Term 3 2024

Kia ora koutou and welcome to Term 3!

I cannot quite believe that we are halfway through the school year already. It has been a wonderful first two terms and we are excited to head into a term full of curiosity and wonder. You will see further on in this newsletter that we are focusing our learning around asking questions about the world around us, so be prepared for your children to come home loaded with things they want to know more about.

One of the highlights of last term was our Matariki/Puanga celebration. The joy and cultural richness shared during this time was inspiring & I cannot wait to do it again in 2025.

A warm welcome also goes out to our 8 New Entrants and 3 other students who started with us this term, we are delighted to have you with us - bringing our roll up to 412 with more arriving later in the term.

You may notice some work starting in the junior playground next week. We are thrilled to be able to update this space and provide some more outdoor learning/playing opportunities for the students. We will keep you updated about this as work progresses.

I am really excited about the learning coming up at school this term, the school fun run, the kapa haka competition that one of our roopū are preparing for and all of the other fun events planned.

Mauri ora!

Katherine Pascoe
Principal

Our learning theme this term is:

• Curiosity

The Big Idea: We learn about the world through asking questions.

Many of our teams are building curiosity about the world in our ākonga (learners) through the lens of The Olympic Games. How exciting that we have both The Olympics and The ParaOlympics during this term.

One of our strategic aims is to ‘Nurture Hauora’.

For this unit of learning we will investigate physical, social, and cultural factors that enhance and hinder our hauora through Sir Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapa Whā model.

Our school fun run/ cross country in Week 5 will also be linked to our Health & PE ‘Te Whare Tapa Whā’ unit. Te Whare Tapa Wha is a holistic health model used widely across sectors in Aotearoa:

Through this model, we seek to ensure overall hauora (wellbeing) by strengthening each part of the model. Students will engage in physical activity opportunities that enhance, not hinder their hauora, while discussing how the factors identified above can affect their own actions. These activities will seek to support students' engagement and preparation for the school fun run/cross country.

• Olympics and Paralympics

• Cross Country

This term will also be packed with plenty of other activities and winter sports. Some of the big EOTC this term includes:

• Taranaki LEAD Conference
• Year 7&8 Interschool Sports
• Year 7&8 Rugby 7s
• Maths Week 12-16 August
• Whole School Cross Country
• Tātārakihi Kapa Haka Festival
  

We will also have some fun dress up days - for Daffodil Day at the end of August and Wig Wednesday in September - not to mention some super hero dress up days coming soon.

There are no planned teacher only days or public holidays this term.

Tumeke Tumuaki is an initiative created by the Principals’ Council of NZEI Te Riu Roa in 2022 which recognises and celebrates the amazing contribution principals make to education.

This year the event will be celebrated on Wednesday 31 July.

The day celebrates principal members, highlighting and recognising the unique contribution and strengths they bring to our collective mahi and acknowledging the critical work they do every day.

At Puketapu School, we are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated leadership team guiding us. Our Principal, Katherine Pascoe, along with Deputy Principals Amanda O'Dowda and Micaela Westrupp, provide support and commitment to our school, our tamariki, our staff, and our community.

If you see one of these lovely ladies on Wednesday 31 July, give them a high five, a hug or a smile.

Monday 29 July

Monday 5 August

Held at the mid point of the school year, these conferences provide an opportunity for parents, teachers and students to meet and discuss the year so far and set some goals for the second half of the year.

We look forward to seeing every student and whānau at a conference this year.

If you haven't already, please book your time in Hero.

08:30 - Students can be in class (or at Breakfast Club), Teachers in Classrooms

08.55 - Bell rings for school to begin

09:00 - Learning Block 1

10:00 - Snack/fruit break / ‘Read and Feed’

10:50 - Meal 1 - Ka Ora, Ka Ako kai

11:00 - Morning Play

11:30 - Learning Block 2

12:50 - Meal 2 - kai from home

13:00 - Lunch Play

13:40 - Learning Block 3

14:50 - Whaiwhakaaro - Reflect on the Day in their class

15:00 - End of the school day

Children should not get to school before 8.30 am.

School finishes at 3pm. Please do not collect your child before 3pm unless you have to leave early for an appointment. If you are early to school pick up, rather than waiting right outside your child's classroom, please wait on one of the seating areas around the quad or wharekai.

If you are late for school, or need to leave early, you must come to the school office and sign in or sign out. Elder students are not permitted to sign out younger ones without a call or text from home first.

