Birds Eye View

Wednesday 20 August

 Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai
Tena koutou katoa,

We welcome our new children Petra Gloag, Benjamin and Thomas Chadwick, Coco Farndale and Christian Catchpole who have joined Muritai School recently. I am sure you will love your time as part of our school community. Our current roll is 446!

We are nearly half way through term 3…time is ticking on quickly. The teams have begun work on their production items and the movement, enthusiasm, energy and soundtrack coming from the hall suggests it will be another amazing Muritai show.

It has been a tough month for many of the children, staff and families as this winter’s flu has hit. It is a particularly nasty strain this year with a noticeable slow recovery. We have noticed this year how sensible families have been ensuring their children have time for a good recovery instead of sending them back to school too early. Thank you for that – it is much appreciated.

Just a reminder to please, please, please contact the school if your children are not going to be at school. I apologise if we double up at times but we cross check the teachers’ roll with the office absentee diary. We are averaging about 10 non-notifications each day which is well above our usual average of 4-5 per day.  Please contact the office, not your child’s teacher, if your child is away.

ICAS WRITING
Our students performed extremely well in the ICAS writing exam. Overall the children scored 2 high distinctions, 3 distinctions and 9 credits / merits
High Distinction (Top 1%) – Olivia Morphew, Jacob Lane
Distinction (Top 10%) – Sally Bird, George Walker, Samantha Woolley, 
Credit and Merit (Top 30%) – Emmeline Gray, Samantha Morphew, Cella Connell, Yasmin Kerr, Evie Richardson, Rachel Vass, Evie Wilson, Ella Szikszai, Florence Lander

STAFFING
Welcome to Mary-Carmel Rohloff who joins the senior school as a teacher trainee working out of room 24 in year 7-8 until the end of this term.
We also welcome Nina Schneider from Germany who is at Muritai for the rest of the year. Nina is between school and university and is really looking forward to her time at our school. Thank you to the Sheriff family for hosting her during this time.

BUILDING PROGRESS
It is great to see the framing up on the library so you can start to see what it will look like and the size of the building. The team are also working around the Oroua St entrance by the old library putting in a new entrance. You can see the library plans by clicking here.

'TALL TALES'
Our production, 'Tall Tales', is beginning to take shape. Routines are developing, kids are heavily involved, the backdrop is nearly finished, and all the work behind the scenes is well underway. The dates:

Matinee (day performance) Tuesday 16th Sep at 1pm
Night performances Tuesday 16, Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th Sep at 7pm

Prior to these performances there will also be a number of whole school walk-throughs and dress rehearsals so please ensure that students are at school on those dates.

Tickets will be on sale in the office from Monday 1 September.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS
A huge thank you to all families who purchased an Entertainment Book. Over $1,000 has been raised for the School. The winners of the early payment competition were:

The Flynn Family winning a free copy of the Entertainment Book.
The Neilson Family winning a $100 voucher for Carlton Party Hire

CARNIVAL
The carnival team met last night and with 14 weeks to go before Sunday November 23 they are making great progress with their planning, but there is a lot to do.  Notices will be coming out over the next few weeks asking for parent help.  Please put your name down where and as you can.

DISCO
Last Friday saw another hugely successful School Disco. Special thanks must go to the Eastbourne Butchers who kindly donated all the sausages for the sausage sizzle and Petone Countdown who donated $50 towards the purchase of confectionary.

Thank you also to the dedicated home and school committee (led by Narelle Ferrier) and all the parent volunteers on the night. Over $2,000 was raised which will be greatly appreciated by the school.

SUNHATS
This week a letter will be going home with the eldest child offering SUNHATS for purchase in the school house colours.

Hats are compulsory in terms 4 and 1, so it is a great time to organise yourself before the beginning of next term. Hats can be purchased for $14.00 each and maybe viewed at the school office.

STAR JAM
Last week the whole school participated in "JumpJam for StarJam”.  StarJam gives young people with disabilities the chance to experience the buzz and thrill of performing and coming together through the common love of music and dance.

