| | | | | | IMPORTANT DATES
Term 4
Week 6
Y4 Camp - Bannockburn
OUR SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR - ALL WEEK
Thursday 24th November - Junior Athletics - CANCELLED
Saturday 26th November - Pantomime Practice - 9am - 12noon
Week 7
Monday 28th November - Teacher Only Day - School closed for instruction
Thursday 1st December - Students Reporting to Parents 11-12:30, 1:30-3pm, 4-5pm
Week 8
Monday 5th December - Board of Trustees Meeting - 5pm - Staffroom
Wednesday 7th December - Matinee performance of Pantomime 'Super Stan'
Thursday 8th December - 6pm evening performance of Pantomime 'Super Stan'
Friday 9th December - Final tribe afternoon - Water based fun!
Week 9
Monday 12th December - End of year students reports sent home
Wednesday 14th December - Year 6 Graduation Assembly - 1pm
Thursday 15th December - Last day of school 2022 - 3pm finish
First Day of Term 1 2023 - Wednesday 1st February
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Help Needed - Our Gardens are Bulging with Weeds!
Our gardening contractor has been struggling with being able to staff the garden maintenance around our school and after 12 years of great service, is unable to continue as our gardening contractor. We are now in the process of advertising for a new gardener or company. As a result, and with the unprecedented growth with all of the rain, we have weeds growing everywhere they shouldn't.
If you have a spare hour or so we would love you to come in, with your trusty trowel and gardening gloves to pull out a few weeds, and the grass that is spoiling the look of our school.
Our caretaker is working hard to keep the lawns down, manage the weed whacking and spraying (which can only be done in no rain or wind conditions and in the weekends). We need help with the entranceways and the gardens within the school. If you can offer us a helping pair of hands, please come into Reception and we will show you the areas we would like weeded.
Lost Property We have a large amount of lost property in the office - if you are missing anything please pop in to have a look before the end of term when it will be taken to Wastebusters. Leaving Wānaka Primary School If your family is leaving Wānaka Primary School at the end of the year and you have not advised the office, can you please do so as soon as possible as we will begin the process of 2023 class placements soon.
If your Year 6 child is not attending Mount Aspiring College next year please advise us of their new school. |
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This Week - Scholastic Book Fair is on in our School Library HOURS:
Tues- Thurs 8.30am-4.30pm
Friday 8.30am - 1.00pm Parents welcome to come and shop during the day as well This is our main fundraiser for our school library  |
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Wānaka Kids Club - Teacher Only Day |
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Board Chair Update Over the past few weeks there has been plenty going on at 'WPS'. The teachers have been spending a huge amount of their personal time ensuring that the children have had the best 'in class' and 'out of class' experiences (camps and other extra curricula activities) possible and I would just like to say a big thank you for all your hard yakka! You are all AWESOME!
You would have received an email from Wendy a couple of days ago noting that we won’t be able to run the junior athletics day as the teachers who organise this event are either sick or unable to assist due to other educational commitments. As per Wendy’s email we are not staffed to run 'extra events' on a weekly basis and this event is one of them.
The office, management and teaching staff work tirelessly to ensure your children have the best early childhood development possible, whether that be making sure they get on the bus or to assisting your son or daughter get extra assistance in class to either meet or surpass national expectations.
I care deeply about WPS and have no hesitation in stating that we are incredibly fortunate to have the level of care that the WPS team provide your children.
This year has been hugely draining on all parts of our community and if you have the chance to sit back and recharge over Christmas please take it.
Have a great Christmas and I look forward to seeing a refreshed group of students and parents in the new year.
Brendan Hearle
Board Chair |
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Covid and Bugs are Back Illness is impacting on staff and students alike. We have had 3 staff off with Covid last week and 2 this week. There is a vomiting bug and a sniffly cold as well as the flu still circulating. Add in hay fever and tiredness so we have a high staff and student illness rate. So please COVID TEST children if they have any symptoms and do not send them to school or on any class trips etc. Also if your child is unwell please do not dose them with panadol and send them to school - keep them home! Remember children do not have to isolate if another member of the family has Covid, but if they have any signs of being under the weather keep them home.
School is Busy, Busy, Busy! There is also a lot going on as is usual at the end of every year: Year 6 camp last week, Year 4 camp all this week, Book Fair, COPSSA Triathlon in Queenstown and COPSSA Orienteering competition, senior school pantomime, teachers are writing student reports and preparing for student reporting sessions on 1st December. We have the Garden to Table official opening next Wednesday afternoon, recladding pod 2 is all go and we are having transition visits for year 6s to MAC. Add in Teachers NZEI campaign meetings, Junior School EOTC class visits around Wānaka for a bush experience and to visit the grebes, and to Queenstown to see the Kiwi Bird Park. In week 8 we have the performance of the pantomime and 2 fun events; an inflatable city begging to be explored by our middle and senior school students on Thursday 8th December and the Water Fun Tribe Day for everyone on Friday 9th December.
