Learning Support Team Profiles Emma Stewart - Literacy Lift (Monday-Thursday)
I started my teaching career in 2006 and have taught across all year groups from new entrants to year 8. I have held my current position as a Literacy Lift Teacher at Wānaka Primary since the beginning of 2017. I find working with small targeted groups a really rewarding experience! My husband and I live in Albert Town with our three children. Maisey is seven, Jacob is five and Allie is a sassy two year old. Life is busy but we wouldn’t want it any other way. As a family, we love exploring the outdoors spending time camping, jet boating, waterskiing, biking and snow skiing. Another passion of mine is getting creative with sewing and painting projects (although, this can be challenging with my three wee helpers). 
Marg Grieve
I am a specialist teacher and have the privilege of working on developing literacy skills with small groups of students. I have been at WPS. for 25 years and prior to this I taught at Hawea Flat School and at a wide variety of urban and rural schools throughout New Zealand and overseas. My teaching career spans 45 years during which time I have seen many changes and exciting developments in education. I have always maintained a strong interest in developing the core literacy and numeracy skills needed for all further learning. I am a trained reading recovery teacher and in 2015 I completed the SPELD certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties. I have held management units as lead teacher of numeracy and have led the implementation of structured literacy skills programmes at WPS. I am proud of the fact that the team at WPS. was one of the first to implement the comprehensive literacy skills programme Steps which now has 997 user schools.
I am married to Peter Thomson who is known to many through his work as manager at Treble Cone for many years and we have 2 adult daughters, a border terrier and a mini schnauzer. I enjoy biking, paddle boarding, walking the dogs and half days skiing.
I am delighted to witness the recent acknowledgement and development of resources by the Ministry of Education to support students with dyslexia in our schools and I look forward to seeing these being utilised as part of a balanced approach to teaching reading which will support all students but especially those with specific learning difficulties. 
Marj Cosgrove
My teaching career started in rural Southland in 2003. Prior to that I had worked in the banking sector for 20 years in Invercargill. In 2007 my husband Cosie and I moved to Wānaka when I began teaching at Wānaka Primary School. I have taught in the junior and middle school areas from New Entrant through to Year 4. Lately my teaching career has moved into the Literacy Support area working firstly in Reading Recovery and then over the last two years developing students' phonological awareness skills, the key element in the development of word recognition.
Down south in Invercargill I have 2 married daughters and 4 beautiful grandchildren (2 girls, 2 boys) aged 5, 3 and 2 years and a 5 month old. I love going to visit for my “Nana cuddles and fun”. My parents and a brother live in Invercargill also. My youngest sister lives overseas in Melbourne and I am lucky to have my other sister recently move here to Wānaka. Having family nearby is great.
I enjoy reading, gardening, walking, skiing, knitting and playing the guitar. I have 2 newfound interests in the past 6 months - golf and biking. I had to get fit enough to do the Alps to Ocean trail ride recently. What a fantastic experience that was!
I love working with young children. They are entertaining at best and getting to know them gives me much pleasure. I enjoy seeing them grow and transfer their skills through their learning journey. Teaching is a pleasure and a privilege. 
Week 3 Update I am so impressed with the classes, our students and teachers as I walk around the pods. Everywhere there are settled, focused children, and teachers working with groups and individuals immersed in their work. Our admin staff and TAs are busy supporting teachers and students and the leadership team are overseeing their pods with an eye to putting in support to help teachers personalise each child's learning pathway. And then we have Leah our SENCO and her team of TAs actively engaged with children with extra needs or learning differences. Marg, Emma and Marj are our Literacy Lift team who withdraw small groups from classrooms to provide accelerated literacy learning. This is a programme developed by the team at WPS of which we are very proud. Also Jo and Megan provide Reading Recovery sessions for our children identified as having extra needs at the age of 6 years old. It is great to see that the Reading Recovery programme has been updated to offer more of a phonological awareness and phonetic approach which is good to see. Add in Melissa our librarian, John our caretaker and the admin team and what a great team to lead. Next week and the week after, we will feature some more staff profiles.
