Thursday 30 October

Welcome to our new students - Brooke Harrington (R1), Svana Clark (R5), George Saunderson (R1).

It is hard to believe that we are in week 3 of our final term already. We have lots to get through in the month of November and this includes the Eastbourne Village Carnival and a visit from the Education Review Office the following day and through week 7. Please have a look at the diary below and make sure you are all familiar with the dates and times of events to come.

The estimated date of completion for our library is next Friday, 7 November and we are hoping to officially open the building on Friday 14 November. Further details about an opening ceremony will follow once things are confirmed. The building team are now moving around to complete stage 2 which is a large deck off the two-storey block, return the old library into a classroom and complete the Oroua St frontage. We thank you for your patience while this work continues.

As we continue our organisation for 2015 we are receiving some requests from parents for their children's placement in 2015. While we don't have a policy that allows parents to choose their child's teacher, or which children they can or can't be with, we try to be as inclusive as possible as an organisation. We really do appreciate that most parents just allow the school to place the children into classes in a fair and equitable way and while we are prepared to listen, we can't guarantee that we can action what individual parents wish for. School after all is a bit of a 'metaphor for life' and our children do need to adapt to the situations they find themselves in and do the best that they can in each environment.

As teachers, we take a great deal of time in developing classrooms. We work closely as a staff and take into account the needs of individual children and the ways they relate to various teacher styles. We know which children work well together and those who do not. Each class is balanced as much as possible with an equal number of boys and girls, with a range of ability levels, and a range of personalities.  These decisions are made very carefully by considering the best learning situation for all of our children. Our efforts are virtually wasted, however, when classes are filled by requests based upon vague reasons such as "her friend is in that class,"  or "I heard something good about the teacher," and "my son begged me to request this teacher" are not valid reasons for a request, and in fact undermine school attempts to provide the best situation for all the children we have to place. 

Remember, you or your child may not necessarily relate to a given teacher the same as another person might. Your child is different and special, however w
e are very lucky at Muritai to have such an experienced, committed teaching staff to guide our children's learning. 

CARNIVAL
With just a few weeks before our huge fundraiser, it is all go from the Carnival Committee.  It may seem a little quiet out there but the Committee have it all in hand.  Now it’s your turn.  They need you all to help out by putting your name down for jobs, either on the day, or before-hand prepping food, making goods (deli store, cakes, etc), potting plants and cleaning out your cupboards to donate your old toys, books and clothes.

Signs will be going up in the foyer very shortly so please ensure your name is down for one of the jobs – at least one person from each family.  Over the past few Carnivals, approximately $45,000 to $55,000 has been raised to help the school.  We are currently building our new library with funds from those Carnivals as well as purchasing new IT equipment for our children.

ATHLETICS
Athletic Sports Day for our Year 3-8 students was held today and went really smoothly. Thank you to the teaching staff and children for working so hard to make this such a wonderful event.  Children have been working very hard and set personal goals to achieve on the Athletics Day.  We really appreciate parents and friends joining us to support the children. 

WOW - WORLD OF WASTE
Last week some members of Room 15, part of the School Gen Lead Team, went on a WOW (World of Waste) trip.  This tour is run by Sustainable Hutt City and is designed to enhance students’ understanding about the nature and volume of waste that households and schools generate, and to offer alternative ideas to throwing things away and landfilling them.  It uses discussions, site visits and a range of activities covering several curriculum links including science, technology and social studies.  The students got to visits the Silverstream Landfill, the Earthlink Recycling Plant, The Dowse Art Gallery and the Waste Management Recycling Plant.  

Room 15 Students - "The trip was loads of fun and we enjoyed learning where the waste that we create at home and at school ends up when we put it in the bin or recycle it.  We even got to keep a toy or book for free from the Earthlink shop!"

RAPunzel
We had the 'Rapunzel' show today...it was cool!!!

"Rapunzel is the hot favourite to win ‘A Land Far Far Away’s Got Talent With X Factor Idol’. She’s a teenage triple threat, with the voice of Lady Gaga, the dance moves of Beyonce, and the hair of… Rapunzel!  But when she refuses to sign a contract with the 'udderly ruthless moosic' producer Simon Cow, he locks her in a recording tower high above the enchanted forest to steal her singing voice with a magic tape machine.

What can Rapunzel do now she can’t sing? Rap!  With the help of a very handsome Fresh Prince, some very long hair, and a smattering of all your favourite fairytale characters, it’s time to flip this fairytale upside down, wave your hair in the air like you just don’t care, and put the RAP back into RAPunzel.
By Room 16
TERM DATES
The Board of Trustees have set the term dates for 2015. Please note the following - 

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’

ABEL TASMAN $100 NOTE RAFFLE
As part of their fundraising efforts for Abel Tasman, the Year 8 students ran a raffle for a $100 note.  The raffle was drawn in the first week of term 4, with the $100 note going to Robin Hamlin, a friend of the school.  Many thanks to everyone who bought a ticket and supported the Abel Tasman camp.

DIARY
You can access a full calendar on our website under 'Noticeboard'

Thursday 30     Y3-8 Athletic Sports
Fri 31 Oct        Assembly 1.45
Mon 3 Nov       Y5-6 Pedal Ready programme (runs for a fortnight)
Tues 4 Nov       Photos for R1 and our recent New Entrants
Wed 5 Nov       Year 7-8 Touch tournament
Thur 6 Nov       Year 8 testing at HVHS / Y1-2 trip to Musical Stars
Friday 14 Nov   Assembly 1.45 / Y5-6 Whitireia Show
Tues 18 Nov     Y4-6 Zone athletic sports
Thurs 20 Nov    BOT mtg 7.30pm
Mon 24 Nov      ERO visit / Swimming starts / Y1-3 parent conferences /Road patrol training for 2015
Tues 25 Nov     Y4-6 Inter-zone sports / Y1-3 parent conferences
Wed 26 Nov     Starting School at 5
Fri 28 Nov        Assembly 1.45
Mon 1 Dec       Y1-2 EOTC week / Y5-6 Road patrol pool party
Tues 2 Dec       Celebration of Learning
Wed 3 Dec       Y5-6 EOTC week begins / Junior school athletic sports
Thurs 4 Dec     BOT mtg 7.30pm
Mon 8 Dec       EOTC week for years 5/6 and 3/4 and Y8 to Abel Tasman
Mon 8 Dec       Year 7s to Matiu/Somes Island
Wed 10 Dec     Year 7s to Mt Holdsworth camp
Tues 9 Dec       Y5-6 2015 camp meeting
Thurs 11 Dec    Junior school Xmas concert
Fri 12 Dec        Reports go home
Mon 15 Dec      2015 classrooms meet together
Tue 16 Dec       Y8 leavers dinner
Wed 17 Dec      Y3-6 Xmas concert
Thurs 18 Dec    Last day of the school year / Final assembly 11.00
                      School finishes at 1.00

COMMUNITY NOTICES
Eastbourne Junior Swim Club Starts Thursday 20 November – Register Now! It’s almost time for the Eastbourne Pool to open, and that means our community Swim Club for Term 4 and Term 1 next year is about to start.  We want to have as many Swim Club nights before Xmas as we can, so are only taking PRE-REGISTRATIONS.  Please sign your child up at the Eastbourne Library or at our registration morning at the Eastbourne Pool 10-midday Saturday 15 November.  $30 per child. All children aged 5 and older catered for.

Available for Babysitting
My name is Jasmine Henwood.  I am 32 years old.  I am available to look after your kids even in the school holidays.  Please text me or call on 021 066 0536.  My hourly rate is $10 per hour



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