| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES Term 3Week 3 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 Friday 9th August - Pod 7 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall Week 4
Pod trials for Wana-Be-A-Star - all week Monday 12th August - PTA Meeting - 3.30pm - Staffroom Monday 12th August - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom Wednesday 14th August - ESOL Assembly 12 - 1.30pm - Hall Thursday 15th August - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 1 Friday 16th August - Pod 6 Assembly 2.15pm - Hall Week 5
Pod trials for Wana-Be-A-Star - all week Monday 19th August - Maths Open Classroom Wednesday 21st August - Maths Parent Information Evening - 5 - 6pm 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 - Wana-Be-A-Star Finals Friday 30th August - Pod 4 Assembly 2pm - Hall Week 7 Thursday 5th September - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 4 Friday 6th September - Teacher Only Day - School Closed Week 8 Monday 9th September - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom Thursday 12th September - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 5 Week 9 POD 3 Swim Week - all week Thursday 19th September - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Postponement day Week 10 POD 4 Swim Week - all week Friday 27th September - Last day of term 3 IMPORTANT NOTICES 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 9am on Wednesday 7 August 2024. |
|
|
Father's Day Breakfast Come along to a delicious breakfast and while you are there buy Dad the chance to win the Ultimate Fathers Day present from our raffle!
Raffle tickets for sale at the Office NOW, cash and EFTPOS available.
 |
|
|
Principal Position for 2025 Terri Johnstone from Catalyst for Change Ltd. has been engaged by the Board of Trustees to facilitate the recruitment process for our new principal. She has been working collaboratively with our Board to ensure that we get the best person for the role. The Principal vacancy is now advertised in the Education Gazette and the Recruitment Pack can be found on our website under vacancies. Click HERE to view or go to www.wanaka.school.nz |
|
|
Dance Programme We all had a fabulous time learning our dances with Ezra. And wow what an awesome turn out of enthusiastic families to our dance performances. Even the staff learned a brief dance routine which we performed for the children at their Thursday practice, perhaps not with the same skill as Ezra demonstrated!
Parking Complaints
We have had a number of complaints about bigger vehicles, mainly SUVs, parking across spaces down at the Dental Clinic car park, on the grass or anywhere they interpret as a spot. Please use only the marked car parks as you are creating hazards which could result in an accident or injury. Some vehicles are also parking in our disability car parks and this is certainly not on, as we have students and parents who need to use these spaces legally. Do not park on yellow broken lines, even when still sitting in the car. Come on drivers! Obey the rules and keep our children and all users of the car park safe.
Music Festival
Today the massed choir and band had their first practice at the Lake Wānaka Centre, with another practice all day tomorrow. The two performances involve over 40 of our Sing Squad children in the massed choir of 114, and 12 or so of our WPS band members in the Upper Clutha band of 30. The schools participating in the Upper Clutha Music Festival are Hāwea Flat, Holy Family, Take Kārara and Wānaka Primary School. Our junior choir is also performing on Thursday night along with a dance group. Tickets are sold out on Wednesday night but there are still some available for Thursday night's performance which is when both Wānaka Primary School juniors and our dance group perform as well as the band and choir. The performance starts at 6.30pm on both nights with our choir and band needing to be at the Lake Wānaka Centre no later than 6.15pm.
Ministry Allocated Teacher Only Day
School will be closed for instruction on Friday 6th September to allow teachers to undertake a day of professional development. Please make other arrangements for your children on that day. This is our second and final Teacher Only Day for the year.
Principal Appreciation Day
This was last Wednesday and when I returned from the music festival practice at lunchtime I was surprised by a beautiful array of lovely comments written on coloured stickies, beautifully designed cards with glowing comments and creative poems, a Where's Wendy portrait board, emails of affirmation, stunning portraits of myself looking like a model, and also a glamorous looking stuffed dummy model sitting in my chair made to look like me (does my hair really look like that?) and I felt so celebrated and loved. I felt very tearful and emotional. Thanks to the staff and students for making my Principal Appreciation Day a very, very happy one. And it lasted for the rest of the week as little love notes and comments kept trickling in. 
Maths Curriculum
I have been listening to politicians savaging primary schools again this week, and going on and on using a one size fits all mentality; this time around maths. The Minister of Education is talking about using PAT and e-asTTle tests moving forward to determine student achievement in maths and in literacy. Wānaka Primary has been using both these tests for years and so I thought I would share our 2024 Term 1 PAT results.
See below how we have been tracking in maths over the last 10 years, using the PAT (Progress and Achievement) Maths Testing tool we purchase each year from NZCER (New Zealand Council of Educational Research). The 2024 Maths PAT report is available on our school website HERE if you would like to know more.
You can see that the National Norm is 77% and you can also see that our results from Year 4-6, show our students are performing at or above as they are in the high 80 percentiles to 90 plus percentiles You can also see in 2019 and 2022 a lower score perhaps attributed to blocks of time away from school due to Covid.
I hope this assures you, when you are continually being hit with the 'facts' from the government that 20% of all kids only, are performing at or above! This is not so for ALL schools as you can see.
As I have repeated many times, our teaching team have been involved in the new maths professional learning as part of the Curriculum Refresh so we will be ready for whatever comes next, as we have the understanding of effective pedagogy and use of quality learning/teaching practices and tools. Be assured our students are performing well above the National Norm, and we do not have only 20% of children performing at or above as is being portrayed on the media. |
|
|
2024 Wānaka Primary Snow Sports and EOTC
Our EOTC and Snow Programmes commence next Thursday 15th August.
The children who are staying at school for the EOTC activities will rotate around 5 different day long learning areas over the 5 weeks of the programme.
