Newsletter 4, Term 2 Week 6 2024

Kia ora whānau

I would like to begin this newsletter by sharing my huge appreciation for the amazing work that our teachers and support staff put into their teaching, to support our tamariki/children. It has been a real joy to watch and listen to students prepare for their Matariki performances, create artwork for ANZAC Day, undertake fact-finding about insect life cycles and participate enthusiastically in RSE lessons. Chatting with my daily stream of NE students as they proudly share their learning is the icing on the cake! Please make sure that you attend your Student Progress Meeting/s this week, so that you too can share in how proud our children are about themselves as learners.

Monarch butterflies helping with our learning

Curriculum Alive & Well at RRS

Last week we celebrated Samoan Language Week with plenty of singing and hand-slapping to the beat of the drum. Thank you to Whaea Danielle and Cyrus for leading us. Our Student Librarians recently organised an epic Book Character Day, with many students and staff joining in the fun.

Left: Marshall (Paw Patrols) & Thing 1 (Cat in the Hat) hard at work.  Right: The Fairy Godmother with our favourite Womble & Kethcum (Pokemon)

Important Dates Coming Up…

Wednesday 26 June

2pm     Matariki Matinee Performance

6pm     Matariki Evening Performance

Friday 28 June

Matariki Public Holiday, School Closed

Volunteers at RRS

It is so heartening to watch our team of parents and PTP ‘grandparents’ work with our readers each morning in the staffroom and the gardening team who look after our grounds. Our Yr 4 & 5 gardeners are enjoying eating apples, feijoas, silverbeet and the odd carrot, all under the watchful eye of Lynnda Bouzaid and Kiera King. We still need your help, if you would like to join this team of adult helpers!

Road Patrol

Your support is SO invaluable. Just 10-15 minutes each week, at the start or end of a day if you can help, so that teachers can stay in their classrooms and remain available to students and parents. We need 7 volunteers for 10 sessions in the next term. Thank you to those who are currently helping – you are amazing! Please email office@rewarewa.school.nz now, if you can help.

Winter Ailments

As we head into winter, we are already noticing a spike in flu-type illnesses amongst students and staff. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home until they no longer have symptoms. This will help reduce the spread of illness to others and increase the chances of keeping our classes fully staffed. We, like many schools, are struggling to find relievers, but have so far managed to avoid putting children into other classes, with even the principal covering classes when needed. We are encouraging children to use hand sanitiser and our teachers to keep windows open, to assist with better ventilation. Masks may be worn by those who wish to do so.

The Bike & Athletics Track

Tasks which still need to be completed include painting lines, putting up signage and obstacles on the course and landscaping the garden in the skills track area (flax etc). If you are able to give your time, expertise, plants, materials or to help out at a working bee, please email office@rewarewa.school.nz to let us know. Once we have these things in place, the top gates can be unlocked for our community to also enjoy using this facility in the weekends.

This amazing aerial shot was taken by our TA Milly as she flew over the RRS bike track. During the last three weeks our Student Leaders have helped organise track trials involving bikes, skateboards, scooters and skates. We hope to have regular use of this track soon, as it has proved very popular with those who have a lot of energy!

Stage 2 of the top field development is now closer to reality, with quotes received and grant funding to be applied for. The plan is to create an irrigated, high-quality grass surface which can be used for both an athletics track and for games such as football. If you have had success with large grant applications, please email office@rewarewa.school.nz and we can connect you with the right people. We would love your help!

Community Engagement

On Wednesday 26 June your child will be performing in our Matariki performances (2pm and 6pm). It is important that all of our students participate in both of these performances, in front of an audience. Numbers for each performance are limited, due to fire regulations.

Parents will be emailed with booking information for the evening performance, with a maximum of 3-4 seats per family – first come, first served.  Bookings will close once we have reached the maximum number and there will be NO room for last minute arrivals. If you miss out on an evening booking, we invite you to attend the 2pm matinee session instead. Please bring a torch to cross the playground for the evening performance and keep children close to you when walking near moving cars.  Use the pedestrian crossing!! ALL drivers must drive slowly and watch for pedestrians, especially when backing. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share feedback as part of the recent communication survey sent out by board members. Tanya Radford (Board Member), will be in touch with our community soon to share the key points from this survey. Expect to also hear very soon about the latest MOE updates with regard to our learning spaces and a proposed reduction to our school zone.

Remember to keep reading school communications that come home from class teachers and the school – this term we have sent three Reporting to Parents Pānui about curriculum and assessment, class newsletters and information about our new RSE programme. We thank everyone who has passed on how much you have appreciated these communications.

ASC Programme

We have been advised of a drop in enrolments at the after school care programme run onsite by the Y. This programme needs at least 20 students enrolled each day for it to remain viable, otherwise we may find that we lose this service at our school.

Wednesday 05 June           3.15-8pm

Thursday 06 June               2-6pm

Tuesday 18 June                5.30pm

Wednesday 26 June           2pm & 6pm

Student Progress Meetings

Student Progress Meetings

Board Meeting

Whole-School Matariki Celebration

Term 1

Thursday 01 February—Friday 12 April

​Tuesday 06 February—Waitangi Day, School Closed

Friday 29 March—Good Friday, School Closed

Monday 01 April—Easter Monday, School Closed

Tuesday 02 April—Easter School Holiday

Term 2

Monday 29 April – Friday 05 July

Monday 03 June—King’s Birthday, School Closed

Tuesday 04 June—Teacher Only Day, School Closed

Friday 28 June—Matariki, School Closed

Term 3

Monday 22 July – Friday 27 September

Term 4

Monday 14 October – Tuesday 17 December (School closes at 1pm)

Monday 28 October—Labour Day, School Closed

Tuesday 29 October—Teacher Only Day, School Closed