Kia ora koutou,

It's great to have the majority of our students back as well as many new families that I would like to welcome to our kura. While we have reverted to a more normal school life, we have maintained some processes that keep our students safe. One of those is still walking students to designated areas at 2.45pm for pick up. Parking is becoming an issue and the Hamilton City Council has supported us by supplying signage to remind us of safe practices on the roads around the school.

Very shortly work is going to commence on a raised crossing on Hinton Ave at the back of the school. The Council will also be putting more yellow lines on the avenue which will reduce our parking. I would like to encourage patience and that children be allowed to walk to where you are parked. The Council is also considering changes to Storey Ave which will have a huge impact on the limited parking we do have. To date submissions have put a halt to this work until proper consultation is completed. If you would like to form a support group to work with the school to be part of a solution that benefits school and residents please let the office know. (office@forestlake.school.nz)

If a student who attends our school tests positive for Covid can you please email Matua David (systems@forestlake.school.nz) as we are still required to provide this data to the Ministry of Education. We are noticing a slight increase in cases being reported.

We have asked for feedback on the school insignia and while the final decision is yet to be made, the Hitchens whanau were the lucky recipients of the $100 grocery voucher.

Our math consultation resulted in 12 responses. All responders students earned 20 dojo points and one parent joined me for coffee and chat on Thursday morning.

Last week the Education Review Office observed some classrooms as part of the review process. Niki Edwards and Lee Marchioni spent two days at school. They commented that they saw settled classrooms that support participation and engagement.

Swimsafe Week 1 was successful and fortunate not to have wet days. This week was funded by Water Safe. The balance of fees will be paid by donation money received from the Ministry of Education. Swimsafe continues this week. We are trying to rebook last week's sessions for classes who missed out.

School Photos were taken recently. Once the photos are up on the Shot360 site, you will be provided a login and ID to view your children's photos and purchase if you wish. Payments are made directly through the Shot360 site, so payments cannot be made at school or School AP's used.

Friday was pink shirt day. The theme was “Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!” Many families supported the cause by wearing pink. Check out the kindness wall as you enter the office from the roadside.

This will be my last newsletter for this term as our Board of Trustees has granted me leave from the 10th June. Matua Geoff Turner will be Acting Principal in my absence. Like me, he also has an open door policy and welcomes engagement with whanau.

I will be back during Term 3.

Hei konā mai

Whaea Chris

I want to thank Paula on behalf of the Board for her years as a trustee and her recent role as the presiding member. Paula navigated the Board through a precarious time, particularly through COVID-19 and the Board would like to acknowledge this mahi and her continued support to the kura and our community.

I am the husband of an ex- Roto Ngahere student, and proud father of a current student who enjoys his education in Rumaki Teina.
I am currently the national manager of a Coach Development department in a National Sporting Organisation. This has let me combine many of my skills and experiences and love of sport and education. Previously I have been a Secondary School teacher where I was a Dean, lead teacher of an Outdoor Education department and taught Health & PE. I have previously served on tertiary education advisory groups, and was a Te Pae Here Kahui Ako teacher at my previous school.
I am mad on the outdoors and have a passion for the country we live in.
I joined the board in 2021 to help support the Health & Safety portfolio and most recently have been nominated presiding member (Board Chairperson).
I look forward to continuing to support the staff, tamariki and whaanau with providing positive education experiences that enrich their lives and those around them.

As a Board, we also want to show our support and confidence in Whaea Chris' leadership. She leaves abroad on a personal trip to reconnect with her whānau with the disruptions caused by COVID-19. In 2020, Chris was awarded a sabbatical which was abruptly put on hold as COVID-19 took its grip on the world. Being a Principal in these times has proven difficult, but we acknowledge her work and wish her the best time with whānau in Canada. We welcome Matua Geoff in as acting Principal in Whaea Chris' absence.

