Taihape Area School

This term is absolutely crucial for all students, but in particular those doing NCEA. Mock exams are scheduled for week 5, but the challenge for our students is to ensure that they are prepared for the Taihape Area external exams that begin mid-term 4. Preparations for these exams will need to School begin well before the holidays - it is really Monday 21st July 2014 important students take time to carefully plan their study programme. Deans are Term 3 – Newsletter Number 1 available to assist with this.

Phone 06 3880130 As with all new beginnings, this term Email [email protected] promises much, and will hopefully be a [email protected] time of further growth and development Website http://tas.spikeatschool.co.nz for our school, and for the people we work so hard for, our students. The start of a “Leading me to lead my Learning” new term is a very important time for Tena koutou katoa everyone involved at school. It is essential that all students, parents, and teachers get Welcome back after the holidays, and a things right, and begin the term in a very special welcome to all new families. positive manner. Good habits and We hope you all had a wonderful break, attitudes at school need to be reinforced and the opportunity to spend lots of by a positive support system at home. quality family time. The holidays came at Hopefully you were able to take the about the right time, with the rounds of flu opportunity in the holidays to talk to your and illness beginning to take hold. child/children about their school work, Hopefully the two week break was a and provide plenty of positive chance to break the cycle, and everyone is encouragement, and help set some goals now recovered, fit, and well. for term four. A real highlight of the holiday period was the World Cup. The buzz around this event was contagious, with a number of outstanding games, and individual performances. The “beautiful game” was certainly showcased in its full glory in the mythical home of football, Brazil. We now have the Commonwealth Games to look forward to. As student’s progress through the school Richard McMillan system, each term, and each year in Principal turn, becomes progressively more and more important. We aim to set The TAS School Wide all students up for success from day one at school, and hope to avoid the Behaviour Expectations are: - “ambulance at the bottom of the Rangatiratanga: cliff scenario”, whereby students We are Learners are continually behind the eight We show Rangatiratanga ball, and spend their time in catch up mode. Whanaungatanga: To ensure this happens, and that all We are Caring students are given every We show Whanaungatanga opportunity of success, they really Wairuatanga: do need your unconditional support We are Reflective and encouragement. We show Wairuatanga

Please remember we operate a genuine Manaakitanga: open door policy – contact us with any We are Respectful concerns, problems, or enquiries. Early We show Manaakitanga intervention can often prevent major issues. Everyday Counts!!!! We have another extremely busy term It would appear that there is a ahead with lots of exciting events and misconception that it doesn’t matter if activities planned. These include: - children, in the first years of school, miss  The Winter Sports Season (Part 2); a few days of school. This is completely  The Options Programme (including wrong. The first years of schooling are skiing); absolutely crucial for all children, and  Celebration Assembly; Everyday Counts!!  Secondary School’s Tournament Week (TAS participating in Netball This is the stage when children are and Hockey); coming to terms with life at school –  Y 6/8 Winter Sports Tournament; routines, expectations, how to interact  Wearable Arts; with teachers and children, developing  The arrival of Spring, and the lead- up to the balmy days of summer!! independence – as well as learning the  Plus, plus, plus…. core skills that are the foundation for all learning – in particular in the essential In summary a great deal to look forward areas of literacy and numeracy. Without to, more challenges ahead, and hopefully this core set of tools life becomes plenty to celebrate as we continue our progressively more challenging as the efforts to create a school and learning students’ progress through the schooling community second to none. system. Have a great week and start to the term. As well absenteeism has a negative impact on a child’s attitude towards Year 1-8 Term Awards school – missed days (illness excepted) These Awards are made in 3 give children the impression that school categories: doesn’t matter. School absolutely does  Academic - for leading matter, and is a critical stage in life’s your journey. learning and striving for excellence. Missing school can set in place a vicious  Sport - for achieving sporting cycle of lost learning opportunities, Excellence. development of negative attitudes, and  Values - for displaying the TAS disengagement from school. values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Wairuatanga and Rangatiratanga. Statistics prove conclusively that students with high levels of absenteeism in their Room 1 early years at school, are at real risk, and Academic – Kingston Cane; often drop out as early as year 11. Over Values – Ashleigh Newton; time they develop an attitude that school Room 3 isn’t important, and also struggle because they have gaps in their learning - this Academic– Kavahn Cane; learning delay enhances their negative Sporting excellence – Casey Whale; view of life at school. But as we all know, Values – Carlos Hay-Martin; a rounded education is essential for a Room 5 successful transition into the adult world, Academic – George Abernethy; and beyond. Sporting excellence – Matika Slade- We are extremely concerned about any Wipaki; unexplained absenteeism, but in particular Values – Latrell Logan; children at the early stages of their Room 9 schooling. Every day missed represents lost opportunity, as well as increasing the Academic – Jaymi Gorman; risk of issues developing later in the Sporting excellence – Shontae Bennett; schooling system. Values – Kasey Hurinui;

