Oratia District School Newsletter
Week 3 - 19 May 2022
Message from Ms Linda
Tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai ki te whanau o te Ōrātia. Ni hao. Talofa lava. Zdravo. Kia orana. Namaste.
Greetings Ōrātia whānau. We are really happy to be embarking on a variety of outdoor education experiences for our tamariki.
Our Tuakana team are heading off to camp on Kawau Island next week. Our sincere thanks to all the parents who have volunteered to be a part of the experience and help us out. Mrs Goldsmith is going to be present there all week, and Mr Moncur and I will pop out for a visit later in the week. We look forward to seeing the students there as they are always having a great time.
Our Potiki team have trips planned to visit the Arataki Centre to support their learning about native invertibrates. They will get to walk in our beautiful native bush and experience nature and the clean air. Our Arawhata team are booked to visit Arataki also, with their trips being centred around Matariki and learning more about the ancestors of our local iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki. They will get to hear some great stories and do exciting activities based on our local history and places.
Our student leaders are having the amazing experience of joining the charity Sea Cleaners to get out on the Waitemata harbour and the gulf, to help clean up the rubbish that collects on our shores.
We are very thankful that we are now able to go on trips and visit places after being locked down and isolated for so long. I look forward to hearing from the children about the things they have learned, and to see the writing and artwork that will come from these experiences.
The cooler weather is beginning, though it can still get warm through the day. We find this is the time of year when our students take on and off their layers often leaving them around the playground and school. Please label all your children's clothing. It is very distressing to have the lost property room full of lost items and be unable to return them to anyone. Thank you for your support with this.
It is so great to have parents and whanau back on site, and we know that our teachers have really enjoyed meeting and greeting the many of you who have dropped in to visit with them and start making connections with each other. If you would like to have a fuller conversation with your child's teacher please make an appointment so we can give you our full attention.
This week we welcomed newly elected parent representatives Leo Foley and Christine Wang to the Board of Trustees. We are grateful and excited to have both Leo and Christine on board and we know that with their expertise and perspectives they will be a huge asset to our school.
Take care, stay healthy and thank you for keeping children home if they are unwell.
Kia kaha, kia atawhai. Ngā mihi nui,
Ms Linda
Friday Lunch Schedule - Term 2, 2022
Friday 20 May - Sushi (Chicken on rice now available!)
Friday 27 May - Jesters pies
Friday 3 June - Subway
Friday lunches can be ordered on Kindo and will be delivered to your child's classroom at the beginning of lunchtime. Order cut off times: Sushi- Wednesday night, Jesters Pies-12noon the Thursday prior, Subway and Pita Pit Thursday night.
Please contact the office to make arrangements to collect lunch orders if your child is absent on the day.
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR NEW FLAG POLES?
Last week we raised our first two flags on the new flagpoles, the New Zealand flag and the Ukraine flag. The New Zealand flag will be raised every day. The second flagpole is there to highlight the different cultures and nationalities that we have at our amazing kura. The flag on this pole will therefore change to reflect different cultural events happening at the time. We thought that raising the Ukraine flag would be a great way of showing solidarity with Ukaraine. As we look back to Anzac Day, it reminds us that wars are still being fought. As we look forward to Bullying-Free NZ Week 16 – 20 May 2022 etc it reminds us to stand with others.
Room 13 have made pink shirts with messages of kindness
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
LITTERLESS LUNCH BOXES
The PB4L focus over the last two weeks and moving into next week has been around rubbish, recycling, compost and litterless lunch boxes. We are doing a huge drive to ensure all students know what is litter and what can be recycled and put into the compost bin. Over the coming weeks the whole school will be focusing on litterless lunch boxes. We would love it if you could assist your child with this.
Can you help?
We are looking for whanau, parents or grandparents who have great ears and have some spare time to listen to our tamariki read.
In Term 2, Oratia School would like to set up a volunteer reading programme again. If that sounds like something you or someone you know could be interested in and you are available to attend for an hour block each week (same day and same time). Please contact kathrynm@oratia.school.nz or leave a message at the office.PARENT CORNER
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Contact Us
Email: principal@oratia.school.nz
Website: https://www.oratia.school.nz
Location: Shaw Road & West Coast Road, Oratia, Auckland 0604, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 818-6216
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OratiaSchool/