WAIKANAE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 16 December 2014 14 / 40 Dear Parents & Friends FINAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY 18 DECEMBER 9.15 AM: Come and help us farewell our Year 8 students in our final assembly on Thursday 18 December 9.15am at Waikanae Memorial Hall. All welcome. CHANGES TO TIMES FOR PEKAPEKA AND REIKORANGI BUSES: A special note to all of those families serviced by the Peka Peka and Reikorangi Buses. These buses will be leaving Waikanae School at 3.05pm for the rest of this week, (except on Friday 19 when they will leave at 12.30pm). This arrangement is due to the fact that the College will be closed! END OF TERM: Waikanae School will close for the year on Friday 19 December at 12.30pm. Buses will run at this time. 2015 START UP: The first day of Term 1 2015 will be Monday 2 February. School will begin for students at 9.00am. The office will be open from Tuesday 27 January. The 2015 Exercise Book List is being sent home shortly. We encourage you to purchase your children’s stationery from Take Note, Waikanae. The Exercise Book List will also be available to download off the website. END OF YEAR STUDENT REPORTS HAVE BEEN POSTED HOME: Due to the content and nature of the End of Year Student Reports we have resolved to post the End of Year Student Achievement Reports home. The reason for this is that we are providing you, the parent, with some very definite judgements around your child’s achievement when compared to the National Standards and the Curriculum Levels and we want you to be the person to decide if and when this should be shared with your child. The reports have been posted home, if you have NOT yet received a copy of your child’s report please contact the office immediately and we will arrange for another to be posted. Students will also be bringing home their Portfolios on Thursday. MEET THE TEACHER NIGHT MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2015: We are running our start of the year ‘Meet the Teacher’ with the format trialled in 2014 Key Points: There will be a sausage sizzle/picnic (weather permitting) on the field or around. Classrooms will be open from 5.30pm-7pm. This is an opportunity for parents to come in and see their child/children’s classrooms and meet the teacher as a group. Each syndicate will then have a quick information session to give you an overview of how they run. This will be held in the library… o 5.50 pm Te Waharua (Year 0-3) o 6.10 pm Te Aramoana (Year 4-6) o 6.30 pm Te Poutama (Year 7-8) If you feel that you need an individual interview with your child’s teacher, you will need to book this in the usual way, through the website which will be available from 3 Feb 2015. These interview times are intended for parents who have matters of a sensitive nature to talk to their child’s teacher about. They are not intended for the teacher to inform the parents, so please only book a slot if you need/want to talk individually to the teacher. 1:1 Interview times will be available for booking between 3.30 and 5.00 pm. If these times do not meet your needs please email your child’s teacher and make a booking at both of your mutual conveniences. Staff emails are in this format …. Andrea Boon = [email protected] Nancy Williams = [email protected]. ACHIEVEMENT REPORTS AVAILABLE ON THE SCHOOL WEBSITE: The following Achievement Reports are available for viewing, reading and downloading on the school website. http://www.waikanae.school.nz/2036/pages/192-introduction 1. Analysis of the Overall Teacher Judgements(OTJs) Against the National Standards in Reading Writing and Maths 2. Analysis of the Best Fit Numeracy Levels 3. Analysis of Reading Age Comparison via Running Record These reports and others on the website give readers an in-depth look at how Waikanae School achievement levels compare to national norms and national standards. If you really want to know how good we are, then read the documents found in this section of the website. There is a lot of information! NEW TEACHER APPOINTED IN TE WAHARUA FOR 2015 As stated in previous newsletters Rosie Mackenzie will be on leave for the 2015 school year. We have completed our appointment process and we are now in a position to publically announce Rosie’s replacement. We are very privileged to have secured the services of Mrs Katherine Schimanski. Katherine is an experienced teacher who has spent the last few years working at the new Entrant Level. Katherine is currently at Kenakena School. We all look forward to getting to know her and