Ngā mihi,

Michael Mayne

Board Chairperson

With the newsletter being in digital format, not only does it save on paper, but it allows us to better track statistics about the newsletter itself. Such as:

• The last newsletter went live on the 23rd of March. In between that date and the 23rd of May the newsletter had 227 visits.
• The 227 visits were made up of 155 different users, meaning many of you went back to read it again, which is good to see.
• Of those visits, 115 happened on the 23rd of March.
• 55 visitors accessed the newsletter via our Facebook page, 18 via the school website and the majority accessing through the School App (154).

Another unique stat we can see is where in the world the newsletter is being accessed. We had visitors from Australia, South Africa, India and North America who viewed the latest newsletter. We have all these nationalities at our kura, so the thinking is their whānau are looking to see what the tamariki are up to, which is fantastic to see.

We can also monitor the amount of time the newsletter is being accessed:

• 57 visitors spent less than a minute looking at the newsletter,
• 39 visitors a minute,
• 37 visitors spent between 5-10 minutes,
• and 22 visitors spent 10+ minutes viewing the newsletter.

With a large portion of visitors (61%) spending very little time looking at the newsletter, this has left us pondering a question: "Are we putting what you want to see in the newsletter?" See below to have your say. As an added bonus, each parent response will earn 20 class dojo points for their child.

• 6 June - Queens Birthday observed - No School
• 24 June - Matariki observed - No School (Please note new public holiday being acknowledged)
• 1 July - Winter Sports Exchange for Senior School students
• 1 July - Mid year Reports sent home.
• 8 July - End of Term 2
• 25 July - Start of Term 3

Matai 1 & 2 impressed us all with their ability to challenge themselves in the pool and learn new skills! It really was amazing to see them all having so much fun and building confidence in and around water!

we have also been getting to know our school in particular the Ngahere and what we find there. We have done a variety of activities to help us notice new things including using paint swatches to match nature to colour and using math shapes to see what shapes we can find in the Ngahere.

Matai 4 had an amazing time during Swimsafe. It was so awesome to see the progress everyone made and watch Matai 4’s confidence grow in the water.

Matai 4 has been practising getting back into our old learning routines now that Whaea Amy is back. We have begun learning about Matariki. So far we have learned that Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the wishing star. We have been writing about our goals and wishes for the coming year.

Matai 5 had a fantastic week at swimming. They enjoyed learning new skills and how to keep safe in the water. One of their favourite days was jumping into the big swimming pool and getting to wear life jackets.

Over the last couple of weeks, Matai 5 have been curious about what is in the cupboard next to their classroom. We used our imagination and through the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, we came up with an idea that there was a Giant living in the cupboard. The Giant left behind his boot and some Giant marshmallows for us to eat. We even sent out a trap to try and catch the Giant. Through this we were able to explore and retell the story using our imagination.

Mauri ora e te whānau

He maha ngā mahi kua pahure mō Rumaki Teina i tēnei wāhanga, i te wiki tuatahi i whakatau mātou e rua ngā kanohi hōu kei waenganui i a mātou, arā, ko Whaea Hana, he kaiako hōu, rāua ko Whaea Tatiana, he kaiāwhina hōu, nā mātou te hōnore kia haramai kōrua ki tō mātou taha, e harikoa ana te ngākau, hūrō!

I te wiki tuarua i haere mātou ki te kaukau haumaru (SwimSafe) kei Waterworld ki Te Rapa, e harikoa ana ngākau o ngā tamariki katoa ki tae atu ki te kaukau haumaru, i kaukau rātou ki te taha o ngā kaiako kaukau ki reira hei whakawhanake i ā rātou pūkenga kaukau. E toru ngā taumata rerekē mō ia tamaiti, ko te rōpū kounga ake ngā pūkenga kaukau, te rōpū kei waenganui me te rōpū e ako tonu ana me pēwhea te kaukau. He wiki roa i te wiki tuarua mō mātou te whānau o Rumaki Teina, i hoki mai ngā tamariki ki te kura me te kaha ngenge.

