Orātia District School Newsletter
Thursday 18 May 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.
I was fortunate to be able to travel out to Kawau Island on Tuesday this week to visit the students at Camp Bentzon. Matt Moncur and I took the early morning ferry across the harbour and joined in with the activities there. Despite a couple of showers the sun shone out of a mostly blue sky and the temperatures were warm. The students were so happy and all having a really great time. The group of parents involved was superb. This camp is well organised and offers excellent opportunities that many children may not have experienced before. The favourite activity according to the ones I asked was kayaking, with fishing a close second. They all loved jumping off the wharf, and a whole group of students learned how to use a bow and arrow with accuracy. While there was some sleeping happening I am sure that the students and teachers will return rather tired, but very satisfied with their time there.
My especial thanks to the parents who were able to attend the camp and help out, to the teachers who worked so hard, and to Kath Goldsmith and Ben Kubaridis for staying the whole week with both groups. Mr Moncur was able to stay overnight and he returned with the first group on Wednesday to help with supervision. Thank you to all the families who entrusted us with the safety and care of your children for camp. It is an experience that will be remembered by them for all of their lives, and so worth the effort and expense.
On Wednesday, while the seniors were all out at camp, we turned the school into a Wheels Zone and had a great afternoon of wheely fun on bikes, scooters, skateboards and skates. Some remote control vehicles were enjoyed by students as well, and the sun shone for us, which was a real delight.
You may have noticed the orange fencing that has cordoned off the front corner of the school on Shaw Rd. This has been in place since last August when soil testing was done as part of our 10 Year Property Plan. The soil testing company discovered some buried building material from an old bit of demolition on that site that contained asbestos, and advised us on appropriate safety measures, which was to fence off the site until a remediation plan was developed. The Ministry of Education was also informed at the time, and agreed on the plan suggested by the soil testing company. In an abundance of caution a larger area of land was fenced off to keep our students from digging in that area.
The site is considered safe as long as we do not do any construction there. We have been in communication since April with WorkSafe about the site, and they concur with our safety measures.
Since August we have been working with the Ministry of Education on a remediation plan, and just yesterday I was presented with a plan to start remediation of that area. This information is to let you know that the soil in that space will be removed by a specialist company following all WorkSafe health and safety protocols. Removal of soil will take place out of school hours and with full notification for the community and our neighbours. I will inform you of the details of this plan once we have agreed with the removal company on a mutually suitable time to begin the process.
Further soil testing this year identified an area of heavy metals contamination at the back of the school (due to this having been near orchard and horticulture land). This land is safe for general use, but we cannot use it for planting of produce that we might eat. We can confirm that we will only use that land for general landscaping and no food production.
Many West Auckland schools seem to face similar challenges, and the removal company the Ministry has engaged to work on the remediation plan is highly experienced and qualified due to their past work with other West Auckland schools.
If you have any further questions please feel free to email me.
Next Saturday is our Beats by Bingo quiz night put on by the school PTA. Make sure you book your tickets via kindo. The event is BYO, there will be platters of food available for purchase via kindo, and we will have non alcoholic drinks for purchase, and snacks available on the night. Book a table with your friends and have a great night out.
Take care and stay safe. Kia kaha, kia atawhai.
Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda
Senior School Camp - Kawau Island outdoor experience
There couldn't be a more beautiful place than Kawau Island for our students to practice many outdoor activities. Archery was a great way to practice concentration, accuracy and problem-solving. Kayaking was a great way to learn how to paddle, turn and stop. Water safety and canoe polo were taught as well. We were delighted to see students enjoying their new experiences on the island and connecting with nature and each other.
National Young Leaders Day
On Thursday 11th May, our Student Leaders attended the National Young Leaders Day at Due Drop Arena, in Manukau. The National Young Leaders Days (NYLD) are the largest and longest running leadership event for primary and intermediate school students. These large scale annual events aim to develop student leadership. Since 2001, more than 110,000 students have been empowered to fulfill their dreams and become great leaders at a National Young Leaders Day in New Zealand. NYLD events are also held in Australia and Singapore.
The objectives of NYLD are
- Inspiration
- Connection
- Student empowerment
- Promoting positivity
- Motivation
- Education
They heard from several inspirational speakers :
BRAD SMEELE - FORMER PRO WAKEBOARDER / QUADRIPLEGIC
JULIA GRACE IS A UNIQUE MENTAL WELLNESS COMMUNICATOR.– FORMER PRO WAKEBOARDER / QUADRIPLEGIC
GEORGIA LINES – MUSICIAN
Wheels Day
Wheels Day was a great opportunity for the children to enjoy riding their bikes and scooters, skateboards and rollerskates. We were very luck to enjoy plenty of fresh air and sunshine too. The aim of Wheels Day was to promote travelling to school in a sustainable way. As part of this, the children learned about how to be safe when using their "wheels" when out and about.
International Language Week
International languages week is an annual event held in New Zealand, the purpose of which is to promote languages and cultures from around the world. Young New Zealanders today have exposure to a huge number of international languages – more than 160 languages are spoken in our country. As a school, we are delighted to hold this learning journey for our children and to promote linguistic, cultural diversity and multilingualism. Children also had the opportunity to dress up in their favourite costumes; Chinese, Pasifika and Austrian outfits.
Orātia School Cultural Day
Last Friday, our students celebrated a cultural day, where families brought a variety of foods that represent their culture and proudly shared it with our children. From popular sweet Indian Beson Ladoo, Samoan Pani Popo (coconut rolls) to savory German pretzel and New Zealand sausage rolls, the children could taste the real flavor of many cultures.
Friday Lunches - 26th May - Jesters Pie Day
Pink Shirt day celebration at the Bentzon camp
Chinese Dance
Would your tamariki like to learn Chinese dance? If so please get in touch! We are looking at hosting a group to teach Chinese dances once a week during a break time. There would be a small cost per session to go towards the instructors. If your tamariki would be interested in taking part in this please email benc@oratia.school.nz or meganm@oratia.school.nz to register your interest or to ask for more information.
HEALTH CORNER
VACCINATION UPDATES: If you have not done so already, please provide the office with up to date immunisation information for your child. Thank you.
IMPETIGO - SCHOOL SORES: We have been made aware that there are several cases of Impetigo (school sores) in the school at the moment. Impetigo may need to be treated by a doctor and is very contagious so we do ask that you keep your child home until 24 hours after treatment has begun and ensure that dressings completely cover the sores.
WINTER ILLNESS: The cooler weather has arrived and we have noticed an increase in colds and tummy upsets here at school. To help address this, we have been talking to students about the importance of regularly washing hands with soap and covering your mouth when coughing. If you could please talk to your child about this at home it would be most appreciated.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
BEATS BY BINGO (please note: This event is R18)
Working Bee
The working bee at the Orātia cemetery is on the Saturday 27th May starting 9.00 am. For more information, please phone 8149859.
PARENTS 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/