Newsletter 3 Term 4

Meri Kirihimete!

When writing for the year book and assemblies recently I have been reflecting on a year of growth, fun, and incredible achievements, as we bid farewell to another wonderful year at Onerahi School.

The end of the year also brings change. Our Year 6's celebrated the end of their time at Onerahi Primary School with a fantastic graduation ceremony on Wednesday evening. I could tell you were all having a wonderful time. Congratulations on your time at Onerahi Primary School. You are a great bunch of young people and we wish you all the best for your futures.

We will also be farewelling a few members of staff and we are really grateful for the contributions they have made over their time at the school. We also wish them the very best for what the next chapter brings them.

We have been fortunate to have had Jin Wei Lan, our Mandarin Language Assistant this year and we have been so pleased to have this programme back up and running post-Covid. Thank you Jin Wei. We look forward to welcoming Liying Wang who will be our MLA next year.

Thank you to our dedicated students, supportive parents, and passionate staff for making this year truly special. Here's to a new year filled with learning, laughter, and endless possibilities!

Wishing everyone a fantastic holiday season and a bright, promising year ahead.

Ngā Manaakitanga

AnnMaree MacGregor

I have had the pleasure of having morning tea with the following students over the past 3 weeks:

Issa Omar, Havyn Te Tai, Taniora Ashby, Jake Cabrol, Jake Nicholls, Riley Faltado, Jacob Woolford, Emily Fisher, Leah Robinson, Kade Morgan, Marino Rapana-Tawhai, Titan Simi-Tauasa, Shawn Sharma, Tiare Henare, Annalise Selter Wyse, Jackson Jennings, Hone Smith

These tamariki make our school a great place to be.

We are so proud of the efforts made by all of our tamariki to challenge themselves and grow their skills and knowledge throughout the year. We would like to give extra recognition to the following students for their outstanding achievements.

Academic Class Awards Recipients:

Rm 1 – Boris Sarcheliev and Jake Cabrol

Rm 2 – Ryan Xu and Sasha Kilgour

Rm 3 – Mason Johnson and Amilia Juddery

Rm 5 – Dylan Douglas and Phoebe O’Gorman

Rm 6 – Louie Lovelace and James Lester

Rm 7 – Elliot Gibbs and Leo Nel

Rm 8 – Dion Parker and Riley Kemp

Rm 9 – Dominic Sutcliffe and Henri Rowsell

Rm 10 – Hunter-Delta Tatana and Finn Rewa-Morgan

Rm 12 - Elise Baldwin and Jayden Jones

Rm 13 – Caasi Wihongi and James Gibbs

Rm 14 – Bella Holmes and Boyd King

Rm 15 – Abigail Kehoe and Joaquin Retamal

Rm 16 – Mivaan Patel and Mia McFarlane

Rm 17 – Kate Biggins and Tane Heremaia

Rm 18 – Bowen McNeil and Winnie Paterson

Rm 19 – Havyn Te Tai and Luna Junge

Rm 20 – Alyssa Williams and Leo Carmichael

Rm 22 – Darcy King and Bailey Pomare

Beacon Award Recipients:

Rm 1 – Lucas Perry

Rm 2 – Riley Faltado

Rm 3 – Arapeta Tuhiwai-Wharepapa

Rm 5 – Siobhan Boyd

Rm 6 – Clare Morgan

Rm 7 – Abigail Read

Rm 8 – Azarliyah Leslie

Rm 9 – Charlie Williamson

Rm 10 – Caitlin Haworth

Rm 12 – Brooke Clarke

Rm 13 – Jamie Kervell

Rm 14 – Zev Kaka-Holtz

Rm 15 – Madelyn White

Rm 16 – Kendrick Manuel

Rm 17 – Avera-Leigh Ashby-Leaf

Rm 18 – Tiare Henare

Rm 19 – Layla Gardiner

Rm 20 – Makareta Wensor-Burgess

Rm 22 – Skylar Ripo

The NEST School Award (Year 2) – for academic excellence in the NEST – Darcy King

The P.T.A Award (Year 4) – for persistence and resilience in the face of challenges – Issa Omar

YEAR 6 AWARDS:

Maths Award – for excellent achievement in all areas of mathematics – Boris Sarcheliev

Language Award – for excellence in written language – Steven Gillatt

Science and Technology Award – for excellence in science and technology – Ryan Xu

Global Citizenship Award – for excellence in international languages and culture – Shannan Beardsall

Art Award – for all round ability and skill in art – Kymani Pepene

Performing Arts Award – for effort and achievement in dance and drama – Lilly Mills

