Bird’s Eye View
Number 10
Friday 8 April 2016
Naumai e te whanau o te kura Muritai
Tena koutou katoa
As we are about to enter week 11 we are starting to wrap up a
busy term. We look forward to sharing student progress with you on Monday and
Tuesday.
There has been a lot of media reporting recently on the new
Health and Safety in the Workplace requirements. Our Board takes the safety of
our school community very seriously and regularly reflects on our systems and
processes. Recently, in light of the implementation date of the new Act, senior
staff, board reps and an outside expert went through our systems and processes
of managing risk again. We feel confident that our current systems are robust
and that our reporting systems allow us to make the changes required to improve
the elements of safety for our children, staff and whanau. We don’t see the
need to remove any things from our school programme but we acknowledge that 450
people on quite a tight space, with lots of occasional enthusiasm and gusto, will
cause, from time to time some bumps and bruises.
We do encourage on a regular basis that our people take care
when using our spaces. We also encourage our parent community to inform us if
they see something that they view as a hazard or failing so that we can rectify
the situation. We do want to be an ‘I can’ school, rather than an ‘I can’t”
school.
I was looking at our attendance rates for the term so far and
they are pleasing –
which you would expect from a community that values education
so highly.
Our attendance spread goes from 80% to 100% with a
school-wide daily attendance average of 91%. Of interest is that children are 3
times more likely to be absent on a Friday than the other 4 days of the week. It
is important to attend every school day if possible - there is a lot of direct
or indirect learning that students engage in each day and teacher’s do plan
learning blocks in a sequential pattern. If a child’s daily attendance is as
low as 80% then that child will have missed a year’s schooling by the end of
year 5 and 2 whole years of schooling by the time they enter year 11 and NCEA
level 1.
Car parking was in the news this morning with parking wardens
heading to schools to issue tickets to illegally parked cars. They have a
particular interest in parking on yellow lines and over driveways. We need to
be patient in cars around the school. Our children are very precious and we
should always put ourselves out to the advantage of others around the school.
PARENT INTERVIEWS NEXT WEEK
Next Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th April we are holding our
first ‘Student Progress’ signpost of the year - parent interviews to feedback
student progress across the first term. Over the term we have formed a learning
picture for each child and we are able to give you feedback on how the children
have done in their initial ‘testing’ and show you examples of work that
indicate where they are now and where they are going. The focus in primary
school is on the key elements of reading, writing and maths, as well as how they
are ‘working’ within the class setting.
To make an appointment go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz, put
in the code 88cr7 and follow the prompts.
It is important to know that you can meet with your child’s
class teacher to discuss progress at any time. Please arrange contact via
email.
BOARD ELECTIONS
Next term we will be holding a Board of Trustee elections and
the current Board’s three-year term will be coming to an end. Their final
meeting as a team will be early next term. We will be seeking nominations in
early May from our parent community to guide the school through to the middle
of 2019. The new Board will take office in June.
Being on the Board is enormously rewarding as you help to
nurture an environment that helps our children to be the best that they can be.
Please consider if you have the skillset to contribute to the governance
of our school community.
SENIOR SCHOOL WORKING BEE
Kate Brownsword has kindly suggested a working bee to have "a
Senior School playground tidy up"!
We would love to rally up as much support as possible to get
this happening so if you are keen please meet on the Senior School playground
on Saturday 7th May between 1pm - 4pm. Please bring your own gardening
gear and tools and we will see if we can put even more 'Mmmmm...' into Muritai!
SENIOR SCHOOL PASSION PROJECT
The Senior School is all a buzz with the students' Passion
Projects. It is exciting to see everything from artistic canvases, bowls
of healthy muesli, animation, paper dresses, Fimo modelling, weaving and all
sorts of incredible creations taking shape! For photos, check out the
Senior School Blog! Don't forget to come and share with us as we
celebrate our finished products on Friday 15th April from 11am - 12 noon.
We look forward to seeing you there!
HOT DOGS VOLUNTEERS
We are still looking for volunteers to help with the hot dogs
the Home and School Committee would like to offer for the children on
Wednesdays during Terms 2 and 3. Being on duty is very simple.
There are detailed instructions, and volunteers with less experience are
partnered with someone who has done it before. The time commitment is
minimal from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
If you would be willing to volunteer during Terms 2 and 3,
please see Jo in the school office.
SCHOLASTIC
An update from Scholastic - we have received half the books
today and we hope the rest of the order will be here early next week.
MURITAI SCHOOL BOOK FAIR
The Muritai School Library will be holding a Scholastic Book
Fair next week. The school gets 30% of every sale making this a good fundraiser
for our school library. The timing of the Book Fair is set around the parent
teacher conferences being held on the Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th from 3-8pm
and a final chance on Wednesday 13th 3-4pm.
We are asking for some help to run the book fair; one hour of
time would help immensely. If you can help could you talk to Sue in the
School Library or see Jo in the office.
LOST PROPERTY
Unfortunately, we have mountains of lost property at present.
Our goal is to get it back to its owners by the end of the term. We will put it
out next week and hope that it will be claimed.
HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Mel and the team have organized an excellent holiday
programme to keep the children entertained over the next holiday break. This is
to provide care for children of working parents and to provide opportunity for
those children that would like to attend individual sessions that interest
them. You can view the holiday programme timetable by clicking on their
blog/information page on our website under Our People.
DIARY DATES (staff may contact you with more details about
these events)
Mon
11/Tue 12 April Parent / Teacher meetings 3.00 - 7.30
Thur
14 April Y7-8 Trip to Parliament
Thur
14 April BOT mtg 7.30pm
Fri
15 April School assembly 1.45 (Last
day of term!)
Mon
2 May Term 2 begins
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 December
We
have 2 teachers only days this year at Queen’s Birthday and Labour weekend.
Teacher
only day one = Tuesday 7 June
Teacher
only day two = Tuesday 25 October
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Bee Healthy – School Dental Service
There
are changes to the current School Dental Service, Mandy & Sarah are no
longer based in the Dental Clinic. If you need to contact them regarding
concerns about your child’s teeth or your child has dental pain, you can
arrange an appointment by calling 0800 TALK TEETH (0200 825 583). You can
also call this number to update your contact details. This is a national
free phone number, which when calling from the Wellington Region will
automatically transfer your call to the Bee Healthy service.
If
you have a preschool aged child, then he/she will be seen with you at a local
dental clinic or ‘hub’ for an examination each year. If your child needs
any further treatment they will require further visits with you to the Petone
Hub to complete their dental treatment.
If
your child is school aged, he/she will be examined on a new dental mobile van
which will visit schools annually. Mandy and Sarah will be in the van at
Muritai School during term 2 where they will examine all Muritai School
children.
The
important change for you as a parent/guardian is that if your child is identified
at their examination appointment as needing further treatment, such as a
preventive coating or filling, he/she will require this treatment at a dental
hub. As a parent/caregiver you will need to ring 0800 TALK TEETH (0800
825 583) to arrange a suitable time and attend this appointment with your
child.
Further
information about Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service is available at
www.beehealthy.org.nz/content/default.html
Lower Hutt Code Club - Information Evening
Hutt City Libraries has had a great response to coding
workshops held during the school holidays over the last year. Response from
students and their parents indicates they are keen to have more opportunities
to learn coding. We are excited to be hosting a Code Club Aotearoa information
evening this month. If possible, please would you pass on the following
information to teachers, parents and students.
Code Club is a nationwide network of free volunteer-led
after-school coding clubs for kiwi kids. Last year we kicked off our first
Wellington based clubs. To provide more children with the opportunity to learn
to code we are looking at starting a new Code Club in Lower Hutt.
Come along to this meet-up to find out how to get involved,
look at the amazing resources, and ask questions of people involved in the
Wellington based Code Clubs.
Aimed at parents, teachers, and volunteers.
Format will be a brief presentation, questions and Pizza to
follow.
War Memorial Library Thursday 14 April, 5.45pm-7.15pm
For more information and to RSVP see the Lower Hutt Code Club
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The
weather is changing, so is our Friday Lunch Menu. Starting 1st April children
can order our NEW Mince or Mince & Cheese Pie lunch combo (with baking
surprise & seasonal fruit).
Combos
are $7.50 and delivered to the school hall every Friday at 12.30pm. Send us
your child/ren's name, room number, and order by 3pm Thursday. Txt 022 468 6325
(022 HOT MEAL) or email info@fft.co.nz.
Order
forms available at the school office. Payments to 12-3145-0180659-00. See our
other popular lunch combo options and term order information at www.fft.co.nz.
Netball – Upcoming Event. Saturday 9 April Walter Nash Centre -
Saturday 9 April
The
ANZ futureFERNS Festival Day is a special one-off event to celebrate Netball.
It is open to all Year 1-6 children – whether they play and love netball
already, or are keen to give it a go. A fun programme is planned with netball
activities and the chance to meet current Pulse players and Netball legend
Irene Van Dyk.
Saturday 9th April ...
Year
1-2 from 11am -12pm
Year
3-4 from 12.30-1.30pm
Year
5-6 from 2pm -3pm
Jennian Homes Mother’s Day Fun Run/Walk, Sunday 8
May, Wellington Waterfront.
Run, walk or have a leisurely stroll with your Mum, daughter,
sister or a group of girlfriends this Mother’s Day. Nominate your primary
school and they could win a share of $50,000 Rebel Sport vouchers to purchase
sport equipment. Register at http://www.jennianmothersday.com
CALLING ALL SINGERS
Eastbourne
Children’s Choir are holding 3 x vocal workshops during the school holidays –
between 18th and the 24th April. Our aim
is to achieve a professional sounding presentation piece and perform this as a
part of the ANZAC Memorial Service for the Eastbourne Community at the Memorial
Gates on Muritai Road on Monday 25th April.
Our
keyboard accompaniast on ANZAC Day will be professional musician Robert Keeton.
Ages from:
9ys (any younger depends on experience,
workshop spaces and the discretion of the choir director)
Important
note - Those who can’t make the performance but can attend a workshop are
welcome.
Fee: $60.00
- $125.00
Any
questions please contact the ECCC Director: Nicole Chesterman Kircher possumtalent@slingshot.co.nz or 027 232 2602
or 973-9773
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