing results are much higher than those being thrown about by the media. We do not have the long tails that other areas may have. All children at risk of not achieving at the level appropriate for their age are given extra support whether that be in an individual or small group intervention or in extra support provided by the classroom teacher.
All children have different needs, different ways of learning to read and write, and different rates of progress. Please do not think that teachers are sitting back and not trying to get the best out of all children, that we are not confronting the many challenges that impact on children's literacy learning. I am very proud of the commitment and hard work of all of our staff in giving children the best opportunities. Not all children will be amazing writers or strong at decoding - but they will get the support at WPS to be the best they can be.
Society and family life has changed and no longer do children have a need outside of school to write for a purpose like they used to (a letter to grandma or a spare time activity), we don't have the same opportunity for children to interact verbally around the dinner table and reading also can take a back seat to a screen. Life is busier and children are busier, so time to read a book, write a story, listen to a story etc. is just not there. It is no one's fault - it is just the way it is. Life and leisure activities have changed.
We need to let you know more about our work in the 'Better Start Literacy Approach' (BSLA). We will be holding a series of information sessions for parents around literacy, and the varied and different approaches being used (and our mathematics teaching developments too), once we can invite you back into school, and we will record these and put them on our website.
The more you as parents can expose children to great books and rich language experiences and verbal interactions, the more you will support their readiness to learn to read and write and ignite their passions too. It is the school working in collaboration with parents that enhances learning and student progress and as always we urge you to keep in touch with what and how your child is learning.
Working off-site I am working away from school from tomorrow for the next week or two, as a member of my family is unwell (no...not Covid!) and needs my support and care. I am available via email and mobile phone number if you need to get in touch. I will be communicating with the office and leadership team regularly and monitoring Covid etc from afar. I will continue sending out updates etc. as required; my trusty phone and laptop will be running red hot. |
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Bulb Fundraiser for Enviro and Garden to Table Manual order forms available from the office if preferred |
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Y5 and 6 Athletics Year 5 and 6 had an amazing couple of days competing in the Y5-6 Athletics. Unfortunately with the current COVID conditions schools are struggling to staff the Upper Clutha and Central Otago Athletics Meets. We are however combining our results from the regions to find our virtual winners across the Upper Clutha and then Central Otago.
The results from the WPS athletics are now posted on the school website: SPORT PAGE. |
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Education Outside the Classroom and Snow Sports Survey If you have not had the opportunity to complete the survey that was emailed to you last week, please take the 2 minutes to complete this before Friday. The survey will close on Friday morning (1st April) and only takes 2 minutes to complete.
This survey is for all parents (new and old) to get your feedback on the current programme that is offered in Term 3. Once completed the results will be published on the school website and a brief summary in the newsletter. |
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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: 'We take ownership of our learning and behaviour'. |
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Pies and Savouries Fundraiser The PTA have joined forces with Kai Pai here in Wānaka and are selling their delicious pies and savouries. These will make a fantastic snack or meal and a portion of the proceeds from the sales will be used to contribute to the Makerspaces initiative that Wānaka Primary are currently working on. Orders need to be made by THURSDAY 7TH APRIL and collection of orders will be available on TUESDAY 12TH APRIL 2022. |
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Hot Cross Buns for Morning Tea Wednesday 6th April - 10.30-11.00am Our wonderful PTA are organising freshly baked Hot X Buns for students for morning tea on Wednesday 6th April. It would be appreciated if children can bring a gold coin as a donation for their Hot X Bun which will go towards fundraising for the school's Makerspaces' project.
The children's classroom teachers will take orders (normal buns and gluten free) and the PTA will distribute the buns to the pods between 10.30-11.00am on the Wednesday.
Parent Help with Distribution
A call-out to parents to help with distribution of the Hot X Buns to the pods. Twelve parents (2 per pod) are required to help - if you and a friend can help from 10-11am on the Wednesday please fill out the attached form.
Shout Out
A shout out goes to Dean and Natasha Bartley at Three Parks New World who generously supply the Hot X Buns. |
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Library News 
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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Autumn Dance Camp School holiday programme designed for kids 5 - 12 years with creative flair.
Packed full of dance and art workshops.
Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th April 9am - 3pm at Dance Wanaka studios. Experience not essential. |
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Girls Football Development Camp |
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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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