Newsletter Week 4 Term 4
Maidstone Intermediate - Te Kura ō Hinepōhatu
11 November 2022
A Word from our Principal
Kia ora e te whānau
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa
I would like to start by congratulating all involved in our annual Showcase last week. The emails and phone calls I received are an indication of how much the community appreciated this event. Our kaiako (teachers) and ākonga (students) put a large amount of effort into making this a very memorable experience; something we can all be very proud of. It was an amazing experience to see how our ākonga turn into natural stars when the stage lights go on.
Year 8 Social
We have started to plan the Year 8 Social. More details will follow soon.
I want to share with all parents a new tradition we would like to start at Maidstone. The tickets for the Social are $15. $5 will go towards a gift that the Year 8 group will give to the kura (school). The idea is that each Year 8 group from now on will come together and decide on something to donate to the kura. The only requirement is that it must be something that can be here for years as there will be a plaque stating that it was donated by the “2022 Year 8 classes”. I will meet soon with Year 8 representatives to decide on a gift from the 2022 group.
One thing that is crucial for us is that money should not be a factor that prevents ākonga from attending the Social. Therefore we are arranging the following:
Whanau can sponsor another ākonga
We will use money available in our Pastoral Care fund to help whanau who need it
Our Youth worker, Brenna, will continue to source clothes for the Social
We appreciate that financial hardship is a reality, and as a whanau we are here to support each other. Please email or call me if you want some assistance regarding the Social. Our aim is to make this an unforgettable experience for the Year 8 group, before they move on to the colleges.
That brings me to the final point: We need help with the catering for the event. We are planning on providing finger foods. You do not need to be a great chef! Anybody who can lend a helping hand please email me at wikus.swanepoel@maidstone.school.nz
Separate Year 7 and 8 classes - 2023
Last term we communicated with you that we decided as a kaimahi (staff) to move back to separate Year 7 and 8 classes.
The idea is that ākonga will stay, for the most part, with the same kaiako and classmates for their two years at Maidstone. The challenge we have is next year. Half of our kaiako will move to Year 7 while the other half will be Year 8s. That means that we will have to think carefully about the classes for 2023. You will understand that it will be impossible for all of our current Year 7 ākonga to stay with the same kaiako and classmates in 2023.
We appreciate that this is a change and may cause some anxiety for some. We are doing our best to make this transition as smooth as possible with lots of support. In the next few weeks we will have planning sessions with the main aim being that our decisions will be dictated by what works best for our ākonga. To assist with the process we are putting the following measurements in place:
On Wednesday 7 December we will announce the new classes for 2023. That day will also be set aside as a “team building” day with the new kaiako.
On Wednesday 1 February 2023 we will provide the opportunity for whanau to make a booking to meet the teacher. These meetings will be 15 minute sessions. More details regarding this will be shared with you at a later stage.
The first few weeks of Term 1 will be focussing on relationship building in the new classes and rōpū.
My hope is that I will have help from parents with supporting the tamaiti with these changes. I am also asking that parents please contact me if there are any issues we may not be aware of.
Thank you in advance for helping us to build an improved culture where we can be confident that our kura is a place where every ākonga feels safe and valued, and able to take their learning to the next level.
NZEI Paid Union Meeting
This week you would have received an email from me to inform you about the upcoming Paid Union Meeting on Thursday 17 November 2022. Although we will keep the kura open, ākonga will be able to go home at 1:00pm. This is to help us as we will only have a skeleton staff at the kura.
Can you please complete the following document to let us know if your tamariki can go home at 1:00 pm or need to stay at the kura till 3:00 pm. Unfortunately, the buses cannot change and will keep to their normal times. PAID UNION MEETING DOCUMENT
It is incredibly important for me to stress that the Union meeting is not only about more money for teachers. We need our parents beside us because with this round of negotiations with the Ministry teachers are asking for more support regarding:
smaller class sizes
more support for high needs students
better recognition of cultural skills
greater job security for our essential relievers (teacher aides)
Lastly, I would like to invite you to our annual Sports Exchange with Wainuiomata on Tuesday 15 November 2022. This will take place at Maidstone and we are looking forward to brilliant competition as both kura are very strong when it comes to sport.
A lovely weekend to you all.
Ngā mihi
Wikus Swanepoel
Principal/Tumuaki
Year 8 Social
As mentioned in Mr Swanepoel’s message the Year 8 Social is back!
Make sure that you put the date on your calendars. We will be making decisions and working on the finer details over the next week or two. We will keep you all in the loop.
So far:
“Dress to Impress” - no mini skirts, no stilettos, no bare midriffs….
A light support and drink will be provided
On the night all students will need to be picked up from INSIDE THE SCHOOL HALL
Tickets on sale from 5th December
We are looking forward to another exciting and spectacular event!
