Newsletter 7, Term 3 Week 6
Wednesday 28 August 2024
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Thank you to all those in our community who either attended last week’s powhiri or contributed to the amazing shared morning tea. These occasions certainly are a wonderful way to build a strong, united community. Thank you also to the kind person who, over the weekend, noticed that one of our shade sails had become detached from its bolt system and thoughtfully placed a seat on top of it to prevent it flapping and causing further damage. The wind in Newlands over the weekend was obviously very strong!
School Calendar Reminders
- 6pm, Thursday 29 August at NIS – a reminder to our Yr 4-6 parents about the free cyber safety event with John Parson’s. We highly recommend this, as students in these year groups are becoming more independent in their use of the internet. All of our teachers will be attending an earlier session.
- 2025 Term Dates – the board has now approved 2025 term dates, agreed by principals within the cluster. Please see 2025 Term Dates below and on our website, for your information.
- 2.15pm, Tuesday 24 September – Our Kapa Haka Performance Group will be performing their waiata, poi and haka ensemble in the Week 10 school assembly. This is a great opportunity for parents who may not be able to attend the Kapa Haka Festival to preview their performance.
- 9.30am, Friday 25 October – Newlands Kapa Haka Festival in Wk2 of Term 4, parents welcome to watch the performances.
Happening at School
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the 2024 Community Health Survey, which schools are required to undertake biennially. We will be sending home the results this week, along with our 2024–2026 Health & PE Statement. Congratulations to Kishore Tenkayala, the lucky winner of the $30 supermarket voucher!
There still seems to be quite a lot of sickness out there – thank you for keeping your children at home to recover, as this stops these bugs being spread further. We have had days when over half of the teaching staff has also been away due to illness and we have worked hard to find relievers to assist with these absences.
Our huge thanks to Sophie Gates and Leanna Miratana for their expert organisation of the recent hangi fundraiser. Thank you to all those who supported this by providing help over the weekend or by purchasing tickets. Everyone I have spoken to agrees it was the best hangi meal they’d ever eaten! This event raised $3177 towards the purchase of new uniforms for our kapa haka performance group.
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Leanna & Sophie and the end product
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The Board at its last meeting appointed Kate King as a Selected Member to fill the casual vacancy left by Naomi Godfrey. As we welcome, Kate to this role, the Board would also like to take this opportunity to thank Naomi for her wonderful service to the school during all the years her sons were at our school.
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Keeping in Touch with School
Please check our website for newsletters, notices and urgent updates, as well as our closed Facebook page. Likewise, if your child is absent from school, you are responsible for letting us know. Please telephone or email office@rewarewa.school.nz before 9am each day, with the reason for their absence. This is very important, as we need to account for every child, every day. Last Friday we were informed that a woman tried to abduct a child from the front gate area of one of our local schools. We expect every parent to work with us to keep our children safe!
Wheels Days
Our Student Leaders have been out each week helping others to enjoy the bike track. Last week it was scooters and skateboards, this week it will be the turn of bike riders again. It is great that most children are bringing their own safety gear – helmets are compulsory. Thanks to generous sponsorship, we also have a stock of brand new helmets available for loan during wheels sessions.
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Extracurricular Opportunities at Rewa Rewa School
15 of our students have just completed their 5th round of the Otago Maths competition. Although these problem-solving tests are designed for able Yr 6–8 mathematicians working at Curriculum Level 4, we have also had some of our more capable Yr 4 and 5 students join this group.
Last week we entered 12 students in the Mathswell competition held at Victoria University. Congratulations to Bella, Hanae, Curtis, Samuel, Isaac, Mak, Freddie, Owen, Tila, Arush, Ada and Sean. Although we didn’t place in the top 3, our teams still achieved very well within the rankings of the 30 teams who competed. Our thanks to Ian Svela for supporting this group of mathematicians.
Students have started work on their calendar art for the school’s fundraiser this year to support our Arts programme. Information will be coming home soon about how to order online – these make great Christmas gifts!
This week our year 3-6 students and teachers are going to the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie to participate in futsal and Ki o Rahi. Our thanks to the Wellington City Council for covering the cost of buses to and from this event.
Whilst the whole world watched on at the recent 2024 Olympics in Paris, Wai classes held their very own ‘Olympic’ events at school. It was great to see the ‘can do’ attitude of all our athletes, with comments such as “I’m really proud of myself!” being shouted aloud. We were very proud of you too!
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Education in NZ News
Many of you will have seen the government in the news recently, sharing plan for changes being made to the curriculum, beginning at the start of 2025. Principals from around the motu/country have raised concerns about this rapid change. For those who would like to understand more, below is the response to the Minister of Education from the Wellington Primary Principals Association which was shared with the media.
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Wellington Primary Principals Association Raises Concerns Over Rapid Government Curriculum Changes
Tuesday, 20 August 2024, 1:49 pm
Press Release: Wellington Regional Primary Principals Association
The Wellington Regional Primary Principals Association (WRPPA) joins the New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) and other associations across Aotearoa in expressing serious concerns over the Government’s accelerated pace of curriculum changes. We believe the current approach is placing an unsustainable burden on schools and teachers, particularly in light of the limited time remaining in the 2024 school year.
