Friday 31 July 2015

Friday 31 July 2015

Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai

Tena koutou katoa

We welcome Cormac Rusholme - Cobb (R3) who joined the Muritai family this week.

This week has been Maori Language Week, which has been celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand every year since 1975. At Muritai we endeavour to promote Te Reo Maori throughout the year within children’s learning so they become confident and comfortable in using Maori words for greetings, commands and basic classroom language. Our focus is to give our children an understanding that Taha Maori is part of our culture and unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. We want our children at Muritai to develop good pronunciation of Te Reo Maori and have confidence in using it when appropriate. Te Reo Maori is integrated throughout the school days in a variety of ways.

Details have gone home this week encouraging the children to engage in our Basic Fact-a-thon. This is the Muritai Home and Schools’ big fundraiser this year with money raised going to outfitting a ‘science’ room in room 17 (the classroom on the field). We will resource the room with storage, science equipment and new furniture. Barbara Ryan has led our science curriculum team superbly over the last few years. There has been a strong development in our science teaching and resourcing and with science education a government priority, there has been a number of groups established in Wellington to better support schools in teaching science. We want to build on this good momentum and create a hub where teachers can deliver classroom science effectively, as well as hosting community experts in science and technology to create ‘wonderment and awe’ and making sense of our amazing world.

WORLD VISION

Neil from World Vision came to our school assembly today to thank our school community for their efforts during the 40 Hour Famine for Bangladesh. We raised $3321 overall which enables 332 families to have a head start for sustainable nutrition. A tremendous effort and thanks to Karen Chao for coordinating this.

PEDAL READY

We have enjoyed having the Pedal Ready team at Muritai this week working with year 3-4. Pedal Ready  is a skills based programme designed to increase the bike-riding competency of children and young people.   The year 5 and 6 children took part in this programme last term and now it is our year 3 and 4 children’s turn.  Core skills include carrying out a bike check, a helmet check, understanding the legal requirements and safety equipment for bicycles, getting on and off without help, starting off and pedalling without help, stopping quickly with control, steering the bike where they want to go, looking behind, signalling, stopping, looking left and right and using the gears.

FOOTBALL IN SCHOOLS

We also welcome the team from Kiwisport Football in Schools who are here each Thursday working with the year 3-4 team. The boys were here last term with year 5-6 and this excellent programme helps our children develop their large ball and striking skills.

NORTHLAND SHORT FILM COMPETITION

We are immensely proud of Samantha, Isabella and Emma in Year 8 who have just received confirmation of their 1st place in the Northland Film Competition. The 3 girls entered the short film they made from their Personal Passion Project in Term 2. These girls worked almost completely independently throughout the entire process, including using their own initiative to find and enter this competition.

The film was shown at the ANZAC Theatre in Dargaville and was judged by a large panel which included Winston Peters!! The judges commended them on their acting and filming techniques.

Congratulations girls - what a top job! $300 is coming your way!!

If you would like to watch their film, CLICK HERE:

MURITAI SCHOOL DENTAL CLINIC

The clinic will be closed from 3 August to 31 August as Mandy and Sarah will be at Wellesley College over this time.  Please leave a message on 562 8915.  Messages will be cleared daily after 3.30pm, Monday to Wednesday.

SEWERS WANTED

We are needing to add some velcro to the waists of our Kapa Haka uniforms to make them a little more versatile in their sizing.  If you are able to assist in the sewing of this please email  Carol Algar on algar@muritai.school.nz

ART EXTRAVAGANZA - MATERIALS NEEDED

As part of the senior school arts extravaganza I am looking for a collection of various random items that we can turn into percussion instruments.

If you have any paint buckets, or various sized clean (or paint dried) plastic buckets that you know longer require we would love to take them off your hands.  Even grain drums of water drums.  We are also looking for odd lengths of plastic down pipes or conduit, or drainage pipe   that you no longer have a use for.

If you can help with any of these items please email  Carol on Algar@muritai.school.nz

Date for Calendars:- SCHOOL DISCO, FRIDAY 14TH AUGUST Year 1-3   5-6pm Year 4-6   6.15-7.45pm Year 7-8   8-9.30pm Cost  $5.00 (includes glow stick and ice-block) Other items available to purchase on the night. Note: All children must be dropped off in foyer and collected by an adult from school hall exit by room 3.

DAIRY DATES

Tue 4 August Central Zone Y5-6 Netball tournament

Tue 11 August ICAS English

Wed 12 August Hawkes Bay schools visiting Muritai

Thur 13 August West Coast Schools visiting Muritai // Board of Trustees meeting

Fri 14 August School assembly and School Disco

Mon 24 August Y5-6 Epro Science Competition

Tue 25 August Y7-8 Epro Science Competition

Fri 28 August School Assembly

Mon 31 August Artsplash rehearsal and concert (7.45pm)

Fri 4 September Artsplash (Kapa haka)

Fri 11 September School Assembly

Tue 15 September School production

Wed 16 September School production

Thur 17 September School production

Fri 25 September End of term 3

COMMUNITY NOTICES

EASTBOURNE CHILDREN’S CHOIR 2015

Founded in March this year by Sinead Diedrich. We meet every Monday night at St. Alban’s Hall between 5:00 – 6:00pm. The choir director is Nicole Chesterman Kircher; vocal coach and manager of NZ’s international act, “The California Dreamers, also lead singer of 4-piece corporate band, “ROCK MACHINE” and lead singer of country-rock act, “Way Out West” – Nicole brings a wealth of experience using a variety of styles including the Jo Estill method, and has studied singing/voice in Massachusetts with Mary McDonald Klimek, the Sydney Conservatorium with Helen Tiller, and in Auckland with U.S vocal coaches David Stroud and Wendy Parr.  Nicole concentrates on group acapella, solo vocals and 3-4 part harmonies. We perform with guest instrumentalists from the Eastbourne community to allow the children the experience of working with musicians. We would like to welcome new members as we have some lovely community gigs to look forward to this year. All enquiries please contact Sinead on sineadkearney@yahoo.co.uk and/or Nicole on kircher@clear.net.nz  

Tutoring Services

My name is Emily McFarlane; I am a third and final year university student completing a Bachelor of Commerce. I can tutor in Maths and English at primary school level. At secondary school level I can tutor in maths, English, science, chemistry, accounting and economics. I have obtained NCEA level 3 in the subjects listed above (except science as this then split into physics, chemistry and biology). Cost: $30 per hour. Phone: 027 2511995.