Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai
Kia ora koutou
FAREWELL TO OUR YEAR 8 STUDENTS
Last night we had a special celebration for our year 8 students and their parents. It was a lovely occasion and the sharing of many happy memories. Our head boy and girl Helena and Callan both delivered excellent speeches on behalf of the student group. We wish our year 8 students every success as they go onto their respective high schools next year. Many families have their last child leaving Muritai School and we thank them for their many years association with the school.
Tomorrow we have the end of year assembly at 11.00 in the school. All the students who we will farewell tomorrow have contributed immensely to our culture at Muritai School. Our leavers have many diverse qualities and strengths, but above all, they should feel that they have tried to be the best that they can be and leave with an appreciation for their peers, their teachers, their school and themselves. We congratulate them and thank them, and their parents, for the contribution they have made to Muritai and wish them all the best for the road ahead.
At last night’s prize giving the following cups and certificates were awarded -
Jacobson Cups for ‘Mathematics’ – Kieran Smith and Samantha Morphew
Debbie Bertaud-Gandar Memorial Cup for ‘Commitment to Science and Technology’ – Kieran Smith
Broadbent/O’Brien Family Literacy prize - Eva Oliver
Mills Family Cup for ‘Contribution to the Arts’ – Isabella Zabella and Rosa Wilson
Kyle Sturgess Memorial Cup for Music and Performance - Rosie Owles
Swain Cup for ‘Leadership and contribution in sport’ – Tom Flynn
Beck Family Cup for ‘Best all round sportsperson’ – Macey Caughley and Lincoln Moffatt
Abel Tasman Cup – Caylie Robinson
Board of Trustees Prize for Improvement in year 8 – Matthew Jones and Milly Sheriff
Board of Trustees Cups for 'Endeavour' – Alice McFarlane and Matiu Inwood
Nicholas Bahler Empathy Award - Mila Van der Wilt / Noah Daniel-Oakshatt
Fortescue-Willis Earthcare award - ‘Environmental Leadership’ - Eden Armstrong
Eastbourne Community Trust Cup for ‘Leadership’ – Neve McKay
Principal’s Prize – ‘ The quiet achiever’ - Prawa Kanjanaphat
Teachers Cup for ‘Being a joy to teach’ – Tomas Pajo
Pou Whirinaki - Reliability Cup - Callan Hughes
Kapa Haka - Tom Flynn
Malama Family Cup for ‘The Inspiring Visionary’ - Eva Oliver
Stotter Cup for ‘Dedication and commitment’ – Ben Cass
Clarke Cup for “Positive contribution to Muritai School” – Paige Schroder
Newton Family Cup for ‘Service to Muritai School’ – Emma Beevers
Board of Trustees Cups for 'Academic Excellence' – Samantha Morphew and Alexander Cox-Turk
Class of 61 Cup - “Outstanding Contribution to Muritai School” – Helena Cvitanovich
Booth Family Cup ~ “The Student’s Student” – Orla Longdon
This is the final newsletter for 2015 and I take this opportunity to thank the children, staff and the Muritai community for what has been another very successful year.
Through the regular newsletters and blogs parents will have gained an impression of school-life throughout 2015. School-life is always “full on” and the website, facebook, twitter and blogs certainly capture the moments of the many activities and exciting events your children have been involved in. Parents who have been keeping track of the school’s online life will also have gained an understanding of the beliefs, values and curriculum focus areas the school has promoted throughout the year. Through the newsletters, celebration assemblies, performances, and the school’s website, the school has celebrated and recognized the many successes of our children who have achieved in a variety of academic, sporting and cultural activities. The positive celebration of our successes throughout 2015 reflects the school’s vision statement “to be the best that we can be”. It is certainly a pleasure to say “thank you” to the large group of parents who regularly support the school and who have been actively involved throughout the year.
The children have been showing signs of excitement as they share their anticipation of what Christmas will mean to them. The Christmas season is indeed one of excitement and joy for them as they begin to dream about everything that sparkles and of course the gifts that are shared by families and friends! Christmas means many different things to each of us and our preparations take many paths as we reflect on our own personal understanding of Christmas and anticipate visitor arrivals, plan summer beach holidays or simply look forward to relaxing and enjoying time with our families.
Many families are leaving the school as they move on to different schools. Thank you for your support and commitment to Muritai and best wishes for the future.
We farewell Stu Devenport, Sarah Richardson, Anand Ranchod and Shelley Frith from Muritai and thank them for their great work and incredible commitment and kindness to the children of Muritai. We wish Briana Lee well for 2016 with her new baby which is due to arrive shortly.
Muritai runs on people and we are very lucky with the team we have here. I would like to thank the leadership team – Stu Devenport, Maureen Buckley, Hayley Skilton and Deane McKay for their tireless organization of the teaching and learning for staff and students. They run a very busy school and do it so well.
Hayley Skilton has been acting AP this year while Jess Savage has been on maternity leave. She has done an excellent job and been an integral part of the senior management team. Jess is returning to Muritai as a class teacher and Hayley will continue the Y3-4 AP role on a permanent basis.
To Mel, Chrissy and Dan in our after school group, who put in many hours to look after our children after school – we say thank you. Not an easy job but one that is always done with a smile.
Thank you to our teaching staff and specialist teachers, who every day, do their very best for our children with skill, organization and enthusiasm.
To our teacher aides and support staff, who are often called upon to drop everything and change tasks, and often do the most difficult work around the school, we thank you for your sunny disposition, high level of skill, can do attitude, kindness and care. Best wishes to Pauline Davies who is leaving the team and returning to Auckland.