The school office is open from 8.30am-3.30pm

We are delighted to welcome to our team:

Whaea Jo started with us mid-way through Term 2 in Room 17. She is an experienced early childhood teacher who now gets to welcome in our new entrants to Puketapu. What lucky newbies! Jo has been part of the Puketapu School whānau in years past and we feel very fortunate to have her aroha and skills working alongside the rest of the team.

Whaea Kennedy returns to us after an extended break travelling the world after getting married!

We are excited to welcome her back to our school and we know that Room 3 is looking forward to getting to know her. We are all looking forward to hearing her tales of travel! Whaea Kennedy is taking over Room 3, on Wednesday 7th August, from Whaea Laurie who is moving on to teach at St John Bosco. We wish Whaea Laurie the best on her next adventure in teaching.

Olly joined us in Term 2 all the way from Canada. He plays rugby for Inglewood and enjoys supporting students with their learning in the classroom and their skills in sports. You can often find Olly out on the field or basketball court at break times running a game.

Te Atawhai joined us in Term 2 as a Learning Assistant (LA). Coming from Ratana, he has worked in schools in the Manawatu area and for the Police Blue Light organisation in the Waikato. Te Aatawhai plays rugby for Inglewood and loves working with kids’ social and academic learning.

Jody joined us in Term 2 and is working in our Learning Assistant team, supporting our tamariki alongside our kaiako. Jody has had a number of volunteer & working rolls in her local Inglewood community. As well as being a Mum to two adult children, Jody assisted at a local pre school and used to help run a Mainly Music program.

Papa Steve (Steve Harvey)

A Registered Clinical and Educational Psychologist in New Zealand, Steve has experience working with children of all ages through New Zealand and abroad.

Steve uses play, expressive, solution focused approaches with people and families.

Steve will be on site at Puketapu School on Thursdays and Fridays.

If you would like your child to see Steve, please pop into the office to fill in a consent form. Steve will then be in touch to meet with you and your child to form a plan.

Teina (Year 0-4)

Room 1. Sammy Love (Year 1-2)

Room 2. Moana Te Waaka (Year 0-1)

Room 3. Laurie Edwin - Kennedy Heikell (Year 1-2)

Room 4. Mel Lane (Year 1-2)

Room 5. Kelly Harvey (Year 3-4)

Room 6. Priyanka Prasad (Year 3-4)

Room 7. Louisa Sharrock (Year 3-4)

Room 8: Alisha Kerr (Year 3-4)

Room 16. Vicki Pihama (Year 3-4)

Room 17. Jo Goldsmith (Year 0)

Tuakana (Year 5-8)

Room 9. Milly Tuheke (Year 5-6)

Room 10. Flo Gibson Harris (Year 5-6)

Room 11. Brody Lindsay (Year 6-7)

Room 12. Jess McLeod (Year 5-6)

Room 18: Michelle Swan ( Year 5-6)

Room 13. Avon Lewis (Year 7-8)

Room 14. Andrea Tait (Year 7-8)

Room 15. Cara Knuckey (Year 7-8)

Design Technology: Karen Copestake (Year 7-8)

Deputy Principals:

Micaela Westrupp (Teina)

Amanda O'Dowda (Tuakana)

Principal

Katherine Pascoe

Don't forget that all school updates, trip permissions, school reports and sports notices come out via Hero.

The easiest way to make sure you never miss anything is download the free Hero app to your phone's home page and keep an eye out for the notification icons meaning you have something to read which relates to your child.

The Hero app is linked to the email address you have registered with your child at school.

If you have any problems at any time with it, please see Kerie or Paula in the office.

All important communication comes out via Hero but we have other channels of communication:

• To showcase our school to the wider community we also have a website and a public Facebook page.
• Our private Facebook group is so families can share their photos of events.

Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. This relationship between attendance and achievement may appear early in a child's school career.

Our aim to have tamariki in school to learn every day they can be.

Please remember to report your child as absent if they are going to be away from school.

To report an absence:

• Use the Hero app, click 'report an absence'
• Text our school cell phone 027 755 0973
• Ring our landline and leave an absentee message
• Email us office@puketapu.school.nz

Did you know we have free wifi for parents before and after school?

Between 8.30am and 9.30am and 2.30-3.15pm Monday-Friday

Ask at the office for more information.

Reminder you have access to the Schooldocs website with the Procedures and Policies for Puketapu School.

https://puketapu.schooldocs.co.nz

Username: puketapu

Password: whakamanatia

For example, check out the Cellphones and Other Personal Digital Devices policy

Kia Māia - Be Courageous

Kia Manawanui - Have a Heart

Kia Kaha - Do Your Best

Kia Ora - Be Well

We will be continuing to give out awards for tamariki who are showing our School Values, including Values Certificates and Student of the Day tickets for our end of term Assembly.

