Puketapu School Newsletter

Kia kaha - do your best * Kia māia - be courageous * Kia manawanui - have a heart

Many thanks for your patience during our Teacher Strike this week.

We all appreciate your ongoing support as we campaign to make sure all children get the education they deserve.

As well as welcoming new staff to our school in 2019, we are also having to say farewell to some...

After 40 years of teaching, 30 of which have been here at Puketapu, Mrs Lesley McDonald is going to retire at the end of the year.

She has taught so many children and the children of some of those children too! We are going to miss her very much and wish her a very happy, long, relaxing retirement.

Another long term part of the Puketapu whanau, Mrs Lisa Haenga has been a key feature in maths, music, choir, productions, camps and so much more over the past 21 years. Lisa is heading to a new job at another school. We will miss her and we wish her all the very best at her new school.

Birthdays this week:

• Brooke Balsom
  
• Layla Hardgrave
• Millah West
• Jurnee Rei
• Lee Duff
• Joseph Stainthorpe
• Alex Innes
• Kyra-Jae Paki

Congratulations to our Puketapu Superstars, who have been spotted showing our school values:

Kia kaha - Do your best

• Roman Meijer
  
• Elias Merdj
• Tess Balsom
• Onaleah Zandbergen
• Justin Ryan Inocencio
• Khan Barnard-Perry
• Jaxyn Sandford
• Johnny Read

Kia manawanui - Have a heart

• Rangi Tau Brider
• Nixon Gadsby

Congratulations to the winners of our Duffy Awards, presented in the Showcase on Friday 9 November.

Duffy Awards

• Tiki Ngarangi
  
• Toni Kiriwi
• Alexis Lind
• Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley
• Lajayshea Hori
• Justin Bromwich
• Ty Leaf
• Mikayla Cousins
• Dominic Olander-Collison
• Sanjeet Chand
• Kaitlyn Veza
• Layla Hardgrave
• Jarvana Ardern
• Cassandra Wall-Colvin
• Conrad Hobin
• Hanro Eksteen
• Mallory Leaf
• Tyreece Joines
• Kallana Bradnock
• Marlia Cooper
• Nate Stainthorpe
• Willow Lundy
• Shavorn McLeod-Lackner
• Mercedez Tagatauli
• Petra Keith
• Scott Wakeling
• Ruby Tadikonda
• Riahn Paki
• Cainan Murray

Our Duffy Awards are sponsored by Groundworkx Taranaki Ltd, a Taranaki wide earthmoving business with 16 years experience in the game. You can see more about them on Facebook - Groundworkx taranaki ltd. Thank you Groundworkx - you're awesome!

For Showcase each of our Learning Teams choose one student to be the recipient of a
PB4L Award for being excellent role models and showing our School Values: Kia Kaha - Kia Māia - Kia Manawanui.

Kauri:

Chloe Pearce

For consistently showing our School Values, especially Kia Kaha, in her learning.

Kowhai:

Jeosh Rafal

For being an excellent role model and always showing all of our school values.

Totara:

Taylor Harvey

For showing Kia Manawanui towards our environment and ensuring he tidies away his resources and belongings.

Rimu:

Horizon Scott

For always being willing to work alongside others and show Kia Manawanui.

The PB4L Awards are sponsored by The White Pear Cafe

The sunscreen we use at school is Smart365 SPF50+ Lotion with Vitamin E and Aloe Vera. This is "a light, non-greasy, moisturising sunscreen suitable for all skin types and ideal for the whole family to use. It has been formulated to provide very high protection from harmful UVA and UVB."

If you would prefer your child to have a different sun lotion, please send it to school in their bag, (with their name on it please.)

Sun hats are required to be worn outside every day in Term 1 and Term 4 - even when it's cloudy.

Please remind your child to bring a hat (and please name it).

School hats can be purchased from the school office for $5.

Armistice Day New Plymouth. Kaitiaki Tama and Kotiro connecting and remembering.

We were very proud of our leaders Elijah Keith, Reuben Warring, Tyler Read and Samsara Falaniko who took part in the parade to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on Sunday.

It has been three years since they were last at Puketapu School, and next week they will come to say "Hello" and "Goodbye"! Mark de Lacy aka "The Minstrel" and Hiwi the Kiwi have toured New Zealand for the last 10 years, teaching countless children and adults about sustainable fishing and caring for our precious environment, but this is the last one - as they are also retiring.

The show also talks about how plastic and rubbish in the environment are killing lots of our precious seabirds which adds to the other sustainability messages around kai moana and water safety.

The cost is $4 per student, which can be paid at the office or via your school account. Whanau are welcome to come along to enjoy the show too.

It's finally here!

After months of planning and fundraising, next Monday our Year 7&8 students head off on camp.

They will spend an action packed week at Finlay Park Adventure Camp near Cambridge.

Find out more at: https://www.finlaypark.co.nz/

Next year schools all over New Zealand hold their triennial elections for Board of Trustee members.

The board is responsible for the governance of the school, for setting the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration.

We need people from all parts of our school and community to form a strong and pro-active board.

Could it be you?

If you are interested, check out the video below or ask at the office for more information.

This year's Celebration Evening is on Friday 7 December from 6.00pm.

We invite whanau, friends and all members of our Community to come along and enjoy an evening of celebration on our school quad (or at Northpoint if the weather isn't great.)

