FRIDAY 28 AUGUST 2015

Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to our new students this week - Evan and Imogen Chappell who have started in room 6 and room 16 respectively. Our roll today sits at 430 pupils which is tracking exactly as planned for 2016!

The school has a different feel to it this week as our year 5-8 children have been immersed in making costumes for their production.  We have had 200 children all over the place, following some sort of order, to create and build their performance piece to share in week 9 of this term. My daily wander around classrooms has shown how  special this opportunity is with such a different type of learning going on. It really is extremely challenging for students and, with the choreography coming next, working closely with direction and indeed others will present a new step up for our children to master. We are always very proud of the shows we produce at Muritai and this one, while quite different to what we have put together before, is starting to take a lovely shape. Fingers crossed this good momentum is maintained.

There have been so many parents / friends of the school in this week helping. This is much appreciated and one of the special characters that we have in the New Zealand education system. Our families and communities can play a rich part in our children’s day at school. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with our children.

There is a lot going on at the school - production preparation, activities such as EPRO technology challenge, Mathswell, Artsplash, Dancesplash, Fact-a-Thon, Pizza mondays, Daffodil day today - the school never stands still, it is always on the move. All the best to our Artsplash choir next Monday evening at the Michael Fowler Centre.

Today we tested the school capacity for a Tsunami drill. This involves all people on site vacating the school and walking up McKenzie Road above the safe zone. It went well and the last person was at the bottom in 7 minutes and all people above the safe zone by 10 minutes - which is excellent.

Please note the Board of Trustee parent workshop on developing strategy towards 2020 on Monday 7th September. We would love to see you there.

CALENDARS

You will have recently received a notice for Art Calendars, Diaries and Cards for this year - these make excellent Christmas presents for grandparents, family and friends.  You can view your child’s art work either in their classroom or on their classroom blog.  Please ensure you place your orders and return to the office by Friday 11 September.

YEAR 5-8 PRODUCTION “THE ELEMENTS”

Our Year 5-8 students have been working incredibly hard over the past week getting prepared for their art extravaganza in week 9. We have had students involved in a variety of creative experiences including the art of taking the perfect photo, learning lines for a play (William Shakespeare's MacBeth no less!), creating a music/dance act with percussion, painting on fabric and of course wearable arts. All the acts are inspired by 'The Elements - Earth, Wind, Water and Fire'.

The teachers have been incredibly impressed with all the students creativity and enthusiasm over the past week - what incredible kids we have at Muritai!

A special thanks to all our wonderful parents who volunteered their time to help out during the week. We could not have done it without you!

We are looking to borrowing a few items for our performance as follows:

• Portable Freestanding basketball hoop
• 2 orange strobe lights (that top workvans, or similar)

Please contact Carol Algar if you are able to lend the school any of these items.

Performances will be on:

• Tuesday 15 September Matinee at 1pm
• Tuesday 15 September Evening Performance at 7pm
• Wednesday 16 September Evening Performance at 7pm
• Thursday 17 September Evening Performance at 7pm

Tickets will be available for purchase from Tuesday next week from the school office - adults $8.00, children and seniors $5 each.

NUDE FOOD

Kim Grant our local Tupperware provider has put together a special order form of snack containers through to full lunch sets as we endeavour to reduce our waste.  Any proceeds will go towards funding future school enviro initiatives. If you wish to purchase any items please return the attached order form and money in an envelope to the office.

TOWARDS 2020.

The Board of Trustees and the staff have been working on planning ahead to develop some strategic ideas to take Muritai forward to the year 2020. The Board would like to invite parents to a ‘forward thinking session’ on Monday the 7th September from 7.30pm. If you would like to come along and be part of the process we would love to see you there.

We recently shared Sir Ken Robinson’s seminal talk on the culture of learning ...you may like to have a look at the excellent five minute talk from Mark Osborne on modern learning practices in the 21st century….CLICK HERE. Mark explains why learning over the last 5-10 years is different to when we as adults experienced school.

EPRO8 CHALLENGE

 Muritai sent along a year 5 and a year 6 team to the Epro8 Technology Challenge at Wainuiomata Intermediate School on Tuesday 25 August. Where they competed against a large number of teams from schools around the Wellington region, tasked to complete as many technology challenges within two and a half hours. Our teams did exceptionally well with the year 6 team coming 3rd and the year 5 team coming 4th - both through to the semi-finals!

