| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES Term 3Week 8 Thursday 12th September - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 4 Friday 13th September - Pod 3 Assembly - 2.15pm - Hall Week 9 POD 3 Swim Week - all week Monday 16th September - WPS Health Curriculum Drop In Sessions 9-10am, 2-3pm Thursday 19th September - EOTC/SNOW Programme - Day 5 Week 10 POD 4 Swim Week - all week Monday 23rd September - WPS Health Curriculum Drop In Session 5-6pm Tuesday 24th September - Year 6 Camp Parent Meeting 5pm - Rm 24, Pod 6 Friday 27th September - Last day of Term 3 Term 4
Week 1 Monday 14th October - First day of Term 4 Week 2 Year 6 Camp Week Wednesday 23rd October - Central Lakes Polyfest - Queenstown Events Centre Week 3 Year 4 Camp Week Monday 28th October - Labour Day - SCHOOL CLOSED IMPORTANT NOTICES EOTC Timetable for this Thursday |
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Head Lice Are Back
Head lice are (an unwelcome) part of life, and are easily spread between people, particularly children. The key to managing head lice is early detection: look through your child’s hair on a regular basis – nominate a certain night of the week so it becomes routine. - Use your fingers or a head lice comb, and look for little brown insects on the scalp. The eggs are almost invisible before they hatch, so by the time you spot the little white eggs on the hair shaft they are already hatched.
- Do not treat your child unless you see live lice.
- The best treatment is thorough combing with a head lice comb and lots of conditioner in the hair. This should be done every 2nd day for 10 days.
- If you choose to use a head lice shampoo, you should still do the wet combing as described above. Shampoos do not kill eggs, and do not always kill all the live lice.
- Do not use animal products on your child’s scalp. They are harmful to humans.
- Tying hair up, especially long hair, is beneficial when trying to avoid catching headlice or spreading it.
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Places Available for Out-of-Zone Students for 2025
The Wānaka Primary School Board gives notification that the school has 60 available places, across all year levels, and invites applications from parents for out-of-zone enrolments, for next year, 2025.
All out-of-zone enrolments are subject to enrolment scheme legislation. If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot.
The out-of-zone enrolment application deadline is the 27th September 2024. Information on the out-of-zone application process, together with the enrolment form and an out-of-zone ballot application form (both of which are required to be submitted) are available on our school website. If a ballot is required this will be held on 11th October 2024.
Brendan Hearle
Board Chair |
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Board Buzz
There was a Board meeting on Monday evening which included three key presentations:
1. An overview of the upcoming school camps
2. A look at the Health Curriculum
3. A view of our Learning Support
The Year 3 through to Year 6 camps are looking to be a fun filled learning opportunity which should see the students building resilience while having a great time with their peers. The Health programme, which is as per the Ministry Curriculum was well presented. The Board was impressed with the level of care and support on offer for our students receiving learning support. |
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REAP Car and Free Driving Lessons for Parents As you may have noticed there is always a REAP car parked in our school carpark. REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) is based in Alexandra but offers their services, including 'Drive My Life' across Central Otago, including Wānaka. This was set up a couple of years ago and I haven't mentioned it in the newsletter for a while but thought it is timely as we do have parents from other countries who may not feel confident driving here in NZ.
There are seven mentors trained and a coordinator in place to assist people to get their licences in the Upper Clutha Area. This 'Drive My Life' programme is to help parents/caregivers without drivers licenses (whether a person who has never learnt to drive, or may be recently arrived from another country etc.) to learn how to drive with a volunteer from Rotary or another support agency and to also be supported right through to getting their actual drivers license. REAP has strong support from Rotary, the NZ Police and various referral agencies.
If you may be interested in learning to drive, or having a driver's refresher before sitting your license please get in touch with REAP or email me, or Leah, our SENCO, or pop in and see us and we will help you access this wonderful opportunity.
