Our Tumuaki / Principal
Updates and developments to share with you this week include the following...
Class Lists 2023: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. This has helped us. The lists have been created and all the teachers have had their input around behaviour, socialization and learning. Having their input is very important as they know the children so well. This enables us to get the best possible mix per room.
I am very pleased with the class sizes that we currently have. This helps the children and teachers immensely to have a good year.
- Team Kea (Room 1) New entrants - Year 1, Miss Laura McVicar: 10 (and growing all year)
- Team Kiwi (Room 2) Year 1 - 2, Mrs Abby Duffy & Mrs Hayley Clarke: 16 (to early 20s)
- Team Pukeko (Room 3) Year 2 - 3, Mrs Jenny Coyle: 21
- Team Tui (Room 4) Year 3 - 4, Miss Caci Mineur: 21
- Team Kereru (Room 5) Year 4 -5, Miss Sarah Botting: 23
- Team Kahu (Room 6) Year 5 - 6, Miss Sanne den Boon: 24
Team Kea 2023: We are looking at keeping a small group of our very latest new entrants from this year in Room One Team Kea for a bit longer in Team Kea for 2023 to secure a strong start. We will then look at moving them maybe for the start of Term Two, or if numbers work okay, the start of Term Three. We have deliberately left Team Kiwi's numbers lower to provide space for this. We will let the relevant parents know, closer to the time, how things are going.
Year Levels: Our classrooms have room numbers that sometimes coincidentally match the year levels of a child's progression through the school. For example, children often think that if they are a Year Four, they should be in Room 4 and that if they are not, they may have missed something. However, this is not always the case as (and you can see from plans for next year) our roll numbers dictate that we need to have split levels in classrooms. Our teachers teach our children to their abilities, grouping them according to need, within their teams. The key thing is the year level classification e.g. Year Four, as this is what determines the progression and 'length of stay' with us.
Boys and Girls: One thing that stands out when we do an exercise like class lists is gender ratios. Edendale, for some reason, often has a lot more boys than girls, and this year is no exception. Out of our current roll of 132, we have 76 boys and 56 girls. We allow for active play breaks (basketball, soccer, grass areas, sports equipment, adventure playground) and engaging classroom programmes (e.g. Bush School, swimming, Sports Activator, PR1ME maths, music lessons) that caters well for this mix.
Southland Athletics 2022: Well done to the children who have qualified for the Southland Athletics, to be held at Surrey Park on Saturday the 19th of November. It is a great opportunity for them to compete against athletes from primary schools across Southland. All the very best to:
- Ella Bryson
- Ida Jukes
- Jada McKinnel
- Piper Muir
- Miriam Pemberton
- Iyland Roberts
- Quinn Tuhao
- Ally Webber
- Ryan Boogerd
- Liam Bryson
- Chase Chambers
- Nixon Cripps
- Cooper Dobbie
- Charlie Frantz
- Ollie Glynn
- Boston Haenga
- Stan Hunter
- Sharnie Waikare-Parkes.
Congratulations to Brooke Loveridge and Kimberley Simmons (both past students of Edendale Primary School) for being the Menzies College recipients of the YouthMark Award presented at the Ascot Park Hotel on Wednesday night several weeks ago.
- Brooke was recognized for her high level of achievement in Football and her academic commitment.
- Kimberley was recognized for her achievements in Small Bore Shooting, showing Dairy Breed Cattle and academic excellence.
We love seeing our past pupils go on to further success.
- It needs to be done on non-lined paper (as it will be scanned).
- It. needs to be scannable on a photocopier.
- It needs to be an original design, done by hand (not a computer).
- It needs to be based on the theme of Christmas.
- This is open to children enrolled at Edendale Primary School.
- It needs to be in by Friday 25th of November.
Community of Learning Otago Southland Hui: Today (Friday 11th of November) our Community of Learning (COL) is hosting all the other Communities of Learning from across Otago-Southland for a termly hui. Close to 60 participants will gather at Croyden Lodge in Gore where we will hear several keynote speakers. As part of the day, our COL is going to share with the other COLs our journey so far in working in unison with each other. A big thank you to the Menzies College Kapa Haka group for being part of the formal welcome.
Office Upgrade: Work is continuing in our administration block as we re-purpose several rooms. The next step is the electrical fit-out and the carpet going down. It's the carpet that will be the most disruptive as it will require alternating entrances, shifting furniture and shifting work spaces for a short time. If you come into the office, please be aware of the interruptions.
To Give Away: We have a few items surplus to our requirements that we have put in the bike shed near the west driveway gate. Help yourself.