There will be performances from all classes and groups... rumour has it there may even be a staff performance...

There will also be a Christmas Raffle, so we are asking every student to bring along one or two things to add to our Christmas Hampers. These could be food, decorations, Christmas treats... Please bring any donations to the school office. Tickets will go on sale at the office later this month.

Our wonderful Home & School is looking for volunteers to help with a float in Bell Block's Christmas Parade on 8 December.

Can you help decorate?

Will you help organise?

Do you have a truck we could use?

If you are interested in helping out, please contact Cushla Walthew.

Our Breakfast Club is a great way to make sure akonga start the day with a healthy breakfast, setting them up for a busy day of learning ahead.

It's free - Milk and Weekbix are provided free courtesy of Fonterra and Sanitarium - but we need people to help run it.

Can you help? If you can donate an hour before school on Wednesday or Thursday mornings, we would love to hear from you. Please let the office know, or contact Cushla Walthew.

Totara 1 have been learning about geometry and taking photos of the shapes around them.

Elias and Justin Ryan and Khan and Jaxyn created Pic Collages of what they found. There is geometry all around our school!

Every week this term there will be a maths challenge in the newsletter.

Choose either of the two questions - or answer both!

Write your answer, along with your name and class, on a piece of paper and drop it in to the office.... and go into the draw!

Week 5 Questions:

1. How far can you kick a ball? How far can you throw a ball? You can use estimation. (How would you work out an answer and know that you are reasonably accurate if you couldn’t measure exactly)

2. How heavy is your school bag on an average day?

Kowhai 3 have been putting the finishing touches on some creations for the TSB Festival of Lights. They are making 2D and 3D objects to go on display and many of them will glow in the dark!

festivaloflights.nz - starts Sunday 16 December

Order your lunch on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (last late orders before the bell on Thursday) then have your White Pear lunch delivered to class on Friday.

This Week: WEEK 5

Macaroni Cheese with Bacon $4.00

Fruit salad with yoghurt $5.00

Next Week: Week 6

Nachos $5.00

Ham wrap $3.50

Thursday 15 November:

Junior Kapa Haka (2.00 - 3.00) - Siniva

Ki-o-rahi (2:00-3:00) Kauri Y6 - Larnee

Inglewood High School Students are visiting us - 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Friday 16 November:

Sacred Heart Girls College (Retreat Day) - Coding & Robotics

Kowhai 3 SNAG Golf

Rugby Academy Coaching (2.00 - 3.00) - Jack Kirifi

Monday 19 November:

Kauri Camp Week - Finlay Park, Cambridge (all week)

Tuesday 20 November:

Rotary Readers

Cricket Coaching

Tennis Coaching (Totara & Kowhai )

No Kapa Haka

Road Patrollers Appreciation day at Todd Energy Aquatic Centre

Wednesday 21 November:

9.30am Hiwi the Kiwi show ($4 per student)

Tennis Coaching (Totara & Kowhai)

Thursday 22 November:

Student Showcase 9.15am (Totara),

No tech this week,

Ki-o-rahi Kauri Y6 Larnee

Friday 23 November:

Puketapu School is hosting Longworth Education in the Hall,

Kowhai 3 SNAG Golf

More information about activities will follow:

Monday 26 November: Hearing & Vision testing, 2pm: Year 8s to visit NPBHS/NPGHS

Tuesday 27 November: Rotary Readers - Last one for 2018, Cricket Coaching, Kapa Haka (2.00 - 3.00)

Wednesday 28 November:

Thursday 29 November: Board of Trustees Meeting 7pm

Friday 30 November: Tough Kids Challenge (Year 5 & 6)

Monday 3 December:

Tuesday 4 December: Helpers' Morning Tea, Kapa Haka (2.00 - 3.00) - Hall

Wednesday 5 December:

Thursday 6 December:

Friday 7 December: Student Showcase 9.15am (Rimu),
NPGHS Orientation for Y8s 1pm, Celebration Evening 6pm

Monday 10 December: Tabloid Sports 9.00-12.30

Tuesday 11 December: Kapa Haka (2.00 - 3.00)

Wednesday 12 December: Meet your 2018 teacher (2.00 - 2.30pm)

Thursday 13 December: Final School Assembly (11am) Northpoint Church, Year 8 Graduation Dinner (6pm) Northpoint Church

Friday 14 December: Last day of 2018. Finish at 12.00 noon

The 2019 School Year will begin on Wednesday 30 January 2019 with Headstart Hui for all students and whanau. More information will follow closer to the time.

Kai Food Cupboard

The Kai Cupboard at the front of the junior play area is a place to share food for those who need it. (There is another one on Nugent Street.) Anyone can put in surplus food to share with members of the community and anyone who needs it, please take what you need.

Let's Compost Workshop

Learn about composting, bokashi, worm farms... for free!

Sunday 25 November 1pm at Puketapu Kindergarten.

Limited places: register online at www.sustainabletaranaki.org/lets-compost/

Weetbix TRYathlon 2019

It's back! Tuesday 26 March 2019 at Ngamotu Beach. Online registrations are open now...

St Josephs NP Fun Fair

It's this weekend... check it out below:

Email: office@puketapu.school.nz
Website: www.puketapu.school.nz
Location: Dillon Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Phone: 06 755 0973