Newsletter 15 September 2022
Maungatapere School
A word from the Principal
The next couple of weeks, as we approach the end of Term 3, will be busy with production, end of winter sports and other school events. Information relating to activities over the next couple of weeks will be shared via letter/email, App and Facebook.
We now have a national day of mourning as a result of the passing of Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ. This will be on Monday 26 September. It is important we recognise her and the enormous role she has played in the history of not just the Commonwealth, but world-wide over the last 70 years. Our flag is flying at half-mast in acknowledgement until her funeral at the end of this week. We are thankful the day is after our school production, which will enable us to go ahead without any disruption.
This week is Maori Language Week – Te Weki o Te Reo Maori – students will have the opportunity to practise their Reo throughout the week.
Great news – our covered area is finally underway again and hopefully will be completed soon!
Welcome to our new pupil Toni Railton.
Congratulations to the following students who have received school awards for their achievement and attitude especially in relation to our school values:
Jack Avison Rm 14 - For your determination to run cross country without a toenail. It was awesome to see you push through Jack, well done.
Hollie McCormack Rm 3 - For amazing effort and improvements in your reading.
Loki Bosman Rm 5 - Always trying to be the best you can be. Making your learning happen.
Jack Robertson Rm 12 - For being a kind friend and helper.
Jackson Leigh R14 - For stepping out of your comfort zone and presenting your speech. You did an amazing job.
Arabella Chapman Rm13 - Always striving to be the best you can be and taking on new challenges.
COVID 19 Changes
The Government has announced a change to the long term approach to managing Covid 19 with the removal of the traffic light system from last Tuesday. Key changes for schools are students no longer needing to wear masks on public or school transport and the Ministry is no longer ‘strongly recommending’ wearing masks in schools. This means it is entirely a personal choice. If your child choses to wear a mask in school from now on. Household contacts no longer need to isolate if someone in your household has Covid. However students must be symptom free and test daily for 5 days. If they are negative they can come to school during those 5 days. Providing they remain symptom free they do not need to test further. If they have symptoms they should stay at home. If they subsequently test positive, they will be considered a ‘case’ and be required to complete seven days of isolation. However, children, students and staff are not required to advise that they are a household contact.
School Production ‘Around the World We Go’
Our school production will be held at Forum North in the Exhibition Hall on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd September. Wednesday is a matinee/dress rehearsal followed by evening shows that night and Thursday at 7pm. On Wednesday students will be taken to Forum North by bus to perform and will return to school in time for the normal buses home. They will need to bring their morning tea and lunch plus a drink for the day, as well as come with the clothing they will need for under their costume. Costumes will be taken to the venue and remain there until the end of the second show. Information relating to the evening performances will be sent home in more detail tomorrow. Please read this information carefully to ensure your children are organised and prepared for the event. Pick up after the show is 8.15pm and children can be collected from the hall where they are seated, or the foyer outside of the hall for those that have been on stage. We would like all students to be there both nights.
Tickets are now on sale with limited numbers (4) for families as we have limited seating available. You will need to buy tickets to attend. It may be worthwhile carpooling with someone to get your children there, or dropping them off and going into town for an hour or so to fill time on the alternate night. Tickets are $10 per seat available from the school office and will be sent home with students once they have been ordered and paid for. Please check your children’s bags if you have ordered tickets. Children 2 years and under do not require a ticket provided they are seated on your lap.
Agriculture Day
We hope all those animals and gardens are growing well. Remember to take photos as they grow so you will have them for your photo board to display in classrooms. We hope the recycled garden art and pots are starting to take shape and looking good. If you haven't started yet there is time to get your design and continue to work on your project over the term break. This is also a good time to continue to bond with and train your animal.
The Ag Day food tent is run by our Y7/8 students and parent helpers from Y6-8. A letter has gone home requesting parent/whanau to help out during the day on a rotation basis, to enable you to be part of your children's activities. Please complete and return to school so organisation can be set up. Money raised goes toward the Y7/8 EOTC week next year.
The Lamby Daycare will close at the end of Term 3.
Te Reo Show
On Wednesday 28 September a Maori performance group will visit our school in the afternoon. This group is led by Matua Shane and will be a great opportunity to see a well trained group in action and to learn further about kapa haka performance. We ask that students bring a gold coin donation for the group who are fundraising towards the cost to perform in Rarotonga.
Mathex Problem Solving Competition
While our Mathex teams did not get placed this year, they all performed well and worked hard in their teams to solve as many problems as they could. It was good to see more students involved in the opportunity with two Y6 and two Y8 teams attending.
