School Newsletter Term 2, Week 1
Friday 3rd May 2024
Kia ora Koutou,
Welcome back, everyone! We hope you had a wonderful break and are ready for another exciting term ahead. As we embark on this new journey together, we have some exciting updates to share with you all.
Firstly, please join us in extending a warm welcome to Demelza Darby, who will be joining Room 11 for the remainder of the year. Demelza brings with her a wealth of experience and enthusiasm that we know will greatly benefit our classroom community. We're thrilled to have her on board and look forward to all the wonderful learning experiences she will help facilitate.
Additionally, we would like to welcome Brendon as our new caretaker. Brendon comes to us with a strong background in building and maintenance with a dedication to ensuring our school remains a safe and welcoming environment for all. We are confident that Brendon will excel in his role and we look forward to working alongside him.
We also want to take a moment to express our gratitude and thanks to Sean Prinns for his invaluable contribution to the caretaker role over the past term. Sean's hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for all that he has done to keep our school running smoothly. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
As we dive into Term 2, let's all commit to upholding our school values and fostering a culture of respect, kindness, and collaboration. Together, we can create an environment where every student feels supported and empowered to reach their full potential. Let's embrace the opportunities for growth and learning that lie ahead, and let's continue to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of our school community.
We have an exciting term planned, full of new learning opportunities, extracurricular activities, and special events. From engaging lessons in the classroom to exciting excursions and performances, there's something for everyone to look forward to.
As always, we encourage parents and caregivers to stay involved and engaged in your child's education. Your support and partnership are invaluable to us, and we look forward to working together to make this term a success.
Ngā mihi nui,
Mihi Whakatau next Thursday
Breakfast Club starts at 8.15am
A reminder that Breakfast Club starts at 8.15am. We are having a lot of children arriving at school without an adult before 8am. Children should not be on the grounds before 8.15am. When children arrive to school before 8.30, they will need to wait in the area next to the turf (and on the seats in the quad if it is raining). For your child's safety, please do not send them to school too early. Thank you for your co-operation.
School Lunches
A reminder about school lunches - no confectionary/sweets or sugary drinks are allowed at school. This includes lunches coming from home and from the dairy and bakery.
Paying via Kindo
Important Information - please read
When ordering through Kindo - Bank transfer is NOT recommended for same day/next day lunch orders, or items that are closing within 48 hours as orders will not be processed until funds have cleared and may get missed. To view the details for setting up your payments, select the 'Click here' or 'Get details' option. This will give you the bank account details to make the payments into, along with your member number to be included as the reference.
Bringing Scooters to School
Please ensure if your child brings a scooter or bike to school that it is well named. If you notice your child may have brought home the wrong bike or scooter, please return this to school as soon as possible. All scooters and bikes are brought to school at the children's own risk. Please also remember safety equipment (eg helmets) if your child is riding a bike to school.
Our New Swings
Over the holidays, we have had new swings installed in the junior playground in between Room 17 and 15. These have been very popular over the week and every class from Tipuranga and Puāwaitanga have had a play on these swings during the week. These swings have been in the pipeline for the last 4 years. Back in 2020, our Student Council had talked to classes, and they wanted to have a disability swing installed for our children who are in wheelchairs. As a school, we held a walkathon around the track and our amazing community raised over $6,000. Our Board of Trustees has also helped out immensely by topping up the amount we needed. But then COVID happened, and the swing became unavailable. Our 2023 Student Council researched and pushed for new swings that all of our tamariki could use and these are the ones we now have installed. Our 2024 Student Council have been ensuring students stay safe and have a fair go on the swings every morning tea and lunchtime.
Staying Safe on the Swings after school
It is great that children are enjoying our swings after school. We want children to have fun and enjoy them, but need to stay safe while on the swings. We have been reminding children to ..
- Maximum of 2 children per time.
- If pushing the basket swing, please stand between the two cones.
- Remember to share and let others have a go.
- Walk on the path - not behind the swings.
Sport at West End
Cross Country:
Cross Country training is well underway, we will have a plan out to whānau by next Friday. We have Cross Country scheduled for the 22nd of May and look forward to seeing our community come and support.
Term 2 Sports:
Thank you to those whānau members who have put their name down to coach a winter sporting code. The benefits of such is your child's winter sports fees being refunded. We look forward to hearing how our winter sports go with successful results in Term 1.
