Kia ora koutou
Dear parents/caregivers
Welcome to our new children Presley Williams, Rachel Aislabie, Clara Maxwell-Lamb and Jessica Park who have started at Muritai recently.
The children are well settled as we begin our run to the end of term. Although we are still very busy, and there are lots of opportunities available, teachers are committed to keeping the focus on the learning. The children should be well tuned into their teachers by now and if you have any concerns or worries please do not hesitate to contact your teacher in the first instance.
Forest Lakes camp was a huge success last week. The children excelled in their challenges and had a wonderful time. Camp has many opportunities for children to learn in an environment outside the classroom. Gradually over the 3-4 days the children had to tune into the rigours of really looking after themselves; in particular actively using the key competencies in our NZ curriculum - relating to others, participating and contributing and managing self.
You will be aware that invoices have gone out recently for school donation, activity fee (including mathletics), year 7-8 technology fee. We are so appreciative of your commitment to your children's education, especially the prompt payments so far this year. If there are any financial issues/pressures in your family please feel comfortable to talk to Carole in the office, myself or Stuart Stock, our Board chairperson in confidence. We are very aware that education is supposed to be free in New Zealand, however, the level of funding received by Muritai School is not appropriate for what, as a community, we desire for our children. Therefore, we all have to contribute to make the difference. I wrote about this recently on my Principal's blog.
There was a very interesting article on Radio New Zealand last week which I have added to my Principal's blog on the summer reading slide. Research done by Massey University has shown that children not reading over the summer holiday break drop at least 6 months on their reading age while children reading (doing any reading) can improve up to 4 months. It just reinforces how important it is for children to have some quiet time to read every day. It really makes a difference.
SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Our Out of School Care will be running a school holiday programme during the Easter holidays. Highlights include a walk to Days Bay with games and a picnic, a day at Kilbirnie Recreation Centre, visit to Parliament, Bake Off Challenge, Rock climbing and Flax Weaving. Brochures are available from the office or are down-loadable from the After School Care blog. Brochures must be completed and returned to the school office, together with full payment, by Monday 26 March. Be in quick to secure a space for your child/ren. Unfortunately we cannot take children on the day as we need to plan our days and confirm staffing.
YEAR 7/8 UKULELE
One of the activities offered in the Year 7 and 8 technicraft programme is Ukulele . A group of our Year 7 and 8 students visited the children at our local Barnardos Early Learning Centre recently and performed some of their repertoire of Ukulele songs. As well as playing rock n roll and favourites of theirs, they also played some songs suited for the young children and led them in the singing and simple actions. It was a delightful outing and the pre schoolers loved having the big kids there to show around. Afterwards, our students mixed and mingled with the wee guys. It was so lovely seeing them working at the woodwork table side by side – hammering and building, reading books together and playing outside. The staff at Barnardos were most complimentary of our students and are keen for us to return and entertain them again in the future. Ruth HookeUPCOMING EVENTS
Fri 16 - Muritai hosting School Gen cluster day
Tue 20 - Kapa Haka starts
Wed 21 - Y4-6 Zone swim sports; Visiting performer - Andy Jones / Starting school at 5 - 7.00p.m
Fri 23 - Assembly 1.40
Tues 27 - Vision and hearing testing NE and Y7/ Board meeting in staff room
Wed 28 - Y4-6 Inter-zone swim sports
April
Thur 5 - Wellington Literacy Quiz at Muritai and last day of term
LUCKY BOOK CLUB ORDER
Lucky Book Club orders are due back to the school office Friday 30 March. Please note that we have to send these orders through the post and are therefore unable to take any cash - only cheques or complete the credit card portion of the form.LUCKY BOOK CLUB ORDER
OUR NEW JUNIOR SCHOOL BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Thanks to a grant from the Bayer Primary School Science Fund, butterfly gardening has become a major focus for our year 1 and 2 pupils. A group of interested parents, teachers, school caretaker Mark and local builder Tracy Smith (who donated labour) dug out old hedging, planned, built and painted the garden plots and filled them with topsoil, garden mix and compost. Special thanks to parents Karen Lloyd, Kate Brownsword and Liz Lander for their gardening expertise and hard work!
Each of the 6 junior classes is now responsible for the care and maintenance of their own garden plot. They are currently investigating and observing butterfly and plant life cycles, planting seeds, caring for seedlings and transplanting these into their class garden. The older students are regular observers of the caterpillar and butterfly activity in the junior playground and the younger ones see themselves as the “experts,” enthusiastically passing on their knowledge. Almost all the junior students have observed a caterpillar changing into a chrysalis and, later, watched as the butterfly emerged. 
