IN THIS NEWSLETTER

IMPORTANT DATES

Term 2
Week 1
Friday 7th May - Mothers Day Movie
Week 2
Tuesday 11th May - UC Rippa Rugby
Wednesday 12th May - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Friday 14th May - Pod 3 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 3
Monday 17th May - Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Monday 17th May - Nathan Wallis Parents' Evening 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Week 4
Monday 24th May - Board Meeting 5:00pm - Staffroom
Friday 28th May - Pod 1 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall
Week 5
Wednesday 2nd June - PTA Meeting 7:00pm - Staffroom
Week 6
Monday 7th June - Queen's Birthday - School Closed
Thursday 10th June - WPS Swimming Comp
Friday 11th June - Pod 8 Assembly 2:15pm - Hall

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Mothers Day Movie

Purchased tickets are to be collected from the school office. Tickets are still for sale and can be purchased at the school office until Wednesday afternoon (tomorrow).

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 3pm on Tuesday 18th May.

Lost School Merino

Please check your school merino as Seren Fraser is looking for her named merino size 5-6.

Found

CURRICULUM COMMENT

Welcome to Term 2

It was so nice to be greeted this morning by polite, eager students racing off to their classrooms. Most of them said they were glad to be back and were looking forward to the term, as are our staff. Already we are planning excursions and events such as Starlab coming to set up in our hall, Seasons for Growth, Boys Club and Girls Club, Rippa Rugby, Tribe Days, Assemblies, Deep Learning contexts, Maths PLD and Drama Club starts this term - and we will be practising to stage a pantomime. Such fun ahead!

Did you see Q&A on Sunday - maths teaching /achievement in schools?
I was looking forward to viewing this and was actually nicely surprised that they covered some of the aspects that we agree need to be addressed.

Yes...we need more focus on the key knowledge such as addition and subtraction facts and tables and yes we agree that these need to be learned off by heart (mastery) after they develop an understanding using materials and the language of maths. This is called knowledge and is always part of a balanced maths programme. We need this instant recall and yes that also means rote learning and repetition.
Yes...we need more staffing in our schools to be able to address the diverse needs of children including behaviour needs which can end up taking up teacher time. We need more teachers to lower the teacher/student ratio. Our Board provides us with extra staffing/funding to allow us to have this at WPS.
Yes...maths needs to be taught so children understand strategies and meaning and work out challenges and problems in authentic situations and children see the relevance to real life.
Teacher competence and confidence were raised in the programme, particularly at year 7 & 8 level. This was linked to the inadequacy of pre-teacher training and beginning teachers not having experienced enough of the many 'programmes'. As the MoE no longer offers national professional learning opportunities, it has been left to individual schools to undertake their own PLD and to tailor their own local curriculum in maths. We have maths specialists in our school every year to refresh and share new ideas. At WPS we launched the ALiM maths programme and 5 of our teachers have 'trained' in this and will lead this in their pods. We make frequent use of our maths advisors from the University of Otago. Our two lead teachers in maths, Kylie Brown and Robyn Blennerhassett, attend lead teacher meetings twice a term. Earlier this year Viv Thompson from the University of Otago led a workshop for our teachers around creating a balanced maths programme (using knowledge and strategy) and we also offered our parents an information session in the evening.
Please do not take much notice of the international tests the programme talked about. WPS has participated in these tests over a number of years (it is voluntary) and they provide interesting data for WPS itself, which we consider and act on, but also adds to the national data. However I am really guarded when researchers talk about results from TIMMS and PISA results. Many countries have a pencil and paper approach to learning maths...we don't - it is much more interactive, involves use of problems, materials, student discourse and is relevant to a real life context. Singapore and many of the Asian, UK, and Australian schools are used to sitting pen and paper type tests and being taught at a desk, whereas our students work in context using their maths knowledge and strategies to solve real life, authentic problems with lots of use of materials and equipment. Our children also show their learning by talking about the strategies they have used and the knowledge they have applied rather than formal testing. Much of our testing to see where children are at and where they need to go next, is one-to-one or small group interactive assessments, where children talk through and write responses with the teacher analysing this as they work.

We have been reviewing our teaching of maths every 2 years. I let you know earlier in the year that we are having a real focus on students' instant recall of basic facts/tables. We would like your help over the next two terms in supporting your child to develop instant recall of these. To assist you we have added, and will continue to add resources, websites, games, activities and fun practices for learning tables and basic facts. We would love you to choose some of these to help your child build their 'tables' power. We are also going to run a 'Fact-a-thon' this term to provide some motivation for children to learn the basic facts they need to target.