While we acknowledge the importance of continually evolving our education system to meet the needs of all students, the current pace of implementation is unrealistic. The tight timelines set by the Government do not account for the practical challenges faced by schools.
WRPPA is deeply concerned about the accuracy of the data being used to justify these changes. Claims of a widespread crisis in literacy and numeracy do not align with the realities faced by many Wellington schools. Misrepresenting data undermines the hard work of teachers and creates unnecessary pressure on an already stressed workforce.
WRPPA echoes the sentiments expressed in the recent media release from the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI). We are deeply concerned about the lack of experienced facilitators available to support the professional development needed to implement these changes effectively. Without proper guidance and resources, schools are left to navigate these complex transitions on their own, which is neither fair nor sustainable.
We currently have serious challenges across our Wellington schools with sourcing relievers and the extra professional development required will put further pressure on our already stretched system.
WRPPA urges the Government to adopt a more collaborative and considered approach to curriculum reform. We believe that genuine consultation with principals and teachers is essential to ensure that any changes are sustainable and aligned with the needs of our students and communities.
WRPPA urges the Government to reconsider the pace and approach of these curriculum changes. We call for a more collaborative process that respects the professional judgment of educators and the voices of our communities. Our primary focus should be on providing a quality education that meets the needs of every child, not on hastily implemented changes that threaten to undermine the stability of our schools.
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Tuesday 10 September 5.30pm
Tuesday 24 September 2.15pm
Tuesday 24 September 5-6pm
Friday 25 October
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Board Meeting
Kapa Haka Performance at Assembly
Māori Hui
Newlands Kapa Haka Festival
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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
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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
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Monday 22 July – Friday 27 September
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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
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Monday 03 February—Friday 11 April
Thu 06 February—Waitangi Day, School Closed
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Monday 28 April – Friday 27 June
Mon 02 June—King’s Birthday, School Closed
Tue 03 June—Teacher Only Day TBC
Fri 20 June—Matariki, School Closed
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Monday 14 July – Friday 19 September
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Monday 06 October – Thursday 18 December (School closes at 1pm)
Monday 27 October—Labour Day, School Closed
Tuesday 28 October—Teacher Only Day TBC
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Love Tennis event is a great way to check out what is on offer at your local tennis club
Time: 10am -2pm Date:Sunday 8th September Newland Paparangi Tennis Club – 26 Black Rock Road Newlands
It’s a great day for all ages with:
- fun games for the young and young at heart
- awesome prizes up for grabs
- free sausage sizzle
- discounted membership for folks who sign up as a new member on the day
- existing members also have a chance to go into the draw to win the cost of their membership back (or $170 off a family membership)!
- Schools colouring in flyer – colour it in and bring it with you
Come and meet our coaches who will be coaching our Tamariki and adults this season
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Newlands-Paparangi Tennis Club Scholarship
Newlands-Paparangi Tennis Club is a club determined to reduce the barriers for all people within our community to engage in Tennis.
Program Overview:
The NPTC Scholarship Programme aims to encourage young people to get into the sport of tennis, offering them the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, gain confidence and have fun whilst making new friends. These scholarships are specifically designed to reduce any significant barriers that prevent enthusiastic and motivated students from accessing tennis training and facilities.
We will have a limited number of scholarships to award this season (October 2024 – October 2025). Our program is open to students aged 5-17.
Scholarship Benefits:
Free Tennis Coaching: Scholarship recipients will receive professional coaching from our experienced and certified tennis instructors from One Community Tennis. The training sessions will be tailored to the individual needs and skill levels of the students.
Access to Facilities: Students will have access to the tennis courts and court booking system. They are welcome to bring their parents/guardians to the courts to play.
Equipment: All necessary tennis equipment, including rackets and balls will be provided at no cost for the duration of the scholarship.
Nominations are open from 8 September until 22 September to apply. Successful applicants will be notified by 7 October.
Tennis coaching will begin the week of the 14th of October and run through Term 4 and Term 1 & 2 of 2025. This will take place after school on either Tues or Wed (age-dependent).
After the form is completed the NPTC Committee will be responsible for selecting the chosen candidate. The Committee may work in collaboration with the Student’s school to provide any further information that may support the application.
Link to nomination form: https://forms.gle/fnQSWVjynD1ymPaq5
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Junior Softball
Register now for Softball 5 – 15 years at https://www.sporty.co.nz/jvillesc/ or contact johnsonvillejuniorsoftball@gmail.com, by Friday 30th September 2024. Check out Johnsonville Softball Club on Facebook, or contact Andrew on 021 745311 for more information.
Why not also come and join us for:
Have a Go Day
10-11.30am, Sunday 15th September
Newlands Intermediate Turf, Bracken Road
Open to new and existing players.
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If you are considering After School Care for Term 3, look no further! Available onsite at Rewa Rewa School 3-6pm, Mon-Friday during term – enrol online with the Y.
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The FREE KiwiSchools Connect app for Rewa Rewa School is available in both the App and Play Store. Download it now to access all the features of our website via your mobile device.
Scan the QR code below to download:
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