Health Statement Last night Kath Nicholson, our lead teacher in Health, presented the Board with the final draft Health Statement, which they endorsed ready for community consultation to take place. She also shared the outline of the localised curriculum for the next 2-3 years.
As part of the consultation Kath is offering 3 opportunities for parents to drop in and learn more about the WPS Health Curriculum, which is based on the refreshed curriculum reports from the Ministry and the Education Review Office. At these drop ins you can give feedback on the Health Statement. Kath can also show you the local curriculum framework, the teaching resources and answer any questions you may have. She will also offer you a coffee and cookie whilst you browse and chat I believe!
Everyone is invited to take advantage of these drop in sessions:
Monday 16th September: 9-10am and 2-3pm to align with dropoff and pickup times
Monday 23rd September: 5-6pm
These drop in sessions will be held in the room in the hall (next to the kitchen). Look for the sign.
Concerns and Complaints Policy This policy and process can be found on our school website under policies and procedures and is also HERE for your information. I attended a School Boards Association workshop in Cromwell last week on behalf of the Board around Concerns and Complaints procedures and felt assured that sound policies and procedures are in place and working well. As we do not seem to have issues around our procedures, and parents and staff do use them well, I was surprised by some of the comments from other schools attending about their issues with parents posting concerns and complaints on social media, and doing it anonymously instead of coming straight into school to discuss the issue. Please remember, as per our process, you go first to the person you have the concern about, then if it's not dealt with to your satisfaction you go to the Pod leader and/or DP and then it comes to the principal. It gets reported to the Board if it escalates further. Not following the procedures can result in a breakdown of relationships and that is not in the best interest of the child, parent or staff member concerned.
Principal Wellbeing and Professional Learning Fund The Ministry of Education granted all principals nationally, some funds to be used to support their well-being and professional growth. This was a one off grant for 2 years and needs to be 'spent' by the end of 2024. So after looking around as to what was available last year, that would best serve both needs, and along with 25 other principals across New Zealand, including a couple of local principals, I am off to Finland from 3rd October (first week of the holidays) and return in week 2 of Term 4, on 23rd October. The Board signed off on the final arrangements and costings of this trip at the meeting last night. After hearing an educationalist from Finland talking at a conference about their system and day to day life of schools, I am keen to see for myself what it is that makes the Finnish system so successful. And getting to go with my valued colleagues from the CO and Otago/Southland areas makes it even more worthwhile.
What's Coming Up Before the End of Term - Wednesday 11th September Pod 1 are off to explore the Transport Museum as part of their science learning
- Thursday 12th is our Schoolbased EOTC and Snow Programme, weather permitting
- Pod 3 Assembly is this Friday at 2.15pm so please come along and join us
- Swimming - next week 16/09-20/09 is Pod 3, and 23/09-27/09 is Pod 4. Remember to send along togs and towels please.
- Jason, Jennie and I are off to a conference in Christchurch Tuesday - Friday next week. Please contact Leah or Pod leaders as the 'go to people' whilst we are away and as always the wonderful office staff are always willing to help
- Friday 20/09 - Tribe Day Bake Sale
- Thursday 26/09 - Winning Tribe Mufti Day
- Friday 27/09 - last day of Term 3. School finishes at 3pm
- Friday 27/09 - Out of Zone Enrolment applications to start term 1, 2025, close.
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Bandquest Well done to Riley Syben, Isaac Wood, Bruno Blampied, Rio Carnie, Patrick Meyer and Zac Perkins who submitted an online entry to Bandquest. Congratulations to Riley Syben who received an individual award for his keyboard skills. |
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Art Project - Drawing to Music Art Project - Painting Year 5 Coding Beebots for Digi Tech Cardrona |
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Calendars, Sketch Pads, Greeting Cards and Diaries Fundraiser |
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'New to MAC' Information Evenings Two information sessions for new parents to MAC will be held in the Mount Aspiring College gym at 6pm on Tuesday 24th September and Tuesday 15th October.
