It was great to have our first Monday for 2023 this week! While this has been an unprecedented start to the year, our akonga are settled and happy both in their classrooms and the playground.

As we settle back into the year at school one of the things that you can do to set our child up for success is to ensure they are at school by 8:10a.m. in the morning. This ensures that they have time to hang their bag up and get their equipment organised for the day. It also allows them time to connect with their friends and their teacher or play outside before the bell rings. Starting the day in this way helps our children to feel settled and prepared for the day ahead.

The plan for the evening is that teachers will be available in classrooms between 5:00 and 5:30p.m. Please remember that this is an opportunity to visit your child's classroom and meet their teacher if you haven't already. Our teachers are not in a position so early in the year to discuss your child's academic progress.

At 5:30 we will head to the grass area in front of the new playground for a relaxed evening.

The PTA have organised a sausage sizzle which will be a fundraiser for the upcoming Year 3-6 camp. Sausages $2:00, Water $1:00 and Ice creams or Iceblocks $1:00. You are also more than welcome to bring a picnic dinner. This is a BYO event.

Please remember your gold coins for the sausage sizzle. We would ask that you leave your dogs at home.

Hi folks.

A couple of weeks ago I asked if the community might support our children with a sponsorship plan for camp.

HOLY MOLY!

Once again our community rallied and we are truly humbled by the sheer amount of folk (see 'choice as humans of Patumahoe' list below. There are also quite a few anonymous sponsors that have rallied behind the scenes too!) who have so generously given to the cause. We are truly blessed and will continue our promos weekly as promised.

Further to this, if there are any families out there who are feeling stressed about upcoming camp payments, PLEASE get hold of Maree Phillips or myself at school. We are understanding, naturally discreet and because of our community's generosity.... able to help.

• Emily and Gary Starnes - On-site Diesel Servicing
• Andrew Campbell - Countryside Homes LTD
• Di Bruce - Raspberry Lane Baby & Children's Boutique
• Nikki McIlvenny
• Mike Faulkner - Bakers Delight Pukekohe
• Hans & Sandy Van Leishout
• Vimal & Anita Patel - Patumahoe Four Square
• Cal & Brooke Nash - Good Kitchens Ltd
• Troydon Contractors
• Debbie & Neil McCarthy - Circle Line Engineering
• Maxwell Moore - Moore Farrier Services LTD
• Jeremy Lamb & Sascha Wells - Waiuku New World
• Richard & Angela Moorcroft
• Craig Harkness - CH Construction
• Anne & Ash Patel
• Joel & Liesl Holmes
• Danica & Phil Mohan - ACSL Group
• Amanda & Sean Lyons
• Mon & Vaun Cooksley
• John & Suzie Cochrane
• Marj Langit
• Wawatai Whanau - KW Fitness Ltd
• Bardsley & Briggs Family - Bardsley Flooring Ltd

• Kate & De-Jaun Kruis - Absolute Zero Refrigeration Ltd
  

• Barry Key (Wawatai whanau) - Oshawa Trading Ltd
  

• Chanelle Reid - Razor Web. Design & Marketing
  

• Debbie & Gary Payne
  

• Courtney Hockey - Grayson & Co Chartered Accountants
  

• Shane & Lindy Schlaepfer & Katherine West. - Riordan & West Ltd
  

• Ken Blackbeard - KVB Engineering
  

• McDowell & Nortje Families - Formedge
  

• Penny Day & Graham Brooks
  

• Kurk & Kelly Brady - Smooth Lines Architecture
  

• Natasha and Kurt Pedersen - Farmhouse Preschool
  

I mentioned that we would be fundraising further for Camp and that the opportunity to help out would follow shortly, and so here we are!

Yes, here is our main fundraiser for camp 2023.

Your child will be bringing home information about our basic factathon very shortly. But the guts of it is that the kids will be learning their addition and subtraction facts. They will hunt out sponsors and sit a test in a couple of weeks, do really well and then collect their sponsor money. The money collected will equate to 'prize tickets' that will go into the draw for the kids to win some cool stuff (that I'm soon off to purchase!).

Obviously, the more prizes the better......

Soooooo...

Could you have a look at home please for anything that you might be willing to donate as a prize. Things like games, puzzles, stationery, sports gear, books etc that are in new or excellent condition that a kid would love! If you were happy to 're gift' to us, we'd be stoked to add them to our prize pool! Get the kids to bring them to school and they'll score some House points for their generosity before I grab em.

Thanks heaps families!

Todd Williams.

Next week's assembly will be hosted by Room 1 & 2.

Inoshi Manatunga will be offering FREE Piano /Keyboard trial lessons for students at Patumahoe school on Thursday 2nd March.

Please follow the link to register for a free trial lesson?

https://forms.gle/BwWxqvkN8grGkuV87

• 23rd February - Mufti Day = Gold Coin donation to support Pakowhai School
• 23rd February - Whanau Evening 5:00p.m.
• 08th March - School swimming sports
• 15th March - Group swimming sports
• 22nd March - PTA Mufti day - more information to follow
• 23rd March - Zone swimming sports
• 03rd - 05th April - Ngaruawahia Year 3-6 Camp
• 06th April - Last day Term 1
• 24th April - Teacher Only Day - no school
• 25th April - Anzac Day - no school
• 26th April - First day Term 2
• 16th September - Calf Club Day - Lock it in now!

Is your child interested in playing soccer this year?

Practices are in Waiau Pa on a Wednesday afternoon (this may alter depending on the particular coach's availability).

For kids born between 2015 - 2017 - games are in Papakura on a Friday night.

For kids born in 2014 and older, games are on a Saturday morning in the Papakura / Franklin area.

If your child is keen, please Fill in the form here.

Any questions, please contact Naomi at waiaupasoccer@gmail.com or 021 677 322.

Last year the teams filled up fast; so if your child is keen, get in quick!

We have a couple of spaces in our teams for Term 1 season, for players in the 11U age group (born 2012-2013).

Please contact Liz 027 699 7433 or wpcbbasketball@gmail.com

If you want to know more about the club or play in other grades next term feel free to contact Emily Spooner Starnes 0210777710

Pukekohe AFC has opened its registrations for the upcoming 2023 season. Our Small Whites programme is for 4–8-year-olds and our Junior & Youth programme is for those children turning 9 this year, through to those turning 19 this year.

Please register for the season and find out more information on our website https://www.pukekoheafc.com/juniors-and-youth-registration/

We have Junior and Youth musters for boys and girls next week – Tuesday 21st February, Thurs 23rd and Sunday 26th for all children turning 9 this year and up to 19. Those turning 9 years old will play 9th grade, turning 10 years old will play 10th grade, and so on. For those boys and girls wanting to play winter football, it is important they attend musters. Please check out our website for the times. https://www.pukekoheafc.com/this-season/

Please contact the Club Administrator if you have any questions secretary@pukekoheafc.com