Week 7

Kia ora,

Monday 13 march marked a very special day at te kura takawaenga o Tamatea. Before the sun rose, a group of whānau, tamariki, staff and wider community gathered to bless our site before construction commenced on the first stage of our school re build. Tipene Cottrell from Wharerangi Marae led the karakia where we were able to pause and take a moment to look towards an exciting future for our kura. Thanks also to our colleagues from Tamatea High who came along to support.

Stage 1 of our school re build will see us gain 8 new learning spaces that have been specifically designed for the emerging adolescent. We will also gain a new administration building and whānau centre. Stage 2 will see an additional 4 learning spaces, a performing arts suite and a building specifically designed for Fairhaven. We are looking forward to the opportunities these spaces will open up for our tamariki!

Jo Smith—Principal

Thank you to everyone who came down before the sun was even up to share this special moment with us.

Wednesday 22nd March- Year 7 EOTC

Monday 27th March- School Photos (Class)

Tuesday 28th March- School Photos (Individual)

Tuesday 28th March- Super Six Volleyball

Thursday 6th April- Last day of Term 1

Monday 24th April- First day of Term 2

Tuesday 25th April- ANZAC Day (School closed)

Our first term of basketball is underway! This term, basketball is played in a 3 vs 3 format and we have 9 teams entered in the division. A big thank you to Mr Stratford for all your organisation in making this happen, and thank you to all the other teachers and parents that give up their time to make this possible. Photos courtesy of Mr Stilwell.

Music lessons have started for the year! Pictured below is Steve Webb teaching guitar to a few of our Year 7 learners. Piano lessons are due to start next term.

Volleyball is also underway this term and we have 6 teams entered from TIS! It's been amazing seeing so many learners give this sport a go for the first time. Thank you to Vicki and all the other teachers and parents that are helping us out on Monday evenings- It wouldn't be possible without you!

We really had the best of both worlds last Thursday!

Because of the recent disruptions due to Cyclone Gabrielle, our school received a dispensation to stay open during the NZEI strike on Thursday. This was important as our tamariki have missed out on learning recently and we have just begun to get a sense of normality back. We also wanted to minimise disruptions to families after such a difficult time. Thank you to the teachers that came in on Thursday to make this possible.

Thank you also to the teachers who went along to some of the strike events to represent our kura. It's so important to get out into the community to get our message across. In Mr Lennox's words "Essentially what we're asking for is better conditions, so we're better able to do our jobs". Mrs Lubbe's sign also summed it up perfectly, saying "It's not about the income, it's about the outcome". We're so proud of them for standing up and pushing for more resources for our tamariki. Didn't they have a beautiful day for it!

Congratulations to Kurstina Pohe, our newly elected Board of Trustees Staff Representative. Kurstina is a well valued and highly respected member of staff and we look forward to hearing her contributions. Click below to see photos and introductions from all our BOT members.

Our first house tournament for the year is already halfway through! All teams have played in the heats and we're looking forward to the next round. It's been awesome to see so many learners give Ki O Rahi a go for the first time! Huge shout out to Mr Cooper who has been giving up all his lunch times to make this tournament happen, we appreciate you so much!

Please click the link below for some helpful tips on supporting young people following a natural disaster.

These music lessons take place at school, during school hours