School Uniform

A reminder to make sure our children are dressed in correct uniform every day. No bright pink sweatshirts, no hoodies, no track pants with Canterbury etc written on them and please sensible shoes for winter, PE and physical activity. If an item of clothing is being washed or repaired and a child is not in correct uniform please could you email the classroom teacher with the reason.

Teacher Only Day - Monday 17th May

School is closed for instruction as our staff work with Nathan Wallis looking at change, stress, anxiety, etc and how it affects/is affected by brain development and the role of the teacher in this. We have staff from other EC centres and schools attending as well. Please make sure you have made alternative child care arrangements for this day.

Education Review Office (ERO)

ERO have changed their approach to reviewing schools and we are fortunate to be one of the first schools being taken through this process. The ERO reviewer spends a lot more time in the school over 2-3 years so will be very familiar with how effective our systems, personnel, etc are. With Murray South who is our ERO reviewer we will establish a focus for the review which then provides a context for looking at how the school operates. The new approach looks like it will be a perfect fit, as essentially it is in line with our Deep Learning journey. Murray has been in twice already and will be in again in a couple of weeks to look at our self-review processes.

Recapitation - what are your questions and thoughts?

The Board would like to consult with Wānaka Primary School parents around the retaining of Year 7s and 8s within the primary school. We would love to have as many of you as possible share your ideas and thinking with us. We need to analyse the positive, negatives and the interest of keeping our Year 7s and Year 8s. Our Board Chair Howie will be facilitating the meeting and whether you are for this idea or against, we need to hear from you, as this process is community driven. We have two meeting days sorted so if you can't get to one, hopefully you will get to another. These will be held in the next 2-3 weeks so keep an eye out for the dates and times in your email box.

What do you want to know - we will try and answer your questions to the best of our ability, what are you thinking and what other details do you need to know? We need you along to these meetings as this is a huge step for the Board to take in making WPS a full primary school, as opposed to a contributing primary school.

SCHOOL NOTICES

2021 Snow Sports Programme

All information regarding the winter sports programme (skiing and boarding) is on our school website. Please read ALL information carefully. All enrollments for Cardrona, TC and Snow Farm are online. Please ensure you keep copies of your receipts etc.. for evidence of paying for the school programme.

LINK to Information and Registration

Nathan Wallis Parent Information Evening

Great Value Kindling Fundraiser

We are selling banana boxes full of hand-picked kindling for $10 each to raise money for our girls' and boys' clubs to allow them to do their planned activities this year. Come into the office to purchase a box. Thank you for your support.

School Desks For Sale

Second Hand Uniform Supplies

PTA NOTICES

Ski Sale

After much consideration from both members of the PTA committee and parents involved we have decided to cancel this year's Ski Sale. Unfortunately due to a number of outside commitments and current fundraising events the committee members are working on we are unable to have the Ski Sale go ahead this year. We do though, have the Mothers Day Movie Night, Cook Book, Fathers Day Breakfast and of course Friday Night Lights to look forward to this year. There is a PTA meeting next Wednesday 12th May, at 7pm for anyone who would like to attend and help with these upcoming events.

Mothers Day Movie Night

Tickets are still for sale and can be purchased at the school office until Wednesday afternoon (tomorrow). Please remember raffle tickets will be available for purchase on the evening for $5. Some awesome prizes to be won!

LIBRARY NEWS

Library News

Click here to view our Library Webapp.

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

HEALTH SNIPPETS

Chicken Pox

It has come to our attention that there are several cases of chicken pox within our school community. Just a reminder if your child is unwell, please keep them at home and if you are concerned about your child's health, please visit your G.P.

When to Keep Your Child at Home

When your child:
Has signs of being unwell i.e. grizzly, unsettled, listless or tired
Has a high temperature or appears very hot
Is complaining of, or appears to have a sore tummy, throat or ears
Has a continuous cough
Should be at home if has had diarrhoea and vomiting within the last 48 hours
Has weeping, red eyes and/or a yellow discharge around the eyes
Has broken skin sores
Has become ill with a communicable disease e.g. measles, chicken pox
If you are unsure, call your Doctor or Healthline for free health advice: 0800 611 116. Please inform school if your child is going to be kept home due to illness.

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 027 2839 395 or email Pip.McLean@southerndhb.govt.nz.

COMMUNITY NOTICES