Kapa Haka Award – Boy – for excellence in the kaupapa and tikanga in Kapa Haka – Kayne Turner

Kapa Haka Award – Girl – for excellence in the kaupapa and tikanga in Kapa Haka – Kenzy Gardiner

eLearning Award – for excellence in eLearning – Zayne Johnson

Māori Award – Girl – for effort, achievement and leadership in Te Reo – Jade Abraham

Māori Award – Boy – for effort, achievement and leadership in Te Reo – Tiaki Orton

Environmental Education Award – for commitment and effort in environmental education – Amilia Juddery

Creativity Award – for outstanding ability in creative problem solving – Hazel Owen

Music Award – for all around effort and ability in music – Qyle Dela Cruz

Garden to Table – for outstanding contribution and skills within the kitchen – Nevaeh-Leigh Tana and Arapeta Tuhiwai-Wharepapa

Sports Award – Boy – for outstanding physical ability and sportsmanship – Joel Mann

Sports Award – Girl – for outstanding physical ability and sportsmanship – Carley Clarke

CITIZENSHIP AWARD – for outstanding contribution to Onerahi Primary School – Noah MacDonald

LEADERSHIP AWARD – for outstanding leadership across the school – Kenzy Gardiner

This is also the time of year we wish a fond farewell to some of our staff members. We know they will be missed!

Ali White has been a learning support assistant for the past 18 months and has been a valuable part of the team. All the best Ali.

Kyle Diamond has been with us for the past 2 years and he and his wife are heading off on their big overseas adventure. We thank him for all that he's done for the tamariki and the contribution you have made to the school. We wish him all the very best for safe and exciting adventures.

Michelle Murphy. Over the last 5 years Michelle has been our go to 'IT' person, a classroom teacher and even a stint in Garden to Table. We know that her next adventure on the land and at the next school will be rewarding. Thanks for everything.

Jin Wei Lan. We wish Jin Wei all the best for his future. The tamariki have loved having him supporting their Mandarin learning. Safe travels back to China.

Miriam Burgess has been a valued and respected member of our staff for 12 years. She is an excellent teacher and has held leadership roles in the school that have had a positive impact at many levels. We wish her all the very best for her next step in her career and thank her sincerely for all that she's done for the ākonga, their families and the staff at Onerahi School.

Sue Carppe has well and truly earned her retirement badge after 34 years at Onerahi School. Sue’s high level of expertise has made a difference to hundreds of children and many, many colleagues over this time. We are grateful for the years Sue has given to Onerahi School and send our love and thanks for a long and happy retirement.

Our entire NEST team- over 140 students, hit the beach at Whangaumu Bay on Thursday the 30th of November. They explored, they swam, they played beach games, and they all came back tired but happy for some after school activities to continue the fun. We would like to give a huge thanks to all the parent helpers that joined us for the day, as without you, we could not have offered this to our young ones. A huge thanks also to all the staff that supported this day, in planning and in being present to ensure it ran smoothly. Here are some of the words from our juniors to sum up the day for them....

"The NEST trip had lots of people and teachers. We went on buses to Whangaumu Bay. It was sunny at Whangaumu Bay and there were smiles on peoples faces. Some kids were making sandcastles, some kids loved the water and Miss Elly came on the trip. It didn't rain at the beach. There were not much shells. When we had to go, kids left their toys and the rugby ball was stuck in the sand. All the kids had hats on, and our class had to wear sunscreen."

By Georgie Kake and Darcy King.

In week 7, our lucky senior school learned some new beach and board skills when they hit the waves at Sandy Bay. One of our year 5 girls shares her story of the day below:

This Term all of our senior classes went on an amazing surf trip. It was incredible! I was feeling confident at first, like everyone else. Then it was my turn, oh no, the actual surfing. I was super nervous because I've never surfed or even been on a surfboard, what would happen? I had been told by others that half of the people who went on the other days knew how to surf, this made me even more nervous. But then we just had a little practice before we headed out to the waves on the sand. The waves were kind of big and kept pushing us onto the shore and holding us under if we fell off. We had to move to the right a little bit because there was a rip developing, the instructors clearly knew what they were doing. After lots of practice some of us were finally getting it. It was an amazing experience, and we were lucky enough to finish it off with a hot dog and chips on the beach. I really hope we can do it all again next year!

Riley-Autumn Turner

The elections are complete. Please see below from our returning officer.

Vote counts: Richard Pollard 71

Simone Chandler 51

Sam Moselen 41

I hereby declare the following duly elected:

Richard Pollard

Simone Chandler

Thank you.