Room 4 Everyday does count!! Academic – Alazaye Logan; Sporting excellence – Joshua Wong; Tall Poppies Values – Madison Tapu-Grant;

The following Taihape Area School Room 6 students rose above the crowd last week Academic – Kalani Grant; as outstanding achievers, and members of Sporting excellence – Jaylen Rewai; our learning community: Values – Grace Mallalieu; Jade Sullivan and Samuel Troon (Y9) - piece or a taste. Well done, teina ma, we for focusing on work completion may have to ask you to make us some and working ahead in Science; more fry bread one day. The Year 3 -8 tamariki stayed in the Serenity Barry, Kelsey Eames, Liam Learning Street to peel vegies and make Fellingham, Alan Gregory, Shelby stuffing for the hangi. Wow, what an Inwood, Jess Law, Millie Law, Hayley awesome sight to see 80 plus tamariki Maher, Melissa Mete, Jonny Sage, with their sleeves rolled up peeling spuds Ashleigh Squires, Leah Sullivan, Teresa and carrots, cleaning pumpkins, peeling Sumich, Gina Swanson – for meeting onions (and not a tear in sight), crumbling Level One literacy and numeracy bread for stuffing, packing meat into the requirements. hangi trays. Once all the vegies were ready then it was time to pack the hangi Visitors trays. Everybody worked like they were on a mission!! Congratulations to our On the last Monday of Term 2 we hosted Years 3 – 8 tamariki- the proof was in the the Principal, and 5 Teachers, from pudding- um, I mean, hangi. It was tino Westmount School (Palmerston North reka (delicious). campus). Westmount is a Year 1-13 After morning tea everybody was whanau Christian School which has campuses in grouped to do the planned activities. several centres. These included pumice carving, listening to stories and learning songs of Matariki, The visitors were suitably impressed with poi making and learning Maori games. the School, with the programmes we Lunchtime was shared kai time and some offer, and with our students. Their sampled for the first time, a boil up of feedback was extremely positive. They watercress, doughboys and mutton and commented on the calm tone of the also, the delicious fry bread. school, and the fact that the students The day was a very successful day due to seemed focused and very engaged in their the help and assistance of the many learning. nannies, mums and dads, and aunties. He mihi maioha ki a tatou katoa. Matariki Day - Avis Hawira-Pickering A fun-filled day was had by the Year 1 – 8 tamariki as they celebrated Matariki- the NCEA Corner Maori New Year in the last week of term Fees 2. NCEA fees are due to be paid to the After the mihi whakatau the Year 1 -2 school office before 22 August. The fee tamariki disappeared into the cooking is $76.70 (including up to three room to make fry bread for shared lunch. Scholarship subjects.) Under the guidance of nannies and aunties If you think you may be eligible for they made the most delicious fry bread. Financial Assistance because you receive Of course, a good cook always samples a Work and Income or Study Link benefit their food and these littlies did their taste testing where no one could ask them for a and/or have a joint family income that would entitle you to receive a Community will not be able to apply for a derived Services Card and/or are a fee-payer with grade. two or more children who are candidates, Authenticity irrespective of family income where the All work that students hand in must be total fees you would have to pay would their own work and cannot be copied from otherwise be more than the $200. Please the internet. If parents are helping students see the office for a form that needs to be at home with work for an assessment filled in and returned ASAP. please be mindful it must be the students Practice Exams work. We have had a couple of breeches These will be held from Monday 18th – this year where work when checked Friday 22nd August. Students will come to against sites on the internet have proven school as normal and if they have a not be the student’s work and as a result practice exam will then go over to St those students have missed out on credits. Margaret’s Hall and sit the exam under - Barb Wallis the same conditions they will sit the exams in November. ‘Rules’ as to the Jump Jam procedures and a timetable will be given The year 0-8 students will be taking part out during Deans Time in Week 2. in Jump Jamon a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is an exercise program to Student Login music developed by Brett Fairweather, Year 11 -13 students can log onto the former world aerobics champion. It NZQA site to check their information and involves the students learning routines to results are correct. Students were given a popular music. The kids love it and before card in the last week of term with their they know it they have done half an hour National Student Number (NSN). of fun exercise! Please ensure that your child has their PE To register go to gear and sports shoes on these days and www.nzqa.govt.nz/learner-login prepare to hear about Jump Jam! · Check Register - Sue Whale · Complete details online Supporting Your Child Derived Grades It is imperative that any student who is at Home: Reading sitting external exams at the end of the 1. For beginning readers, learning basic year sit these practice exams as should sight words is really important as it helps something happen (illness or accident) with fluency. See your child's teacher for and they are unable to sit the end of the lists of important words and flash cards. year exams the marks from the practice exams will be used towards a derived grade. Without the practice exam mark we 2. At any level, listen to The Board of Trustees has a Community your child read and ask Goal to enhance the partnership between him/her questions about the School, whanau, families, and the what they wider community. Over a period of many have read to check their years the Iwi of Mokai Patea have understanding. developed an Education Strategy. 