Wānaka Primary School Newsletter for Term 2  Week 8
View this email in your browser
Newsletter Term 2  Week 8
18th June 2024

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

IMPORTANT DATES


Term 2
Week 8 - Book Week
Thursday 20th June - Book Week Dress Up Day / Hot Chocolate
Friday 21st June - Haka Tū Haka Ora Competition
Friday 21st June - Last day for Parent Survey 
Friday 21st June - Pod 1 Assembly - 2.15pm - Hall
Week 9
Tuesday 25th June - Parent Deep Dive - as part of our mid year reporting process
Wednesday 26th June - Pod 2 Matariki Celebration, 4.30pm Pod 2 parents welcome
Thursday 27th June - Upper Clutha Cross Country
Thursday 27th June - Students' reports available on Edge Portal
Friday 28th June - Matariki Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Week 10
Monday 1st July - Parent Teacher Conferences 3.15pm - 5.00pm
Tuesday 2nd July - Parent Teacher Conferences 3.15pm - 5.00pm
Tuesday 2nd July - Mata-au Kapa Haka Festival (UC schools)
Wednesday 3rd July - Mufti Day for winning Tribe only
Thursday 4th July - COPSSA Cross Country
Friday 5th July - Red Nose Day
Friday 5th July - Last day of term 2
Term 3
Week 1
Monday 22nd July - First day of term 3
Week 2
Tuesday 30th July - WPS Swim Sports
Friday 2nd August - Pod 7 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall
Week 3
Monday 5th August - UC Swim Sports
Tuesday 6th August - Music Festival Practice - Lake Wānaka Centre 9am-3pm
Wednesday 7th August - Music Festival Practice - Lake Wānaka Centre 9am-3pm
Wednesday 7th August - Music Festival first performance 6.30pm-8pm at LWC
Thursday 8th August - Music Festival second performance 6.30pm-8pm at LWC
Week 4
Pod trials for Wanna Be A Star - all week
Monday 12th August - Central Otago Chess Tournament - Queenstown
Monday 12th August - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Thursday 15th August - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 1
Friday 16th August - Pod 6 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall
Week 5
Pod trials for Wanna Be A Star - all week
Thursday 22nd August - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 2
Friday 23rd August - Tribe Afternoon
Week 6
Thursday 29th August - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 3
Friday 30th August - PTA Father's Day Breakfast
Friday 30th August - Wanna Be A Star Finals
Friday 30th August - Pod 4 Assembly 2.00pm - Hall
 

IMPORTANT NOTICES

 

Parent Conferences

Parent Conferences are Monday 1st July and Tuesday 2nd July 3:15 - 5.00pm.  Bookings are live on the School Interviews website now.  The code for bookings is - 96pwn.  If you need help booking a conference please contact the office 443 7687.
 

Maths Challenge Sponsorship Money

Please bring your maths challenge sponsorship money to the office as soon as possible.  These funds are being used to update our maths resources in line with the NZ maths curriculum expectations.  Thank you for your support.
 

Leaving Wānaka Primary School? 

If you and your family are leaving Wānaka Primary School at the end of this term and you have not yet notified our office, can you please do so as soon as possible.  Thank you.
 

Tribe T-Shirts

Tribe T-shirts are available to collect from the office for those that ordered them.

It's Book Week at WPS!

This is the week - Our Biannual Book Week - lots of excitement to be had.  Don't forget to come and check out our huge 2nd hand book sale outside the library before school and after school until Thursday.  
 

The Kitchen Essentials Fundraiser
BOARD BUZZ

Board Update

At the Board Meeting last night we had Murray South from the Education Review Office (ERO) visit to explain the changes in the ERO review process.  Schools that engage in high-quality internal evaluations and base their actions on these findings are likely to see improved outcomes for students.  This process can lead to advancements in pedagogical, assessment, and curriculum practices, especially in addressing disparities in achievement and promoting equity and excellence.  Murray expressed satisfaction that Wānaka Primary School is progressing well.  He determined that our leadership team and teachers constitute a robust team, one that the Board can regard with pride.

Jason followed on from Murray with the student achievement report on a writing assessment which was administered at the end of term 3 2023, to all students in Years 2-6.  This task involved writing their own story and ending after hearing three pages from the start of a picture book entitled 'Pete's Parrot'.  The stories were graded in the four elements of writing selected: content, style and structure, punctuation and spelling.  The results showed a positive trajectory in student performance with over a third of our students achieving above expectation.  However, the number of students achieving at or above in writing is still substantially lower than in reading and maths and it will continue to be a focus for us.

This term's property projects are well underway with our fencers having nearly finished with only the gate outside the staffroom to be completed.  The work on the Maker Spaces should be completed by the end of the term.  Next steps will be to shelve and have plastic screens in place to protect from inclement weather.  The hall roof still needs repair over the storage room and work on this should be starting in the next week or so.

The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Monday 12th August.
CURRICULUM COMMENT

Haka Tu Haka Ora Competition

Thirty of our senior Kapa haka members (Y6s as well as some Y5s) are taking part in the Haka Tu Haka Ora competition in Queenstown this Friday 21st June.  We are looking forward to performing in our new Kapa haka uniforms with our own original waiata gifted to us by Mary Anne Tamati.  If you have any queries please get in touch with Anne Jenkins on annej@wanaka.school.nz.
 

