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.

This Monday we had a number of our students representing Oratia School at the Zonal Athletics Day, at the Trusts Stadium. Our school was the organiser for the event, and when Mrs Goldsmith and I popped out to visit them we saw a smoothly running and well organised day. Mrs Slaney and Ms Hamlin were the key organisers for the day, and are to be praised for the great event they ran. Our students did really well all day with many of them placing highly in their events. For the first time since the event began Oratia School came first, and will have their name engraved on the trophy. We were very impressed with the beautiful manners and respectful behaviour we saw our students exhibit. Thank you to all the teachers and parents who supported our team on the day, and congratulations to the team for their excellent result.

Also on Monday, a group of our Kahurangi Kids were at Green Bay High School with the Halberg Trust for a sports day set up especially for those with additional needs. When we visited the school we could see our students taking part in sports activities that accommodated for wheelchairs and all sorts of other variables. The team leading each sport was so positive and enthusiastic, and the students said that they had had an amazing time. We are very thankful to the organisers for such a wonderful experience for our students.

Last week the wider leadership team met after school for a couple of afternoons to plan for next year. It made for a tiring week for those involved, but was a very succssful time of strategic planning and organisation. I wanted to thank our leaders for their collaborative and collegial attitudes, and for the sense of cohesion they work very hard to sustain. It is a privilege working with them all.

This week is Family Friendly Week and our staff have been very thankful to have all our meetings stripped away,so that they can have a wee breather at this stage of the term whilst writing reports and planning for the end of the year. Thank you to everyone that has supported this for our staff.

Take care and stay safe.

Kia kaha, kia atawhai.

Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda

Recently we have been aware of children being dropped at school from 8am. Please note: there is no adult supervision at school until 8.30am each morning and classrooms are locked until this time. We ask that if you do need to drop your child to school before 8.30am that you book them in with OKK (before school care) where they will be supervised until 8.30am. Thank you.

Kia ora, I’m Micheal King (Tainui me Te Rarawa Iwi), recently co-opted member to Oratia School Board.

My wife and I have a blended family of five, now adult children and five amazing grandkids, ranging in age from 16 to 2yrs, one of whom is in year 2 at Oratia School.

I grew up in the thriving metropolis of Waikokowai, a tiny village about 15km out of Huntly, where I was lucky enough to be raised by my grandparents. That experience taught me the importance of whanaungatanga, rural marae life, and the value of a close-knit rural school community.

With a career in education and leadership roles that’s taken me from classrooms, boardrooms, and Ministry of Education corridors across the globe, I’ve always been passionate about creating opportunities for tamariki and whānau voice to be heard. When Koka Teena asked the board to think about how we, as a school honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and amplify Māori perspectives, I was honoured to be asked, and motivated to put my hand up to be co-opted to help support and drive that mahi forward.

I’m here to contribute to our school’s amazing journey so far and, am excited to see Oratia school as a place where tamariki, whānau, school leaders and kaiako continue to be supported and inspired. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves, including sizzling sausages, making toasties and being a part of this wonderful community.

Micheal King.

This week, some of our students had the opportunity to participate in the Kotuitui All Abilities Sports Day at Green Bay High School. The day was a huge success with our students able to try a range of physical activities they normally don't get to experience in their regular school term. Thank you to our SENCO Kathryn and our teacher aides who went along to support on the day.

On monday the eighteenth of november all of the athletics team went to the Trusts Stadium to compete against other schools. There were heaps of sports like sprints, relays, high jump, and more. Oratia School did really well in the running events. At the end of the day we found out that we won.

By Ryan Duncan

Congratulations to our very own Lone Kauri lead teacher, Jo Kingston whose has worked collaboratively with Glenda Northey and Lyn Kriegler to publish the book Surviving Gabrielle. This narrative focuses on the resilience of three West Auckland communities-Piha, Karekare, and Anawhata-during Cyclone Gabrielle. It highlights the strength and compassion of locals and volunteers who banded together in the face of disaster. The story encourages lifestyle changes to combat climate change and offers strategies for preparing for future challenges. It also captures the extraordinary strength and compassion of residents and volunteers who rallied to support one another during the crisis.Their story showcases not just the challenges faced but also the community spirit that emerged, illustrating how families came together to build resilience in the aftermath.

About the Author

Glenda Northey, writer, librarian, historian and Justice of the Peace, lives at Piha. Joanne Kingston, writer and primary teacher, lives at Karekare. Lyn Kriegler, illustrator. Illustrated over 150 books. Lives at Karekare.

We are on the hunt for unwanted housepaints, including test pots for an exciting art project around the sandpit. Any donation would be appreciated. Please bring them into the office.

A huge shout out to Willie Beggs from Dig It Excavators in Piha for digging out our new Garden to Table garden beds this week. We really appreciate your support.

Sadly, one of our school families recently lost their home and all of their belongings in a devastating house fire on Glengarry Road. To support them during this challenging time, our school office is collecting supermarket and department store vouchers to help them replace some of what they've lost. If you have household items you’d like to donate, please email details of these offers to danielleandlucy@oratia.school.nz We’ll record these and share them with the family so they can decide what will be helpful once they're more established. Thank you for your generosity and compassion in helping our school community.

Thanks heaps, Danielle and Lucy

ATTENDANCE WEST - We’re excited to share our Christmas Supports and Services Directory for West Auckland, a resource that can connect your families with the support and services they need these up-coming holidays. Whether it’s help with food, christmas gifts for children, free wifi, or counseling, you’ll find a variety of services listed in one place to link families to the help they need.

Please click here to view support services for West Auckland these Christmas Holidays

Thanks to the support of Visionwest's partners your donation will be DOUBLED

Please help if you can by donating now. You'll help transform tough moments to cherished ones this Christmas.
Ngā mihi
Sarah and all the team at Visionwest
To donate directly into Visionwest's bank account use the details below:

Account Number: 12-3252-0048346-52 Reference: 4331 Code: Xmas

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/