On monday the 24th of August two Year 7/8 Muritai school teams of four entered a competition. Team 1 was Noah Oakshatt, Tilly Potter, Tessa Treadwell-Burke  and Shannyn Thompson. Team two was Kieran Smith, Fergus Hart, Macey Caughley & Dann Tokeley. The competition we entered was an engineering and building competition called ePro 8. We were set with limited supplies and had four tasks and had 3 and a half hours to do as many of the tasks as we could do. The first task we decided to do was to make a Mars space rover that could carry 5 kg and for more points we could make it remote control, go back and forwards and or stop if it hits any objects. When we had finished we pressed a big red button that lets off a song and lights to mean we are done.  We had made a mars rover that

could carry 5 kg.  After that we had 1 and a half hours to make a crane that had to be 1.8 m high and carry 1 kg. We managed to complete the task in the nick of time, we had 2 minutes till the time was up. Once we had finished it was prize giving and team one came 3rd and team two came 4th! This means both teams qualify for the semi-finals on Tuesday 15th September.

Noah Oakshatt

ARTSPLASH AND DANCESPLASH

Last chance to purchase your tickets for the Artsplash and Dancesplash performances..  Please see Carole or Jo in the office.

Performances are

• Artsplash - Monday 31 August
• Dancesplash - Friday 4 September

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Flash Us Your Whio

We are celebrating the launch of our flash new walk-through whio aviary with $10 entry for everyone on the weekend of 12th and 13th September only.   

Walk-through our exciting new aviary and meet the resident whio, kakariki and kereru in this wonderful recreation of their natural habitat.  

There will also be lots of fun whio activities for visitors to enjoy.   Be one of the first 100 visitors through the entry gate each morning to receive a special number that corresponds a rubber blue duck.   Daily blue duck river races will take place with the first 3 ducks across the finish line winning their owners some fantastic prizes.  

Our rangers will also be running special blue duck talks throughout the weekend.  So make some time to join on of these free talks and find out more about this very special iconic NZ duck.

Cool Kids' Kilometre - Sign up now!

The starting pistol for this fabulous local fun-run will 'go off' at 11am on 13th September 2015 at McEwan Park in Petone.  The Cool Kids' Kilometre is part of the Pelorus Trust Run & Walk Event.  Visit www.hvmc.org.nz for more information, and to enter online.

Entry is only $5, and all entrants receive a finishers ribbon.  Parents welcome encouraged to run/walk with their kids

Age Groups: Under 8, 9-10, 11-12.  Trophy for first boy and girl in each age group.

Melissa Moon, two time World Mountain Running champion, will do the warm-up, and run with the kids.

Melissa is a long-distance athlete from Wellington.  She is a two time World Mountain Running champion and has won 21 NZ athletics titles over her career.  In 2001 she was named NZ Sportswoman of the Year.  In 2010, Moon won the woman's race up the 86 flights of stairs of the Empire State Building, in a time of 13mins and 13secs.

Eastbourne Rugby Club ‘After Match’ Party

A few tickets are still available for this very popular event raising funds for our local Eastbourne Community Services Club.  Saturday 5 September from 7pm.

Everyone’s welcome. Tickets are available for $75 each from the  Muritai school office.

For more information contact Annette on 021 027 07 886 or email annettesliper@yahoo.com

2015/16 Muritai Tennis Club Junior Tennis Registration

Keen to play tennis this summer? Sign up for junior inter-club tennis and coaching with Evolve Tennis Coaching at the Muritai Tennis Club, 356 Muritai Road on the following dates:

11-noon Saturday 5 September 2015

11-noon Sunday 13 September 2015

Payment must be made at registration.

Junior Interclub tennis starts Saturday 17 October - contact Jude Notman - judenotman@yahoo.com or Gretch Campbell - daysbaysurfclub@gmail.com

Evolve Tennis coaching includes options for juniors of all ages and abilities.  Meet the Evolve Team in person on Saturday 5 September or contact evolvetenniscoaching@gmail.com or 4791 386.

Middle Years Toolbox Parenting Groups

A fun and inspiring small group parenting course for parents of children aged 6-12 years.

It’s designed to help you stay connected, teach skills and build memories.

Two options, both on Tuesdays 20 Oct to 24 Nov 2015:

Daytime:  10am to 12pm  in Pinehaven  Facilitated by Lisa Cutfield

Evening:   7pm to 9pm in Kelson  Facilitated by Murray & Helen Deadman

Would you and your partner both like to participate in a Toolbox group, but finding a babysitter is tricky?

Why not go to one group each? You can book at the couple price! Contact Natalie to find out how.

Bookings are essential. Cost: $75 individual, $110couple (subsidies are available)

Free for foster and adoptive parents and grandparents raising grandchildren, thanks to govt funding.

Visit  theparentingplace.com or contact Natalie P: 934 8483  E: HuttKapiti@theparentingplace.com