These are: - Science/Technology - Engineering and Problem Solving Equipment/Competition with the EPro8 Challenge
- Invention Project - Creating an original STEAM based artefact (STEAM - combines science, technology, engineering, the arts, and maths to guide student inquiry, discussion, and problem-solving)
- Art Project - Using the outdoors as inspiration
- Nature Education and Garden to Table activities
- Digitech Projects - using our ICT equipment for coding and orienteering
Here are the rotations for each year group. There will be confirmation of this and your child's group (as we will need to balance numbers) early next week.
 |
|
|
ESOL Assembly
Our ESOL families are invited to visit school to meet together and hear about the learning in our ESOL class, and to share lunch with this group of learners and their families.
WHERE: School Hall
WHEN: Wednesday 14th August
TIME: 12 - 1.30pm
BRING: A plate of food (from your other culture) to share with our ESOL community
Please email Leah at senco@wanaka.school.nz if you have any questions, and to let us know how many family members are able to attend this occasion.
|
|
|
Wana-Be-A-Star
Wana-Be-A-Star is back! This is a fabulous opportunity for students to share their performing talents through magic acts, singing, instrument playing, dancing, mime, puppet shows... or you could surprise us! Items can be performed individually or in pairs, or groups.
Pod auditions will be held during Week 4 of Term 3, with finalists chosen to perform their item in the grand final on August 30th.
Students are asked to prepare their item at home and may need some support with costumes, props and selecting age-appropriate music etc.
Students can collect entry forms from school reception.
We can't wait to see their amazing talents on stage!
|
|
|
Maths Event 
Come along and see how the updated New Zealand Curriculum has changed how we teach Maths.
Monday 19th August open classroom:
This is a great opportunity for you to see first-hand how your child's maths class runs on a normal school day. - Pod 1: 9:45 - 10:30 am
- Pod 2: 11:00 - 11:45 am
- Pod 3: 11:00 - 11:45 am
- Pod 4: 9:45 - 10:30 am
- Pod 6: 9.15 - 10.00 am
- Pod 7: 9:45 - 10:30 am
Wednesday 21st August:
Parent Information Evening, 5.00 - 6.00 pm - Come along to the school hall to hear about the changes, followed by some hands-on activities run by the children.
|
|
|
School Camps 2024 - Terms 4 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Payment details: Online to Wānaka Primary School Account No: 02-0673-0023784-001
OR
Eftpos / cash at the office If there are challenges that would make payment for camps difficult, please come in and see, ring or email Wendy or Lucy as soon as possible. Payment can be made in instalments. |
|
|
WPS Swimming Sports A huge congratulations to the 32 Year 5 & 6 students who competed yesterday. The students took part respectfully, and like Olympic athletes currently providing inspiration, they gave it their all. There were plenty of exciting finishes - none more so than in the Year 5 boys relay race, where Sam Morris gained two body lengths in the last 15m to touch first, by mere hundredths of a second.
Certificates for both the Upper Clutha event and our senior swimming sports will be presented in Pod 7's assembly this Friday.
 |
|
|
Millers Flat Netball Tournament Congratulations to the two Year 5 and Year 6 WPS Netball teams that took part in the annual Millers Flat tournament over the weekend. Both teams had some fantastic results! Thank you to coaches and umpires Lucy Lucas, Kelly Chadwick, Beth Richards and Andrena Harvey for making it happen.   |
|
|
Millers Flat Rugby Tournament Two U9 teams (along with other Upper Clutha year groups) made their way to Millers Flat 7 aside rugby tournament on the weekend. Both teams played really well, with one team narrowly missing out on making the semis and the other team going through to win the final. A great day enjoyed by the players and supporters.
Back row - Coaches Bartley Thomas and Mark Cross.
Middle row - Peter Thomas, Theo Taylor, Carter, Tom Taylor.
Front row - Jesse Cross, Oliver Crosbie, Mason Molloy, Ben Morris, Jake Clifford. |
|
|
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 think before we speak or act'. |
|
|
Honey for Sale $8 for 250g - available at the office  |
|
|
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  |
|
|
Upcoming PTA Meeting The next PTA meeting is being held on Monday 12th August
in the school staffroom at 3.30pm.
All Welcome! |
|
|
Community Oral Health Service  |
|
|
Wānaka Cricket Club - Junior Cricket
For further information, to what is outlined below, please visit our website, and our Facebook page for updates. www.wanakacricketclub.co.nz
WANAKA JUNIOR CRICKET CLUB
junior@wanakacricketclub.co.nz
For Year 1-2
This will be a non-hard ball skills and game based sessions appropriate to the age group, Further information and registration details will be communicated via our FB page, on our Website, and by email during Term 3.
For Year 3 and Year 4's not wanting to play hard ball
This will be a non-hard ball skills and game based sessions appropriate to the age group, held during the week by Otago Country Cricket facilitators. Further information and registration details will be communicated via our FB page, school newsletters, on our Website, and by email during Term 3.
For Year 4-8 Hardball Saturday Competition
The pre-registration form (link via QR Code, or our website) is for players who are in school Years 4-8, who want to play within the Saturday Divisional Grades (Div 1, 2, & 3) hard ball competition, with training during the week. This form is for the club to attain probable numbers in the Divisional Grades for the upcoming season, so that we can move forward early in our planning of teams, Coaches, and pre-season trainings.
 |
|
|
Girls Only Tackle Rugby Competition  |
|
|
Bedtime Stories at the Wānaka Library  |
|
|
Central Lakes Polyfest 
 T-Shirt Design Entries click HERE |
|
|
Local School Child Season Passes  |
|
|
| Delicious, nutritious and popular with kids, Subway delivers school lunches every Friday. Order online at subwayexpress.co.nz by 9am. |
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
