Newsletter Week 9 Term 3
Lauriston School 20th September 2022
Festival of Cultures
Kia ora koutou ma whanau,
We are looking forward to our Festival of Cultures taking place this Thursday 22nd September. You may have noticed our stage, sponsored by Smith and Son’s, has arrived and is sitting in the back centre of the court area. It has been wonderful seeing the children practise this week on stage with excitement in preparation for the day. We warmly invite all Lauriston School families to the festival and encourage you to come along and watch cultural performances by schools, check out the cultural dress stands on offer and eat from our food stalls here at the event.
The timetable for the day is as follows:
10:00am: Mihi Whakatau-Welcome Ceremony
10:30am - 10:45am: Lauriston School (Junior Kapa Haka)
5-minute break
10:50am - 11:10am: Mayfield School
5-minute break
11:15am - 11:35am: Lady of Our Snows
5-minute break
11:40am - 11:55pm Special Performance
5-minute break
12:00pm - 12:20pm: Chertsey School
5-minute break
12:25pm - 12:45pm: Rakaia School
5-minute break
12:50pm - 1:05pm: Lauriston School (Senior Kapa Haka)
Poroporoaki: Farewell
Presentation of trees
Shared waiata - Pepeha by Six60
Host School Festival of Cultures Presentation
1:30pm: Finish
If you wish to join us for the Mihi Whakatau (welcome ceremony) please assemble at the hedge near the entrance of the school fields.
At the festival all Lauriston School students will take the stage during our opening and closing ceremonies as well as our kapa haka students taking the stage during our performance slots. Please bring along a camp chair to use while watching the performances as chairs will be limited on the day.
Parking for spectators is on the school field via Carnaw Street. Coleridge street and Church street will not be available for drop-off or parking. The Lauriston fire brigade alongside Lauriston School students and parents will be marshalling the school field to support spectator parking. Visitors and students may then walk through the school grounds to our festival location. We have also hired Portaloo toilets for both adults and children to use at the event. These toilets will be placed at the end of the Mt Harper classroom near the entrance to the school fields.
At the Festival of Cultures, the Lauriston School Support group will be running a BBQ and selling the following food.
Sausage sizzle $2
Burger $5
Water $2
Ice block $1
To manage the demand for the BBQ and disruption while schools are performing, students need to pre-order their food using the order form sent home last week and again today. This order is for students only. Parents and spectators can purchase their own on the day.
Thank you to our parents who have supported this event. Whether that has been sewing kapa haka uniforms, supporting the LSS food stall, organising cultural dress or supporting on the day, we are grateful for your support.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge our sponsors who without their support we would not be able to make this event possible. Thanks to Lushingtons Ashburton, The Lauriston Fire crew and supporting services, Farming Families, Methven Travel and Smith and Son’s.
We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday to join us in this day of celebration.
Nga mihi nui
Laura Twiss
Kahukura Kaiarataki - Lead Teacher
Meet Our Lauriston Board Members
Tuhinga Roa a Nan-Heni Raroa
Heni Raroa or Nan is the longest serving BOT member in our Kaitiaki - Stewardship team. Nan first joined the combined Mt Hutt-Lauriston School BOT in 2015 and remained on it up until the combined BOT split of 2019, where she remains on the Lauriston BOT till this day.
Nan brings with her tremendous grace and dignity. Displaying enormous humility and love, Nan has been with us on all of the highs and lows of our journey together. Her vast knowledge of Te Ao Maori has benefited Lauriston, Mt Hutt, Opuke Kahui Ako, Opuke Thermal Pools, Mt Hutt Ski Field, Well Being Opuke and many more organisations all seeking to connect with the wisdom, tradition and values that are so vital to our work today. In every domain, she provides a calm and centred approach, while seldom speaking. When asked to contribute, her words silence a room and provoke a deeper awareness, tolerance and love for the people she supports and serves.
Schooled in Te Ao Maori by her Koro, the master carver Koro Pene Amine Taiapa of Ngati Porou, Nan was trained and educated on the Marae and only spoke one language Te Reo Maori until at age 10 her grandfather decided it was time for her to start school, to be immersed in the world of Pakeha and to learn English. Forbidden from associating within the activities of young ones back in the day, Nan was immersed in a rich cultural tradition of service and manaaki-care.
After marrying and raising her own children Nan re-entered higher education first training in midwifery before also training in education earning her teaching degree. Her major influencers during this time, all outstanding leaders ahead of their time - within Health, Koro Hohepa Kereopa and Dr Rose Pere, within education, Katerina Tekani and Maui Te Pou. Nan soon proved an effective and outstanding teacher, employed by Te Wanaga o Aoteroa, she would give 20 years service in both recruitment and intake of future teachers from across a huge territory of the East Coast, North Island. She worked with and met many great Maori educationalists and minds, through her privileged role she became a student of the very best rangatira in NZ. Travelling the motu, Nan undertook teacher training and teacher appraisal - empowering, guiding and supporting hundreds of teachers to become the very best practitioners within their classrooms and schools.
