TE PĀNUI O TE KURA O PUKETAPU
Week 5, Term 1 - Friday 4 March 2022
Empower All People to be Healthy, Lifelong Learners
2022 Student leaders
It is with great pleasure that we would like to announce our student leaders for 2022.
Kaitiaki Leaders - Esther Poching (Kauri 2), Harper Sutherland (Kauri 2), Liam Smith (Kauri 3), Poutama Murray (Kauri 2)
Kakapo Leaders - Marcel Engels (Kauri 3), Tayla Gorrie (Kauri 2)
Kiwi Leaders - Aryan Chand (Kauri 2) , Māhinarangi Rutene (Kauri 3)
Piwakawaka Leaders - Karla Spies (Kauri 2) Ava Allan (Kauri 2)
Tui Leaders - Farhaan Farauk (Kauri 3) another TBC
Sports Leaders - Natalie Corin (Kauri 2), Ella Raupatu (Kauri 1)
ICT Leaders - Taylor Harvey (Kauri 2) Kingston Benton (Kauri 3)
Environmental Leader - Parekaiuru Tuturu o te Atiawa (Kauri 2)
Congratulations to you all for your outstanding applications. We are all very excited to see you all in these roles and living our MAKO values.
Look out in the coming weeks for some messages from our leaders as they introduce themselves to you all.
Kaitiaki Leaders Esther Poching & Harper Sutherland
with Matua Ngatai at Muru Raupatu Marae
from our Principal
Although it's less than two years since COVID arrived in Aotearoa, it's hard to imagine not having COVID in our lives. What did we talk about? How much did we take for granted?
While this week has brought its challenges as COVID reached our doorstep, we want to continue to create awesome learning experiences for our ākonga (learners) and make sure that we continue to have fun, enjoy ourselves and show kia manawanui in all that we do.
Teaching and learning remain our focus as we now head into a time where we have to be agile and flexible with our teaching practices.
At times over the next month, things will change for our staff and ākonga, but we will continue to do our best every day for our tamariki.
Teaching & Learning
This term our learning theme is Ko Puketapu Mātou - We are Puketapu, where we are learning about our local hapu, iwi and community.
I was fortunate enough to be able to have a korero with our Year 4-6 ākonga (learners) about our local mana whenua and our marae. Over the past five weeks, all of our ākonga have had the opportunity to explore our local awa, our local beach and to be able to understand that we are part of a proud hapu and community.
Our goal is for our children and their families to feel a sense of belonging to Puketapu. Ko te whakatipuranga tēnei o te mana ki te whenua, te mana tūrangawaewae, me te mana toi whenua o te tangata.
Learning through COVID
For example, we had three staff members go home during the day on Wednesday due to their own health or their family’s health. These are the challenges we are prepared for and are preparing for over the next month. We have to be flexible and agile in our planning and organisation.
This week our staff have been finalising their teaching and learning plans for Stage 2 of our COVID Response plan. We are proud of the way our staff and community are responding to the demands of this time with agility and kia manawanui.
If you are at home, the most important thing is you being together, connecting as a family and making the most of the everyday learning opportunities at home, such as cooking, reading together, making a blanket fort or simply having fun. While home learning is coming, some families will find their own learning together, and that is fine.
Stage 2 - Starting Monday 7th of March
School is open - School is open with some students onsite and some students learning from home.
Access Learning for all - Learning will be available and sent out via Seesaw, HERO and Google Classroom to all learners every Monday, so students can access learning at school and at home. With staff and their families being impacted by COVID, and a shortage of relievers, we will be sharing classes amongst the school.
Isolation Learning Packs - these packs are only for students that are household contacts or have positive cases and do not have access to home learning on line. The packs are designed to have 8 days of learning for the isolation period. They are available from the office or can be delivered to your whare (house). Please contact the office if you need one.
COVID Update for Week 5
Friday 25th Feb - one week ago - our first positive case
12 confirmed positive cases (students & staff)
14 confirmed household contacts (students & staff)
Between 110 - 130 ākonga (learners) were absent from school this week - approximately 1/3 of our school.
pb4l
As a School we have adopted a new classroom recognition programme:
Mahi MAKO
Mahi MAKO uses our school values to recognise our learners for their positive behaviour in class and around our kura.
More info about Mahi MAKO will be shared in the following weeks. Ask your child if they have received a Mahi MAKO yet.
We reflect on each of our school Values and how we can put these into action for the benefit of all.
Awesome Kia Manawanui for the environment from Totara 4&5, keeping their outdoors space tidy and litter free
KA ORA KA AKO - LUNCHES IN SCHOOL
Friday - Burger Day - has definitely been a favourite here at school!
T-shirt & Hoodie Order
Please visit this website to place your order and make payment - https://www.gamechanger.org.nz/puketapuschool
They even have Afterpay & Laybuy available. Select the option to "pick up" for free pick up from the school.
Get your orders in before Sunday 13 March.
Kowhai hangi update
Pick up your pre-paid Hangi orders TODAY between 4-5pm in the Tech Block at the front of our School.
It was awesome to see our Kowhai tamariki & kaiako get stuck in with prep at our local Marae yesterday.