Gunn Road Roundabout areas being upgraded Thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions. I have forwarded these to the contractor. In the meantime please make sure your children have explicit instructions and have been with you for a ride through this area to WPS and MAC. As I have had feedback that cars still exceed the 30km speed limit, I would be safe rather than sorry and ride with them if you can or transport them yourselves.
Covid precautions
We will continue to wash hands, do deep cleans of our pods and provide social distancing as much as we can within a primary school. I will keep you in touch with MoH and MoE updates as soon as I get them. Please scan before coming into school as contact tracing seems to be the key to holding this virus at bay. Have face masks (reusable) on hand as it may be that these are the next step in living with this epidemic. All events including Challenge are going ahead until we hear different from the organisers or the minister.
We are well prepared to live with Covid at school, but we are also clued up and well planned for online learning - whatever comes our way we have a strategy in place! We look forward to your support either way.
Challenge update
We are so sorry about the piecemeal information you have been given in dribs and drabs. We have sent it as soon as we received it from the organisers and it has been patchy and spread out - new organiser and new venue. Hopefully this update will give you all you need to know. Please let us know if there is anything we have missed. (Information under School Notices)
Dates to note on your calendar
Wednesday 24th February: Welcome back to School Jump Jam Jump Off 5pm - 7pm We will be starting with a powhiri so we ask that all families wait by the hall and at 5pm sharp we (the staff and Board) will welcome you all onto the school. Then there will be a Jump Off whilst you enjoy a picnic tea, or fish and chips or takeaway of choice. Then you are welcome to follow your children into their pod to meet the teachers and have a look at the space your child will spend the next year in. We look forward to seeing you there.
The PTA will be there and will have Pure NZ Icecreams for sale by the Staffroom Entrance Door. Please feel free to show your support for the PTA by filling in their HELP forms for different events.
Thursday 25th February: Pork Pie Challenge and Tribe Colours
Bring a gold coin donation to support Jarrod and Maddi Fraser as they raise funds for KidsCan (a Charitable Trust for disadvantaged children in NZ). Their car will be parked at school and they will come in on Thursday to tell the children about the challenge.
The afternoon will be a tribe afternoon so come to school in tribe colours.
Wednesday 3rd March: PTA meeting We have our committee in place so you don't need to worry about having a job dumped on you...come along and hear about our plans. We would love your support and people power at our events. Thursday 4th March: Lab in a Box Year 3 and 4 children attend a science session 'Lab in a Box' (paid for by your school activity fee)
Friday 5th March: El Gregoe
Everyone will take part in the El Gregoe (comedian/magician performance) in the hall in either the 9.15am or 11am performance. This performance is focused on our values and being a good citizen, caring and supporting others. This is also funded by your school activity fee. Please make sure this has been paid - $40 per student
Monday 8th March and Wednesday 10th March: Parent Voice Meetings This is your chance to come and tell your teacher ALL about your child. And...the teachers will listen and take heed as you know your child the best. We will send examples of questions you can ask so make sure you note down things you would like to say about your child, or ask the teacher, in readiness for these 10 minute slots. We will let you know when the booking system is up and running to book your time.
PTA projects this year We had an excellent meeting last week and have planned the following events and the teams that will work on them. The PTA committee would appreciate your support with these. If you can offer people power or contributions of some kind please get in touch with the PTA - Cook Book - we are creating a culinary masterpiece using your favourite recipes so watch out for an invitation to send along that recipe, adored by your family. We have a planning meeting this week so will let you know more details once the Cook Book team has a plan. We aim to have these on sale in term 4 for Xmas.
- Easter Buns at the end of the term
- Mothers' Day Movie evening - Friday 7th May
- PTA SKI Sale - Saturday 15th May
- Fathers' Day Breakie Friday 3rd September
- Friday Night Lights Gala- Friday 17th September
If you are interested in helping or supporting any of these activities please email the PTA at pta@wanaka.school.nz. The subcommittees will already have a plan in place, we will just need slave labour! We need you to get these events off the ground so please get in behind us. | 