Returning Officer

Raja Raman V

Following our election the board received a resignation from a current board member resulting in a casual vacancy.

The board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection.

If 10% or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this

notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be

held.

Request for a by-election should be sent to:

Presiding member (chair)

Onerahi School Board

2 a Church St, Onerahi, Whangarei 0110

or to: boardoftrustees@onerahi.school.nz

by: 12 January 2024.

Below is our list of staff and classes for 2024. The class lists will also be on display at school in the library and outside it, on the first day of school in term 1 - 01 February.

Principal: - Annmaree MacGregor

Deputy Principals Danny Hamilton, Grace Williams

Room 1 and 2 Elizabeth Thompson, Matt Te Maro, Chloe Peters - Kaupapa Māori

Room 3 Gareth Blithe Year 5/6

Room 4 Jade Grant Year 5/6

Room 5 Gail Green Year 5/6

Room 6 Jake Baldwin Year 5/6

Room 7 Caitlin Adams Yr 1

Room 9 Lorelei Dela Cruz Yr 1/2

Room 10 Philippa Todd New Entrants (T2)

Room 18 Tessa Herbert Tech space

Room 19 Alysha Mitchell Year 2

Room 20 LSAs

Room 21 Susan Orton Year 2

Room 22 Belinda Dierick Year 2

Room 11 Chloe Peters GTT

Room 12 Music space

Room 13 Bev Haigh Year 3

Room 14 Sue Hewett Year 3/4

Room 15 Meredith McInnes Year 4

Room 16 Elly Houston Year 3/4

Room 17 To be advised Year 3/4

Garden to Table Programme: - Chloe Peters, Mary Tingey

Release: - Tessa Herbert, Richard Bell, Matt te Maro

Reading Recovery: - Debbie Sayer, Bev Maconaghie

Better Start Literacy facilitator: - Philippa Todd

Language Learning Assistant and Maths extension: - Hannah He

Learning Support Coordinator: - Karen Johnsen

Learning Support Assistants: - Wendy Jeffery, Anna Duval-Peterson, Viv Watkins, Heather Francis, Daina Carter, Sarah Hall, Cherie Kewene-Edmonds, Loren Pederson, Renee Haag, Kaela Matthews, Ilona Harris, Monique Oudshoorn

Administration team: - Anne-Marie Wilson, Sara Ujdur, Lana Jennings, Kirsty Oliver

Property team Edwin Dela-Cruz, Bill Tebbutt

For our final instalment in this series for 2023, bringing you news of pupils past, we are delighted to feature the current DOC rangers on Matakohe/Limestone Island, both of whom attended Onerahi Primary back in the 1990's.

"Kia Ora!

We are Bevan Morgan and Courtney Smuts-Kennedy (Courtney Halsey back then). We were students at Onerahi Primary School in the late 90’s/early 2000s, with Bevan’s last year being 2003 and Courtney’s in 2005. We both went on to WIS and then to WBHS and WGHS, but we didn’t meet until we were studying at Northtec in 2017. In February 2022 we got married, and very recently moved over to Matakohe Limestone Island to be the resident rangers for the next 3 years.

Bevan has 2 younger brothers, Calvin and Daniel, and Courtney has a younger brother, Hayden Palmer, who all attended Onerahi Primary school after us. While reading previous “Where are they now” stories, we saw a good one from Courtney’s uncle Rhys and another from one of Courtney’s classmates. We love how small and close-knit the Onerahi community is, and we are still in touch with some of our friends from way back then!

We are both very passionate about conservation and have done a lot of mahi in the industry over the last few years. Our interests have lead us to so many awesome experiences all over NZ, most recently to Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain to release the first kākāpō on the mainland. I don’t think primary school aged Bevan and Courtney were expecting this life for us, or if we even knew what we wanted to be when we grew up, but we are so happy with the path we have chosen.

Not long after moving over to Matakohe Limestone Island, we had a group of OPS tamariki who participated in ShowQuest 2023 come over for a visit. The weather was perfect, everyone had lots of fun, and a couple of students even named our resident sheep for us. We are so excited for more visits from Onerahi Primary School, we both came here on school trips while we were students there so we know how cool it is!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday this summer!

Meri Kirihimete, ngā mihi

Bevan and Courtney"

It has been a little while since we featured a fabulous creation from our learners. So we are delighted to share this wonderful poem written by one of our clever year 6 students.

The Forest, the Boy, and the Magical Box

Once upon a time, in an isolated town

There was a boy who played music all around.

