Orātia District School Newsletter
Week 4 - 23 February 2023
Message from Ms Linda
Tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai ki te whānau o te Orātia. Zdravo. Talofa lava. Ni hao. Kia orana. Namaste. Greetings Orātia whānau.
We have had a number of significant developments for our Lone Kauri and Piha communities over this week. Our thanks go out to all those volunteers working to try and find solutions for our students and their families.
Lone Kauri School opened up for students on Monday this week, with the support of local families and volunteers. The Karekare community hub had been moved to the school for a few days after the fire station needed their own space back in order to respond to calls from their area. This was moved again to a neighbour's yard to free the school up for students. Our deep thanks to the Cannon family for hosting the hub, and thanks to the Walton-Hannay's for all their work supporting everything. There are many others involved too and we thank you for all you have done for our students and the community out there.
Piha residents, like Lone Kauri, still have major problems with their access into and out of their area. Fortunately, AT have repaired the road by Elevation on the Scenic Drive sufficiently for our students to be able to walk over the affected area and down to the school bus at the Waiatarua Fire Station. This morning we had nearly a full bus load of students arrive from Piha so we are thankful that this number has been growing each day as confidence is slowly returning. There are many families who have had to relocate to other places which must be really distressing and difficult in amongst all their other matters to deal with. Our thoughts and best wishes are with all who are dealing with the aftermath of the recent weather events.
Our two Creatives in Schools projects are progressing well with classes cycling through the hall to work with Dr Tia and Piripi Kauri. I have enjoyed watching them dancing like birds and lying on the hall floor in contemplation and calm. The children have been enjoying their time too so do ask them about their experience. The other project with Ms Mackinnon and John Goudge is also moving quickly along with a large number of interested children attending drama workshops and trying out for auditions. Ms Mackinnon and Mr Goudge were sorely pressed having to choose a limited number of students from the many who wonderfully represented themselves in the auditions. If your child missed out on a role we are very sorry and hope they can take comfort from having been a part of an interesting process.
All the best to you, and may your weekend be dry.
Kia kaha, kia atawhai. Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda
Friday lunch schedule
Friday 24 February - Subway (order by Thursday night)
Friday 3 March - Sushi (order by Thursday 9am)
Friday 10 March - Jesters Pies (order by Thursday noon)
Friday lunches can be ordered on Kindo and will be delivered to your child's classroom at the beginning of lunchtime. Please contact the office to make arrangements to collect lunch orders if your child is absent on the day
COUNTRY FAIR FUNDRAISER - how can you help?
If you are able to provide an hour or two on the day of the Country Fair as a helper, please email michellem@oratia.school.nz
Superstar Writer Tuatapu from Room 12 writes about her recent experiences during Cyclone Gabrielle
I can't go to school because all the roads are shut. Because all the rain and wind made all the roads an obstacle for the cars and because there are huge slips that make it very hard for the cars. I am trapped here at Piha with no way out . I think I will be here for quite some time, also all our water is gone along with our power but its not all bad. We are stuck somewhere with quite interesting things to do. There are puddles with botulism and all sorts of other stuff that is terrible but I am going to stay away from the goo.
I really love Piha and I never ever want to leave because it is where I belong. You can't move me away from Piha. I am about to listen to something about how to keep us safe and healthy until everything is back to normal. I am excited for all the talking I will find out what we need to do next and for my exciting tasks for all of us to do. Tomorrow I am going to do dishes which will be fun but it is 8am in the morning and Sarah is not too happy about that. I might even be able to cook.
Hello from Lone Kauri School
Lone Kauri School have been drawing all the people who have been helping us in the community since the cyclone. We are so grateful to our local heroes here in Karekare and in Piha too. Piha families have been sharing extra food and their generators with us.
At Lone Kauri School we still have no power, but a parent who is an electrician has wired up a generator and we are the cutest Little House on the Prairie School in the west.
Resilience is the school value we are all working on this week, that’s for sure!
Thank you Orātia for supporting Karekare too.
Helicopter excitement
Yesterday afternoon we closed our field to provide a location for Emergency Services to land their helicopter to collect much needed hay bales for our Karekare community. Many students stayed to watch with excitement as the noisy helicopter landed and clipped on it's cargo before flying off to make delivery to some hungry horses.
Garden to Table Pasta Fundraiser
We held a very successful pasta lunch fundraiser yesterday. Our Garden to table team prepared the lunches with some helpful seniors and served them from the hall at lunchtime. Over $400 was raised help our community. Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser.
Update from our library
What a start to the year! We are currently hosting Room 20 in the Library while their class is being repaired from flood damage. While we are closed I have been working on cataloguing new books, 2023 admin, beginning to source new books, and fill in the current gaps within the fiction and non-fiction collections.
The first Scholastics Issue of the year will be going out this term and the Country Fair in March will also have a book stall, so there will be plenty of opportunity to add to your home libraries soon.
All classes have a session time each week, you can have a look at the timetable by opening the dashboard link below.
https://aiscloud.nz/ORT01/#!dashboard
As always feel free to pop in once we are open and I am always available via email jessicak@oratia.school.nz
Jess & Sophie
Drum-kit lessons at school
For students from Year 3 upwards, Richard Linklater is again offering drum lessons this term on a Monday morning using the school’s (rather excellent) little kit. Please contact Richard on 021 0404 110 or sorendrums@gmail.com if interested. Lesson cost will be $30 for a 30 minute lesson, paid a term in advance, and will start on 6th March. Payment is direct to Mr Linklater.
Cook Island Drum lessons
This term we have the exciting opportunity for year 4-6 students to enroll in Cook Island drumming. Mr Richard Linklater has again agreed to offer group lessons at $5.00 per session per child. The groups are no bigger than 10 and each session is for 30 minutes. Please check your child's school bag for a notice going home with children today. Payment for lessons will go directly to the drum teacher Mr Linklater.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
Hockey players wanted!
The year 5/6 Oratia hockey team are looking for a couple more players to join them for the summer season. They play on Monday afternoon at Henderson High School, it's very casual and open to beginners to have a go. If you are interested, please contact Casey by email caseyr.sport@gmail.com
PARENT CORNER
Contact Us
Email: principal@oratia.school.nz
Website: https://www.oratia.school.nz
Location: Shaw Road & West Coast Road, Oratia, Auckland 0604, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 818-6216
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OratiaSchool/