we have every confidence that we have secured a very high quality teacher for our junior school. Welcome Katherine. TE KUPU O TE WIKI: This week’s word is: whakatā (rest) Kia kaha i te korero Maori COMING DATES: 18.12.14 Prize Giving Assembly 9.15am Waikanae Memorial Hall 19.12.14 End of Term 4 – Finishing at 12.30pm CANTEEN: Wednesday Special (Tomorrow) – Butter Chicken & Rice $5.00 MIGHT MARCH GALA – COME TO THE CIRCUS FUNFAIR! Second-hand goods Keep them coming! Any books, toys, DVDs, clothes, sports gear, kitchen items or general bric-a-brac - just drop it all into the office. If you have a clear-out over the summer holidays and want to off-load pre-loved goods, then phone Niamh on 021 936226 or Lisa on 027 2459766 and we'll take it off your hands for Mighty March - thank you! Spare Jars We need to collect 90 jars for preserves, chutneys and other goodies that will be made for the gala - please leave at the office or send them in with your child. Bunting material A huge thanks to those who have already brought in material but we need more to help us turn the school into an open-air circus! Please drop old sheets, tablecloths or material scraps into the office or send them in with your child. Stalls Some parents have volunteered to have their own stalls, making goods like preserves, ginger beer, lemonade etc. If you've got a good idea for a stall why don't you let us know and we can supply the ingredients and help you organise it. And if you know someone who's keen to have a stall, please contact Jayne at [email protected] Volunteers to work at food and games stalls There's going to be heaps of cool games and yummy food but we need Parent Power to make it all happen! If you can give a couple of hours on the day (Saturday 21st March, 11am-4pm), please let us know. Email Niamh at [email protected]. If you've got seniors, you could help manage a games stall with them - turn it into a fun family event! CONGRATULATIONS: Congratulations to Taimana Van Beek who has successfully completed her first weekend of Surf Life Saving duty with the Otaki Surf Lifesaving Club. Good luck with the rest of the season as a rookie lifegurard. FUNDRAISING: Whitebait $25 per 200g Mixed Firewood $350 per cord (3.6 cubic meters) Both these fundraisers for Waikanae School are available through the school website. Follow this link to get to the right page and help support our school: http://www.waikanae.school.nz/1844/pages/203-whitebait-fundraiser KidzOwn After School Care @ Waikanae School: Operating hours are between 3.00pm – 7.00pm. Casual and permanent care is available. Standard daily childcare fee is only a low $15 per child. Come join the fun and be KidzOwn Kool @ Our New After School. For enrolment info call 0800 5439696 or email [email protected]. COMMUNITY NOTICES: . Wanted To Rent: 3 bdrm house in Waikanae. Phone 0276776116. Christmas Gala Performance of Kapiti Circus Kids: 20 December 1.30-4pm Lindale Centre, SH1, Paraparaumu Koha donation Bring a blanket and enjoy the circus from NZ’s finest circus artists and celebrate the potential of Kapiti Circus youngest talent. For more information, Contact Kapiti Circus: www.kapiticircus.co.nz . For Rent: Hemi Matanga 3 bedrom house for rent. Walk to school and the station. Private garden with views. Contact Bernice Cowley 04 2938020. HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES . ENROL NOW Summer School Holiday Programme (KidzOwn O.S.C.A.R) Our Summer School Holiday Program is now available with some Cool Activities Including – Trampolines, Fun Games, BBQ’s, Sports, Arts & Crafts, Loads of Water Fun, Archery, *Rainbows End, *Zoo Sleepover, Splash Planet PLUS Loads Of other fun filled Activities. Download an Info Pack from our website www.KidzOwn.co.nz or contact our friendly Head Office Team on 0800 543 9696 or [email protected] and get an Info Pack Emailed or Posted out to you. *Strictly Limited Numbers . Sports Jam: Jan 12-30 Mon- Fri. Register for the full week or individual days. For Primary aged children 7yr+. Held at Paraparaumu College Community Sports Gym. $22 per child per day or $12.50 for am/pm session only. Bookings essential 0211160086, [email protected] www.sportsjam.co.nz . Hockey on Skates Summer Camp: 15 hrs of hockey in 1 week only $45 with equipment provided. All levels of ability welcome, ages 7-11. Jan12-16 2-5pm Waikanae Memorial Hall. Call 04 5264765 for more details. Run by Rimutaka Inline Hockey Club Inc. Human Bushcraft and Wild Living: Otaki Gorge, ‘Wild Child’ school holiday adventures are on again this holidays.