But his father disapproved of his passion for sound

So he stomped on the guitar with one big pound.

That day, when the boy returned from school

He was hurt that his father had lost his cool!

He had slammed out the violin, broken the guitar

All the music set ablaze either with his cigar!

Later that night, while his father was in bed

The boy snuck out of the house, not a word said.

The night was cold, bitter ,and scary

But that didn’t take the boy from the one dream he carried.

The boy ran faster, and slower

But still, as he ran, he had just fallen over!

As he picked himself up, he heard some voices.

Oh he hoped it wasn’t his father, he had made some bad choices.

But as the boy listened carefully, it wasn’t his father thank goodness

It was still strange to think of a sound of something footless.

But at last he had identified what was there

There was a box, a fox, a hare, and a bear!

They noticed him as well, in fact, they talked to him too!

‘Hello our dear child, are you alright, you?’

‘Not really’ said the boy, he wasn’t alright.

‘Then would you like to join us for the night?’

‘Yes please’ the boy who had no home

He really wouldn’t be able to make it all alone.

Startlingly, the box grew legs!

It was five feet tall and had a couple of pegs!

‘Sorry to introduce and talk to you late’

But I’m a magic box and my name’s Kate’.

They pulled out some music from magical kate

And made a band outside for their life's sake.

As the band went and uncurled

They started to entertain people from all over the world!

The boy was happier to prove his father wrong

That the boy was a true musician and he made dozens of songs.

So that’s the end of the story, they hoped you liked them

So stay safe until the very next poem.

By Steven Gillatt (Room 1, 11 years old)

On Church Street, we have a dedicated pedestrian crossing, patrolled each day before and after school by our responsible road patrollers and their adult support.

We kindly ask all parents bringing their children to school who cross Church St to support us modelling safe behaviour for our tamariki by ensuring they are crossing this road at the dedicated crossing. We appreciate taking the extra steps required at times, to take advantage of safely stopped traffic.

It is also very important that if you are collecting your child from our Church St entrance you do not park on the yellow lines or across driveways. Our staff parking area is also out of bounds.

Lets all work together to keep our tamariki safe on their way to and from our kura.

• Tuesday 19 December - Last day of Term 4
• Thursday 01 February - First day of Term 1
• Monday 05 February - Staff only day
• Tuesday 06 February - Waitangi day
• Monday 11 March - Mid Term Cohort Entry
• Friday 29 March - Good Friday
• Monday 01 April - Easter Monday
• Tuesday 02 April - Easter holiday
• Friday 12 April - Last day of Term 1

SUMMER

A reminder to you all that in Term 1 hats are compulsory for all outdoor activities at Onerahi Primary. This includes outdoor PE activities during lesson time. This is in keeping with our efforts to be sun safe. As we also swim in this term can you please ensure your child has brought their togs and towels on their rostered swim days. These should be named. Thank you.

SCHOOL HOURS

8:15am School gates open to students and whanau

9:00am School begins

11:00-11:30am 1st Play Break

1:30-2:00pm 2nd Play Break

3:00pm School finishes

3:15pm School gates close

There are two eating breaks within the day, taken at times that suit each class. Please ask your child's teacher when their times are. We would like to remind all whanau that during school hours, your child is expected to be present and learning. Where possible, we ask that appointments be scheduled outside of school hours, so as not to impact on your child's learning. We also ask that every effort is made to arrive at school in time for learning at 9am.

Medication: If your child requires medication to be brought or kept at school, please be aware that due to health and safety concerns, this must be kept secure in the school sick bay. It is not to be kept in children’s schoolbags during the day. This is to protect the safety of not only the child requiring the medication but also all other students. All medication requires an accompanying permission/approval form signed by their parent or caregiver. This includes epi-pens for allergy management, inhalers for asthma or any other medication your child requires on a short-term or as needed basis.

Email: office@onerahi.school.nz
Website: https://www.onerahi.school.nz/
Location: Onerahi Primary School Church Street, Onerahi, Whangārei 0110, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 436 0521
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onerahischool

Beach Buses are back!

Running between Whangārei and Ocean Beach, and Whangarei and Ruakākā Beach,

every Thursday from December 21st.

The Ocean Beach bus leaves Rose Street bus depot at 10am and returns 2.30pm

The Ruakākā Beach bus leaves 11.15, and returns at 2.

Just $5 each way.

Get the bus to the beach! Ka eke ki runga I te pahi ki te takutai!

See Bus Link.co.nz, or join CityLink on Facebook.

Brought to you by Northland Regional Council.