Week 1 Term 1 Panui
Wednesday - 1st Feb 2023
Contact Us
Email: office@witherlea.school.nz
Website: https://witherlea.school.nz
Location: 214-216 Weld Street, Witherlea, Blenheim 7201, New Zealand
Phone: 64 (03) 578 5568
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/witherleablenheim
Principal Message
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Greetings to you all.
Welcome back to the start of the 2023 school year, especially those who are joining the school community as new enrolments this year.
It is great to see kids settling so positively back into normal routines, classroom programmes and enjoying reconnecting with their peers. We have an exciting year planned and the details for term 1 are captured in The Events Calendar which will be coming home today as a hard copy along with forms for updating our student records.
Thank you for ensuring that children have returned to school with the correct uniform and stationery and it was fantastic to see such an amazing turn out for our first assembly.
Research has shown that strong home school partnerships are one of the most effective enablers of educational achievement. We need to be a united front in our messaging to children especially around expectations for behaviour and achievement. We must invest in building a relationship so that home looks a bit more like school and school like home. To achieve this we will provide multiple opportunities to connect, share information and collaborate.
Opportunities to connect include:
An open door policy where you can pop into your child's room before and after school to informally chat to your child's teacher and view what they have been learning in class.
Staff are available to meet with parents to discuss any concerns upon request. To book a meeting, please contact the office.
Weekly assemblies provide an opportunity to meet members of the school community and celebrate achievements. Teachers will contact you if your child is presenting or receiving an award.
Opportunities to share information include:
Fortnightly school newsletters that can be accessed via the School App or email.
Samples of student learning and teacher notices can be accessed via Seesaw.
Attending the ‘Meet the Teacher’ evening to learn about the classroom programme and how you can support this at home.
Opportunities to collaborate include:
A meeting with the teacher in term 1 to share information about your child and frame goals for the year.
An opportunity to meet with the teacher at the beginning of term 3 to review the mid year report and discuss progress and new goals. A second written report will be provided in term 4.
Parent help is highly valued to support the classroom programme and offsite activities. Keep an eye out for these opportunities via notices and/or contact your child’s teacher.
In addition to the above, we are also hoping to reinvigorate the Witherlea School Parent Group after the pandemic has disrupted the normal activities in recent years. The group aims to fundraise for the school and foster a sense of belonging within the school community. We would love to see anyone interested in being part of this group come along to a meeting at 8.30am in the staffroom on Monday 13 February.
We acknowledge the busy lives you lead and encourage you to connect, share and collaborate with us as much as you are able to. I trust your child/children have had a positive start to their school year and will look forward to catching up over the coming days if we haven’t already.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Symon Beattie
Principal/Tumuaki
As we are a Sunsmart school we require students to wear the school hat (can be purchased from the office or if supplying your own, it must be plain navy with a brim all the way around) and wear this when outdoors in Term One and Term Four. Naming the hat is vital!
Swimming Gear
Students require; togs, towels, goggles (if they have them) every day so they are ready for their class and/or team swim time. It is best to have this in a separate bag.
Seesaw and School App
Seesaw is becoming one of our primary resources for connection between home and school and gives us the ability to show the learning for each child. It is like an ongoing record of learning, progress and achievement.
School App is our notification system and it integrates with our Newsletter and/or important updates for our community. It has our calendar, Links, where important newsletters or information are stored, a button to go to the Sports Hub and will be the way we notify the community of emergencies. You can also notify us of your child's absence on this app.
Please ensure that you have both of these platforms up and running for Term One. The school app can be downloaded from your phone app store (search for School Apps NZ). Once you have downloaded the app, it will prompt you to enter the name of your school. You will need to then click on the menu button (top left of the screen) and select 'alert subscription' and select the groups/classes that you would like to see alerts from. Even if you already have the school app, you will need to change the alert subscription if your child has changed classroom.
For Seesaw, your child's teacher will contact you with details of how to join.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Please bring along to the meeting the completed Learner Profile which will be sent home the week prior. A link to our booking system will be shared in the week 5 newsletter. Times as follows - please note the early finish.
- Tuesday 14th March 2:00pm -6:00pm. School finishes at 1.00pm.
- Wednesday 15th March 3:15pm -5:15pm
Meet the Teacher
All sessions will start in the hall and then break away into individual classrooms. A sausage sizzle will provide some sustenance ($2 each) and an opportunity for social connection either side of the meetings. Start times as follows:
- Ferns Team (Y0-2): 5:00pm
- Kowhai Team (Y3-4): 5:30pm
- Kauri Team (Y5-6): 6:00pm
2023 Staff
Leadership Team:
Phil Funnell - Deputy Principal (Learning Support)
Angela Clark - Assistant Principal (Ferns Team: Y0-2)
Phillip Johnson - Acting Assistant Principal (Kowhai Team: Y3-4)
PJ Muir - Assistant Principal (Kauri Team: Y5-6)
Ferns Team (Y0-2)
Angela Clark, Y0/1, Room 1
Mel Beattie, Y0/1, Room 2
Amy Lucas, Y1/2, Room 3
Hayley Christie, Y1, Room 4
Larrissa Robertson, Y2, Room 6
Dan Stephens, Y2, Room 7
Kowhai Team (Y3-4)
Catherine Stringer, Y3-4, Room 8
Kelsie Brown, Y3-4, Room 9
Phillip Johnson, Y3-4, Room 21
Aimee Fish, Y3-4, Room 10
Shontell Green, Y3-4, Room 11
Kauri Team (Y5-6)
Tracee Lee, Y5-6, Room 15
Naomi Anderson, Y5-6, Room 16
Rachel Earle, Y5-6, Room 17
Jemma Dunn, Y5-6, Room 18
PJ Muir, Y5-6, Room 19
Additional Teachers
Matt Robertson - STEM Programme/Classroom Release
Marion Barakat - Reading Recovery/ESL Programme
Aoife O’Shaughnessy-Smith - Reading Recovery/Management Release
Jane Walkenhorst - Classroom Release/Management Release
Sarah Cowan - Management Release
Kelly Ogilvy - Edible Gardens Programme
Teacher Aides
Lynn Glavin
Kate Higgins
Mel Hole
Deb Moran
Sarah Cowan
Kim Robinson
Rochelle WiRepa
Susan Palacio
Admin Staff
Jen Sim - Executive Officer
Amber Russell - Office Manager
Rochelle WiRepa - Office Support
Stella Machado - IT Support
Grounds Staff
Dave Smit - Caretaker (Fulltime)
Alan Western - Caretaker (Part-time)
Welcome to Witherlea School
We wish to welcome these new students and their families and whānau to our school and community;
Mae C, Allan K, Madelyn B, Maddox J, Huxley J, Carson W, Izabell L, Heath J, Ava T, Finn J, Liya Z, Hadley F, Euan C, Amonia H, William H, Sophie C, Niko I, April M, Ava B, Haven T, Riley D, Gracie G, Jude L, Nell C
Welcome to School Certificates are given out at our assembly on a Monday morning at 9am.