Thank you for your support with this
Important Dates
14 Nov - Ignite Sport Leadership Day
14 Nov - Tararua Trip
15 Nov - Wainuiomata Exchange
16 Nov - Aquabots Competition
17 Nov - EPro 8 event
17 Nov - Union Meeting for Teachers - School closes at 1pm
18 Nov - Ignite Sport Yr 7s
21 Nov - MAD Adrenalin Forest Trip
21 Nov - BOT Meeting
23 Nov - Akatarawa River Cook up
24 Nov - Remutaka Movie Day
25 Nov - Ignite Sport Yr 8s
25 Nov - William Pike White Water Rafting
28 Nov - Ignite Sport - SRC Deputies
28 Nov - Immunisation catch-ups
29 Nov - Basketball Prizegiving 3:15 - 4:30
1 Dec - William Pike Tramp
5 Dec - BOT Meeting
7 Dec - Pool Party 7 - 9pm
12 Dec - Year 6 Open Afternoon
13 Dec - Prizegiving @ Lane Park - 12 - 2pm
14 Dec - Year 8 Social
15 Dec - Last day term 4 - school closes at 12 noon
2023 Term Dates
Term 1 = 1 Feb to 6 April
Term 2 = 24 April to 30 June
Term 3 = 17 July to 22 September
Term 4 = 9 October to 20 December
Showcase
After two years of cancellations the time had finally arrived for the ākonga to take the stage and wow you all with their incredible talents and passion for performing! For months and months and many hours these students, along with their teachers, worked hard on perfecting their skills to present to the community the 2022 Maidstone Intermediate Showcase, and what a spectacular job they did! We were entertained with music, dance and drama, while enjoying the food prepared by the Food academy students. Visitors even enjoyed the craft market in the foyer purchasing some beautiful early Christmas presents skilfully made by the very clever Materials Tech extension students.
Of course our thanks are extended to the community who came to the shows and celebrated with us.
Special mention has to go to our Performing Arts specialist teacher Miss Sarah Burton for the hours of extra time she gave up to bring us such a polished and professional show…See you all again next year!
Āe, he tino pai - Yes, it’s very good
Kāo - No
He pai - Good. Well done
Tēnā koe e Rewi - Thank you Rewi
He tino pai tō kōrero - What you have said is very good
He tino pai tō pikitia - Your picture is great
He tino pai tō mahi - Your work is great
He rawe tō kōrero - What you have said is excellent
Te angitu o nga akonga (Student success)
Congratulations to the following ākonga:
Isabella Rm 7
Olivia Rm 7
Willow Rm 12
Hanna Rm 12
Jaimee Rm 9
Congratulations to them for the amazing mahi behind the scenes for Showcase. Great job making the whole show run smoothly.
Louis Rm 7 Selected into the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy
Chester 12 2nd for Year 7 Boys 100 metre at WRISSA Athletics
Mikaylah 9 1st for Year 7 Girls Discus at WRISSA Athletics
Salaki Ki 7 2nd for Year 8 Boys Discus at WRISSA Athletics
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands in 2022 was an extraordinary event! Pixie Dust and Lock Jaw were the Maidstone bands participating, and we had a great time; pumped up with energy!
The stage was filled with purple, pink, and white light which made it extraordinary to look at. When we got there, the auditorium was filled with rows of seats for the audience to sit back and enjoy the show.
Both Maidstone bands played excellently. Lockjaw got 3rd place; receiving $100 and enough free vouchers for both bands to enjoy at Strike and Hangdog. We are proud of our third place and aim to move forward to 1st place next year!
By Hariharan S
Tips for Whānau - Ākonga in the Cyber World
Virtual reality to help Māori connect with Marae:
Dr Rory Clifford (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe) is on a mission to digitise a marae in Motupōhue (Bluff) through virtual reality. Photo. Maija Stephens.
Like a lot of urban Māori, Dr Rory Clifford didn’t grow up with frequent access to te ao Māori.
Through his PhD, funded by the Ngāi Tahu Research and the Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga doctoral completion scholarship, Rory has been able to connect and learn more about his taha Māori through virtual reality (VR) and immersive storytelling.
Rory’s VR work has allowed him to share the potential of technology, preserve and provide access to mātauranga Māori, and most recently, helped hapū to stay connected and even reconnect with their marae.
Find out more about how Rory is making the marae more accessible through VR | The Spinoff
6 Great Digital Art Makers
Below are some of the best digital art making tools that students can use to create a wide variety of educational artworks including beautiful graphics, icons, banners, brochures, posters, images, vector arts, and many more. Regardless of your drawing, sketching, and painting skills, these tools will definitely help you and your students unleash the creative gene within.
Upper Hutt Cultural Festival
Gumboot Friday
WRISSA Athletics
On Monday 7 November, we went to the WRISSA Athletics at Newtown Park. There were lots of different activities that we took part in: long jump, high jump, discus, shot put, vortex,100 metres, 200 metres, and relays; just to mention a few. There were a lot of schools from around Wellington who competed on the day. Maidstone Intermediate did really well against them. Here are some results: Chester A - 2nd Year 7 Boys 100 metres, Mikaylah U-E - 1st Year 7 Girls discus, Salaki K - 2nd Year 8 Boys discus. It was a fun day! Thank you to Mrs Baines and Miss Van Berkel for taking us.
By Wawai H and Mikaylah U-E
Contact Us
Email: admin@maidstone.school.nz
Website: https://maidstone.school.nz/
Location: Redwood St, Elderslea, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 528 3094
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maidstone-Intermediate-1418586208443842