Puketapu School Newsletter

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

Kia ora koutou,

Thank you for another outstanding year. Despite its challenges, 2020 has been a year of excellent growth and progress for our kura. We have loved being a part of your family and having you as part of our Puketapu whanau.

We are really excited about 2021 having continuity with staff, new learning spaces, new families joining and us and growing ourselves as professionals.

Our Te Matauranga o Puketapu (Our Puketapu Curriculum) will continue to focus on this statement:

"At Puketapu School we believe that our students contribute to their learning, their whanau & their community, they are communicators, they are kind to themselves, others and their environment, they are learners, they have a strong sense of belonging and they look after their own wellbeing."

We wish you all an enjoyable summer and encourage everyone to spend quality time with each other.

Nga mihi nui ki a koutou.

Matua Ngatai
Tumuaki

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangaranga maha - tēnā rā koutou Tō tātou whare e tū nei, tō tātou papa e takoto nei, te Mangati e rere mai nei tēnā koutou Ngā mana, ngā hapū, Puketapu tēnā rā koutou katoa. Ko Paora Rauputu taku ingoa, no Ngāti Maniapoto ahau.

The end of the school year upon us, and I am sure you are all looking forward to a welldeserved break over Christmas. I have been fortunate this year to pick up the reigns after previous board chair Mike Warring and whanau left for the Kapiti Coast. I am supported by a passionate and dedicated board and I would like to acknowledge Marnie Reinfelds, Hayley Adams, Shannon Robinson and newly co-opted Steph Julian for their dedication this year.

2020 has been a challenging year for all with the advent of COVID and lockdown and the upheaval it caused in our communities. It was however heartening to see the resilience displayed by our kids and teachers alike as we transitioned into a new way of schooling. I must commend our staff and the leadership team for their communication over this time and the gusto in which they all embraced the various online learning platforms, thank you all.

We have been working hard as a board and a school to enhance quality teaching and learning. Covid forced us to take a good hard look at exactly what that meant – how were we teaching, interacting, connecting with our students and whānau and what impact did that have on learning. We recognise the need for a balanced focus on wellbeing and achievement and thus creating systems and initiatives to support both, even more crucial than ever for our success.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Y8 graduation dinner last night, what a wonderful night of celebrating success and being together. My thanks to all the helpers who made that night special. We bid farewell to a fantastic group of Y8 senior students who are leaving us to continue their education at high school. Take with you our best wishes for your future and always remember our school values - kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui….and in the words of Six60 Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō – Don’t forget your roots!

We also say goodbye to Peggy Schwieters who after more than 20 years of teaching at Puketapu will retire this year. Her effort and dedication to our school has been immense and I am sure the community will join me in wishing her a well-earned break.

My thanks to you Matua Ngatai for your continued and valuable leadership, our staff also for their professionalism, for caring about ākonga and their whānau, and for their seemingly unlimited energy. Much is expected from our workforce and, as always, much has been delivered.

Be good to each other over the holidays and stay safe.

No reira, kei raro i te maru o tō tātou maunga tapu tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

It is always amazing to be able to celebrate so many of our students at our showcase and to share this with so many of our whanau.

We said farewell to Ms Peggy Schwieters who has taught at Puketapu School for more than 20 years, and to Karen Astwood who has been a key part of the office team for over two years. We wish them both well in all they do.

We thanked and farewelled Jess Murrihy and Flo Gibson-Harris who have been part of our teaching team in 2020 but who are not returning in 2021.

We congratulated our two newly fully registered teachers, Miss Cara Knuckey and Mrs Laurie Edwin who have completed their first two full years as teachers.

We were delighted to announce the winners of the Puketapu Trophies:

Alan Smith Citizenship Trophy

Donated by former Principal, Mr Alan Smith, first awarded in 2006 to Misikei Fonoti.

This award is offered to the boy and girl, or boys and girls, in Year 8 who meet the following criteria:

• They exhibit a respectful attitude towards themselves, and in their dealing with others

• They exhibit high standards of personal conduct and of personal effort in their learning and in their social relationships.

• They are an excellent role model to other students in the school

• They have evidence of strong school involvement

• They have a positive attitude towards the philosophies of the school and to the people they work with, teachers and students

• They exhibit the principles of ‘fair play’ in all sporting and cultural activities

• They prove to be a ‘good friend’ to their peers

Congratulations... Chayce Wilson

Puketapu Arts Award

Donated by former Deputy Principal Steve Wright (1997-2012), first awarded in 2012 to Parris Faapulou.