The garden area is bright and vibrant with flowers and Monarch butterflies. It is at the initial stage, with lots of colourful nectar producing annuals designed to attract butterflies quickly. These will need to be supplemented with perennials and larger growing plants. Over the next few months more planting will be added, including numerous swan plants to provide host planting for next season’s butterflies. We are trying to obtain a buddleia bush, a favourite, (but no longer sold) nectar plant for the Monarch. We would appreciate any donations of cuttings, seedlings or compost for this ongoing project. Please contact Barbara Ryan in Room 1 if you are able to help at ryan@muritai.school.nzFOREST LAKES CAMP
The Year 5/6 camp at Forest Lakes was 'ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!' We had great weather throughout the four days that we were there. This enabled the students to participate fully in all of the activities organised. There were some challenges for many of the students and it was great to see them overcome these. I would like to thank all of the parents, full-time and day parents, who took some 'timeout' of their busy lives to come and experience the JOY of camp life. I would also like to acknowledge the work that all of the teachers put in to the preparation, organisation and running of the camp. We look forward to doing it all again in 2013!!!
MATHLETICS
Mathletics is now up and running in all classes from Year 2 to Year 8. Room 7 placed 43rd out of all New Zealand classrooms in mathletics for the week of 5th-9th March.
For those of you who have signed in already, you'll know the website is a fantastic resource to assist your child in mathematics. All children should be familiar with the 'Live Mathletics' site which allows students to compete against others from around the world on basic fact drills. Students can view the progress they are making and teachers are awarding them with certificates when they meet milestones. Classroom teachers are now starting to set homework tasks for math classes using Mathletics. When your child signs in they will be asked to complete the set task which relates to the learning happening in the class. They will need to complete the set task before they can enter the 'Live Mathletics' site.
If you have any questions regarding the Mathletics programme, please contact your child's classroom teacher.
SPORT STACKERS
Teachers around New Zealand are introducing something unique to students called Sport Stacking. Sport Stacking is an exciting individual and team sport where competitors stack and unstack 12 specially designed cups (Speed Stacks) in predetermined sequences at lightning speed! You truly have to see it to believe it! You can watch Sport Stacking videos online at www.speedstacks.co.nz
Teachers are excited about Sport Stacking because it promotes hand-eye coordination, ambidexterity, quickness and concentration – skills needed to excel in both sports and academics. When students are Sport Stacking, they’re using both sides of their bodies and brains to develop the skills necessary to dribble and shoot a basketball, throw and catch a baseball, play a musical instrument, type on a computer and more.
Dean McKay, our Year 5/6 AP, demonstrated Sport Stacking to the children at our recent assembly. Dean is keen to encourage children to become involved with this sport. If your son or daughter is interested in owning their own Speed Stacks equipment, you can order them through the school at a reduced price. We are sending out brochures which should be completed and returned to the school office, together with payment either in cash, cheque or EFTPOS. This also enables Muritai to earn free Sport Stacking equipment for use at school.
NEW ZEALAND BOOK MONTH - MARCH 2012
New Zealand Book Month is a non-profit initiative promoting books and reading – and as a result, literacy – in New Zealand. NZ Book Month is aimed at encouraging the joy of reading and the power of literacy. Four million $5 vouchers are being distributed nationally and a voucher will be coming home with every child at Muritai School.Vouchers can be used towards any book purchase of $10 or more and are accepted at most book shops in New Zealand throughout March.
The National Library are supporting New Zealand Book Month with resources to encourage young people to become engaged and motivated readers. Resources can be downloaded from their website http://schools.natlib.govt.nz Check out their Reading Superheroes competition which acknowledges the impact of reading role models and also, this year, outstanding student entries.
NEW MURITAI MUNCHIES MENU
Muritai Munchies now have new healthy 'Heart Foundation' pies. You can order Mince or, as a special treat, Spaghetti Potato Top pies. The Spaghetti pies have a bread base. To view the Muritai Munchies menu, click on this link.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Learn a new language - Fun Mandarin for 5 to 12 year olds in Eastbourne
LCF Clubs Fun Languages is offering children the opportunity to learn Mandarin. We use a relaxed approach with lots of games, songs crafts and lively activities. The children have fun and speak from the first lesson, and they just love it. We can start as soon we have enough interest! Free trial lesson once we get going. Also: French for years 7 and 8 starting as soon as we have enough kids and Lunch-time French - some spaces left. Pre-school French, Mandarin, 2-4 year olds, 45 minutes once a week, time to be confirmed, waiting to start.
For more information, to register your interest please contact Stefi Plimmer-Blattner on email: stefi@lcfclubs.co.nz, phone 562 8211 website: www.lcfclubs.co.nz
astbourne Football Club
It's not to late to join or register your child to play football in 2012.
The Eastbourne FC provides junior football/teams for local children aged 4 and upwards.
All kids interested welcome. Parents can register their child by following this link:
http://www.sportsground.co.nz/clubsite.asp?siteid=3767&pageid=56956&pagetypeid=13
Any queries contact Carl McRae (junior convener, EFC) 562 6261 or 027 318 7738
Mid-Week Tennis
Take some time out for yourself!! Mid-Week Tennis at Muritai Tennis Club. Tuesdays 930am at 356 Muritai Road. Summer and winter! Primary School Terms. Women and men welcome - Beginner to Advanced. Regular or casual. Dress informal. Small playground for pre-schoolers. Lessons available through club. Just turn up! Morning tea supplied. Enquiries: Merryn 562-0236 or Carol 568-5360.
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