IN FLIGHT MAGAZINE May 2019 ROYAL OAK INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Together empowering confident, motivated learners to achieve success in all walks of life. 1 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Kia ora Royal Oak families, NZEI Industrial Action This week we have been formally notified by the NZEI (the Primary Teachers’ Union) of their intention to strike on 29 May. Unfortunately, this means we have no choice other than to close the school. We realise this is inconvenient for families, and apologise for any difficulty caused. The primary teachers’ collective agreement has been expired for almost a year, and in spite of ongoing negotiations between the Ministry of Education and the NZEI they have been unable to reach a new agreement. The Ministry has publicly stated that their offer is fair and costs a lot of money. The union’s response is that the 3% annual pay rise on offer is insufficient to address the growing crisis in teacher numbers by attracting new people into the profession. We will keep you informed of progress as we learn more. School Tours & Open night On 30 May we are holding School Tours between 10 – 11am and an Open Night from 5:30pm, including presentations and tours of the school for families interested in coming to Royal Oak in 2020. Please feel free to share this information. School leaders and student leaders are visiting our contributing primary schools with this information. There will be another Open Night in early Term 3. Pink Shirt Day Last Friday the school took part in Pink Shirt Day to raise awareness of the issues surrounding bullying, and to promote the values of acceptance and kindness. The events were well supported by the students, and I would like to thank Mrs Loggie and her team for driving this initiative. Travel wise Royal Oak Intermediate is a Travel Wise school. On Friday May 10 we had a special assembly, organised by Mrs Kumar and the Travelwise Student Leaders. At the assembly we were addressed by representatives from Auckland Transport and the New Zealand Police. They spoke to the students about travelling safely, and using different methods of transport like walking, cycling and using public transport. The Travelwise team has also run a publicity campaign where they held signs around the school, encouraging motorists to drive safely around the school. We are very grateful for all of their hard work. Board of Trustees Election Nominations close this week for the upcoming Board of Trustees elections. We encourage family members with voting rights who are considering standing to get their nomination in as quickly as possible to the returning officer. Ng mihi nui Tony Coughlan Principal 2 Calendar – upcoming events 24th May Board Nominations close at noon 28th May CZ Football Year 7 Boys 30th May CZ Football Year 8 Boys ROI School Tours 10 – 11am ROI Open Night 5:30 – 7:30pm 13th June School Photos 17th June CZ Hockey Boys (ROI Host School) 18th June CZ Hockey Girls (ROI Host School) 20th June CZ Table Tennis rd Wednesday 29th May Monday 3 June NZEI STRIKE QUEENS BIRTHDAY 3 KA RERE – TO FLY Gliding from the past, rising in the present and soaring to the future Rere hau I nga wa o mua, piki atu inaianei, tere kite wa e heke mai nei Date: 30 May 2019 Venue: Royal Oak Intermediate School Time: 5.30pm Parents/Caregivers and prospective students are warmly invited to attend an Open Evening and learn about the opportunities on offer at our thriving school. A presentation will be held in our school library and you can hear about the enrolment process; hear from our students and staff as ask questions that you want answered. This will be followed by an opportunity to mix and mingle with our staff and student leaders/prefects. We will have a variety of performances detailing many of the activities which take place in our school. Supper will be served during the evening. We look forward to seeing you there! Royal Oak Intermediate School 74 Symonds Street, Royal Oak, Auckland, 1061 Phone 09 636 5667 Email: [email protected] 4 In the first week of Term 2, Year 7 students attended camp in Ngaruawahia. We had a wonderful time and are very grateful to the many parents who accompanied us. 5 The Dumbo Octopus Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca- a type of invertebrate. Class: Cephalopoda - it has legs attached to the head (in this case, fins) Order: Octopoda - eight-limbed Family: Umbrella Octopus -its tentacles have flaps of skin in between so when they’re outstretched it looks like an umbrella. Genus: Grimpoteuthis - umbrella octopus which lives in open waters Species: Grimpoteuthis Description and Behaviour: The rare Dumbo Octopus gets its name from the Disney cartoon character, Dumbo. It’s called the Dumbo Octopus because of the fins on its head