School Newsletter Term 4, Week 7
Friday 24th November 2023
Kia ora West End Whānau,
We have hosted CycleSafety this week in Te Wao Nui O Tāne. This is a valuable opportunity for our Year 5 and Year 6 tamariki to learn about how to keep themselves and others safe when riding their bikes and using our roads.
We have been thoroughly enjoying the swimming lessons that our children have been a part of this term at the West End Aquatic Centre with Hilton Browne. It is wonderful that our children are able to benefit from swimming lessons from professional swim coaches. This is an important skill set to practice before the upcoming summer months ahead.
We are looking forward to our first ever “Splash and Dash” event on Wednesday next week. A big thank you to Miss Black who has developed this exciting opportunity for our tamariki. We would love to see our WES Whānau at school to support our tamariki during this event. Please see later in this newsletter for further details about Splash and Dash. See you there!
Thank you again to all of our WES whānau for your support with our Staff Only Day on Wednesday this week. Our staff had a productive day working with the Ministry of Education. Our amazing teachers spent the day with teachers from many other schools across Palmerston North exploring Te Mātaiaho (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh) and what this means for Te Kura O Urumutu.Our wonderful teacher aides worked with learning support ministry of education advisors to help us with supporting our tamariki here at school.
As always, we have a jam packed last few weeks of excitement and learning planned for the end of the school year. Please make sure you are following our updates and calendar so that you are able to enjoy the last few weeks of school for 2023.
To all of our West End Whānau I wish you all a safe and happy weekend.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Cycle Safety continues for TWNOT continues next week
Please check as there have been changes due to our rained out days.
Health Consult on Thursday
Thank you to those parents who came to our Health Consult on Thursday. We look forward to rolling out our exciting Hauora sessions next year. We will send out information on what will be happening via Seesaw and our school app.
Enviro Working Bee
Please come and join us after school on Monday 4th December 2023 from 3-4:30pm, to help us clear out the wild weeds in our orchard! If you have gardening tools that you think might be useful such as gardening forks and your own gloves, please feel free to bring them! Many hands make light work :)
See you then,
Amy Burch
Enviro Team Leader
Tui in a Teapot
In Room 7 we have been learning about the Tui. We have made a Tui puppet to go along with the book "Tui in a Teapot". We have had so much fun learning about all our nature birds this term
Splash 'n Dash next Wednesday
Next Wednesday is Splash ‘N’ Dash, this involves the kids swimming a length of the West End Pool and running around to the field area. We will be starting with the senior school (approx 12:45) and moving through to the junior school which will approximately be 1:30pm.
PE Tops -
Term 4 Sports begin to wrap up next week, once your child has finished their sporting code please start sending in their PE tops to Room 2.
Interschool Athletics -
Next Friday the 1st of December is Interschool Athletics. Your child would have received a letter about it earlier this week. If you would like to help out on the day please contact Georgia Black asap.
Prehistoric New Zealand in Room 14
As part of Room 14’s exploration of prehistoric New Zealand and fossils, we used our mana aotūroa and whakamana to research then write biographies of Joan Wiffen. We learned that Joan was the first person in New Zealand to find a dinosaur fossil. Joan used a lot of whakamana during her searches and did not give up!
Our Sunflower Challenge
Room 15 have been looking after our sunflowers and learning about how they grow. We have used Manaakitanga to care for these and we are very happy with their progress! Here is a photo of our tallest sunflowers. Thank you to the enviro team for providing us with the seeds, ka rawe!
Room 17 Triaramas
We made some cool triaramas that shows the different layers of the earth with dinosaurs on the surface.
Upcoming Events
WEEK 8 -
- Splash and Dash - Wednesday 29th November
- Interschool Athletics - Friday 1st December
WEEK 9 -
- Enviro Club Working Bee - Monday 4th December
- Room 5, 6, 7 to Te Manawa - Tuesday 5th December
- Farewell Assembly - Wednesday 6th December (9am)
- Visit new classes (and meet the 2024 teacher) - Thursday 7th December
- Whole School Fun Day - Friday 8th December
- Year 6 Breakfast - Friday 8th December
- School reports sent out - Friday 8th December
WEEK 10 -
- Staff vs RICOH Soccer team (Mr Kennedy testimonial match - Tuesday 12th December
- Year 6 Leavers Assembly and Poroporoaki (9.15am) - Wednesday 13th December
- TWNOT Lido Visit - Wednesday 13th December
- Last day of the 2023 School Year (finishing at 12.30pm) - Thursday 14th December
PTA Events and Fundraising
Term 4 Swimming Timetable
Our regular swimming sessions for the year have now finished. Next week we have our catchups due to misses sessions from Labour Day and our Staff Only Day. These will take place on Monday/Tuesday of next week.
School Reports will be going in Week 9
End of Year Reports will be going out in Week 9, Friday 8th of December. Reports will be sent out to parents/caregivers via Seesaw and will include information about your child’s progress and achievement, as well as a comment from the teacher for reading, writing, maths. There will also be a general comment relating to attitude, behaviour and showing school values. An example of your child’s work to show the progress they have made in that area will also be provided.
Term Dates 2024
Term 1: Monday 29 Jan - Friday 12 April (100 1/2 days)
Term 2: Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July (96 1/2 days)
Term 3: Monday 22 July - Friday 27 Sept (100 1/2 days)
Term 4: Monday 14 Oct - Friday 13 Dec (88 1/2 days)
Which equals a total of 384 half days for 2024.
We would have Call Back Days Thur 25 - Fri 26 Jan before the year starts.
We have a scheduled Teacher Only Day on Monday 5th February.
Proposed Ballot Dates for 2024
Ballot held in Term 1 for Term 2
(To be held in Term 1 Week 3, 12th Feb-16th Feb)
Ballot held in Term 2 for Term 3
(To be held in Term 2 Week 3, 6th May - 10th May)
Ballot held in Term 3 for Term 4
(To be held in Term 3 Week 3, 29 July - 2 August)
Ballot held in Term 4 for Term 1
(To be held in Term 4 Week 3, 21st October - 25th October)
If your child is absent from school.
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
In both cases please give a reason for absence.
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.
If you require help please call the Kindo helpdesk on
0508 454 636
New users need this link
Existing users need this link
Location: West End School, 196 College Street, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 358 2465