Newsletter 11 August 2022
Mahora School
NAU MAI HAERE MAI, TALOFA LAVA, WELCOME!
This term, we have welcomed fifteen new students to Mahora School.
This week we introduce Juana Walters, Zjontae Ward, Wuatapu Puapii, Tautini Cecilia Puapii and Talyn Wilson. We hope you have all enjoyed your start at Mahora School.
TUMUAKI TALK
Kia ora e te whānau,
Piki Haere Hui - Ka mau te wehi (you are awesome) to our whānau who were able to attend the hui last week. To date 82% of tamariki have had a mid-year hui. If you have yet to meet with your child’s teacher and review the mid-year report, please touch base and make a time that suits you all. These hui are really important connections.
Board Elections - A reminder that nominations close for this on Friday 19 August. If you would like more information please contact me at school, or the current Board Presiding Member Matthew Witheford via mattheww@mahora.school.nz More information can be found on the following site .
Room 14 & 15 - In the very near future, we start the exciting job of moving classes back into Room 14 & 15. These rooms have been relocated, rotated and connected to become a collaborative space. They have a wonderful outdoor decking area on both sides so learning can be inside and outside. If you are in school, do feel welcome to pop in and have a look once the fencing has been removed. Tamariki from Room 5 & 6 are moving into this space and this will allow Room 18 & 19 to move out of their space and into Room 5 & 6. This will mean we can do some refurbishment and finally after 6 years....open up the library again! Naturally, this is going to take some time to re-establish a library but we are very excited about this project ahead. The PTA is fundraising hard to support this important space at our kura, so please get behind their fundraising projects.
PTA - Our AGM and meeting has been rescheduled for Monday 29 August at 7pm. We would love to see some new faces and more whānau get behind this important fundraising group. If you would like to know more, please contact Raven Cuthbertson-King as current Chair via ravenck@mahora.school.nz All support is greatly appreciated.
School Zone - The board is meeting next week to review out of zone enrolment options now that building work has increased our capacity. Thank you for your patience and understanding, as we have worked through this process. We know there are a number of whānau who are keen to know the outcome of this, so it will be shared later next week with you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at school.
Staff Only Day - Friday 12 August No school for Mahora Tamariki - Our staff are looking forward to the next stage of their Te Toka Tūroa learning tomorrow with the 4th full day of PLD (Professional Learning and Development). Te Toka Tūroa is the local Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi programme delivering Te Aho o Te Reo. This is a Government initiative to improve all levels of Māori language ability across the education workforce. The Ministry of Education has partnered with Te Reo Māori providers who are knowledgeable in language learning and teaching, are proficient in Reo ā-iwi (local dialects) and are dedicated to the revitalisation of our indigenous language. Kauwaka Ltd. is one of these providers who is supporting our Mahora Staff. Thank you for your support of this learning, we hope your tamariki have a fabulous day on Friday like we will. The 5th day of learning for staff on this programme is on Friday 9 September, which will be the final staff only day held this term.
Ngā mihi,
Rohan
AKO IN ACTION
Last term our whole kura set off to connect with our awa to learn where they are, what they look like and how we can enhance their mauri (health of the water).
The weather was great and the kids loved learning out in our Taiao (environment). Mānuka came back to kura and created these amazing art pieces with their writing attached about what they saw, heard and felt at their awa. Our Mānuka tamariki are only 5, 6 and 7 years old!! The beauty of their art, the detail and language used in their stories is simply awesome!
Happy learners with Whaea Raven. Lesley-Adam, Tairongo and Juana love literacy and are all making such great progress. Their teachers Mrs McKinley, Mrs King and Whaea Raven are all super proud of them. Piki Haere tamariki mā.
It was very cool to see the gutterboards out last week! Hand-Eye coordination, resilience, fun and laughter were the winners of the day. It was great to see tuakana teina happening with our seniors teaching our juniors how to play.
Aspiring Authors from Kawakawa
Eberhardt and Avreet had us captivated with their stories about their science activity. They were making cloud dough using corn flour and conditioner. Avreet said ‘it was brilliant seeing how to make cloud dough’. Everyone got to take some home to share with their whānau.
Our Support Staff have been learners too. Over the past few weeks they have been having their own development with Structured Literacy and Lego Play Therapy to enhance the Literacy power of our tamariki.
