Thursday August 2013

Kia ora koutou,

Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai 

Tena koutou katoa

Welcome to Jorja Herbert and Sophie Mouat  who have joined the Muritai School community recently in room 1. Our roll is currently sitting at 446.

As per usual the school is humming along. Sometimes it does feel like we are an event management company but rest assured all our activities are around helping our children develop a love of learning and to be the best that they can be. We have had a fantastic 3 weeks and it is a pleasure to walk through the classrooms seeing the children so connected to their learning environment and the tasks that they are doing. Despite what you may experience with the variety of grunts and groans that children offer to the question, ..'How was school?'.. rest assured they are very busy at the moment.

We welcome six teacher trainees to the school until the end of term. Muritai is a great place to come as part of your teacher training as the environment is so settled you can get your teeth into teaching and creating learning experiences. For our children it is so nice to have an extra pair of hands in the classroom.

So we welcome - Rob Arrowsmith - room 9; Polina Jalina - room 15; Julie Small - room 24; Belinda Evans - room 22; Aimee Hartstonge - room 1; Emma Skillington - room 2.

HOME AND SCHOOL NEWS - THE MURITAI SPELLATHON
This year is our non Eastbourne Village Carnival year. In previous years we have sold boxes of chocolates. This has been very lucrative and raised around $9000 per fundraising venture. This year we thought we would try something a bit different...A Spellathon!!!

The children will be given a set of words to learn or prepare to spell for 'The Muritai School Big Spelling Test' on September 3rd. Year 1 will learn 10 words, year 2 = 20 words, year 3 = 30 words and year 4-8 = 50 words. The words selected for each list are tricky, relevant, useful words.

The children need to collect sponsors who will pay them for the number of words they spell correctly. If every child manages to attract $10 sponsorship then we will raise $4500. But I am sure we might be able to squeeze some extra money, because after all we all want our children to be spelling well...it is a nice challenge!

The Home and School Committee have worked hard on this and organised through local sponsors and friends of the school some great prizes to be won.  Money raised will be used to purchase a new series of high interest readers for the junior school, some specialist art supplies for the middle and senior school ...new tents for the Abel Tasman and Forest Lakes experience and another couple of Ipads for the learning support team. So all  the money raised is going back to the children in one way or another!

DISCO
Last Friday's disco was a huge success. The children had such a blast and the evening just flew by. The Home and School Disco team were ably assisted by volunteer parents who helped at the door, in the kitchen or on the BBQ. The BBQ was a great initiative and we were able to double our fundraising overall, because we managed to get the sausages through a very generous donation from Barry and the team at the Eastbourne Butchery. Thank you for your support for this event.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

The Scholastic Book Fair held in the last week of Term 2 sold $4003.50 worth of books. Due to our sales being over $4000 we are entitled to 35% of that total in Scholastic book stock, which comes to $1401.22. We took $705 worth of books from the fair and have another $696.22 still to spend. Thanks go to coordinator Liz Alderson, and the volunteers who helped look after the fair, and a special thanks to the parents who supported us by buying books and making this event so successful.   

ARTSPLASH
Our school choir are working very hard with Mrs Hooke to perfect the songs for the Artsplash concert at the Michael Fowler Centre on the evening of Monday 9th September at 7.45. Tickets to  the show are available for $5 from the school office.

2013 WEARABLE ARTS SHOW - LOST WORLDS
This year's Wearable Arts show is starting to take shape. Based on lost civilisations and the mysteries of our world. Join three teenagers as they discover how interesting the real world is.  Performances, in the school hall, are as follows:

• Tuesday 17 September 1pm and 7pm
• Wednesday 18 September 7pm
• Thursday 19 September 7pm

Tickets $10 per adult and $7.50 per child or senior citizen can be purchased from the school office.

To recap how good these shows have been here are the highlights from the last show in 2011.

COFFEE, HOT CHOCOLATE and COOKIES on FRIDAY MORNING
As part of the senior school fundraising for the Abel Tasman expedition at the end of the year, our year 8 children are running a cafe in the foyer on Friday morning. Coffee, hot chocolate and home baking are for sale. 

