School Newsletter Term 1, Week 4
Friday 24th February 2023
Principal's Message
Kia ora West End Whānau,
We have enjoyed our first full week of learning for 2023. This week it has been wonderful to restart a number of our co-curricular programmes. Dr A is back and has started Sci-Fri with a number of classes today. The science learning for Term 1 is focused on “Our place in the world” and the children will learn about native birds and wildlife (Biology) which is part of the Living World Strand of the Science area of the New Zealand Curriculum. The children have been very excited to spend time learning about Science with Dr. A today. This learning has been carefully designed to connect some of our other learning around “Turangawawae” and the new Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum.
We have also had our first Music Club lessons for 2023 with Mrs. Emma Minchin. Emma is back this year and will be running music lessons for those who opt in on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is wonderful to have a musician with Emma’s skill and experience teaching music to our tamariki.
We are looking forward to our first Vibe Assembly of 2023 on Tuesday next week in our school hall at 9.15am. All are welcome and we would love to have a great turnout to support our children and celebrate the learning that is happening around our kura. See you there!
It was wonderful to see the generous donations of canned food items this morning to support the response to Cyclone Gabrielle. Thank you for the manaakitanga that has already been shown by our West End Whānau. There are many people impacted across multiple areas by the extreme weather from Cyclone Gabrielle. On Wednesday, 1 March we will join with many other schools from across the Manawatu, Taranaki, and Waikato to raise money for those affected in the Hawkes Bay through our “Black and White Day (please see later in this newsletter for details). Thank you in advance for your support as we do what we can to support those impacted in our neighbouring region. If you wish to make any other donations this can be done through the Red Cross Disaster Fund.
It has been great to see a number of children and West End Whānau attending Breakfast club. This is held every morning in our school hall at 8.10am. All are welcome. Please remember to avoid using the gate and the Room 9/Hall Car Park and enter via one of the other gates.
Please note in Week 8, 21st and 22nd March we will host the next part of our newly revised reporting schedule. We had great feedback from our “Meet the Whānau” session just before the school year began. We will now host “Three Way Conferences”. Please pencil these dates in your diary. We will be sharing a booking link in next week’s newsletter. Three Way Conferences are a valuable opportunity to find out more about your child’s learning and how they have settled in this year so far. Please remember if you have any questions about how your child is going at school our amazing teachers are always available to meet with you. If you wish to meet with your child’s teacher please send them an email to arrange a time.
I continue to be really pleased with the start to the school year. The children are looking very settled in the classrooms and learning programmes with routines now established for learning.
Please have a safe and happy weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday.
Ngā manaakitanga
Matthew Kennedy
Principal
West End School
Te Kura o Urumutu
School will close at 12.30pm next Friday - 3rd March
Notice of Primary Teachers Union Meeting
On Friday 3 March we will be finishing school at 12.30pm as our teachers will be attending a scheduled NZEI Paid Union Meeting.
Please make arrangements to collect your child(ren) at this time from their classroom.
As conditions of their employment contract with the government, primary teachers have an entitlement to attend paid union meetings.
We have arranged for Aplus Afterschool to be available from 12.30pm on this day. If you would like to book in with Aplus please click on the link to go to their website.
If you are unable to find supervision for your child on this day please make contact with the Principal Matt Kennedy.
Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.
VIBE Assembly next Tuesday
Next Tuesday we have our first VIBE Assembly of the year, which is a time where we all meet together to share our learning, as well as recognising and celebrating our school values. All whānau are welcome to attend and share in this important time. Our VIBE assembly is Tuesday 21 February and will start at 9.10am. We hope to see many of our West End whānau there.
Support for those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle
Food drive today
Thank you to all those who gave generously by bringing in non-perishable items of food to help those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle! Pā Tamariki will not be picking up our donation until late next week, so if you wanted to drop off any more food items, please bring them in to the school office. Thank you for your amazing generosity. Next Wednesday we will be dressing in black and white in support - please bring a gold coin donation to be handed to the classroom teacher. Thank you!
Breakfast Club has started
Monday 8.10am in the hall.
We've had a good start to breakfast club. Thank you to those volunteers who have been helping to make breakfast club work. If you would like to help out, please contact the office.