Our Kowhai team doing the mahi!
school Photos
We made the decision to go ahead because:
- We still have 250+ tamariki at school
- If we cancel there will be no photos this year as all dates are fully booked.
(While we are working on getting a part day 'catch up' for anyone who is away today, it is not possible to get a full day for the whole school.)
There will be no group photos taken this year - class photos will be made up of the individual photos of the children in the class, with an image of our school as a background.
As only individual photos are being taken, there will be no masks in photos so we will be able to see all the beautiful smiles.
For anyone who is away today, we are working to get Photo Day Part 2 - a date for catch up photos - and we will let you know when this will be, probably next term some time
Order codes for photos will come out after our second day photos are taken (Term 2) and all orders are done online through PhotoLife.
Design Tech
Kia Ora whanau,
This term in Design Technology we are using Minecraft Education, Nga Motu. This was designed and made by New Zealand game designer and founder of Piki Studios, Whetu Paitai. He created a special Minecraft world called Ngā Motu to immerse young people in Māori culture. This is an immersive and interdisciplinary world of Minecraft that brings to life indigenous culture and builds social-emotional skills, as students work together to explore their country’s national language and history.
We are using MInecraft throughout the term, and I have adapted lessons and challenge cards for students who are unable to access a device for learning at home.
For any parents gamers out there, this is an amazing opportunity to work with your child and see what they are creating. I am not much of a gamer myself, and on my first time using it I got stuck in a hole and couldnt get out! Thank goodness I had a team of student teachers to help guide me through it. KIa manawanui.
Whaea Claire.
sports
ALL WINTER SPORTS
Miniball, Basketball, Netball and Hockey. Registrations must be in by TODAY please. Spare forms are available at the office.
NETBALL
Netball Uniform update: You may have read or seen on the TV that Netball Taranaki no longer require players to wear uniforms. At Puketapu School players will be able to choose to wear a dress or a tshirt whichever they feel most comfortable in.Great news netball for all players in year 0-4 are free fee. Thats right... no fees to pay at all :)
Yummy stickers
Let start collecting more stickers now so we can get even more sports equipment this year.
You can download forms off the Yummy website or come and see Mrs J in Kauri 3.
this week at school
Students in Totora 4 and 5 have been exploring numbers using the picture book ‘one is a snail ten is a crab' . Students were excited to demonstrate that they can partition 2 or 3 digit numbers by showing how many tens and how many more. This is Liam Gorries example.
Thanks Mrs Paterson for making learning Maths so much fun!
Ella Gollan and Reeve Cooper enjoying their lunchtime swim.
It is great to see our ākonga enjoying the new areas around our Kura.
Our Kowhai team visited our local Marae on Thursday to help with Hangi prep.
Summer Wilkinson, Parker Smith & Lexi Gorrie enjoyed practicing their gymnastics skills out the front.
Hayzyn Ruakere with her classroom caterpillar.
Tōtara 4/5 we have been excitedly watching our monarch butterfly life cycles.
Totara 4 & 5 finishing up their self portraits, showing great Kia Kaha.
Delylah has fab Kia Manawanui message on her t-shirt today.
from home
Home and school
School hours
Children are not to be on-site before 8.30am in the morning and must be picked up by 3.10pm in the afternoon. This is for the safety of your children.
If you are unable to collect your children by 3.10pm please arrange alternate care or book in with the Lemon Club.
lemon club
Lemon Club will be closed on Teachers only day Friday 11 March.
Also, The Lemon Club is now Work and Income accredited, if any families need a form, we have some available at the Lemon Club office - I can also bring some to school if needed.
Before and After School care at Puketapu School with The Lemon Club.
Check out their link for more info.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to all those who have Birthdays coming up over the next week.
- Ella Mackenzie
- Conrad Hobin
- Honor Wilson
- Bonnie Rupe
- Ayaan Azad
- Deeziah Brider-Mahuru
- Ethan Cross
- Mike Falaniko
- Kiah-Jayne Wylde-Prestney
Upcoming dates
Please check the Hero App for more dates and information
Friday 11 March:
- Teacher Only Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday 14 March:
- Taranaki Anniversary - SCHOOL CLOSED
Thursday 14 April
- Last day of term 1
Community notices
inline hockey
Ravens Inline Hockey would like to offer skills sessions on Thursday evenings for the next six weeks starting on March 3rd.
WE ARE UNABLE TO OFFER SCHOOL LEAGUE GAMES UNDER THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS. THESE SKILLS SESSIONS ARE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS.
The club will provide coaching - please register your interest on the form by following this link. There are also details on the form about requirements for gear needed, rink entry and vaccine pass verification.
Please note: you may not enter the venue BEFORE 5.40pm.
The sessions are open to any interested skater from Year 1 through to Year 8. Older skaters may be able to attend, depending on numbers. https://forms.gle/zn2BzjcpoUC5YJLQ8
Coding Activity
Visit codingnz.com
Puketapu School
Email: office@puketapu.school.nz
Website: www.puketapu.school.nz
Location: Dillon Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Phone: 06 755 0973