that look like Dumbo’s big ears. It uses the fins to move around and change direction. The Dumbo Octopus can be found in many different colours such as orange, pink, brown, red and white. It has a large head, protruding eyes and a little trunk. Although it has large eyes, as it lives in deep ocean waters, it cannot see much. Instead, it feels its surroundings through the suckers on its tentacles. The Dumbo Octopus is a species of Umbrella Octopus, so its tentacles look like an umbrella when they are at full length. It can grow to around five feet in length, though most are about 20cm tall. The Dumbo Octopus can expand its webbed arms to float and it is able to swallow and shoot water through its funnel/trunk to make a fast escape. Like other deep-sea octopuses, it doesn’t have an ink sack so it cannot produce ink. It wouldn’t serve any purpose in the dark. The Dumbo octopus has cirri on its suckers, which help it to sense the environment and find food. It swallows its prey whole and it feeds on small crustaceans and worms from the ocean floor. It usually spends most of its time camouflaged (it can flush or change colour slightly to match its surroundings) on the rocks or when floating aimlessly in the water. Habitat: The Dumbo Octopus lives on the seafloor, about 4,000 metres below the surface where it is dark. It is found in various world oceans, but is extremely rare. Breeding: The Dumbo Octopus has a short lifespan (about three to five years if it’s lucky) down in the depths of the sea, mostly because it has many predators such as Sharks, Killer Whales, Tuna and predatory Cephalopods. That is why, when a Dumbo Octopus is mating, it can lay eggs any time it wants. In conclusion, the Dumbo Octopus is a truly fascinating little animal. I chose to study it because of its unusual features and its beautiful pearly colour. It would be a shame to lose such an interesting and unique animal. Elsie Woodward Room 16 6 7 ‘IDENTITY’ I stand here proud And I say out loud I am a Maori From the land of the long white cloud My people, they travelled here From a distant mythical land Hawaiiki across the Pacific With just a paddle in their hand My grandfathers are Maori My grandmothers English and Scottish alike This makes me kind of half-cast 50% brown, 50% white Some people get lost and confused With 2 different cultures and ethnicities But it only makes me stronger Discovering my true identities School was only the start of realising my true potential Be everything I possibly can Turn out to be someone special. Teaching is the first step In helping my people stop the fuss Aspiring them to be like Witi Ihimaera Not Jake the bloody Muss Next I plan to learn the Maori language fluently Go visit all the Marae in NZ Spreading the good word of math and literacy. I hope one day in the future That people will remember me Doing something special and noble Helping the next generation be all they can be I am only one person But I plan to achieve a lot Work through all life’s challenges Eventually reaching the top My last word is for you kids out there Who believe in keeping NZ green Kia Kaha to you all Mean Aotearoa Mean Mr Webber Room 1 8 Room 1 (Te Aro Māori) Culminating Task Term 1 2019 As part of our Term 1 Inquiry Topic ‘Ūkaipo’, Room 1 students were asked to complete a culminating task that was focused on researching individual ‘Whakapapa’ (Family Tree) and ‘Pepeha’ (An introduction of identity and heritage). The purpose of this assignment was for students to establish a sense of belonging and uniqueness of who they are and where they come from. This was delivered visually through a Power-Point Presentation. Students presented their assignment orally to their classmates. Well done to the following students who scored the highest grades in the class for their Term 1 assignments: 1. Moronai Tipene 2. Jullena Vahafolau 3. Chase Hartley 4. Isabella Wickliffe 5. Meadow Thompson 9 In the cemetery heroes lay Where they will forever stay Poppies blowing on their grave They will be known for being brave Once a brother father or son That wore boots and carried a gun They fought for our lives Knowing that they might not survive By Sarah Pili Room 3 Gallipoli Early at dawn You can hear everybody yawn Gunshots and fire With birds flying higher Soldiers marching with all their gear Families shocked and shaking with fear Boats rowing, blood flowing Poppies growing, wind blowing By Losana Ho Room 3 10 ANZAC Early in the morning When the wind was blowing Heads down praying “We’re near,” Captain saying Jumping off the boat with the people from my town But suddenly bullets start raining down 1000s and 1000s of people die WAIT!! But some survive Looking for cover Keep thinking about my mother and father Captain screams, “ATACK” And that's the story of ANZAC Aulelio Poloma Room