We would like to acknowledge and thank Mike Pullin for his generous donation of coffee and supplies for our fundraising stall. 

PJ DAY
The charity team, as part of Pay it Forward, have organised a pyjama day for tomorrow. So the children can just roll out of bed, do their morning chores and come to school, without getting dressed! please bring a gold coin donation  for our nominated charity this year - Kids Can.

WELL DONE...

Olivia Morphew was recently chosen as a child extra for the Royal New Zealand Ballet's 60th Anniversary of Swan Lake. She and another boy from their dance school played the roles of two children attending the Prince's birthday party.  They had to run around the stage acting excited, and they had to tell the grown-ups when the Prince was about to arrive.  Olivia also gave the Prince's mother a bouquet of flowers while curtsying.  Attending the daily rehearsals and all of the performances left Olivia with little time for other fun during the school holidays.  Olivia says it was hard work, but worth it.

SCHOLASTIC BOOKS

The last day for Lucky Book Orders is Friday 23rd August.  Please note that you need to pay by credit card or cheque made out to Scholastic. It is also very important to fill in the name and room number of the student ordering the books.

LEGGINGS AND TRACKSUIT PANTS NEEDS
We are in need of leggings for little girls and tracksuit pants for little boys for our medical room to change children into when they get wet or muddy.  If you have any age 5 to 10 leggings or tracksuit pants, please drop them off at the office with Carole or Sue.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fri 16 Aug -      Pyjama Day; Assembly 1.45
Fri 29 Aug -      Y8 HVHS children Science experience at HVHS
Fri 30 Aug -      Assembly 1.45pm
Wed 4 Sept -    Junior School jump off
Thur 5 Sept -    Junior school trip to Wgtn - Musical Stars
Mon 9 Sept -     Artsplash - rehearsal 11.00 and evening show 7.45
Thurs 12 Sept - Assembly 1.45
Fri 13 Sept -     Stage going up for Wearable Arts
Mon 16 Sept -   Room 16 new entrant class starts/ Wearable arts community show
Tue 17 Sept -    Wearable arts matinee and evening show
Wed 18 Sept -   Wearable arts evening show
Thurs 19 Sept -  Wearable arts evening show
Thurs 26 Sept -  Assembly 1.45
Fri 27 Sept -      Last day of term

TERM DATES

Term 3 - Monday 29 July - Friday 27 September - 45 days

Term 4 - Monday 14 October - Friday 20 December - 48 days

A reminder we have our second teacher only day on Friday 25 October (Labour Weekend)

COMMUNITY NOTICES

MURITAI TENNIS CLUB
JUNIOR COACHING ENROLMENT AND INTERCLUB REGISTRATION DAY 
for the new 2013/2014 season is at 356 Muritai Road 
We will be enrolling all juniors for coaching and/or interclub teams on Sunday 25th August from 10am - 12.30pm (or Saturday 31th August from 12.30pm - 1.30pm), at the clubrooms. Please bring your payment on the day (cheque or cash).

OLD EASTBOURNE MOVIES
The Lions Club of Eastbourne and Historical Society of Eastbourne will be showing a collection of silent and sound movies, including 'Sunshine and Sands' about early Days Bay, and 'Hometown Boomtown, 1983' a documentary of the development of the Wellington central city region. 
Screening at Muritai School Hall 2pm and 5pm on Saturday 7th September
Prices - $5 single and $10 family.

Integrated Learning Therapy
Help your child reach their potential.  Identifying and treating learning barriers through movement, sound and play therapy.  Contact Carole at 567-5568;  www.integratedlearningtherapy.co.nz  ilt@clear.net.nz

Fun French at Muritai School

Is continuing in term 3.  Some spaces are available.

Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch time: 
Lots of games, fun activities, games crafts, music to help learning.

The best way for kids to learn a language is through play .

For more information or to register ring Stefi Plimmer-Blattner on 562 8211
or email me:  stefi@lcfclubs.co.nz