Acknowledging - Team Edendale
- Community of Learning Kahui Ako: A number of years ago our school formally joined with other schools in our area to make a Community of Learning. We were the first in Otago-Southland to step up and forward into this initiative. We saw the sense of viewing education from the point of view of the child and their journey from primary school to Menzies College. Our Community of Learning has grown since then and now includes Glenham, Tuturau, Wyndham, Menzies, Tokanui, Gorge Road, Little Ones (ECE) and ourselves. The benefit is going deep and wide for our schools and their students and also includes school leaders, teachers, teacher assistants, School Boards and office managers. Team Edendale, by being part of a wider team of education, is helping our students and staff grow.
Our Events Coming Up
Term Four 2022
Week 5 (of 8)
- Tuesday 15th November - Sports Activator
- Friday 16th November - Celebration Time (2.20pm)
- Saturday 19th November - Southland Athletics
Week 6 (of 8)
- Friday 25th November - LMV Swimming Sports
Week 7 (of 8)
- Monday 28th November - Senior Triathlon
- Wednesday 30th November - Levi Goodall Show
- Friday 1st December - Celebration Time (2.20pm)
Week 8 (of 8)
- Thursday 8th December - Concert Matinee 1pm, Evening 7pm
- Friday 9th December - Year 6 Farewell
- Friday 9th December - last day of school for all students
Our Kura News and Information
School Three-Way Interviews with Reports - Booking Link
The link to our interviews is below. Click through and book for your child/ren.
Uniform Excellence - Thank You
Thank you to the parents who are working to ensure that their children are in the correct uniform.
We now have a sports jacket available at the office which is great for summer.
As the sun grows in its intensity we need all the children to have the regulation bucket hat (not caps) that covers their forehead and ears.
If you have any uniform items that you no longer need we would gratefully appreciate them as it enables us to have a good supply of multiple sizes in our Pre-Loved Uniform supplies.
Bus Lists - Keeping them Up to Date
From 3.00 to 3.30pm school is a very busy place as we work to get all the children to where they should be.
What helps immensely is clear and timely (before 2.30pm) messages from mums and dads about what's happening for their child after school.
Over the course of a day, we populate a Change of Arrangements form so that by 2.30pm it is ready to go around the classrooms letting children know what's occurring for them. We use this information to also update bus lists.
Sometimes bus rolls have permanent entries for pick up on certain days as they align to an afterschool event. Please let the office know if this should change so we get it right for you.
Our Kaitiaki School Board
Term Four - Final Meeting Schedule
The School Board's next and final meeting for 2022 is on Tuesday 29th of November, starting at 7.00 pm in the staffroom.
Out-of-Zone Enrolments - 2023
Enrolment at Edendale Primary School is governed by an enrolment scheme.
The School Board has 20 places available for out of zone students for the 2023 school year. The exact number of places is subject to the number of eligible in-zone enrolments received.
Applications are invited for those out of zone students who would like to enrol for Term One starting Wednesday 1st of February and going through to Thursday 6th April 2023.
Applications for this period are due on Tuesday 31st of January.
Information and application forms can be picked up at the school office. Applications can be made electronically through out website (www.edendaleps.school.nz) under Our School - Enrolments and Attendance. On the digital form, by ticking ‘Out of Zone’, you are deemed to be making an application.
If the number of out of zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot for out of zone places is required, it will be held on Thurssday 2nd of February.
Parents will be informed of the outcome of the application and/or ballot as early as possible.
Our Home and School
Christmas Hamper - Raffle Items per Team
The Home and School would like to ask each family to please donate non-perishable (check expiry date) grocery items for our Christmas Hampers Raffle.
Please drop these items in your classroom donation boxes by Wednesday 23rd November.
Thanks very much.
Team Kea: Christmas decorations
Team Kiwi: Packets eg cereal, jelly, crackers, chips, biscuits, etc
Team Pukeko: Sweets eg lollipops, marshmallows, popcorn, etc
Team Tui: Condiments eg food toppings, jams, sauces, etc
Team Kereru: Drinks eg fizz, juice, water, etc
Team Kahu: Cans of food eg fruit, corn, spaghetti, tomato sauce, etc
Help Wanted - End of Year Raffle and Concert
The end-of-year events are fast approaching. The Home and School runs a Christmas Hamper raffle at the matinee and evening concert. If you are able to help with organising this we would be most grateful.
Further, on the night of the evening concert we provide supper and would love a few hands to help with the tea, coffee, cake and wash-up.
Please contact President Louise Duffy on: louisecduffy@hotmail.com
Next Meeting - Term One 2023
The Term One 2023 meeting of the Home and School, also an AGM, is scheduled for Monday 27th of February at 7.30 pm in the school staffroom.
Our Contact Information
Email: admin@edendaleps.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/edendaleps.school.nz/edendale-primary-school
Location: Edendale Primary School, 24 Salford Street, Edendale 9825, New Zealand
Phone: 03 206 6959
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdendalePrimarySchool
Twitter: @EdendaleSchool