CONGRATULATIONS to our Piki Haere and Teddy Bear Certificate recipients who were presented at our last School Assembly. Piki Haere!
Edible Fashion Awards
Several of our tamariki have been working incredibly hard over the past two terms in their breaks designing and making costumes for the Edible Fashion Show on Wednesday 24 August at Toitoi. Here are a few snapshots of some works in progress. We look forward to being able to model them at school next week as a practice for the show.
We are still in need of some 1.5 Litre Sprite bottles for one of our costumes. If you happen to have any at home, please send along to the school office early next week. Thank you!
HĀKINAKINA AND MUSIC
Our turf continues to be a popular spot to play and practice Hockey during break times. Our Māhuri team, (Year 3 & 4 tamariki) and beginner Whanake (Year 5 & 6) players enjoyed learning some hockey skills with one of our great Dad’s Matthew, last Friday. It’s exciting to see a number of tamariki choosing to join a hockey team for their season, that starts in Week 7 this term.
Our new Hockey goal has really helped our Senior teams practice their goal shooting and penalty corners.
Sports Forms
Sports forms for HOCKEY, BAREFOOT RUGBY and GYMNASTICS FESTIVAL opportunities were due back on Friday this week but with the Teachers Only Day tomorrow, it will be fine to return any last minute forms on Monday. Alternatively flick Denise Pearse a message, email: denisep@mahora.school.nz or cell: 0274 785 946. All these opportunities are open to Year 3, 4, 5 or 6 tamariki.
Canoe Polo celebrations
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to our ‘Mahora Polo’ Canoe Polo team. Harriet, Sam, James, Layla, Stewart and Henry played in the Hawke’s Bay Champs Tournament earlier this term and came out in first place. They are a team that worked together incredibly well. They are each very skilled players. Throughout the tournament, our team scored 43 goals and only 5 goals were scored against them. Once our pool is filled next term, we’ll give the opportunity to Year 4 & 5 tamariki to get in the boats and see if they’d like to give Canoe Polo a go next year.
We are on the countdown to our awesome Colour Run event on Tuesday 23 August. The sponsorship total is up to nearly $18,500 which is incredible.
Miss Harvey has said for every $10,000 we raise, our tamariki can vote for a kaiako to be ‘painted’ at assembly next week. There is still time to do a final push for sponsorship to see if we can get over the $20,000 mark and nominate two staff members!
Colour Run Event reminders
We will start the event at 1pm on Tuesday 23 August and would love whānau to join us. We will need some help out on the course, ensuring safety, helping with the powder paint stations or manning some water shooters. Please flick a message to either:
Anna Harvey Email: annah@mahora.school.nz Cell: 027 696 3991 or Denise Pearse
Email: denisep@mahora.school.nz Cell: 027 478 9546 to let us know if you are happy to help.
We will run the event in small house groups and everyone will take part. We’ll run in mixed age groups so that our older tamariki can support our younger ones. Each lap of the Colour Run is 500m and tamariki will have the option to run one or two laps. It is not a race. We would love for everyone to wear a white t-shirt as it shows the different paint colours up the best. Have a look at KMart or The Warehouse as they are reasonably priced if you’re keen to pick one up. It would look great if the rest of their clothes matched their house colour. We’ll have some models at assembly next Friday to give some ideas with this.
OTHER KORERO
Uniform donation
If you have any second hand uniform you would like to donate to the school, it would be greatly appreciated.
Please drop any good condition items into the office.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Staff Only Day - NO SCHOOL - Friday 12 August
- Board Meeting - Wednesday 17 August
- Camp Bake Sale - Thursday 18 August
- Colour Run - Tuesday 23 August
- Edible Arts Day - Wednesday 25 August
- School Cross Country - Monday 29 August
- PTA Committee Meeting and AGM - Monday 29 August ~ 7:00pm
- Barefoot 7's Rugby Tournament - Thursday 1 September
- PTA Disco - Friday 2 September
- Gymnastic Festival - Wednesday 7 September
- Staff Only Day - NO SCHOOL - Friday 9 September
- Board of Trustee Elections Voting closes - Friday 23 September
- Whanake Camp - Monday 26 September - Thursday 29 September
- Term 3 finishes - Friday 30 September
Email: admin@mahora.school.nz
Location: 710 Frederick Street West, Mahora, Hastings
Phone: (06) 878 2622