WPSSA Cross Country Results
This was held Wednesday of last week at Barge Park with students competing against other Whangarei and Northland Schools. All runners gave their best and we had some excellent places over the day. They can be very proud of their efforts, certainly ‘striving to fly high’.
8 Year Old Girls - 7th Lily Robertson, 8th Isla Gibson
9 Year Old Girls - 1st Emily Morgan, 4th Millie Taylor
10 Year Old Boys - 9th Jake Butel, 10th Nathan Watts
11 Year Old Boys - 3rd Trent Barrell
12 Year Old Boys - 5th Dylan Broderick
Aims Games Results
Our team of squash players that went to the Aims Games in Tauranga had an incredible week.
There were 45 entrants in the squash competition and our players placed as follows:
Mikayla Carroll- 2nd
Nicole Ruddell- 5th
Joe Taylor- 14th
Trent Barrell- 19th
Teams scores:
Maungatapere Girls: 2nd
Congratulations!!!
Netball End of Season Prize Giving
The netball season has been a long one for some age groups this year, with a later start. The Y1/2 level finish with a fun day next Monday 19 September and the Intermediate teams finish at the end of next week also. Y3-6 have already completed their competitions.
Thank you to Hayley Taylor for coordinating the junior netball and to all the parents that have helped with coaching and managing the 10 teams that were involved. Without your support and time our students would not be able to participate.
Thanks also to the teachers – Miss Ruth, Miss Seymour, Mrs Neumann – who have given their time to coach and umpire the Intermediate teams – we had 3 this year. We also had parents supporting and assisting with umpiring these teams, which was much appreciated.
Y0-6 Netball prize giving will be held in the school hall on Tuesday 27 September at 5.30pm. This will be an opportunity to acknowledge coaches, helpers and players with team certificates and photos given out.
The Y7/8 Netball prize giving will be held at lunchtime on Tuesday 27 September also.
Again thank you to all the parents who have supported winter sports this year and provided great opportunities for your children to participate in team activities.
Please return clean netball uniforms and jackets (Y7/8) to school once the season has finished. Also return any netball trophies (Y7/8 students only) in time for prize giving. Coaches also can return netball bags with balls etc. so they can be ready for next year.
Cell Phones/Smart Watches
These are not allowed at school and if needed after school can be safely kept at the school office. If your child is lucky enough to have a smart watch, you can generally disable the phone connection – if this is not possible they need to stay at home. This is to allow students to feel safe from online bullying and pressure during the school day. All contact between students and families should go through the school office, as for health and safety reasons we do need to know where everyone is in case of fire or emergency.
Work from Room 13
School Council News
The next school council event will be the last Thursday of the term – 29 Sept. They are holding a ‘group’ day where students can be dressed up as twins, triplets or more and councilors will be looking for original ideas and costumes.
Fundraising Activities
Y5/6 have sent information home to families about a Spice fundraiser which will run over the term break. Funds raised will go toward the Y5/6 camp to Lonsdale Park next year. This information was sent home with students on Monday.
Our senior fundraising activities are ongoing to allow student costs to be subsidised. This means a pay forward type system, where your fundraising supports the future events and previous students fund raising supports your current events, so it is really important to be involved if you have children at that age level. Camps on alternate years have higher costs than EOTC local activities.
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Reminders
Lost Property – as the weather warms students tend to take off clothing and shoes and leave them in the playground. We have quite a pile of left clothing currently - if clothes are named they are easily returned.
PTA Movie Night get together – an opportunity to meet other parents from the school - 28th September.
Year 6 Families - Thank you to the Year 6 families who have returned their "Returning for Year 7/8" form. For those who have not yet returned them can you please get these back to the office ASAP.
Ag Day Trophy Return - If you have an Ag day trophy at home from last year can it please be returned to the office.
Upcoming Events
21 September - School Production 12.30pm and 7pm
22 September - School Production 7pm
26 September - Public Memorial Day for the Queen
27 September - Year 7/8 Netball Prizegiving at lunch time. Year 1-6 School Netball Prizegiving 5.30pm. Year 7/8 Mufti Day
28 September - Te Reo Maori show - gold coin donation
28 September - Mangakahia Lions Speech Competition
29 September - Twin/Group Day and Year 5/6 Pizza Day Fundraiser
30 September - Last day of Term 3
PTA Fundraiser
Email: office@maungatapere.school.nz
Location: Mangakahia Road, Maungatapere, Whangarei 0152, New Zealand
Phone: 094346743