Music Lessons have started
MusiClass Lessons have started this week and students are having loads of fun exploring musical elements and playing recorder, keyboard, violin, ukulele and a raft of percussion instruments. It's great to see Mana Aotūroa in full display - as well as whakamana to learn a new instrument! If you have any questions, please contact Emma via email elmusiclass@gmail.com.
Sci-Fri with Dr. A
Dr. A has been teaching some of our classes today with an overarching view of Tūrangawaewae - a place to stand, and looking at our place in the world
Tipuranga is learning about our native (local) wildlife - birds, insects and plants (healing garden), focusing on Kotahitanga - symbiosis - especially on our school grounds.
Puawaitanga is learning about Monarch butterflies as a starting point. They will be ooking at other insects and plants and how they need each other, linking in to what is happening with butterfly life cycles.
Te Wao Nui o Tāne is focusing on ecology, using life cycles, food chains/food webs.
We look forward to building our passion for science and extending our knowledge through our school values.
Swimming Timetable has changed
Please note that next week, swimming days and times may have changed for some classes.
Reminder messages will continue to be sent out the day prior to those teams who will be swimming. If you are unsure, please contact your classroom teacher.
3 Way Conferences will be held in Week 8
You will be able to book a time for a 3 Way Conference next week.
The purpose of the three-way conference is to report to parents about children's overall progress and achievement in Reading, Writing and Maths.
Maths and Sunflowers!
We really enjoy learning maths in our school environment. Room 16 have been learning about their school environment. We found sunflowers in our school orchard.
We learnt about the language of measuring. We found a sunflower that is taller than us and sunflower that is shorter.
Notifications
If you wish to get instant notifications on your phone from our school app, go to settings in your phone and click Notifications. You can select what apps you receive notifications from - choose SchoolApps, or emails, or Seesaw and you will get messages ping on your phone when we send them.
Sun Smart - please remember a hat and sunscreen!
West End School is a Sun Smart School. Please support us by sending your child to school with their hat every day. We supply sunscreen for children to use during break times, but if you have sunscreen to keep in your child's bag, that would be great. Please let your child’s classroom teacher know if they have an allergy to the sunscreen we use. Children without a hat are asked to sit or play in the shade during break times.
Sports at West End School
HOCKEY! Westie Yellows are still in need of a coach, if you are able to take this team please let Miss Black know as soon as possible. This can be just for games as Miss Black is able to run training's at school if required. Please let her know as soon as possible otherwise the team will have to be pulled from competition.
Tough Guy and Gal are back in 2023! We are lucky enough to be sending teams to both the Massey and Mt Biggs day. If your child is in Puawaitanga or Te Wao Nui O Tane and would like to register please do so on kindo as limited spaces are available.
Rippa Rugby, West End is lucky enough to have Manawatu Turbo and Cyclone players coming in to help train students who signed up to Rippa Rugby this term. We look forward to seeing the skill set our players gain from expert trainers and we know the students are thoroughly enjoying the experience. Rippa Rugby competitions begin in March and more details will be shared over the coming weeks.
Swimming - Just a wee reminder that any hair that covers the eyes or back of the neck needs to be tied up on swim days. This is to ensure your child gets the most out of their swimming lessons. Swimming lessons can be observed by whanau at any time during the term. The format for swimming sports will be released in a fortnight.
If you have any questions relating to sport, please feel free to contact Georgia Black WESsport@westend.school.nz
TERM DATES 2023
If your child is absent from school.
It is really important under the current circumstances you notify the school if your child is absent.
PLEASE DO NOT TXT OR EMAIL THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.
ALL ABSENCES SHOULD BE ADVISED VIA THE OFFICE.
Please remember to advise the office by 8.30am if your child is not attending school.
You can telephone 358-2465 and leave a message or txt 021 118 0156.
ABSENCES CAN ALSO BE SENT EASILY THROUGH OUR SCHOOL APP
In both cases please give a reason for absence.
Thank you.
Kindo Online Shop
It is very important that families register with Kindo, as this is now the only way to register your child for school sports, and ordering PTA lunches.
Below are the links to register.
If you require help please call the Kindo helpdesk on
0508 454 636
New users need this link
Existing users need this link
Location: West End School, 196 College Street, Palmerston North
Phone: 06 358 2465