Matariki

Remember, school is closed on Friday 28th June for Matiriki.  Our senior Kapa haka group is performing at the Matariki celebrations at the Dinosaur Park.  More information will be sent by email directly to parents of children in the group.

Pod 2 are holding a Matariki celebration on Wednesday 26th June from 4.30 - 6.00pm for Pod 2 students and their whanau.  
 

Pod 1 Assembly

Pod 1 have their assembly this Friday.  Please be seated in the hall ready for a 2.15pm start.
 

Mid Year Reporting to Parents

As usual we put into place a 3 tiered process of reporting mid year.  This consists of a Deep Dive, where parents come into the classroom to share children's learning, look through their workbooks, work on the walls, deep learning projects, etc, written reports and parent/teacher conferences.
  • The parent Deep Dive day with your child is on Tuesday 25th June with 3 sessions available; 11am -12.30pm, 1.30 - 3pm, and 4 - 5pm
  • Written Reports will be sent home via email/Edge portal on Thursday 27th June
  • Parent/teacher conferences are on Monday 1st July and Tuesday 2nd July 3:15 - 5.00pm.  Bookings are live on the School Interviews website now.  These are available as in-person, online or telephone conferences to ensure everyone can have access to these.
Teachers are currently in the process of writing their student reports and you will notice that we have added in more space into the report format for reading, writing and maths comments.

We usually get a 95% plus response to our Deep Dives so we are looking forward to welcoming you in to classrooms to explore your children's learning and progress.
 

Parent Survey

Just a few days left to complete this survey about inclusive practices at Wānaka Primary School that was sent to you by email.  We would like the surveys completed by this Friday 21st June.  By completing this survey, you help us continually improve our practice and processes at WPS.
SCHOOL NOTICES

Winter Clothes Swap at School

Wānaka Primary School Tech Sale
SPORT NOTICES

Cross Country 2024

Whew!  The rain only amounted to a drizzle allowing us to run our races. 

Thank you to parents who came along to support the students.  I'm sure you'll agree that they were awesome, not only did we get to see some incredible talent, but from all students taking part there was amazing determination, resilience and support for each other, on show.  They should all be very proud of their efforts.

Congratulations to all our placegetters. The top ten in the senior races have qualified to represent our school at the Upper Clutha event next Thursday.  Kath will email with information about this.
 

2024 Wānaka Primary Snow Sports - Term 3


The snow sports programme for 2024 went live last week via the newsletter.  All information about this programme, including links to enrol, is on our school website at the link below.  Please look carefully at the dates for booking, and information about the programme.  Any queries to Jasonc@wanaka.school.nz
 
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 give my best effort.  Whaia te iti kahurangi - Be the best you can be'.
 
ENVIRO SCHOOLS

WPS Honey
LIBRARY NEWS

Library News

 
 Click the image below to view our wonderful Library Webapp.

Feel free to email Melissa at any time if you have any questions.
 

Digital and Audio Resources

Borrow box is an amazing resource which you can have free access to for digital reading and audio resources for your children.  Click on the image below to look at the amazing range.  You need a QLDC library membership (which is free) to borrow. 
 

 

BookHub

BookHub is an relatively new NZ based website where you can search for books you want to buy online from NZ based booksellers rather than from overseas sites.

Obviously I support local booksellers as well but if you are an online shopper I fully support supporting NZ businesses before the likes of Amazon who charge exorbitant shipping fees.  Click on the icon or this link : https://bookhub.co.nz/
 

 

Quote of the Week

 
HEALTH SNIPPETS

Community Oral Health Service - Health Snippets
COMMUNITY NOTICES

Local School Child Season Passes

Cleaning up the Cardrona



Day: Thursday, June 20th
Time: 10am-12pm
Location: Cardrona river bridge, Ballantyne Road

Tea and snacks provided!

What to bring:
– Gloves
– Warm clothes
– Sturdy footwear
– Water bottle
– Friends and whānau

Join us to clean up the Ōrau / Cardrona River! Help us to keep our waterways healthy and collect valuable data on the pollutants that persist throughout our community by coming along to this volunteer event – all welcome!

All of the collected rubbish is sorted, counted, and uploaded to the Litter Intelligence Database.

This river clean-up is in partnership with Love Wānaka and Wānaka Wastebusters, and sponsored by these local businesses: Mitre 10 Wānaka, Interlink Timber Solutions, and Wānaka Civil.

Matariki Celebrations

Parent Support - Neurodiversity Learning

 

Refillery Workshop at Freshlink
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES

Kids Club July Holidays

ILT Kidzone Festival
Delicious, nutritious and popular with kids, Subway delivers school lunches every Friday.  Order online at subwayexpress.co.nz by 9am.
Copyright © 2024 Wānaka Primary School, All rights reserved.
School Newsletter

Our mailing address is:
Wānaka Primary School
7 Ironside Drive
Wānaka, Otago 9350
New Zealand

Add us to your address book


unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp