Kia ora e te whānau,

Opportunities. They are everywhere. Sometimes they come to us by chance, while other times they are manufactured through hard work and clear purpose. An important skill we develop at Onerahi School is the ability to identify the opportunities around you and then taking a risk to seize them.

Some recent opportunities that students have taken on:

- representing our school in the Math-X interschool competition

- Year 6 students taking part in the local Youth Summit at Kensington Park

- entering competitions to become published writers

- experimenting with digital design while using the school's new 3D printer

- students performing waiata and haka while sending the Northland Taniwha off from the local airport

This list is not exhaustive and I encourage you to talk with your child about what opportunities they have taken on. I am sure they would also love to hear some tales from your childhood where you took a risk and followed a passion.

We have also recently welcomed new whanau to Onerahirahi. This provides us all with the opportunity to build new connections and to show others what a special place this is to live and learn in. In particular I would like to acknowledge how welcoming our students are of new people. The way they embody Onerahitanga means new students quickly feel part of our whanau.

Finally, a request. If you hear of or have a good opportunity for our school please don't hesitate to get in touch. We recognize the success that a community working together can achieve. Take care and have a great weekend.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Danny Hamilton

Deputy Principal

On Thursday the 19th of August we welcome back Nadine and the Life Education Trust caravan. This programme provides our students with the opportunity to explore how the decisions they make today, can affect their future health and wellbeing. It supports our students understanding of hauora and is reinforced through classroom activities and other programmes such as Keeping Ourselves Safe. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your child's classroom teacher.

Last term we bid farewell to two of our teaching staff, Monique Fisher and Debbie Harrison both departed OPS to take up new career opportunities. They will be much missed by staff and students alike. This term we would love to extend a big welcome to some new staff members - Sue Hewett in Room 17, and Tessa Herbert in Room 24. These two kaiako are pictured to the right (Tessa on the left, Sue on the right). Both Sue and Tessa have been familiar faces around the school and we are delighted to have them teaching with us in the 2nd half of 2021. We have also welcomed a number of new students, both in Whaea Indiras New Entrant class (Rm 21) and also across other school year levels.

We do a lot of cool learning at Onerahi Primary School and we would love to share some examples with you. Recently we invited students to complete a 100 day project, collecting 100 items to celebrate the 100th school day of the year. We got some great ideas through and many were displayed in our library.

Kia Ora,

Just a reminder, that the Hell Reading Challenge is still on. Your children can earn stamps by reading books and doing an extension activity. Once they have 7 stamps they can redeem these for a free pizza from Hell.

I would also like to thank you for your ongoing support of Scholastic Book Club. Your purchases help provide new books for the school library. We have received over two thousand dollars worth of beautiful new books from Scholastic Book Club this year. If you would like to pick your book club order up from the office, you can mark your order as a gift when submitting online or make a note on the order form.

Kirsty Oliver

School Librarian and Resource Co-Ordinator

We have a good supply of 2021 honey cleverly made by the bees in our hives. Now is a great time to buy! Still a bargain at only $5 a jar, available at the school office. Cash only.

Medication: If your child requires medication be brought to or kept at school, please be aware that due to health and safety concerns, this must be kept secure in the school sick bay. It is not to be kept in children’s schoolbags during the day. This is to protect the safety of not only the child requiring the medication but also all other students. All medication requires an accompanying permission/approval form signed by their parent or caregiver. This includes epi-pens for allergy management, inhalers for asthma or any other medication your child requires on a short-term or as needed basis.