Practices:
Hockey:
Year 1 + 2 Friday afternoons 3 - 3:30pm
Year 3 + 4 Wednesday afternoons 3 - 3:30pm
Year 5 + 6 Thursday afternoons 3 - 3:30pm
Ki O Rahi:
We have a large number of students enjoying some development in the game of Ki O Rahi. Best Care Whakapai Hauora are running this on Thursdays from 1:30 - 2:30pm.
Swimming Timetable
We have 2 weeks of swimming left. Our last week of swimming will be in Week 3.
Our West End Team
Georgia Freeman
Kia Ora,
My name is Georgia Freeman but as most still know me Mrs Black, I teach in a wonderful Year 5-6 class. My other roles in the school reflect my passion for health and wellbeing, I am the school Sports CoOrdinator and Hauora leader. If I am not at school I can be found; on a motorbike on the farm with my family mustering sheep and cattle, or at a park with my daughter Isabella. I look forward to seeing the growth in all our students in 2024 and extending the students confidence to give new things a go.
Hannah Burden
Kia Ora. Ko Hannah Burden toku ingoa. I am the teacher in room 15, with a class of 25 wonderful year two students. I am a proud mum to two sons, one who is at West End in the Pihipihingā team. I enjoy being outside, especially at the beach!
Pihipihingā
Pihipihinga were lucky enough to attend a pōwhiri at Central Normal School on Monday. Even though they were nervous as they knew they would be singing, they sang with pride and represented our school well. They were also lucky to visit their bilingual and full immersion unit and enjoy making connections (whanaungatanga).
Tipuranga
In Room 16, we have been using Mana Aotūroa to explore how we can measure height. We read Jack and the Beanstalk and measured some paper beanstalks using towers of cubes. We are now growing our own beanstalks in some cotton wool. We are excited to see what happens to our beanstalks over the next few weeks.
Te Wao Nui o Tāne
Hukarere and Hine Tai.
In Room 5 we have been reading the journal story Hukarere and Hine Tai. Hine Tai is a taniwha that lives in the sea. We had to imagine our taniwha’s and then draw them. We then wrote 4 sentences that had similes in them about our taniwha.
We then drew our taniwha with pastels and dyed the background in either hot or cold colours - opposite to our taniwha.
Lego Club
Kia Ora, If your child is interested in participating in this Brick Building Challenge, please contact me cbone@westend.school.nz with your child's name.
Upcoming Events
WEEK 2
- Swimming for Room 2, 3, 4, 5 - Monday 7th May
- Swimming for Room 1, 6, 7, 10, 11 - Tuesday 8th May
- Swimming for Rooms 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 - Wednesday 9th May
- PTA Meeting - 6pm - Monday 6th May
- EPIC Music - Wednesday 9th May
- Mihi Whakatau (to welcome new students and staff) - Thursday 10th May (9.15)
- Ki o Rahi training - Thursday 10th May
- Sci-Fri - Friday 10th May
- Kapa Haka practice (whole school) - Friday 10th May
WEEK 3
- Swimming for Room 2, 3, 4, 5 - Monday 13th May
- Swimming for Room 1, 6, 7, 10, 11 - Tuesday 14th May
- Tipuranga Riverdale Exchange - Tuesday 14th May
- Swimming for Rooms 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 - Wednesday 15th May
- EPIC Music - Wednesday 15th May
- Ki o Rahi training - Thursday 16th May
- Sci-Fri - Friday 17th May
- VIBE Assembly (Puāwaitanga) - Friday 17th May
Term Dates 2024
Term 1: Monday 29 Jan - Friday 12 April
Term 2: Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July
Term 3: Monday 22 July - Friday 27 Sept
Term 4: Monday 14 Oct - Friday 13 Dec
Free Positive Parenting Course: Week 1 - 5
Free Positive Parenting Course: Week 6 - 10
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It is really important under the current circumstances you notify the school if your child is absent.
PLEASE DO NOT TXT OR EMAIL THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
ALL ABSENCES SHOULD BE ADVISED VIA THE OFFICE.
Please remember to advise the office by 8.30am if your child is not attending school.
You can telephone 358-2465 and leave a message or txt 021 118 0156.
ABSENCES CAN ALSO BE SENT EASILY THROUGH OUR SCHOOL APP
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Thank you.
Kindo Online Shop
It is very important that families register with Kindo, as this is now the only way to register your child for school sports, and ordering PTA lunches.
Below are the links to register.
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0508 454 636
New users need this link
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Location: West End School, 196 College Street, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 358 2465