Week 3, Term 3 2021
Tauranga Primary School Pānui (Newsletter)
Ngā mihi nui, ki a koutou katoa
Warm greetings to you all.
Congratulations to our middle team leader, Jason Morgan, and his whānau who recently welcomed their gorgeous baby daughter (Lucy). Everyone is doing well.
Welcome to our new part time caretaker, Jim Robinson, who will be starting with us next week.
I have had the pleasure of visiting classes over the last few weeks, I am very impressed with the Literacy teaching and learning that is happening. The major professional learning focus for staff, in 2021, has been Structured Literacy teaching. It is very exciting to see the progress our learners are making using this new approach. We are looking forward to sharing the fundamentals of the programme with parents on Tuesday 14th of September - see the flier below.
At TPS we work hard to create learning environments where students are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and see making mistakes as an opportunity to learn new things. If students are fearful of making a mistake or struggle with being wrong, then they are less likely to make progress with new learning opportunities, and more likely to stay within what is comfortable and known. We use the T.P.S. Learning Pit to explain the Challenge aspect of our learning model. It helps our students understand that learning can, at times, be challenging, frustrating and difficult , and this is okay and all part of learning. Our job is to teach and encourage positive strategies that will help our learners work their way out of the pit. These strategies may include: giving it a go (even if we are unsure), persisting, thinking flexibly, connecting to past knowledge, asking for help, working with others, questioning etc. Parents are the number one role models in our children's lives, how parents respond to challenges will guide and influence how their children will respond to challenges. You can help at home by sharing the challenges you face (age appropriate of course) and the strategies you have used to make progress or overcome a challenge in a positive way. You could also talk about some strategies you tried that did not help you solve a problem or conquer a challenge and what your learning was from those choices. This helps children to see that learning is not something that just happens at school; it happens everywhere, to everyone throughout their lives. Learning can be challenging and uncomfortable or exciting and motivating. There are dispositions and strategies that we can all employ to help us learn and make sense of our world.
Maybe you could lead out a conversation at your dinner table or in a car ride (captured audience) e.g. "Today I made a mistake, it made me feel ...... and this is what I did (am going to do) to make it better ......"
OR ....... "At work I am learning to ..... and it is a huge challenge, ........ it makes me feel ......, to help me learn this I am ......"
This term the second school report will be issued and Learning Conferences will take place on the 22nd (after school) and 23rd of September (all day). This is an important report, and we aim to meet with 100% of our school parents, so that we are able to celebrate the learning achieved so far, and also work together to accomplish the learning challenges ahead.
If you haven't already, please diary in the Teacher Only Day for this term 27th August and the Learning Conferences on the 22nd (3:30pm - 6:00pm) and 23rd of September (8:00am-7:00pm).
As always, thank you for your continued support.
Hei kōnei rā
Fiona Hawes
Principal | Tumuaki
Save the date - whānau information evening
School uniform
A story to share - written by one of our Year 6 students
On a lake that led to the sea, two old men, who went by the names Jhono and Bobby, were seated on a rowboat. Gentle ripples passing the boat with a lup-lup-lup sound. Surrounding them were extremely tall, grey mountains, some of their peaks rising high above the clouds. Pines were dotted throughout the mountainside. To the east lay a small dirt path with a jetty at the end.
Suddenly Bobby got a bite! Then sadly the fish took the bait and darted away to the safety of the depths below. Booby felt a sneeze trying to break out. Aftheoooh! Birds broke out of the treetops with a rush, flustered and in a state of panic. “Uh oh.” Bobby said. “Jho o! My ee ell ou!” Jhono thought for a moment, trying to translate.Then he burst into raucous laughter. After a few seconds he stopped and asked, rather unnecessarily; “Are you s-saying your teeth fell out?” Jhono then dissolved into another fit of giggles. Bobby glared at his long time friend.
Jhono chuckled softly as he remembered the events the day had brung. Then he noticed the expression on his friend's face. ¨Sorry.¨ He muttered. ¨I al i. I ould o one a ame.¨Then Jhono felt a tugging on his fishing line. A fish! And it feels like a big one! He thought to himself. Jhono heaved as mightily as he could! Finally with his breath coming in ragged gasps and grunting exertion, he hauled the silver-orange snapper onto the boat. Jhono turned to see if his friend was looking, but he wasn’t. Bobby was looking gloomily into the lake, longing for his teeth.
Aaeeoop! Eh! Eh! Eh! “ Are those-” Jhono started, but Bobby cut him off. “Olp ins.” Just as he finished speaking, Dolphins leapt out of the calm surface of the lake/ocean entrance. Bobby noticed something gleaming on the tail of one of the dozen dolphins. The dolphin flung it toward the boat. It landed with a clunk-clatter. Both men saw it and Bobby began to speak but Jhono interrupted him. ¨Your teeth!¨ Bobby smiled. ¨es my ee¨
Kirimaia
FOTS - Pizza lunch
Can you help us out?
We already have a supplier who will donate the stones.
Are there any TPS parents who have access to water-based exterior paint or could assist us with boxing up and laying a concrete path to embed 500 river stones?
If you could help or point us in the right direction to get a good price please contact our teacher incharge, Arlette Goodhue agoodhue@tauranga.school.nz
Below are some ideas that we are taking inspiration from:
Term 3:
- 9 -13 August - Tauranga Foodbank Appeal
- 20 August - FOTS Pizza lunch
- 27 August - Teacher Only Day- School closed
- 13 - 17 September - Maori Language Week
- 14 September - 6:00 -7:00pm Structured Literacy Whānau Information Evening
- 14 September - Board of Trustees Meeting- Staffroom, 7:00pm
- 20 September - Photolife - Class and Individual photos
- 20 - 26 September - Chinese Language Week
- 20, 21, 22 September - Chuseok - Korean thanksgiving
- 22 September - International Students' Learning Conferences
- 22 and 23 September - Learning Conferences
- 30 September - FOTS Disco
- 1 October - Last day of term- school finishes at 3:00pm
COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARD:
Did you know about Multicultural Tauranga? Promoting cultural diversity and harmony in the community.
ESOL conversational English classes on Thursday from 10:00 am to noon. Contact enquiries@trmc.co.nz for registration form.
DID YOU KNOW ?
Multicultural Tauranga have Free Counselling Services in these Languages - Hindi, Nepalese, Cantonese, Mandarin and English.
CONTACTS:
Principal
Fiona Hawes
Deputy Principal
Cathy Ediker
Assistant Principal
Robyn Caley
Junior Team Leader
Pam Wilkins
Middle Team Leader
Jason Morgan
Senior Team Leader
Jo Howard
International Student enquiries
Cathy Ediker
Business Manager
Susan O'Neill
Administration & Enrolment Officer
Barbara Turley