Willow Park School Newsletter

Email: office@willowpark.school.nz
Website: http://www.willowpark.school.nz/
Location: Willow Park School 13 Compton Street, Hillcrest, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: 09 480 9236
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowparkschoolhillcrest/

On Monday it is a Public Holiday in New Zealand. Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. New Zealand workers were among the first in the world to claim this right when, in 1840, the carpenter Samuel Parnell won an eight-hour day in Wellington.

I do hope everyone enjoys the extra day this weekend and the sunshine continues!

This coming Friday it is Gumboot Friday. Dealing with depression and mental health challenges is like walking through mud every day. During I Am Hope's national campaign, we ask you to show your support, put your gumboots on, give a gold coin, and remind our rangatahi that with support, they CAN get through the mud. The demand for free counselling is rising. So, Gumboot Friday continues to be an important day where the whole country can get involved and be part of the solution for youth mental health.

Willow Park School students receive direct impact from Gumboot Friday, and there are opportunities for free counselling in our school. We ask you to support this day by children wearing their gumboots on Friday 1st November and to bring in a gold coin donation. There will be other activities created by our Mitey team to raise the awarenesss.

Just a reminder that all children need to wear a hat in Term 4. Obviously wearing a hat in the summer months is essential. Our school uniform hats were introduced in line with the Sunsmart Schools advice to wear a hat with a wide brim or flaps covering the ears and neck. As well as damage to the skin, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can cause damage to the eyes and the sensitive skin around them. The face, back of the head, eyes and ears have some of the highest levels of UV radiation exposure and a sun-protective hat can substantially reduce this exposure.

It is necessary that children wear their hat each day to school, and it can be a good organisational lesson for them to remember to wear it or put it in their bag. Many children keep a spare hat at school too which is a great idea!

Thanks to the amazing Sonja and Nahed from Friends of Willow Park, there is a second chance to order calendars, mouse mats and diaries using your child's artwork. Some fabulous work was done earlier in the year by each class at school and posted on Hero for parents to view. If you missed first time's order, or you want to order more, please go to Kindo on to put in an order. Orders will only be open for 2 weeks. A perfect opportunity for Christmas presents.

We are extremely fortunate as a community to have an excellent school for our children to attend. The Board, school leadership, teachers and staff work hard to provide the very best education possible within our limited resource budget. We will not charge a fee for enrolment or delivery of the curriculum. However, we continue to ask for your financial support of our school via voluntary donations.

These donations are important in ensuring we have the best curriculum resources for your children. Our school is financed by three key sources: government funding, fundraising, and donations. Your school donations are therefore a crucial source of funding for our school. We acknowledge that these gifts are voluntary and wish to thank parents who have already paid for their generosity. Donations are vital in enabling Willow Park to provide the best educational and learning environment possible. As our community grows, it’s important that we can respond with a broad range of opportunities and resources to cater for all students, no matter their interest or talent.

A further encouragement for making a school donation is that it is likely to qualify for the 33% donation tax rebate, which can be applied for from 31 March of any year. Receipts will be issued for all donations over $5.00 in value. Please refer to the IRD website on how to easily claim this back! https://www.ird.govt.nz/topics/income-tax/tax-credits/tax-credits-for-donations

School donations can be paid through Kindo (our preferred option), through internet banking or at the office via credit card or Eftpos. Fran in the office can also help set up a payment plan so the donation can be paid off in different installments, whatever suits you as a family. You can part pay through KINDO. Reminders of what is outstanding will be emailed out to you today.

Your continued support of Willow Park School is highly valued and appreciated. Our united goal is always to put our children at the heart of everything we do, and already this year your donations have made it possible for us to plan outdoor education field trips, provide resources for our specialist teacher programme, art materials, maths resources and new reading books. Should you have any questions regarding school donations feel free to contact the Fran at the office.

Willow Park School Board of Trustees

We have begun the rigorous process of planning placement for each student into a 2025 class. Should you have information that you would like us to take into consideration, please contact us using the guidelines below.