The purpose of this award is to encourage and celebrate the arts and performance. Students eligible have made an Exceptional Contribution to Performing Arts:

• Demonstrate an understanding of what a Performing Arts really is

• Be an inspiration to others and have the ability to coach younger, less experienced students in the skills of Performing Arts.

• Able and willing to take part in any formal or informal, production, concert or play.

• Confident in fronting an audience.

Congratulations to... Bella Stainthorpe

Donated by former Principal Mike Johnson (2005-2015), the purpose of this award is to encourage sporting success and attitude in our school.

• Excellence in Sports (School, Provincial, National Representative Teams)

• Participation in and out of school

• Team member – acceptance of rules and other persons

• Attitude - Giving back to sport e.g. coaching), determination, self-drive

• Leadership qualities

• Role Model

• Fair play

• Individual commitment

• Pride in achievement

Congratulations to.... Alex Cross

Mainfreight Duffy Award for Academic Excellence

Donated by our Duffy major sponsor Mainfreight. First awarded to Jeremy McMillan in 1997.

The purpose of this award is to encourage academic success in the classroom. It will be awarded to the highest achieving Year 8 student based on their educational and academic achievements. This award is based on the following criteria:

• Achievement in school-based assessment and evaluation
• Results of standardised testing
• Demonstrate commitment to learning in all academic areas (i.e. all seven learning areas)
• Demonstrate high motivation, initiation, integrity, intellectual depth and leadership judgement
• Participation and success in external curricula events

Congratulations to... Destin Gallichan-Pearce

Mataatua Taonga

In honour of the many years Mataatua Te Rongopatai worked with our tamariki, this award is presented to a student (Boy or Girl) from any ethnic group.

Tamariki must

• Be secure in the knowledge of his / her ancestral links

• Positively model leadership in Maori Culture through a variety of opportunities, eg Tikanga, te Reo, Kapahaka etc.

• Demonstrate self-worth, self-esteem and personal pride in his or her attitude, behaviour or demeanour

• Display physical, spiritual and emotional well-being and knowledge and respect for him/herself and others

Congratulations to... Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley and Tirahia Ormsby-Turner

New in 2020. Donated by former Board Chair Mike Warring and former teacher Fiona Warring.

This award is offered to a Year 6 boy and girl who meet the following criteria:

The purpose of this award is to acknowledge and recognise the involvement in the corporate life of the school and the contributions these students in these year groups make.

• Excel in modelling and living all our school School Values (Kia Kaha, Kia Māia, Kia Manawanui)
• Demonstrate intrinsic behaviours in Class, Whanau Groups and School opportunities.

Congratulations to... Esther Poching and Nate Stainthorpe

Each classroom teacher had the unenviable challenge of selecting just one student from each class for each value. It was a very tough decision in many classes! The winners are:

Yelena Poching * Keanu Suthon * Levi Roberts * Imogen Den-McKay * Keanu Prestney

Oracle Rangi * Olivia Corin * Daniel Polata * Bella Stainthorpe * Kirsty Stoneman * Zion Teddy Emma Hoskin * Nate Stainthorpe * Ava Allan * Onaleah Zandbergen * Tayla Gorrie * Jurnee Rei Khan Barnard-Perry * Esther Poching * Kyzahn Brill * Ella Rauputu * Harper Sutherland

Te Waiaurere Mahine Kura * Liam Phillips * Amalia Engebretsen * Lucas Speedy

Cortez Stevens * Ivy Adams * Tiaki Leaf * Elijah Sowter-Retter * Lucy Upton-Flemming

Savannah Tunnicliff-Jury * Joel Purdie * Aurelia Takerei * Dylan Christmas * Flynn Bird

Hamu Adams * Leila Parker * Iniyah Zandbergen * Goo Pham * Skyla Rose Pratt

Aaron Gunn * Nova Davies * Chayse Hodson * Alexis Gorrie * Zoe Wilkinson * Claire Asai-You Skye Ramsay * Summer Wilkinson * Tamarau Ahu * Amarni Cooper

Just some of the many Values Awards winners. What an awesome bunch of akonga!