Uniform Shop 2023
We have a second-hand uniform shop available at school. Please get in touch with the office if you would like to purchase anything.
Prices are:
- $5 tops and shorts
- $10 polar fleece
We are always grateful for any clean, tidy uniforms to sell, these can be dropped off at the school office.
Subway Lunches
This enables caregivers to order their children a Subway lunch which will be delivered to the school. The process is ONLINE and is between families and Subway - this eliminates any administration and/or money exchange for the school.
Our Subway lunches are every Friday. The menu is a limited menu designed specifically for schools.
Orders must be placed before 8.45am via Subway Express on a Friday morning and will be delivered to school for our 1pm lunchtime.
Subway can only accept credit card purchases.
Please note that Subway lunches are unable to be ordered if a school trip or event falls on a
Friday.
Term 1 Events - Wahanga Tuatahi
Week 1 - Wiki Tuatahi
Tue 31 JANUARY - FRI 3 FEBRUARY
FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL for 2023
Wednesday 1st Feb
Newsletter
Update of school records and calendar of events and activities home
Friday 3rd Feb
Subway School Lunches
Week 2 - Wiki Tuarua
MON 6th FEBRUARY - FRI 10 FEBRUARY
Monday 6th February
SCHOOL CLOSED - Waitangi Day
Tuesday 7th February
Assembly (No Coffee)
Friday 10th February
Subway School Lunches
Week 3 - Wiki Tuatoru
MON 13 FEBRUARY - FRI 17 FEBRUARY
Monday 13th February
Assembly, Coffee Cart
Friends of Witherlea School meeting 8:30am in the Staffroom
Board Meeting
Tuesday 14th February
Meet the Teacher
Ferns - 5:00pm
Kowhai - 5:30pm
Kauri - 6:00pm
Wednesday 15th February
Newsletter Day
Friday 17th February
Subway School Lunches
Week 4 - Wiki Tuawhā
MON 20 FEBRUARY - FRI 24 FEBRUARY
Monday 20th February
Coffee Cart, Assembly
Friday 24th February
Subway School Lunches
Week 5 - Wiki Tuarima
MON 27 FEBRUARY - FRI 3 MARCH
Monday 27th February
Assembly (No Coffee)
Wednesday 1st March
Newsletter Day
Learner Profile Home
Friday 3rd March
Subway School Lunches
Week 6 - Wiki Tuaono
MON 6 MARCH - FRI 10 MARCH
Monday 6th March
Assembly, Coffee Cart
Friday 10th March
Subway School Lunches
Week 7 - Wiki Tuawhitu
MON 13 MARCH - FRI 17 MARCH
Monday 13th March
Assembly, Coffee Cart
Tuesday 14th March
Parent Teacher Interviews 2:00pm -6:00pm
Early finish (1:00pm)
Wednesday 15th March
Newsletter Day
Parent Teacher Interviews 3:15pm -5:15pm
Friday 17th March
Subway School Lunches
Week 8 - Wiki Tuawaru
MON 20 MARCH - FRI 24 MARCH
Monday 20th March
Assembly, Coffee Cart
Friday 24th March
Subway School Lunches
Week 9 - Wiki Tuaiwa
TUES 27 MARCH - FRI 31 MARCH
Monday 27th March
Assembly, Coffee Cart
Board Meeting
Wednesday 29th March
Newsletter
Friday 31st March
Subway School Lunches
Mufti Day - Saint Johns (Dress in Black & White and bring a gold coin donation)
Saturday 1st April
Community Working Bee 8am -12pm
Week 10 - Wiki Tekau
MON 3 APRIL - FRI 7 APRIL
Monday 3rd April
Assembly, Coffee Cart
School Photos
Thursday 6th April
Last day of Term
Friday 7th April
School Closed - Good Friday
2023 School Dates
Term One: Tuesday 31st January - Thursday 6th April
- Monday 6th February: Waitangi Day
- Easter Holidays begin Friday 7th April
Term Two: Monday 24th April - Friday 30th June
- Monday 5th June: Kings Birthday
- Tuesday 25th April: ANZAC Day
- Friday 14th July: Matariki
Term Three: Monday 17th July - Friday 22nd September
Term Four: Monday 9th October - Tuesday 15th December
- Monday 23rd October: Labour Day Holiday
- Monday 30th October: Marlborough Anniversary Holiday
- Friday 15th December: Last Day of 2023.