All students performed Jump Jam and donated a gold coin to the StarJam initiative. In total we raised $409.10 for StarJam. Thanks for your support everyone!
 Freya, Anna and Alicia Senior Charity Group

GYMNASTICS
On Sunday Risha Smuts-Kennedy and Sage Pettus competed in a Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competition held at Onslow College. There were competitors from 7 different gyms in the Wellington area, with Risha and Sage representing the Hutt Valley Gym Team in the "Step 1 Over” age group. Both girls placed - Risha at 6th overall and Sage at 1st overall. Well done girls.

TERM DATES
The Board of Trustees have set the term dates for 2015

Term 1 - Monday 2 February – Thurs 2 April – 43 days
Term 2 - Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July - 53 days
Term 3 - Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September   - 50 days
Term 4 - Monday 12 October - Thursday 17 December – 47 days  

There are 2 teacher only days in 2015 - these are the Tuesday of Queen's Birthday and the Tuesday of Labour Weekend.

Please note in 2015 Anzac Day has been ‘Monday-ised’

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thur 28 Au           Board of Trustees mtg
Fri 29 Aug            School assembly 1.45
Tue 2 Sept           Y5-6 Zone hockey
Wed 3 Sept          Starting school at 5
Fri 5 Sept             School assembly
Wed 10 Sept       Artsplash choir - rehearsal at 11.00 and performance at 7.45
Fri 12 Sept           Dancesplash - rehearsal and performance at MFC; Stage goes up in hall.
Mon 15 Sept        School production - dress rehearsal and run through
Tue 16 Sept         School production - performance
Wed 17 Sept       School production - performance
Thurs 18 Sept     School production - performance
Wed 24 Sept       Junior school Jump Rope
Thurs 25 Sept     Board of Trustees mtg
Fri 26 Sept           School Assembly 11.45; Last day of term.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Cake Stall
The Eastbourne U6 Pirates Rugby Team will be holding a cake stall in the village this Saturday 23 August from 10am to 1pm.

Free Curtains for Community Services Card holders
Not enough curtains at home? Sustainability Trust is providing free curtains for Lower Hutt Community Services Card Holders. The Trust will be running its Curtain Bank out of Great Start Taita from August the 18th. Anyone needing free curtains can pick up a form from Great Start at 5 Cooper Street. Forms must be returned by September the1st. 
www.sustaintrust.org.nz/curtainbank or free phone 0508 78 78 24 for more info.

Kids Cross Country Series 
The next Kids Cross Country Series event for year 1 to year 8 students is on Sunday 31 August at Grenada North Park, Tawa.  Get a few friends together and form a team.  Team and individual awards.  Children get their own personalised race bib if they enter 7 days prior to each event.  You don’t need to be a club member to take part.  Everyone is welcome.  For more information or to enter go to www.athleticshub.co.nz or email jo@athleticswellington.org.nz or phone 021 976116.

NEW YOGA CLASSES starting at Muritai Yacht Club.  Begin and end the week with some Energising Sun Salutations by the ocean.  First class FREE.  

Starting Monday 25th August @ 10am and Friday 29th August @ 9.30am.  For more info FB/Sonnysyoga or call Sonny 021 800 512

SHANDON GOLF CLUB
Want to play golf?  Join the Shandon Junior Academy and we will provide you with the perfect pathway for learning how to play the game of golf.  A fantastic opportunity for you to become involved in a game where you can develop your personal skills and form new and lasting friendship.  You will receive top class coaching from NZPGA AA qualified professional, Glenn Naylor, Academy Coaching Director and his assistants.

Runs for 10 weeks starting 14 September.  Open to boys and girls aged 7 - 15.  New golfers and those already playing.  Only $2 a session or $20 a module.

For further information see our website www.shandongolf.co.nz, email shandon@golf.co.nz or Phone 04-939 6305.

Muritai Tennis Club Junior Tennis Registration Days 
Sign up to play junior interclub tennis or for junior tennis coaching this summer. Registration times are 10-midday Sunday 31 August and 11-midday Sunday 7 September at Muritai Tennis Club 365 Muritai Road. More info is on muritaitennisclub.org.nz.




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