ORATIA DISTRICT SCHOOL - NEWSLETTER

Tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai ki te whānau o te Oratia. Talofa lava. Malo e lelei. Zdravo. Ni hao. Namaste. Kamusta. Greetings Oratia whānau and families.

We started our week positively with our school Athletics Day on Monday. Our Potiki students started the morning with a round robin of fun activities including jumping onto the high jump mat, throwing plastic shotput and foam javelins, leaping into the sandpit for long jump and running races. The older children took part in a rotation that had them trying all the athletics disciplines including shotput, discus, long jump, high jump and running races and relays. Everyone participated well and the neon theme made for a colourful scene. I love seeing our staff all dressed up and joining in the fun. My thanks to the many parents and whānau who came to watch and cheer their children on. We had a great day with the weather, and will be continuing with athletics activities as the weeks continue in order to take a team to the zonal athletics day later in the term.

On Tuesday we had an earthquake drill where we all practiced what to do in such an event. I am pleased to say that it all went very smoothly with our children coming out onto the field afterwards very quickly, quietly and calmly. We do emergency drills of one sort or another each term to help our students practice what to do in case of an emergency.

I am away in the latter part of this week at a conference up in Waitangi. This is run by MAC (Māori Achievement Collaborative) which our school has been a part of for a number of years. I really value the learning that comes my way every time I get together with other principals and school personnel for any MAC professional development. We have been to the Treaty Grounds and welcomed onto the Waitangi marae, and have had sessions hearing from other schools about work they have been doing to make their schools welcoming, inclusive and culturally safe.

We have an upcoming whānau morning in Week 4 (Tuesday, November 5), which will give you the chance to visit your child's classroom and also check out the Calendar Art on display which you can order for Christmas.

Thank you for making sure your children have wide brimmed hats this term as we are focusing on this safety practice over the summer.

Take care and stay safe.

Kia kaha, kia atawhai.

Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda

A reminder that next Tuesday 29 October is a staff only day here at Oratia School.

Our teachers are learners too and they will take this time for professional learning and work with a facilitator around teaching Structured Literacy

On Monday Oratia District School did a fluorescent themed Athletics Day. There were neon colours everywhere…. there was pink, orange, green and yellow! The whole school was doing sports, the whole day and the top few people for each event would be chosen to go to zonals to represent the school. .

The day taught us reflection when we thought of our last techniques from the last time and made them better. It taught us responsibility when we were responsible for our actions and taking our gear from place to place. Mostly we practised LOTS of risktaking when we tried new sports. We showed resilience when we kept on going even though we were tired and hot.

Everyone had a GREAT day and we can’t wait to do it again next year!

The planet that I land on is green and sparkly.

The planet that I land on the animals will be free.

There are white ones,blue ones,and green families.

And trust me that the pink ones are found in the sea.

The animals run fast.

The animals run slow.

Some plants jump and some plants don't,

Some fly high and some fly low,

and some go very, very slow.

There are big ones,

Small ones,

tiny ones too.

And some people say that they go to the moon.

Some are glad

Some are sad

and some are very very bad.

And what do they eat? well I don’t know

But I do know that they like to sew.

I say to the ailians “Goodbye I hope you like the show”

But don’t worry folks, I'll be back tomorrow.”

The next day I come some want to come too

I say “No sorry, but I can take you to the moon.”

On Friday Lone Kauri School visited the Auckland Zoo. This was such a fun day together. We had a zoo lesson and explored the zoo. Adam, from Piha, is a zoo-keeper there. He came and chatted to us too. We observed how animals communicate in different ways too. Many children said this was the BEST day ever.

This week our Garden to Table classes made dumplings and fried rice using produce that was grown in our very own gardens! With the help of our kitchen specialist Juleen, Whaea Kelly and our parent helpers, the children made a delicious meal which was shared by all. The students are learning how to cook from scratch and what is in their food. They experience practical learning with purpose and problem solving and risk taking while sitting and sharing their kai together. The children are even excited to do the dishes after their meal!

What a lovely way to learn and connect!

Have you ever considered just how much rubbish is produced every lunchtime in school playgrounds? Yoghurt containers, chip wrappers, plastic sandwich bags and juice boxes are all destined for the rubbish bins; ending up as landfill or possibly in nearby waterways endangering marine life.

We have noticed a large amount of rubbish at the school recently and we would like to remind parents that at our school we encourage children to bring litterless lunch boxes to school each day.

What does a litterless lunch box look like?

• Reusable food containers: ditch paper and plastic bags and pack kids lunches in reusable, eco-friendly containers such as food-grade stainless steel lunch containers that can be used throughout the school year.
• Refillable drink bottles: refillable stainless steel drink bottles encourage kids to enjoy tap water right throughout the day. Being BPA free, they are a safe substitute to plastic bottles which are a major contributor to landfill.
• Buy in bulk and save: cut back on packaging avoiding individually wrapped snacks such as yoghurt, dried fruit, chips and juices. Buy larger sizes and portion out into reusable containers, saving both resources and money.
• Shop and cook with kids: involve children in preparing meals for a fun family activity. Kids are more likely to enjoy eating their own creations and less likely to throw away food knowing the work that went into it.
• Buy fresh: eliminate quick fix pre-packaged lunches so that only compostable scraps like apple cores and banana peels remain after eating. Not only is it healthier for the whole family, it supports New Zealand farmers.

Barfoot and Thompson Colouring competition - Open to 7-11 year olds

The winner and friend will ride on the Barfoot & Thompson Christmas float in the Santa Parade + enjoy VIP treatment for the day including lunch, prime viewing from the corporate grandstand and free car parking. Entries close: Sunday 3 November 2024

Copies of the Colouring In competition can be collected from the school office

Send your completed entry to: barfoot.co.nz/santa

Email: principal@oratia.school.nz
Website: https://www.oratia.school.nz
Location: 1 Shaw Road, Oratia, Auckland 0604, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 818-6216
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OratiaSchool/