The Connection Week 9 Term 2
Huapai District School 1st July 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
The fate of British cycling changed one day in 2003. (Bear with me, I’m going somewhere with this…)
The national team had been dreaming of gold medals but were not reaching their potential; since 1908 British riders had won just a single gold medal at the Olympics and in 110 years no British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France. Dave Brailsford was hired to change this. He introduced the concept of “the aggregation of marginal gains” - the idea of searching for tiny 1% margins of improvement in everything you do. He made many small improvements from 1% better recovery gels, to more aerodynamic seats, better pillows for sleeping, he even painted the inside of the team van white so he could notice the dust particles that might degrade the bikes. Just five years after Brailsford took over, the British Cycling team dominated the road and track cycling events at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Four years later, when the Olympic Games came to London, the British raised the bar as they set nine Olympic records and seven world records. Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France. Next year it was Chris Froome who went on to give the British team five Tour de France victories. The result of those 1% changes was incredible.
The same is true here at Huapai District School. We are relentlessly searching for those 1% improvements; looking to help set your child up for success. I am so proud to be a member of staff here - we work together as a team, with ideas and strategies that work to bring your child the best experience. Our hearts are truly here for the children.
At home it’s the one extra book read, the one extra maths conversation, the 5 minutes less screen time before bed, the healthy packed lunch, the time spent in the garden together - all these “marginal gains” add up to a significant impact on your child.
I would like to thank you for coming in to speak with your child’s teacher this week during learning conferences. Knowing the goals and next steps or minor improvements are important for continued success. Our school doors are always open and we encourage you to pop in and chat.
One more week and then it’s the holidays! A reminder to book in with Huapai+ if you need care for your children over this break.
What are your 1% gains going to be this week? Mine is to try to make it to bed before 11pm this week!
Kind regards,
Maree Lloyd
Upcoming Events
- Book Fair - Last day Friday 2nd July (tomorrow) in the Library
- Last Day Of Term 3 - Friday 9th July
The Inside Scoop
Last week, I explained the importance of Learning Partnerships when designing and implementing deep learning (learning that sticks with us for life). As we look back at the last 12 months, we have come to understand how learning ENVIRONMENTS play a vital role in our learning.
Imagine life where learning only occurred inside four walls of a classroom. Imagine a set-up within that classroom where it was the same for your entire education. Imagine being in an environment where you weren’t challenged, engaged and motivated to learn because no relationship was established with anyone, and nobody took the time to acknowledge who you really were as a person.
Now, flip that around. Imagine life where learning occurred in every possible physical space you were part of. Imagine learning to be in the virtual world as well as the real world, not just a classroom. Imagine an environment where engagement came from the different set-ups and learning spaces that catered to your strengths, needs and interests because your teacher understood YOU. This is our goal and what we strive for in our design of deep learning.
The learning environment is changing. Students are asking the questions. Questions are valued above answers. Strategies for teaching and learning are varied. We make explicit connections to real-world applications. Collaboration is paramount. Assessment for learning is embedded, transparent and authentic.
The learning environment helps create moments for learning to stick.
Keryn Annan
Student Of The Week
Jacob says, "I like being the best you can be. I like playing Lego and maths."
Getting To Know...
Ben Shrimpton
Hi I’m Ben and I teach year 3&4 in room 9. I enjoy sports and maths. My wife and I are expecting our first baby this month.
Farewells
Next Friday we farewell two staff members, Ana Taione and Breanagh Chisnall. We would like to invite you to this full school farewell which will take place on the basketball courts following the conclusion of the Senior Prizegiving at approximately 12:15pm.
Readathon Results
A huge thank you to each and every one of you who supported our students during the Readathon.
This year’s Readathon is currently at just under $6000 with online collections still open on our Give A Little page.
Our prizewinners are as follows:
These students each won a $40 voucher for either Northwest or The Warehouse.
A huge congratulations to James Wiseman who won the overall prizes for both reading the most books and raising the most money. James wins 2 x $100 Warehouse vouchers.
Yesterday afternoon we announced the winners of spot prizes for donating online. The names were drawn using a random number generator and Cathy Gray, our school librarian, presented the prizes.
Thank you to all our sponsors who have generously donated prizes for this event.
Scholastic Book Fair
We are thrilled to have the Scholastic book fair back on site this week. The last day to stop by and purchase any books is tomorrow, Friday.
We have eftpos in the library.
Quiz Night - Sponsorship Amendment
As you know, we recently held our first annual Community Quiz night. We accidentally included the same page of sponsors four times, rather than the four separate pages - oops! So please find below the full collection of our amazing sponsors - we truly could not have done this night without them!
Driving On School Grounds
The school driveway is reserved for emergency and staff vehicles only. We have noticed an increase in cars driving onto school grounds recently, especially at drop off and pick up times. This is a health and safety risk. We therefore request that you please park on the road when dropping off or collecting your child(ren).
We also ask that you please refrain from parking across the school driveway, even for a short period of time, as this prevents authorised vehicles from entering or exiting the school.
Change Of Clothes
Winter has arrived! And with it, a lot more rain (and mud!). Can you please ensure that your child is coming to school with a spare change of uniform in their bag, in case a change is needed throughout the day. While we do have a few spare items in the School Office, these are for First Aid emergencies only. If your child requires a change of clothes but does not have one, we may need to call you to come and collect them.
Bricks 4 Kids
Does your child love Lego? We are pleased to be able to offer an after school wider opportunity next term. If your child is interested, please contact the Bricks 4 Kidz team directly to register.
These sessions will be in Studio 2 on Tuesday afternoons, starting next term. There are limited spaces. Suitable for ages 6+.
Keep The Kids Moving These School Holidays!
Learning Conferences
Thank you for coming to our learning conferences, it was great being able to connect with families and to celebrate the students, their achievements, interests and talents. Our digital reports support students learning progress and curriculum achievements against the National Standards.
To print your child’s report use the print icon at the top of the report page, you can also view more information on our digital reporting process using the ABOUT THIS PAGE link at the top of the report page.
Click below for HERO login instructions.
Huapai Plus Holiday Programme
Yummy Apple Stickers
It’s time to start collecting the apple stickers again! Every year we collect these stickers and bag cut outs, which count towards a share of $200,000 free DG sports gear. There is a printable form attached to this newsletter, or children can collect one from the office. Sticker sheets should be returned to school when they are complete.
Massey High School Open Night
3:30pm - 5:30pm or 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Meet in the Bruce Ritchie Performance Arts Centre for the Principal's address.
Tough Guy And Gal Challenge
Photo From the Week
HERO Notifications
We use HERO to send classroom updates and to share regular learning posts. HERO sends push notifications or emails. You can now choose how you receive HERO notifications as well as manage devices that receive them.
To set your own notification preferences:
Click on your profile image
Select EDIT PROFILE
Scroll down to My Devices and select your preferences.
Or please see the full instructions linked below.
Contact Us
Email: office@hds.school.nz
Website: https://www.huapaidistrict.school.nz/
Location: Huapai District School 40 Station Rd, Kumeū, New Zealand
Phone: +64 09 412 5042
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huapaidistrictschool