Finally a huge thank you to Carole and Jo in the front office who do such a great job and for accommodating, with a smile, the numerous extra requests we get from parents on a daily basis. In addition they do so much managing of the nuts and bolts and time consuming tasks required by the Ministry and the school operates very smoothly as a result. We are very grateful for your service to Muritai.
Our children are very lucky to have such a great team working with them and we really appreciate the nice thoughts, comments and gestures from parents received recently, in appreciation of the contribution we make in your children’s lives.
Our Home and School team have raised and donated about $20,000 to the school through their fundraising efforts this year. This is fantastic and we are so grateful for their time and effort and contribution to raising funds for our children’s education. As a result we will have our new ‘Learning Hub’ up and running for 2016.
To the Board of Trustees - Muritai is in good heart and governed extremely well. We are blessed to have such a supportive team that enables so many opportunities and developments to come to fruition.
All the team joins with me in wishing you all a very happy and safe Christmas with family and friends.
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NO BUS ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - School is finishing at 1PM ON THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER. The bus will not run on this day so please pick up your child/ren from school if they usually catch the bus.
YEAR 8 ABEL TASMAN CAMP
The year 8 students had a wonderful week down at Abel Tasman in what was Stu Devenport’s last trip as camp leader. I just wanted to pay tribute to the staff - Stu, Annette Borgonje, Ruth Hooke and Carole Lowe for their extra efforts to make this camp go smoothly. Also to Penny Stock who helped Carole as ‘camp mother’ this year and the wonderful parents who spent a week away from home working very hard with their children. What a success!
We would also like to thank Leo O'Sullivan, Pak'N Save Petone, who gives us enormous assistance with all our food requirements for both the Abel Tasman and Mt Holdsworth camps.
SENIOR SCHOOL MINI MARKET
From So They Can = Our kids on the ground in Africa wanted to thank you and all your gorgeous years 7 and 8s for the Mini Market. They were overwhelmed by how much you raised and that children so far away care. They also wanted to thank all the Muritai children that came and supported through buying all the delicious products and took part in the games. As you can see in their photo, they are very grateful.
YEAR 5-6 MINI MARKET
As part of the advertising and consumerism study the year 5-6 children have been working on, they ran a mini market ‘selling’ the products/services they had created. The market was excellent and the younger children thoroughly enjoyed partaking in the adventure. As per real life, some businesses did better than others, and lots of lessons were learned along the way. Photos of the market are on facebook.
EOTC WEEKS
Thank you all for contributing to our EOTC weeks through supervision and support. The whole school has been abuzz over the last 2 weeks as our children have taken part in a series of activities outside the classroom. Our kids love this experience and they benefit hugely from it as people. It is a real opportunity to be challenged, and spend time with their mates doing it….so in the last fortnight we have seen kids visiting Matiu/Somes Island, Mt Holdsworth, Mindlab in petone, Y5-6 Triathalon, Days Bay, and the Amazing Race, sewing bee, beach clean up, the Bush Walk at Muritai Park, teddy bears picnics, lots of games and JumpJams and so much more!
Thank you the junior school and years 3-4 who have entertained the community with their Christmas concerts. They prepared and practiced well and were very entertaining, helping us get into the mood for Christmas!
TERM DATES FOR 2016
Term 1 = Monday 1 February - Friday 15 April
Term 2 = Monday 2 May - Friday 8 July
Term 3 = Monday 25 July - Friday 23 September
Term 4 = Monday 10 October - Friday 16 September
Easter = Friday 25 March - Tuesday 29 March
Teacher only day one = Monday 7 June
Teacher only day two = Monday 25 October
SPORT
Basketball
Congratulations to the Year 7&8 basketball team who won their grade this term. A great way to finish the year lads. I would like to thank Barbara McKenzie for all her hard work coaching and all the parents for their continued support. The team consisted of Lincoln Moffat, Tom Flynn, Ben Cass, Tobias Knight, Finlay Steel, Matiu Inwood, Matthew Jones, Tomas Pajo and Callan Hughes.
Touch Rugby
Well done to all the teams that took part in the Term 4 competition. A big congratulations to the Year 3&4 mixed team who won the grade and also the Year 7&8 girls who won their too. A great result for the school. Thank you to all the parents who helped out this term.
Sorry Rosa and Rosa
In the last newsletter I wrote that Rosa Wilson was a member of the Y4 relay team that performed with distinction recently. It was actually Rosa Blair. My apologies for making that error.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Ensemble Music Classes for Children
Next year Priya Gain is offering itinerant music classes for juniors, middles, and senior school students at Muritai School on a Thursday morning. Classes will be based on the Orff approach to music education. The Orff approach is rooted in rhythm and integrates experiences of singing, movement/dance and ensemble playing experiences. It is centred on the playful exploration of the elements of music and opportunities to improvise. Classes will be taught to small groups and are a good support for students already learning instruments as well as for students who have not yet had the chance to learn music formally. For more information please email: priyagain@gmail.com
Piano lessons with Vanessa Tindle
If you have a son/daughter who is interested in taking piano lessons with Vanessa at school, she has a few vacancies coming up for 2016. Vanessa has a FB page “Piano Lessons with Vanessa Tindle” if you would like to find out more about her teaching practice. Please make inquiries with Vanessa before the end of term ph 562 7663.
LIQUIDATION SALE
PERFECT PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS - NOTHING OVER $20!
WOMEN’S QUALITY NIGHTIES, PYJAMAS & BRAS
SATURDAY 19th DECEMBER 10am – 3pm
Or contact HELEN on 0274405205 for viewing times outside of these hours
5 TAUNGATA ROAD, YORK BAY
CASH / CHEQUE ONLY PLEASE
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