Our Tumuaki Principal
Kiaora.
It has been another big week at Edendale Primary School. We've had our second week of swimming lessons through REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme), Sports Activator has been with us and then our Year Five and Six children have enjoyed a marvellous time at Camp Columba in Pukerau.
Here are some snippets from me...
- Alex John Russell: A big congratulations to Laura (and Tim) Russell on the arrival of Alex John Russell, born on the 17th of March at 10.45 pm weighing in at 7 pounds 7 ounces (3.73kgs).
- Southland Athletics: Tomorrow we have a strong contingent of athletes from Edendale Primary School representing our zone, the Lower Mataura Valley, at the Southland Athletics in Surrey Park Invercargill. All the very best for your day. Thank you to Miss Laura McVicar and Miss Caci Mineur for supporting the long jump pit and to Miss Kim Nicol for supporting the relay teams.
- Year Six Picket Fence: Plans are underway to put up our Year Six picket fence now that all our external property work has come to an end. They will be put on display at the end of the senior block with a new fence for them.
- Senior Block Wind Break: With the removal of the hedge we are putting up a windbreak at the end of the senior block adjacent to Room Three. Plans have been confirmed with the builder and we are looking forward to this been constructed in the near future. Once done it will contribute further to our verandah areas being extensions of the classroom spaces.
- Jurisdiction: Our Parental Information Handbook sets out the level to which we accept jurisdiction supervision of students. As a general overview we do not expect children to be at school much before 8.30 am, when the bell goes for them to come into the classroom. Children here earlier than that will have to wait outside the classroom, under the veranda's if wet, until the entry bell goes. Further, any children left at school after the last bus leaves are not our jurisdiction unless they are enrolled in the After School Care programme.
Thank Yous - Team Edendale
- Sophie Frantz and Macy Duffy: We have two four squares marked on our new netball court area. This is a result of a discussion held last year with 2020 Student Councillors Macy Duffy and Sophie Frantz. They were keen to see them established and suggested their location. The two four squares have proven incredibly popular, being used every day. There is a lot of learning that goes on when playing this game. It involves being patient and lining up for your turn, getting in and following the rules, negotiating tricky 'out' decisions, dealing with the uncomfortable feeling of 'being out', getting over those feelings and then lining up again. There is a mix of boys, girls and ages with each game. Through this play, children are learning important life-long skills. Thanks, Sophie and Macy. You have made our school a better place with your contributions.
- Mrs Jenny Coyle: Jenny is our Deputy Principal and an integral part of the Senior Leadership Team here at Edendale Primary School. One of her roles as DP is to gather and analyse our student achievement data around the important areas of reading, writing and mathematics and then present this to the Board of Trustees in a report. Through Jenny's work, the BOT receives a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of our student achievement. Thanks, Jenny.
- Miss Kim Nicol and Miss Sanne den Boon: A big thank you to Kim and Sanne for their work with our senior camp. I headed out there on Thursday and it was a well-oiled machine with the children involved in highly engaging, active and challenging activities. There is a lot of work, behind the scenes, that goes into bring together a camp. This is all done on top of the already busy programme of running a classroom. Thank you, Kim and Sanne, for your work with all this.
Ka kite and have a great weekend.
David McKenzie
Our Kaitiaki Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees - General Meeting
The second BOT meeting for 2021 is on Tuesday 30th March beginning at 7.00pm in the staffroom.
All material, including the agenda, has been collated and distributed the week prior. This enables for informed and considered decision making.
Situations Vacant - Relief
We are looking for a person or people who could be a relief cleaner or relief After School Care coordinator. Email: principal@edendaleps.school.nz with your CV if you are interested.
Our Home and School
Firewood Fundraiser - Tomorrow Saturday 27th March 9.00am
Location: Carnie Farm, 10 Oakland Road, Mataura Island.
You don't need to have the equipment to be able to contribute but if you do, you are more than welcome to bring it, including all the appropriate safety equipment necessary for its operation.
Please let us know you are coming so we can confirm location, coordinate chainsaws and log splitters, as well as communicate should the weather be unsuitable.
If you would like to purchase wood also please contact us...
- Hamish Blackmore 027 636 0421
- Logan McKenzie 027 283 6943
Our Kura News and Information
Lost Property - Check it Out
The lost property is kept in the porch area of the staffroom. It is well worth checking it out if you have items missing.
With school pupils in a uniform, named items, are more likely to find their way back to their owners.
Whanau Day - Thursday 1st April
The notice for Whanau Day has gone out last week. Whanau Day is this coming Thursday the 1st of April.
The classrooms will be open from 11.45 am for parents to pop in.
From 12.30 pm it will be lunch, with a sausage sizzle provided for those who have ordered.
After that, weather permitting, we will have an assortment of whanau games and then finish off with Celebration Time.
Easter - Next Week (and Daylight Saving Ends)
Easter is next week. We have Friday 2nd, Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th of April as holidays.
Remember Daylight Saving ends in the early hours of Sunday 4th April where clocks go back one hour from 3.00 am to 2.00 am.
