Gina’s Community Newsletter Week 4
Dates for your diary:
Museum – Monday 24th February 12-3pm Gina and Mel’s HB at Museum Fill Out Form Here for Museum Trip
Athletics – Thursday 27th February
Swimming – 23rd March – 3rd April (excluding 27th)
Floor 4 Camp – 6th – 8th April
Yay we have made it to the end of our first week! It was a wee bit crazy with illness amongst staff and students but we did it. I would like to say how much I have appreciated the number of parents who have been around this week to help with odd jobs and settling nervous students. You are all awesome!
This week sees a return to our ‘normal’ program including starting our exciting projects on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The students are all signed up to these and ready to go.
New HB Names
This week our Homebases took some time to give themselves a new name via a voting process. The new names are as follows:
Kate/Debs – Homebase Pouakai
Beth/Melva – Homebase Ruru
Gina/Mel – Homebase Pukeko
Nadine/Suze – Homebase Piwakawaka
Reminders
Lunches
We understand that kids are fussy, but food is their fuel for a busy day at school. If you can, please try to include healthy lunch options in their lunch boxes, a bento style box with lots of small snacks like fruit and veg, cheese cubes, nuts, crackers, salami, sandwiches etc is often great as children love to graze. We are also finding that quite a few children are coming to with less lunch than their body needs. We are currently having 3 eating breaks a day due to the nature of the new timetable. Please ensure your child has enough lunch and also brings a drink bottle as we have no water fountain and very few cups.
If your child forgets their lunch we have some snacks available but they may not cater to dietary requirements. In the past this has been managed by a group of parents who have also made more substantial meals for those who forget their lunch or whose family maybe needing support in providing lunches for a while. If you are able to help with re-stocking this please contact Niki. niki.stephenson@aotawhiti.school.nz
Sun hats
Please ensure your child has a sunhat in their bag or tote tray each day. We do go outside for lunch everyday and if they do not have one we require them to sit under the veranda to eat and they cannot run around. Hats are required in Terms 1 and 4.
Lost Property
Last year we had a big issue with lost property on floor 4. We do not have a space to store it and so we display it along the top of the stairs, this looks messy and eventually gets to a point where there is too much to even display! At the end of each term all lost property is donated to charity, we have given away brand new Kathmandu and Macpac jackets, Icebreaker merinos amongst other items. Please help us out by encouraging your child to put their things in their bag when they take them off and by naming all items they bring to school.
Illness and Headlice
Just a wee reminder that if your child has a stomach bug then the stand down time before they can return to school is 48hrs from the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.
We have not seen any head lice around but now seems a good time to mention that if we do see live lice in a student’s hair, we will need to send them home, they can return to school once the live lice have been removed and the hair treated.
Code Club
Reminder of Code Club for years 3 and 4. Starts tomorrow at 1.30pm. Email Nadine. nadine.walmisley@aotawhiti.school.nz
Parent Help for Before School & Lunch Duties
Please add your name to this doc if you can help. Parent Help for Duties
Hot Tip
A helpful suggestion from a parent about a tool to remind you to check for these newsletters and other school info. “It’s called Visualping. You sign up, add the webpage you want to monitor (for me, https://aotawhiti.school.nz/) and then it sends you a notification via email when the page changes. I find this really handy, because I forget to check the website regularly!”
Athletics Day Drop off/Pick up Next week
This year Athletics Day will again be held at Te Puna Wai in Halswell.
Drop off and pick up is at Te Puna Wai, we will not be transporting from school as the whole school is attending.
Yr 1-6 staff will be onsite at Te Puna Wai from 8.30am until 3.30pm for drop offs and pick ups.
Summer Futsal and Touch – First Week News From Dean
We had our first summer sports this Friday but sadly I forgot to take any pictures. If you take any pictures in the future, please forward them onto me as soon as the game is finished so I can have them ready for our newsletter.
Our top ranked futsal team won their games scoring 6 points in both games. Well done! The second team was able to come away with a draw in their second game. I bet there was some great improvement overall.
The Touch team started out very shaky in their first game, but by the second game they were able to score 3 tries. Improvement was made throughout both games and it was amazing to see the quick growth.
With a little training for all the teams, there will be improvements for both sports.
If you would like to come and support you are very much welcome. We are looking for more players and would love more girls to be involved as we only have Rose taking part. My goal for the future is to have more girls participate and with encouragement from the parents, having girls only teams would be a wonderful outcome.
Timetable
News for Melva and Beth’s HB (HB Ruru) – follow link below
Important Week 4 information for Beth and Melva’s HB : HB Ruru
Homebase Pouākai – Kate and Bonnie (Debz)
Wow, what a week we’ve had to start the term off. Bonnie, Sarah and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to know you and your tamariki. Thank you to all of our parent helpers throughout the week, especially on Friday, it makes it SO easy to get out enjoying all the city has to offer.
This week is gearing up to be just as much fun with the start of literacy and maths groups, projects and ‘out and abouts’ on Friday again!
Friday
This week 21st Feb, sees us heading to the South Brighton redzone on the bus if we are not at swimming sports (tbc).
Please email Kate (kate.griffith@aotawhiti.school.nz) if you are able to come along. As always, the more the merrier!
Project Group Fairy Doors…
If your taitamaiti is in the Fairy Doors project group, we will be heading out to find some fairy doors on Tuesday from 12:45 – 3pm. We will need to be able to transport all 18 children + adults there and back for this to be able to happen.
Please fill in this form by Monday 3pm if you are able to help.