I te Rāmere 20 o Haratua, i mau kākahu māwhero mātou ngā kaiako me ngā tamariki mō Te Rangi Tihate Māwhero (Pink Shirt Day) hei tautoko i te kaupapa kia aukati ngā mahi whakawetiweti. He mea nui te kōrerorero ki ngā tamariki e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa, kia mōhio rātou me pēwhea te mahi tika, te whakaatu i ngā uara pērā ki te manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga, tākaro ngātahi, tohatoha, kōrero e pā ana ki ngā raru kua puta, mahue kē mai i te whakamahi ringa mō te whakatika i aua raru, he maha ngā kōrero e hāngai ana ki te mahi whakawetiweti. Waihoki, i kōrero mātou ngā kaiako ki ngā tamariki e pā ana ki te take o te ‘Rangi Tihate Māwhero’.

I taua Rāmere hoki, i waihanga ētahi o ngā tamariki he mapi o te kura ki te taha o Whaea Moana, he rawe te kite i ngā whakaaro me ngā mōhiotanga e hāngai ana ki tō mātou kura mai i ngā tamariki, i mahi ngātahi i tēnei rōpū hei tutuki pai i tēnei mahi, ōtira, ka whakaatu rātou i te tuakana-teina.

Below is the students continuation of the above story:

Caleb Wharerau:

The slide from the playground smashed wildly through the window. Frantically the kids helped the teacher who was knocked out.

Jae Tate-Cox:

Scarily I ran away then I went under a table and held on tightly. Angrily the ground was shaking hard.

Anahera:

Angrily everything started to shudder and shake vigorously. Everywhere I looked students were running around screaming. The teacher desperately tried to calm the class down.

Kahikatea 2 learnt about jellyfish this week for our writing prompt. We then each wrote a story about what would happen if we were stung by a jellyfish. Below are some examples.

Kia ora mai tātou e te whanau - nei rā ngā mihi mahana o te Whanau Rumaki Tuakana e rere nei. Ahakoa ngā aupiki me ngā auheke o te huarere me ngā māuiuitanga e rērere haere ana - e koke tonu ana ngā tamariki me ngā kaiako.

I tērā wiki i whakanui mātou te kura katoa i te rangi mau māwhero. Ko te kaupapa nui ko te aukati i ngā āhuatanga whakaweti otirā te whakatairanga i te mana nui i roto i te kōrero. "Kōrero mai. Kōrero atu. Mauri tū. Mauri ora."

I ēnei wiki kua pahure kua whakahoutia ngā tikanga me ngā ture o Kauri 2 kia whakamanahia ngā wāriu o te kura, ngā wāriu o Te Whanau Rumaki whānui - otirā ngā hiahia o ngā kaiako me ngā tamariki. Ka puta ko te Tiriti o Kauri 2. Mā te whakamana i tēnei Tiriti o mātou e haumaru ai tō mātou akomanga. Koinei te manako nui

I kapo ngā taha e rua o te tamaiti, ā, ko tana taha ākonga me tana taha hatakēhi.

Welcome to Auraki Kauri,

What a wonderful start to term 2 we have had. With a term under their belt our tamariki have gained an understanding on how our financial literacy program, Banqer works and are now confidently able to navigate their way around their profiles. This term we have introduced a new module, Careers and Employment to help our tamariki explore these roles and how it can impact their financial well being. We have created a Job Market which the class contributed towards by offering ideas on Jobs they could fulfill within our learning space. Once a job is vacant, tamariki will be notified on Banqer and can apply for a role they think best fit them. Weekly income is earned dependent on the job they have successfully been employed for.

This term tamariki will play a vital role in directing their art creations. Tamariki shared their ideas in a class brainstorm and from this discussion they identified a range of art focuses they would like to explore this term. We’ve started with a combination of Abstract art and Doodling using their hands or feet as the object.

Pink Shirt Day was a great hit in our hub this year. Tamariki participated in a range of pink shirt day activities, including contributing to our pink heart wall that whānau can view in the school foyer. Tamariki were encouraged to write down ways they can spread kindness in our kura. A big thank you to everyone who participated and contributed towards the day.

Ngā mihi,

Auraki Kauri Kaiako.