3. Online websites are available for The vision of this strategy is “Mokai Patea improving the reading skills of your enjoying educational success as Mokai child/children. Patea” through his/her (the learners) language, culture, and identity. What’s on This Week We would like to acknowledge whanau who have contributed to the development Great News of the School Values – Rangatiratanga, Whanaungatanga, Wairuatanga, and We have received a grant of $5,010 from Manaakitanga. Pub Charity towards the cost of the TAS Mixed Hockey Team attending the North These values are encompassed within the Island Mixed Tournament. School, and the Mokai Patea Education Strategy, to create a strong Mokai Patea School Ball Learner. The Annual School Ball was held on Consultation the first Saturday of the holidays. This Next Tuesday there will be two year the venue was the School Hub. The consultation sessions (in Room 2) about Ball Committee ingeniously transformed the Mokai Patea Education Strategy: this area, and the entrance foyer, into a Session 1 - 2.00-3.00 wonderful and unrecognisable setting – Session 2 - 5.00-6.00 the transformation was nothing short of miraculous. Kahurangi NZ Maori The venue set the scene for an outstanding evening, and one of the very best Taihape Dance Group Area School Balls. On the last Friday of Term 2 we hosted the Kahurangi NZ Maori Dance Group. Congratulations to Year 13 Deans, Jason Students from a number of country Fellingham and Cathy Yates, and the schools joined us in the MFC for what members of the organising Committee. was an absolutely outstanding performance, and celebration of Maori Mokai Patea Education Culture. Strategy The performance was a mixture of dance, During the first week of the holidays a waiata, traditional stories, traditional number of students travelled to Nelson to games, haka, poi, and humour. The represent the Central Region at the New Zealand Areas Schools Winter audience was thoroughly engrossed for Tournament. This was a very successful the entire duration of the show. experience for our students who all To access background information about performed with credit and great skill. Four students gained selection in North Island the Kahurangi Dance Group, visit:- Area Schools Teams, and took part in http://www.kahurangi.com Inter-island games against the South Island. The athletes chosen were: Te Rakau Ture Netball rd On Thursday 3 July we welcomed to our Alana Overton Jessica Elwin kura the Te Rakau Ture from the Maori Georgia Adams Brooklyn Walker Law Students Association, at the University of Auckland. TRT’‛s general Football purpose is to advocate for kaupapa Maori, Joshua Fellingham Bailey Nathan Shelby and support Maori studying at the Inwood University of Auckland Law School. Haerenga is TRT’‛s annual one week, Reese McClay Deonie McClay community initiative, where they travel to Rachael Conlon different parts of the country visiting schools, and Maori communities, to Volleyball encourage Maori to dream, and pursue Brodie Te Paki further education. Golf The group of twenty eight arrived from Chris Bristol Ohakune, were welcomed, and then delivered an entertaining and informative As you can imagine it was a very presentation, designed to connect with expensive exercise travelling to Nelson, students. Although they were all law and spending a week there. The initial students, they had many other areas of cost was about approximately $340 per study including politics, sociology, head, but fortunately fund raising reduced business, science and Maori. The skits this to a cost of $150 per head. Thank you about university study, the information to about funding options and support the Whanganui Community Foundation, services, and the question time for our the SPARC Rural Travel Fund, and Mokai students to seek answers was amazing Patea Services for their contributions. with many of our Year 9 -13 students now interested in attending Auckland Hockey University. A rarity last round with hockey cancelled NZ Area Schools because the turf was under water. We have entered the business end of the National Winter season with only 5 rounds to go before the Tournament finals. Fortunately we also have tournament week to look forward to - the North Island Mixed Tournament is in Levin this year.

Draw - Tonight Taihape Area School v Cornerstone on Turf 1, at 4.15pm.

Next week TAS is playing Horowhenua Junior Mixed on Turf 1, at 4.15pm (leaving from school at 2.30pm.

Thoughts of the Week “It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it” ― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself” ― Harvey Fierstein.