Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai
Tena koutou katoa
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome to Max Inskeep who has started at Muritai in the last fortnight.
As we head towards Easter things have quietened down nicely. Rest assured that children are busy in their classrooms working solidly through the learning programme.
We have made some changes to our reporting to parents programme this year. National standards requirements have meant that we now have to have separate student achievement reporting cycles for year 1-3 and year 4-8.
Year 4-8 will have goal setting interviews at the end of this term. Achievement from standardised testing will be shared and the main focus goals for improvement will be discussed with parents and children. At the end of term 2 a written report will inform parents about how children are progressing towards the end of year national standards, and parents will be invited into class by the children to see their portfolio of school work. Teachers will be available to meet with parents at this time, or in more depth on request. This process will be repeated at the end of the year with the written report informing parents of children's achievement against the national standards in reading, writing, maths, and their performance in other curriculum areas and key competencies. Again parents will be invited in by the children who will share their learning experiences.
For year 1-3 there will be two interviews and two written reports, in the middle of the year and at the end of the year. Depending when the child started school, parents will either have a progress report toward the standards or an anniversary report. A child who started school before July will have an anniversary report in the middle of the year and children who started school after July will have an anniversary report at the end of the year.
This means that parents are getting feedback of student progress every 6 months during their time at school. These structures allow our teachers to gather information and be able to report to parents in an economical way. It takes about 90 minutes to produce each child's assessment profile (collate data, report, interview) so does require a lot of effort. Of course teachers are available to discuss student progress at any time and most parents take up this option during the year just to keep in touch with their child's learning progress.
So in summary, for this term, there will be achievement feedback and goal setting interviews for children in year 4-8 in week 11.
EASTER
Next Friday is Good Friday and school will be closed. A reminder that there is an Easter Tuesday and so children return to school on Wednesday 3 April.
BOARD ELECTIONS
In May the Board of Trustees election will be held. This is an opportunity for parents to help play a part in the decision-making process of Muritai School. Information with nomination forms will go out to the parent community by the 15th April with the election date being 30th May. NZSTA have a useful website which provides a background to becoming a trustee. Click here to get some useful information.
SENIOR SCHOOL SWIM SPORTS
We have rescheduled the Y3-8 swim sports to Huia Pool on the 19 April. This is the last day of the term and events begin at 9.30 and run through to 12.00. The programme will be very tight but we should manage. This event is traditionally a hard fought competition, in particular the inter class and inter house relays.
YEAR 5-6 CAMP
This week our year 5 and 6 team are at camp at Forest Lakes in Otaki. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered some time to help out. This is always a very successful experience for the children and I am sure they will have a great time exploring the many challenges that camp brings. Thank you to all parents who have paid the $220 fee, or made arrangements with the school office .
CONGRATULATIONS
...to Frankie Middleton who has continued to shine in her Equestrian field by firstly placing and then placing 6th out of more than 50 entries at the Showhunter Class, a National Equestrian Event.
ASSEMBLY THIS WEEK
Despite year 5-6 being out this week we will have an assembly this Friday at 1.45pm.
UKULELE GROUP
Well done to our year 7-8 ukulele orchestra who performed at the Shona McFarlane rest home recently. They were very well received by the patrons.
SAFE PARKING
We have made some changes to our reporting to parents programme this year. National standards requirements have meant that we now have to have separate student achievement reporting cycles for year 1-3 and year 4-8.
Year 4-8 will have goal setting interviews at the end of this term. Achievement from standardised testing will be shared and the main focus goals for improvement will be discussed with parents and children. At the end of term 2 a written report will inform parents about how children are progressing towards the end of year national standards, and parents will be invited into class by the children to see their portfolio of school work. Teachers will be available to meet with parents at this time, or in more depth on request. This process will be repeated at the end of the year with the written report informing parents of children's achievement against the national standards in reading, writing, maths, and their performance in other curriculum areas and key competencies. Again parents will be invited in by the children who will share their learning experiences.
For year 1-3 there will be two interviews and two written reports, in the middle of the year and at the end of the year. Depending when the child started school, parents will either have a progress report toward the standards or an anniversary report. A child who started school before July will have an anniversary report in the middle of the year and children who started school after July will have an anniversary report at the end of the year.
This means that parents are getting feedback of student progress every 6 months during their time at school. These structures allow our teachers to gather information and be able to report to parents in an economical way. It takes about 90 minutes to produce each child's assessment profile (collate data, report, interview) so does require a lot of effort. Of course teachers are available to discuss student progress at any time and most parents take up this option during the year just to keep in touch with their child's learning progress.
So in summary, for this term, there will be achievement feedback and goal setting interviews for children in year 4-8 in week 11.
EASTER
Next Friday is Good Friday and school will be closed. A reminder that there is an Easter Tuesday and so children return to school on Wednesday 3 April.
BOARD ELECTIONS
In May the Board of Trustees election will be held. This is an opportunity for parents to help play a part in the decision-making process of Muritai School. Information with nomination forms will go out to the parent community by the 15th April with the election date being 30th May. NZSTA have a useful website which provides a background to becoming a trustee. Click here to get some useful information.
SENIOR SCHOOL SWIM SPORTS
We have rescheduled the Y3-8 swim sports to Huia Pool on the 19 April. This is the last day of the term and events begin at 9.30 and run through to 12.00. The programme will be very tight but we should manage. This event is traditionally a hard fought competition, in particular the inter class and inter house relays.
