Newsletter Week 10 Term 3
Maidstone Intermediate - Te Kura ō Hinepōhatu
30th September 2022
A Word from our Principal
Kia ora e te whānau
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa
And before we know it, the Christmas products are already on the shelves of The Warehouse. Was it not a few weeks ago when we were still in a winter mood? Amazing how time can fly when you have fun.
Friday will be the anniversary of my first year at Maidstone. Looking back, I can think of a few adjectives to describe the first year and FUN will definitely be one of them. It was a crazy year with lots of ups and a few downs. I still feel that COVID prevented me from connecting with all the whanau. However, I do feel I have adapted to the “Upper Hutt way” of life. I would like to use this opportunity to thank all who have played a role in making this year an unforgettable one. There were so many things we as a community can feel proud of.
The Maidstone Way
But, as I mentioned above there were also a few downs. And one of the downs is the behaviour of a small group of ākonga (students) making life at Maidstone an unpleasant experience for all. The reality is that this is a nationwide issue. I attended a principal conference recently and the majority of the talk was about the behaviour of ākonga post-covid. That does not mean we should ignore it. On Monday (first day of the holiday) the kaimahi (staff) will have a whole day Kōrero (meeting and brainstorming) focussing on how 2023 will look at Maidstone. Part of that will look at how we respond to behaviour issues.
Camp 2022
The reporting back from camp was overwhelmingly positive. All the ākonga I talked to responded with big smiles and long stories about how much they enjoyed it. I also had many people telling me how amazing our parent helpers were. Ngā mihi to all of you for helping out. A huge shout out to the whanau who sponsored some ākonga. We had about 35 ākonga who were able to attend camp because they were sponsored by another whanau. That’s what we call “Community spirit”.
Farewell to Heather Clegg
Last Friday a small group of ex and current Maidstoners met to farewell Heather Clegg. Heather retired in September from her role as Presiding member of the Maidstone Board. She joined the board in 2008 and for the last 14 years she played a major role in governing Maidstone. We will miss her expertise, dedication, and passion for Maidstone. It is not every day you get a parent committing such a long time to a kura.
Looking at the rest of 2022
Term 4 is a very short term. That does not mean things are going to slow down. These are a few of the major events to look forward to:
Week 1
Friday 21 October - Upper Hutt Cluster Teacher Only Day
Week 2
Monday 24 October - Labour Day
Friday 28 October - World Teachers’ Day
Friday 28 October - Netball Prizegiving
Week 3
Wednesday 2 November and Thursday 3 November - MIS Showcase
Week 5
Tuesday 15 November - Wainuiomata Sports Exchange
Week 8
Friday 9 December - Service to the School Awards Assembly
Week 9
Tuesday 13 December - Prizegiving
Wednesday 14 December - Year 8 Function
Thursday 15 December - Last day for the year
Parent Help
Lastly, I want to ask for help with the following:
Chillzone
We have two rooms that we are currently updating to use as rooms for various learning experiences. A big part of this will be to accommodate ākonga with different learning needs. They are the ones who need some space and who cannot be in a classroom with 30 others for the whole day. This is a dream to have a space that will cater for ākonga with specific learning needs. But, to make it work we need lots of money - something we do not have. We are in the process of applying for grants. To be successful with grants we will need to show that as a community we do our part to raise money. The huge success we had earlier this year with the Pub Quiz showed me that if we stand together as a community we can make it work. The idea is to have a PUB QUIZ on Friday 18 November with the hope that we will have a full crowd helping us to raise $5 000 on that night. More information to follow soon.
Garden Working Bee
We have about 100 plants to plant before full summer is here. Rachael, our gardener, plans to have a Garden Working Bee for Sunday 16 October 10:00 - 12:00. We need the following:
A group of willing parents to give us two hours to help out with the Garden Working Bee. Please email Rachael or me to let us know if you can help (wikus.swanepoel@maidstone.school.nz gardener@maidstone.school.nz)
Bring spades, gloves and lots of energy
If somebody wants to get rid of their wheelbarrow, please let me know
We can do with more seedlings. Do you have native seedlings you can donate to the school? Please let us know
Assistance with Library and Resource room
Anybody with a spare hour or two to help us out with sorting out resources? Please let me know if you can help out with this.