We will see the children back to school on Wednesday 7th April.
Shoe Laces - Teach it for a Lifetime Skill
We expect children at school to be able to tie their own shoelaces from Year Three upwards.
As you could well imagine it is not possible for a teacher to tie up a classroom's worth of shoes every time they are taken off and put on. We really appreciated families that teach this skill to their children.
Invest time teaching your child this life skill. It is so helpful.
Our Team for this Week: Team Pukeko
Kia ora from all of us in Team Pukeko!
We cannot believe how fast the term has gone by and we are amazed by how busy we have been.
It was great to welcome three new pupils to our school, who have joined our team: Charlz, Briar and Casey. They have settled in well and it is great to have all the Year Threes together in one class.
We started the term with exploring of Chinese New Year, as a way to celebrate being together for 2021. We are a class of ‘snakes’ (clever, creative, lively, and communicative) and we wish all of you well for the 2021: Year of the Ox.
For the majority of us in Team Pukeko, this is our first year using the PR1ME Maths programme and we are enjoying learning to work through the problems in our books. So far we have covered the measurement of mass, comparing numbers to 20 by using subtraction, and the use of tally marks and picture graphs. One group has worked on place value for numbers to 1000, as well as addition or subtraction without regrouping.
All of us are working on building our writing skills, especially the use of punctuation and descriptive words. We have written about a variety of topics such as pets, rain, ‘kibs’ (a made-up object or creature) and fantails. We are also doing a lot of work to strengthen our phonics and spelling skills and already many of us are showing improvements with our attempted spelling. Another focus has been how to do buddy feedback with each other to check that our stories make sense and have plenty of detail.
Mrs Coyle loves to share a poem of the week and a big book of the week with us - we have created a variety of wall displays or class books in response to some of these, such as our paper alligators mural and our book with tips on ‘how to be a pal’.
Mrs Jodie Whitson-Morris is Mrs Coyle’s regular release teacher and we have been enjoying the activities she does with us, including literacy tasks based on our inquiry theme of NZ’s native forests, maths knowledge and problem-solving activities, and te reo Maori.
This term we all did our best to participate well in the LMV Athletics Day, with many of us receiving places in the results. This past fortnight we have been learning swim safe skills in the pool with the instructors from Southern REAP. Sarah, the Eastern Southland Sports Activator has also helped us with some athletics skills and some cricket skills. We love playing games and learning new skills like this.
As we move towards Easter, and then into the April holidays, we will finish off some portrait art that we have started on, as well as rounding off our inquiry Our Native Bush.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) - Term One Manaakitanga Respect
We show manaakitanga respect when we...
Use our manners and talk politely to each other.
Follow rules and instructions.
Listen actively.
Are aware of the needs of others and offer to help.
Principal's Values Award
This week the Principal Tumuaki would like to acknowledge Alazay Ruwhiu for being a contributor of values to our school.
Writer of the Week - Cooper Dobbie
Marjorie the cow was surprised when she laid an egg.
The chickens went, "Cluck, cluck, cluck."
The other cows were angry because they couldn't lay an egg.
The cows thought it was the chickens.
"No it's not!" said Marjorie.
The baby said, "Mooo!"
Most Valuable Pupil: Team Weka
Ben Bayliss is Team Weka’s MVP this week for Manaakitanga - Respect.
Ben, you are such a good example of a student who shows respect in Team Weka. You use your manners so well and always show respect to your teammates and the adults who work in Team Weka.
Ben, you are able to follow our classroom and school rules and always try your best to follow the instructions. We really like how whenever we spot you sitting on the mat you are sitting so well, using your mat manners and you are ready for whatever we need you to do.
Ben, you listen actively during class activities, showing respect for whoever is speaking, and you ask considerate questions that show you have been listening.
It is great how in the mornings you come into the classroom with a happy smile and get straight into doing your morning tasks. Ben, you often see someone else who needs some help and are quick to offer to lend a hand.
Ben, we feel that we are super lucky to have you in Team Weka. Keep up the great work and we look forward to having a fantastic year with you!
Ka pai!
Most Valuable Pupil: Team Tui
Rilan Anderson is Team Tui’s MVP this week for Manaakitanga - Respect
Rilan joined Edendale Primary School at the start of Term One this year and even though he is new to our school he has settled in really well and is a great role model for our school values.
Rilan is considerate towards his peers and offers a helping hand to those who need it. He is kind and inclusive when playing games and he works well in a group by listening to others' ideas and sharing his thoughts politely.
Rilan follows instructions and gets to work quickly and quietly. I can always rely on him to be doing the right thing at the right time.
He shows respect towards his classmates when they are speaking in front of the class by actively listening with eye contact and asking great questions.
Keep up the great work Rilan. We are lucky to have such a great role model in Team Tui!
Our Contact Information
Email: admin@edendaleps.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/edendaleps.school.nz/edendale-primary-school
Location: Edendale Primary School, 24 Salford Street, Edendale 9825, New Zealand
Phone: 03 206 6959
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdendalePrimarySchool
Twitter: @EdendaleSchool