YEAR 5-6 CAMP
This week our year 5 and 6 team are at camp at Forest Lakes in Otaki. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered some time to help out. This is always a very successful experience for the children and I am sure they will have a great time exploring the many challenges that camp brings. Thank you to all parents who have paid the $220 fee, or made arrangements with the school office .
CONGRATULATIONS
...to Frankie Middleton who has continued to shine in her Equestrian field by firstly placing and then placing 6th out of more than 50 entries at the Showhunter Class, a National Equestrian Event.
ASSEMBLY THIS WEEK
Despite year 5-6 being out this week we will have an assembly this Friday at 1.45pm.
UKULELE GROUP
Well done to our year 7-8 ukulele orchestra who performed at the Shona McFarlane rest home recently. They were very well received by the patrons.
SAFE PARKING
We have been informed that parking wardens are scheduled to visit our school between 25-28
March. Initially they will talk with parents who are stopping to
drop off / pick up pupils, and hand out copies of their parking brochure. Later in the week, if any parents are slow to get the
message about parking safely and legally, they are liable to receive a ticket.
WHACKY HAIR DAY
The Senior School Charity Group are holding a Whacky Hair Day on Thursday 28 March to raise money for Kids Can. Children can 'dress' their hair as whacky as they like and bring a gold coin donation.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
The Muritai School Board of Trustees has resolved to raise the daily rate for children attending Muritai After School Care as permanent enrolments from $15 to $16 per child per day. The daily rate for casual enrolments will remain at $20 per child, per day. This will take effect from 1 April 2013.
LOST PROPERTY
We have a huge collection of lost property at present and will start putting it out for viewing. Lost property is kept under the stairs near room 7. At the end of this term all lost property will be donated to the children at Natone Park School, a non KidsCan funded school in Cannons Creek.
UPCOMING DATES
Easter holidays are Friday 29 March - Tuesday 2 April
COMMUNITY NOTICES
LITERACY MATTERS
Private tuition with reading specialist sensitive to children's learning needs. A Speld trained, very experienced professional with 20+ years in schools (both primary and secondary) conducting literacy programmes, and using remedial teaching based on Audrey McAllen's work 'The Extra Lesson'. Contact Joanna Ponder at Rona Gallery - 5628062 / 0272628888 or email ronagallery@paradise.net.nz
WHACKY HAIR DAY
The Senior School Charity Group are holding a Whacky Hair Day on Thursday 28 March to raise money for Kids Can. Children can 'dress' their hair as whacky as they like and bring a gold coin donation.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
The Muritai School Board of Trustees has resolved to raise the daily rate for children attending Muritai After School Care as permanent enrolments from $15 to $16 per child per day. The daily rate for casual enrolments will remain at $20 per child, per day. This will take effect from 1 April 2013.
LOST PROPERTY
We have a huge collection of lost property at present and will start putting it out for viewing. Lost property is kept under the stairs near room 7. At the end of this term all lost property will be donated to the children at Natone Park School, a non KidsCan funded school in Cannons Creek.
UPCOMING DATES
Tue 19 - Fri 22 Mar Year 5 and 6 at Forest Lake Camp
Thur 21 Mar Year 1 - 4 at Capital E
Fri 22 Mar School assembly 1.45pm
Fri 22 Mar School assembly 1.45pm
Wed 27 Mar Year 4-6 Zone Swimming / BoT mtg
Thur 28 Mar Whacky Hair Day for KidsCan
Thur 28 Mar Whacky Hair Day for KidsCan
Friday 29 Mar Good Friday
Mon 1 April Easter Monday
Tues 2 Apr School Easter Holidays – No school
Thur 4 April Junior school grandparents day
Wed 10 Apr Year 4-6 Inter-Zone Swimming
Thur 11 Apr Year 8 Gardasil immunisation
Fri 12 Apr School Assembly at 1.45
Mon 15 Apr BoT mtg
Mon 15 Apr BoT mtg
Wed 17 Apr Y4-8 Parent Interviews – Student Goal Setting
Thur 18 Apr Y4-8 Parent Interviews – Student Goal Setting
Fri 19 Apr Y3-8 Swim sports – Huia Pool /Last day of Term 1
Monday 6 May First day of Term 2
School term dates for 2013
Term 1 - Monday 4 February - Friday 19 April - 51 days
Term 2 - Monday 6 May - Friday 12 July - 48 days
Term 3 - Monday 29 July - Friday 27 September - 45 days
Term 4 - Monday 14 October - Friday 20 December - 48 days
Easter holidays are Friday 29 March - Tuesday 2 April
Teacher only day 1 - Friday 31 May (Queens Birthday weekend)
Teacher only day 2 - Friday 25 October (Labour Weekend)
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Eastbourne Rugby Football Club Junior Rugby - final
registrations are being taken for the 2013 season. If you would like to play
junior rugby this year but haven't registered yet please contact Gary Crawford
at gary.crawford@nz.pwc.com. The
first game is on 13 April 2013.
LITERACY MATTERS
Private tuition with reading specialist sensitive to children's learning needs. A Speld trained, very experienced professional with 20+ years in schools (both primary and secondary) conducting literacy programmes, and using remedial teaching based on Audrey McAllen's work 'The Extra Lesson'. Contact Joanna Ponder at Rona Gallery - 5628062 / 0272628888 or email ronagallery@paradise.net.nz
Days Bay Play is an extension of Days Bay Playcentre
that offers creative play-based education opportunities to all families in
Eastbourne. Days Bay Play has a number of exciting creative arts classes and
adult workshops organised for Term Two 2013, which will be run by local
artists and specialist teachers.