We were delighted to announce our Kaitiaki for 2021:

Kaitiaki Tama:

Achille de Bruyn

Kaitiaki Kotiro will be:

Celestial Roberts

Whanau Leaders:

• Tui: Shaun Galiste and Luka Herewini-Kelsen
• Piwakawaka: Yelena Poching and Marley Sutherland
• Kiwi: Kade Davis and Ariena Zandbergen
• Kakapo: Shay Coomey and Olivia Corin

Sports Leaders

• Keanu Prestney and Tayte Hancock

Environmental Leaders:

• Tarli Wilson and Caylin Weideman

Playground Monitor Leader:

• Bree Mehaney-Johnston

What a night! Thank you to all the people involved on Monday night behind the scenes and during the Graduation Dinner, especially Claire Wigley, Amanda O'Dowda, Julia Johnstone and David Martin for their planning, Craig Leathley and Dan Ryan for the delicious food, Helen Radcliffe for the wonderful meringues, Cushla Walthew for her kitchen organisation; the great team in the kitchen helping to serve and clear, especially Vee Roberts, Kimberley Kelsen, Jenny Read, Meg Corin and the Year 7 team; Jay Lane and Michele Oldfield for doing all the dishes, Matua Ale for his MC services and Northpoint Church for again providing their wonderful venue.

It was a really great send off to our Year 8 graduates.

The Class of 2020

On behalf of our Year 8s and our school, we would like to say a HUGE Thank You to Worley who very generously donated a copy of the Wellbeing Journal by Paul Rangiwahia to each of our Year 8s as a graduation gift.

The journal is designed to:

• Provide some context to our emotional health and wellbeing
• Be a guide when we are lost or struggling in some way
• Inspire people to get things out of their head, with the goal to action positive change
• Share some techniques to find inner calm and help people be present in the moment

For more information about the journal or the artist, please see

https://www.paulrangiwahia.com/

We are excited to be invited into the Healthy Lunches Programme provided by Budget 2020 for the 2021 year ahead.

This programme provides funding until December 2021 to expand the provision of daily school lunches to approximately 850 schools across New Zealand, reaching around 200,000 students from 25 percent of schools and kura. We are one of several schools here in Taranaki joining the scheme.

Our school will be provided with the lunches each day for ALL children attending Puketapu School, which is fantastic!

This will be starting on Tuesday 9 February 2021 - Week 2 of Term 1.

More information will follow, however for now we need to make sure we are aware of all dietary requirements. Is your child vegetarian or vegan? Does your child have a food allergy or intolerance? Do you have any religious dietary requirements? Is there anything else you need us to be aware of with regards to food?

If you need to advise us of any food requirements please email (office@puketapu.school.nz ) or phone (06 755 0973) or txt (027 755 0973) the office as soon as you can.

Our first day of school in 2021 is Tuesday 2 February 2021.

On this day we have our Head Start Hui

These are short meetings for every student, when the student, parent and teacher meet together to get the school year off to a great start:

• To build a partnership of learning between whānau and school (whanaungatanga)
• For our families to share the strengths and dreams for their tamariki
• For our teachers to listen to and get to know their akonga

Each hui will last about 15 minutes. Book at time that suits you at www.schoolinterviews.co.nz (event: u3g9v)

Sessions are to get to know each other. It is not about school rules/expectations. It’s about relationships and getting to know each other. Information like swimming timetable and other logistics will be written in team communications.

Lists for all 2021 classes are available now on https://www.myschool.co.nz/puketapubb

Don’t wait until mid-January when the ‘team of 5 million’ get home from holiday - order now and avoid the back to school rush.

This year OfficeMax have introduced Laybuy*, so you can pay in 6 weekly, interest-free instalments - and still get your order right away. Or you can pay by internet banking, credit card or debit card.

When you shop on https://www.myschool.co.nz/puketapubb you’ll receive free delivery on orders over $46*. You will also help our school earn school rewards* that we use to purchase much needed extra resources for our school.

* Terms & Conditions apply, see myschool.co.nz for details.

Happy birthday to all those who have Birthdays coming up this week and over the holidays:

• Reeve Hunt
• Summer Wilkinson
• Marley Sutherland
• Rayne Morehu
• Blythe Fadlen
• Mercedez Tagatauli
• Sophie Morrison
• Tyah Taiawa-McKay
• Delylah Hall
• Ari Marlow
• Emma Lepper
• Khorus Ihimaera-Te Waaka
• Elody Perrett
• Kaydince Brill
• Cora Wano
• Addison Leathley
• Kaitlyn Veza
• Iona Den-McKay
• Meshach Murray
• Charlotte Mangin
• Kyra Herewini
• Lola Parkinson
• Caydence Roberts
• Hoani Adams
• Honor Boisen-Rau
• Keanu Suthon
• Parker Smith
• Briar Walthew
• Johnny Read
• Lucas Speedy
• Pacey Wallace
• Ava Falaniko
• Azura Savage
• Lydia Walthew
• Te Waiaurere Mahinekura
• Toby Ryan
• Amarni Cooper
• Skylah Meston
• Tyson Manu-Millar Aldworth

On behalf of all at Puketapu School, we wish you a safe, fun and refreshing holiday break and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2021.

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