The Connection Week 1 Term 4

Welcome to Term 4.

It is so good to see your children back for this final term of 2022. I always enjoy those moments where the buzz of the classroom and the interactions between the children as they see their classmates and teachers starts up again.

Our term concluded with our seniors attending sports camp - a week of sports and leadership development. This term kicks off with our musical, followed quickly by our Year 3 & 4 camp and then our Year 8’s camp. Wrapped into the term are all sorts of learning activities, reporting and preparing for 2023. I love a busy school.

Have a great week, and special welcome to our new families.

John Petrie

Principal

• Monday 24th October - Labour Day (school closed)
• Thursday 10th November - Senior Athletics Day
• Friday 11th November - Quiz Night

Jiyah (year 4) says: "Huapai School is my favourite because there are so many kind people. The teachers are kind too and really fun. I love to learn lots of things but the things I love the most are reading and maths. At break times I like to play with my friends in the playground. Huapai school is good because it gives us lots of fun experiences. I’m REALLY looking forward to camp!"

Over the break we had some brilliant support from Dirtworks and Westend concrete who donated over $1500 worth of time, truck use and tipping fees to allow the replacement of our entry pathway and the start of our Spring Spruce.

Over the break we held a generous offer from Oxcon (the company that recently completed the foot bridge in Kumeu). They gave us four men for a day. During this time we stripped the library, removed the tiles in the pool changing room, water blasted our outside stage and prepared a garden. We were so grateful for this gift of time.

We also started the long awaited process of upgrading our school library. We had two door gaps put in to extend the space and prepared the walls for new lining. Thanks to Iain Sargeson (Kumeu Carpentry) for this quality job.

Recently the Government has shifted their funding model for schools from a decile based approach (we were decile 9) to an equity index. This index was based on “37 different variables which are used to measure the socio-economic circumstances and places each school on a 226 point scale”. This scale ranges from 344 to 569. The higher the number, the greater the need for equitable funding. Our school equity index is 415.

We have been advised this new approach to equity funding will help to address some of the limitations of the previous decile system. We were really not sure what this meant until we saw the funding we receive to run the school in the coming year. Our provisional funding has just come out and is as we have received in previous years. No significant changes were identified in our funding.

HAVE YOU PURCHASED YOUR TABLE YET?

We are loving hearing the themes that people are using for their group.

Would you like to come to our annual event but don’t have enough people to make a table? How about joining one of our year level tables and spending the evening with a group of adults who have children the same age as yours?

Please use KINDO or call into the office to purchase tickets at the following tables:

Year 1 adults

Year 2 adults

Year 3&4 adults

Year 5&6 adults

Year 7&8 adults

Tickets are selling fast!

Thursday 10th November

As we were unable to hold our senior athletics day earlier in the year due to inclement weather, we are delighted to be able to advise the new date of Thursday 10th November. Please click the link below for more information.

As we move towards the end of the year, we begin the long process of finalising student placements for 2023. Each year we are funded by the Ministry of Education for teachers by the number of students we have. Then we best shape our class structure using these numbers.

Our 2023 school structure is as follows:

Year 1 - 3 classes

Year 2 & 3 composite - 5 classes

Year 4 - 2 classes

Year 5 & 6 composite - 4 classes

Year 7 & 8 composite - 3 classes

If you would like to provide any additional information that you think the school should consider when placing your child, please use the form linked below. Please use this official form instead of conversations or emails directly with your child’s current teacher or other staff members.

This form will close Friday 4th November.

If you are no longer intending to remain at Huapai School in 2023, please advise the school office (office@hds.school.nz) as soon as possible, so this can be taken into consideration when creating classes.

If your child is currently working on these, the final date for submission of completed workbooks is the end of week 4 this term.

It is our school policy that all students must wear a school hat during Terms 1 and 4 (from labour weekend) every year. Please ensure you are sending your child(ren) to school with a school uniform hat. These can be ordered through the School Uniform shop or purchased at the School Office.

Please also ensure you are applying sunscreen to your child(ren) each morning before they come to school. Summer is on the way and the sun is getting hot!

Each year our year 7&8s have the opportunity to attend sports camp in Matamata. This is a week of over 30 different sports that all the group get to take part in. It’s a wonderful week to live and breathe sports, experience success in a range of activities before high school and to step out of their comfort zone in a supportive team environment. Below is a link to some photos of this years’ group who attended the camp in the last week of Term 3.

Last term a lucky group of girls took up the opportunity to work with Chris Vaughan from Harbour Sport for 6 weeks of free basketball coaching. The lessons were enjoyed by all and players received a basketball each at the end of the 6 weeks. We hope to be able to repeat this opportunity again next year.

MusiqHub are looking forward to another awesome year of music in 2022 at Huapai School! They will have some slots available for Guitar, Drums, Piano and Ukulele lessons in Term 3. If you're interested, be sure to get in touch to reserve your spot or ask any questions you may have. Contact details below:

Drums - paul.barry@musiqhub.co.nz

Guitar, Keyboard and Ukulele - scott.wotherspoon@musiqhub.co.nz

These are the Term Dates for 2023:

Term 1: Thursday 2nd February - Thursday 6th April

Term 2: Monday 24th April - Friday 30th June

Term 3: Monday 17th July - Friday 22nd September

Term 4: Monday 9th October - Tuesday 19th December

There will be one Teacher only day and this will be held on Friday 2nd June (Queens Birthday weekend). This day will be for a combined schools teacher only day.

Our 2022 Term dates are:

Term 1 - Thursday 3rd February - Thursday 14th April

Term 2 - Monday 2nd May - Friday 8th July

Term 3 - Monday 25th July - Friday 30th September

We use HERO to send classroom updates, to share regular learning posts and now for payment on all in-school costs. HERO sends push notifications or emails. You can now choose how you receive HERO notifications as well as manage devices that receive them.

To set your own notification preferences:

1. Click on your profile image

2. Select EDIT PROFILE

3. Scroll down to My Devices and select your preferences.
   

Or please see the full instructions linked below.

Email: office@hds.school.nz
Website: https://www.huapaidistrict.school.nz/
Location: Huapai District School 40 Station Rd, Kumeū, New Zealand
Phone: +64 09 412 5042
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huapaidistrictschool