• Send an email to the Principal, duncan.m@willowpark.school.nz with the subject title: “Student Placement 2025”; (please DON’T TALK TO STAFF ABOUT THIS as it is impossible for us to capture all the conversations. We need it in one place so that it can be considered once and at the right time)

• Use bullet points (it makes it easier so we consider each point you want us to);

• Meet the deadline Friday 1 November, it is very difficult to make changes when we are further into the process;

• Understand that sharing your thoughts is optional;

• Understand that your information is considered as one part of a bigger picture; and

• Understand that we are unable to accept requests for specific teachers.

The process takes several weeks, with class lists drafted by teams after input from the 2024 classroom teacher. Children will be given the opportunity to identify four productive friends, for us to select at least one of these. For each class of children we consider:

• Student abilities (special needs and special abilities);

• Student leadership;

• Gender and ethnicity;

• Productive friendships;

• Teacher interests/strengths; and

• Any parent information provided.

After several drafts, class lists are checked by all team leaders before final sign off from the senior leadership team. This usually takes until the end of term, when the children take home their new class teacher introduction letter, and meet with their new class.

We have been so lucky with the weather playing its part and allowing our summer sports to get underway in perfect conditions.

This week saw our Summer Hockey, Touch, Summer Netball and table tennis begin their season and next week our football teams play as do our Flippaball teams. We are so lucky to have so many parents take on board and coach or manage our many teams, allowing so many children to experience a variety of sports. It was so enlightening to see so much excitement, smiles and energy on the field and courts. I was so impressed with the little ones who were playing both netball and touch for the first time. Their confidence and skill level was beyond expectation. And they are having so much fun.

Next week we have our year 5 and 6 boys participate in a 3 x 3 basketball tournament. Good luck to those five teams.

Just a reminder to please mark on your calendars we have the year 4 Athletics at school on Monday 11th November. Year 5 and 6 have their Athletics day on Wednesday 13th November, at the Takapuna Athletics grounds. We will need lots of parent help on those days.

A Google Document will go home early next week seeking permission for your child to participate and an indication that you are able to help.

Don’t forget our school triathlon for year 4, 5 and 6 children is on Thursday 5th December.

There are still places available for the year 5 / 6 girls Cricket Day on Friday 8th November and the Year 5 and 6 girls 3 x 3 basketball tournament on Wednesday 20th November. Both of those are open for registration on our Kindo site.

For any year 5 and 6 children who might be keen to upskill their netball, Netball North Harbour are offering this programme.

A reminder that the NNH Afterschool Programme is commencing Monday 4th November, if you’re interested in some off-season training go the link below to register.

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMME - for Year 5, 6 and 7 players

This programme is designed to give players in Years in 5, 6 & 7, the opportunity for additional training in the fundamentals of the game. Each week will focus on a core theme and continue to revisit & also progress the skill development in each session.

When: Monday 4th,11th,18th & 25th November 2024

Time: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

Where: Onewa Indoor Arena at the Barfoot & Thompson Netball Centre, 44 Northcote Rd, Northcote

Cost: $115.00

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE

2024 Term dates (Staff only days Friday 8 November)

• Term 4 starts Monday 14 October, last day is Tuesday 17 December (1pm finish)

• Labour day - Monday 28 October.
• Staff Only Day - Friday 8 November.

2025 - School Term dates

Term 1 - Monday 3rd February. - Friday 11 April

Term 2 - Monday 28 April - Friday 27 June

Term 3 - Monday 14 July - Friday 19 September

Term 4 - Monday 6 October - Tuesday 16 December

2025 - School is closed for :

Staff only days will be advised once decided.

• Waitangi Day - Thursday February 6
• King's Birthday - Monday 2 June
• Matariki - Friday 20 June
• Labour Day - Monday 27 October

There will be an E-Waste Recycling Collection on November 2nd, 10am - 1pm at Cedar Centre 56a Tramway Road Beach Haven.

This joint project put on by Rotary Birkenhead, Abilities and Cedar Centre, is to assist our community with disposal of e-waste and polystyrene as well as providing meaningful work for people with disabilities.

For more information you can phone Katie at Abilities 027 839 1457 OR Janice at Rotary Birkenhead 021563342