In the last week of term the Year 6 student leaders have a day out to celebrate all the leadership activities they have undertaken over the year, the Juniors will be performing for a school Christmas assembly and also for Enliven. On Tuesday 13th December at 2pm we are holding an assembly to farewell Leeanne Preston and Katrina Kreft, both who are leaving Wānaka Primary School. We will also farewell Markus as he moves off to his new teaching position at MAC next year and Carin as she heads over to Bahrain for a change of lifestyle.
The Year 6 graduation assembly is taking place on Wednesday 14th December at 1pm in our school hall. PHEW! Then Thursday 15th is the last day of school for the 2022 school year.
2023 School Organisation This week we are well into the 2023 class organisation process. I will include more information about this in next week's newsletter. We will start with 5 pods of 3 classes and 1 pod of 4 classes. The other 2 pods will be fenced off for recladding.
Juniors Athletics Cancelled this Thursday Due mainly to staff illness, but also to the many activities outside of school, lack of relievers and how busy it is at school at the moment, we have been forced to cancel the Junior athletics. Thanks to the parents who have offered to help to make this event run; we would have needed your help anyway, but without key staff, who are ill with Covid, and or unwell or on leave from school this week we will not be changing this decision. The decision to cancel was not easy but in the interest of health and safety of our students in the running of a successful school event and unavailability of staff it was necessary. Also I am not prepared to put extra pressure on our already very busy teachers whose workload is currently very high; and so for overall staff well-being we will not be rescheduling. Our junior children have been practising their athletic skills and so have not missed out on the most important part of the PE programme - the skill learning.
Garden to Table Opening Next week our students and invited guests will be involved in our official opening of our Garden to Table area. You are welcome to come and view the garden from the beginning of December.
School Activity Fee To those people who have had emails, texts and a phone call about this not being paid, please could you pay this as soon as possible. This fee of $40 for the 2022 year is to save us having to collect money for each performance. Any activity fees unpaid at the end of the year may mean that children concerned may not be given access to visiting artists and performances next year until the activity fee is paid. This is NOT the school donation which is voluntary. The activity fee covers the orchestras, drama shows, bands, musical groups, writers etc that we request to perform for us which children do not have access to as we live out of a city centre. |
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Administration Assistant Required |
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Year 4 Bannockburn Camp This week our Year 4 students are at camp. Teachers Lisa and Kelly, were the first to spend their night at Bannockburn with Year 4s from Rooms 19 and 20 and what a great couple of days and night they had. Tonight it is Pod 4s Year 4s overnight stay with Robyn and Danielle. Wednesday night the Year 4s from Rooms 17 and 18 have their turn with Anne and Coral. |
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Year 6 Dunedin Camp Year 6 Camp based out of Waiora Scout Camp for Week 5 was a HUGE success! The students embraced all the activities with a good fun attitude and enthusiasm to learn as much as they could.
The 'Dog Shark' dissection at the Marine Study Centre has come out as a HIGHLIGHT of camp. A few squirmy tummies were felt but all that aside - a huge success! Who knew the insides of Dog Shark's stomachs could hold so much information.
Orokonui Eco Sanctuary was another definite highlight where we were treated to native bird life in full volume and very curious Kaka were ever present as we all walked around the various tracks.
Otago Museum had a great variety of activities to engage our students. The hands on Science Room, Butterflies and the Planetarium all captured imaginations and created awesome conversations.
Life back at camp was filled with eating delicious meals, lots of Koura foraging in the creek, card games in the dining area, low ropes experimenting with balance and general keeping rooms tidy and shoes in a neat pile. Jason had awesome daily feedback on the 'state of rooms/cabins/dens' that were highly entertaining and had many of us laughing.
To our FANTASTIC PARENTS who came along to help out. You were ALL amazing and our students loved the interactions they had with all of you over the week. THANK YOU. |
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Wānaka Trail Ride - Save the Date Save the Date – Saturday 1st April 2023! Trail riders and volunteers – save the date for an event you won’t want to miss! The Wānaka Trail Ride is the biggest annual fundraiser for Wānaka Primary School and Montessori Children’s House Wānaka, and set in the stunning environs of Deep Creek, Long Gully, and Lindis Peak Stations. More info in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. You can also visit www.wanakatrailride.org or contact me on 021 1029 130. Cheers, Rachel Allibone (WTR Volunteer Support) PS. Check out this guy below – lovin’ it!  Photo credit: Wendy Bowie Photography |
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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. 
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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The Incredible Years Parenting Programme
The Incredible Years parenting programme acknowledges that parenting is one of the most important jobs adults can do. The programme aims to encourage positive family relationships.
They provide:
• practical step-by-step suggestions for parents of 3 to 8 year olds to handle everyday family situations
• an encouraging and supportive learning environment
• strategies to help parents manage challenging behaviours
The group programme of 14 weekly sessions is facilitated by trained Family Works professionals and will help you to:
• develop strategies to build a positive relationship with your child
• learn strategies to manage problem behaviours
• have a better understanding of your child |
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Hawea Christmas Wonderland |
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Local Schools Summer Season Pass |
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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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