A lovely two week break to you all.
Ngā mihi
Wikus Swanepoel
Principal/Tumuaki
Whakataukī
Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini
My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective
Present and Past Principals with Heather Clegg
Extra Curricular Group and Team Photos - View on-line
On Tuesday 27 September, LC Scott Photographers took photos of all our extra curricular groups and teams. The photos can be viewed and ordered through this link
Term 4 - Hats
Te angitu o ngā ākonga (Student success)
Congratulations to the following ākonga:
Jarron S (Rm 11)
Awarded best forward for his rugby team and best overall for his REP team. Spoken very highly of at the prizegiving which demonstrated his great effort and teamwork he shows.
Amy M (Rm 20)
Gold medal in her gymnastics tournament
Lyla T (Rm 6)
2 PBs at Wellington Swim Champs
Please email wikus.swanepoel@maidstone.school.nz to let us know about your tamariki success. We would love to celebrate and share the success.
Tips for Whānau - Ākonga in the Cyber World
A Tool to Help Students Make Good Decisions
Some students need help when it comes to weighing pros and cons, and this simple decision-making matrix will help them sort things out.
Do you ever find yourself fixed in your way of looking at a problem?
Perhaps you, or someone you are working with, stops thinking and just says, "my mind is made up, don't confuse me with more facts."
Have you ever known someone who has difficulty in considering alternative points of view?
Thinking flexibly is part attitude (openness to a new idea) and part action (knowing how and when to expand horizons and consider using new ideas and information).
Create instructional flashcards from your google spreadsheets
Flashcards are important visual tools that can be used for a wide variety of instructional purposes in class. From presenting and revising new vocabulary to sharing writing prompts and checking students comprehension, flashcards have proved to be helpful for various types of learners. There are numerous web tools that can help you create digital and printable flashcards.
Leadership success requires curiosity that extends beyond results.Energy shrivels when problems, complaints, and falling short are the recurring topic of conversation. But a good question ignites vitality. Visit the link to read about questions that will strengthen leadership.
Camp El Rancho
Akatarawa
We went to camp from Wednesday to Friday in Week 8. Some of the activities we did were archery, crate stacking, horse riding, pool, waterslide, and more.
The activities were super fun! The pool was freezing but it was still fun. The waterslide was super-fast and very enjoyable. The horse riding was nice. We also did orienteering, where we had to go around the camp looking for little symbols.
On the first night we had a bonfire. We walked through the horse paddock and watched the fire. It was pretty cold but fun. On the second night, we dressed one person from our cabin up in newspaper and we had a fashion show.
On the way back home we stopped at the beach and stayed there for about two hours. It was nice and warm, and really fun. We had lots of fun at our camp!
Zoe H
Pākuratahi
Remutaka
On Monday 12 September, Remutaka went to El Rancho. We had an amazing camp! We did tubing, water slide, pool, crate stacking, horse riding, kayaks, wild survival, and talent quest. Sadly, our bonfire got cancelled because of the rain but other than that I enjoyed camp. It was fun and quite nice. And good to hear nature every day!
By Ollie A-L
Tararua
Mangaroa
Acting Troupe - Theatre Sports Trip
WRISSA Girls Rugby Tournament
Last week we took up a girls rugby team for the day and played in Wainui. There were two pools and we got put into the hardest pool! We tried our best and the day was really fun and enjoyable.
Our team lost 3 games and won 1. Two teams from our pool were in the finals so it was pretty clear we were put in the hardest pool but that didn't stop us from playing our hearts out! Even though the day didn't turn out how we wanted it to go, we still came away feeling like we played really well.
A big shout out to the Janes (Corey and Amie) because without them our day would have not been so memorable, and they also shouted us frozen Cokes at the end, so thank you for that. Corey did a great job of coaching us at short notice and showed us how to tackle safely. And a big thank you to Mrs Betteridge who was our number one supporter, and without her our day would not have been possible!
By Prisseis and Briarly
Community Notices
Contact Us
Email: admin@maidstone.school.nz
Website: https://maidstone.school.nz/
Location: Redwood St, Elderslea, Upper Hutt 5018, New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 528 3094
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maidstone-Intermediate-1418586208443842