Local pre-enrolled Year 7 students will have an opportunity to visit the college as part of their orientation day on Friday 6th December.
Further information will follow, but please put these dates in your diary. |
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School Camps 2024 - Payment Due ASAP 
Payment details:
Online to Wānaka Primary School Account No: 02-0673-0023784-001
OR
Eftpos / cash at the office |
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COPSSA Swimming Results
Central Otago Primary Schools Sports Swimming Championships were held at the Wānaka pool on Tuesday 3rd September. Wānaka Primary had 28 athletes competing in the Year 5-6 categories for Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Relays. Full results are on the COPSSA website - LINK HERE.
Results:
We had some standout performances from Bruno Blampied in the Year 6 boys and Sam Morris in the Year 5 boys. Congratulations also to Hatten Toy in Year 5 Girls who is the COPSSA Champion in 25m Backstroke. - Bruno Blampied - 2024 Champion in Backstroke and Freestyle. He was 2nd in Breaststroke and Butterfly
- Sam Morris - 2024 Champion in ALL EVENTS - Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly and Breaststroke.
- Hatten Toy - 2024 Champion in Backstroke
- Y5 Boys Relay Team - 2024 CHAMPIONS - George Campbell, Tom Taylor, Carter Campbell and Sam Morris
- Y5 Girls Relay Team - 3rd Place - McKenzie Read, Elle Mitchell, Emmie Wyatt and Hatten Toy
- Y6 Boys Relay Team - 2024 CHAMPIONS - Edward Hollows, Harley Mavor, Bruno Blampied and Sam Morris*
* Thank you to Sam and Edward for helping the Y6 Boys make their relay team work as we had various sicknesses and our teams needed to be changed at the last moment.
We should be proud of all our children with Mackenzie Read also placing 4th in the Y5 Girls Backstroke.
Many thanks to all the parents who supported our Upper Clutha Swimmers and a special thanks to the Wānaka Swim Club. |
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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 move on when things don’t go our way' He iti hau marangai e tū te pāhokahoka - Just like a rainbow after the storm, success follows failure
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Year 3 Enviro/Garden to Table Group Last week our Year 3 Enviro/Garden to Table Group got out into the garden and enjoyed sketching in the sunshine as well as doing some weeding and a spring tidy up. We also spread some mulch around the newly planted natives along the walkway. In the afternoon, Jose and Jaylene from Wai Wānaka came in to teach us all about the storm water drains. We got to "adopt" a storm water drain near school, adding a metal fish to make members of the public aware of it. Anyone can apply to adopt a drain in their neighbourhood. Read the information below to find out more. |
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WAI Wanaka’s - Adopt a Drain Programme |
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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  |
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Healthy Teeth Information |
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Wānaka Bike Squad - Term 4 |
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Tennis Coaching at Wānaka Recreation Centre |
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Kiwi Junior League Festival |
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Wānaka Kids Club - Holiday Programme |
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Site Holiday Trampolining |
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Welcoming Week - Te Wiki o Manaaki |
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 PRESENTS
MIKE GREER ANNUAL UPPER CLUTHA SCHOOLS
SKI & SNOWBOARD RACE Tuesday 17th SEPTEMBER
(postponement day Wednesday 18th)
LAST WEEK TO ENTER! Entries close STRICTLY THURSDAY 12th Sep 4pm NO late registrations can be accepted IMPORTANT INFO – PLEASE READ NO MIXED DISCIPLINES – EITHER SKI OR SNOWBOARD TEAMS ONLY SEE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER & PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY CLICK HERE TO ENTER AT SNOW SPORTS NZ Parent volunteers are needed on the day, volunteers will receive a free pass. Please email if you wish to be on the volunteer list. Join the 2024 EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP for event updates! |
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Wānaka Swim Club Have-A-Go Event |
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Duathlon - Preschool to Year 8 |
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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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