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We are so happy to be part of Ka Ora, Ka Ako, the Healthy School Lunches programme.

Free school lunches are provided for all students every day, including those with special dietary needs, made right here on site by our talented kitchen team.

The only food students need to bring from home are snacks for Break 2, a healthy snack for the morning Brain Break and a water bottle.

Our term 3 menu is still being finalised with some testers in week 1 & 2 to see what the tamariki like.

Most meals come with a snack (eg, trail mix, slice, muffin, carrot sticks with hummus, bliss balls, sweetcorn) and fruit. These are seasonal subject to availability.

There is some variation in the menu each week so we can take advantage of seasonal specials and provide a good variety of kai that our tamariki want to eat and enjoy.

As well as providing a free lunch for every student every day, we are delighted that our kai team have arranged for every class to have a fruit basket of seasonal fruit, fresh every day!

We are a WATER ONLY School.

Water is brain juice, so we like students to make sure they bring and drink lots of water.

Please don’t bring fizzy drinks or sugary drinks to school.

Lollies are also not usually allowed, unless you are bringing them to share with the whole class for a special treat or celebration, but you must ask the teacher first.

Our Kick Start Breakfast Club serves free breakfast in the Design Technology room every morning, from 8.30am-8.55am.

All welcome!

Kapa Haka is every Wednesday, in our school hall, and all of our students across the school are involved in learning this beautiful art.

On top of the learning we have three performance groups, a Year 3-4 Whakangāhau group, a Year 5-8 Whakangāhau group and a Year 5-8 Whakataetae group.

Our Y5-8 Whakataetae roopū is working towards competing at the Tātarakihi Festival in September and our Y5-8 Whakangāhau roopū is working towards performing at the Puanga Festival later in the year.

Former student and teacher, Matua Phil Hoskin, is our kapa haka tutor and is supported by Whaea Milly, Whaea Kelly, Whaea Tereina and Whaea Jo. What a team!

This term we continue to have Netball for year 7&8s, Basketball, Miniball, Hockey... plus Rugby, League and Soccer through community clubs.

We also have Year 7&8 Interschool Sports competitions.

Touch will start up again in Term 4 so keep an eye out for updates.

All sports updates will go out on Hero so please keep checking to stay up to date.

DUFFY BOOKS

We are lucky to be part of the Duffy Books in Schools Programme. Our tamariki receive 2 free books each per term. We also have 'Caught Being Good' Duffy Awards that are handed out and tamariki get to come over to the school office to choose their book.

LUCKY BOOK CLUB

There are two Lucky Book Club issues per term. Keep an eye out on Hero for when they are out and a brochure can be collected from the school office.

Issue #5 is open now - closing on 7 August

There may be times when you have a query or concern about your child.

Open communication is a priority - we encourage family to please, come talk with us.

The Concerns Pathway is important to follow as you will generally be speaking to the person who has the most information and knowledge about your child and others in your child's environments.

We will do our best to work together for manageable solutions.

Classroom teachers are busy and working hard to give all children quality learning time.

Should you need to discuss an issue, please make a time to meet, either before 8.30am or after 3pm, so the teacher can give you the attention you need and deserve.

We are delighted that tamariki at Puketapu School have the option for before and after school care, provided by Good Seed Trust and based at Northpoint Church.

Here's the link for TERM 3 bookings with Good Seeds New Plymouth

https://enrolmy.com/good-seed-trust/activity/36-Bell_Block_Good_Seeds_Before_and_After_School_Care_Term_3

Our wonderful Puketapu Home and School is a group of parents and family members who help fundraise for the school, organise fun events and help look out for people in our community who need a little extra support. Some fundraisers/events to look out for are our annual golf day, art calendars and Christmas raffles.

Home and School meet twice a term, at school and all are welcome to come bring their ideas and offer help when they can.

This term the meetings are:

• Thursday 25 July, 6.30pm, in the school staffroom
• Thursday 5 September, 6.30pm, in the school staffroom

We would love to see you there!

Please check the Hero App for dates specific to your child's class. Details of school trips, events and sport will come out via Hero.

You can also visit our Online Calendar to keep up to date with events and any changes.

Term 1: Wednesday 31 January - Friday 12 April

Term 2: Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July

Term 3: Monday 22 July - Friday 27 September

Term 4: Monday 14 October - Tuesday 17 December

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