In 2014, Nan was called to the South Island to support her daughter and whanau in leading up to, during and following her daughter Leighanne’s death in 2015. It was during this time that she began her work at Lauriston School helping with a student enterprise curriculum to create our Whare. Her skills and knowledge were soon in demand and the rest is as we say, is history. When asked why she remains and what motivates her to give so generously of herself to our school she is reluctant to answer. The kumara does not speak of its own sweetness. Raised in humility and service, Nan honours the memory of her Koro and her daughter by speaking little of herself and her reasoning. If pushed to answer as I did recently, she replies simply; “Koro said, if asked by others to help them in Te Ao Maori - help them - this is your duty and your legacy.” But she also paused to say rather softly, “It is also for my daughter, Leighanne. Lauriston showed such love and kindness to her and her family, that it remains my debt to repay such kindness to the people of Lauriston.”
Nan is held in extraordinary affection by staff, students, Kahui Ako, BOT, whanau and community. She is an exceptional person, often overlooked in a world that seems to have forgotten the importance of slowing down and taking the time to invest in one another, in relationships, in collective mana.
It has been my privilege and responsibility to speak on her behalf. I apologise for any errors, and remain forever grateful to her; to me a teacher, a student, a wahine toa and a heart friend, a trusted kaitiaki and empowering Rongowa. Nga mihi aroha e putiputi ngakau Tuhoe, manaaki mai, manaaki atu, manaaki tangata.
As always, on the quiet as Nan wishes, we will be planting a kowhai tree presented to her by our Kahui Ako in her honour following the Opuke Festival of Cultures on Thursday afternoon. Please feel welcome to join myself, the staff and students in commemorating her service to our schools.
Maui Tikitiki a Taranga - Colin Brodie, Principal Lauriston School
Newsletter sponsored by
Birthday Celebrations
Welcome
A big welcome to Lillianne Ellis who has joined the Mt Alford class. Lillianne is the second daughter of Jesse and Beth and younger sister of Natalie. We also have Arthur Curvis who is the eldest child of James and Cara and has also joined the Mt Alford class as a new entrant. We wish you happy Lauriston School days filled with learning and discovery.
Celebrating Success In Our School
Ready Rewards Congratulations to Archie Mohi and Florence Black for success in demonstrating our READY Value Respect-Tipu. You show tolerance (manaakitanga), responsibility for the environment (kaitiakitanga) & consideration (ahuatanga).
Classroom Certificates
Mt Alford: Mikayla Bulosan for making great progress with her letter/ sound knowledge.
Mt Harper: William Harrower for the effort he is putting into his writing to help him write longer stories and Lachie for the effort he is putting into remembering his spelling words each week.
Mt Hutt: Jamie Henderson for his creative strength that shone throughout our Friday building challenge and Hudson Lochhead for the amazing Tipu-Respect he shows to himself, his peers and the environment. Well done!
Mt Winterslow: James Menefy for showing Maui-Enterprise in Art - Kowhaiwhai Patterns
Mt Somers: Raffia Stehouwer for creativity and dedication to the task while working on the mural.
Principal’s Award: Katie Rollinson for being an awesome representative and face of our school, organising Planet Day.
Kapa Haka Certificates
Monday Morning Meeting Awards
House certificates: Sam Palmer, Manaia Foulsham-Dodson, Jack Copland, Lachlan Rutten, Fletcher Stone
Bus certificates: Charlotte Fallaver, Hudson Lochhead, Gus Copland, Brody Horne
Waste Certificate: Mt Hutt
Upcoming Events
- Opuke Cultural Festival - 22nd September with PP 23rd
- QE ll Memorial Day - 26th September - Public Holiday
- Snow Sports Session Back Up Day - Thursday 29th September
- Pet Day - End of Term Three - 30th September
- Start of Term 4 - 17th October
- BOT Strategic Planning Meeting - 18th October
- Area Athletics - 20th October
- School Photos - 21st October
- Labour Day Holiday - 24th October
- BOT Meeting - 25th October
- County Athletics - 4th November (pp 7th November)
- Opuke Staff Only Day - 10th November
- Canterbury Anniversary Day Holiday - 11th November
- LSS Meeting - 23rd November
- Zone Athletics - 30th November
- Firewise Funday - 2nd December
- BOT Meeting - 5th December
- Leavers Dinner - 8th December
Hockey Praises from a Grandmother
On Thursday last week I went and watched the Lauriston Hockey team play in the Canterbury Winter sports tournament.
The school should be very proud of how the children played. They played 6 games and lost 1 and came third in the tournament.
They played as a team. Thank you to Hugh Copland and Mrs A. for coaching and managing the team.
The team won the winter sports tournament in Ashburton to qualify to play in Christchurch.
Annette Maw
A proud Grandmother and Lauriston supporter.
Mt Harper Happenings
We have been very busy over the last week practising for term 4's athletics. We love doing the obstacle course and had lots of fun with Miss Turpie's parachute.
School Holiday Dental Care
Priority for Community Dental Service appointments during the school break will be for immediate dental needs at the following clinics:
Woolston Community Dental Clinic, 11 Hopkins Street, Christchurch
Hornby Community Dental Clinic, 2 Hei Hei Road, Christchurch
Timaru Community Dental Clinic, 18 Woollcombe Street, Timaru
To access these appointments, call our Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 noting that priority is given to children with immediate dental needs.
For any dental advice please call the Contact Centre on 0800 846 983 or email commdental@cdhb.healh.nz
Contact Us
Office Hours
Monday – Friday 8:30am to 3:30pm
Email: admin@lauriston.school.nz
Website: https://www.schoolwebsites.school.nz/lauriston/contact-us/
Location: Lauriston School Church Street, Lauriston 7776, New Zealand
Phone: +643 302 4799