Newsletter 16th June 2022

'You've only got three choices in life:

give up,

give in

or give it all you've got'

Zig Ziglar

Kia ora whānau

Yesterday was that time of year again when the Year 3 and 4 tamariki (Team Rua) had the opportunity to show their ability as speakers. Why yes, it was the Team Rua Poetry Competition. While I am lucky enough to be one of the judges for this, it is one of those bittersweet tasks because while I get that wonderful opportunity to hear our budding young orators in action, I have the very unenviable task of trying to work out who is the very best. I always feel so very proud of those that make the finals as this gives them a chance to excel in an area that many find very difficult. As I glance into the crowd I also feel that same sense of pride as I know that each and every one of them has also had to stand in front of their peers and deliver their chosen poem. And though they did not make it into the 'big' final there they sit and there they cheer on their classmates and friends as if they were the finalists themselves.

Being able to deliver your message to others is a very important skill and it is very much one of, if not the, strongest means of communication. Say what you mean, mean what you say and deliver it memorably. To be able to develop that in our tamariki is something that we should be pleased to do, and it is no wonder that our tamariki are often seen as being quite articulate. This might be an issue at home when we feel that they talk too much and think that they know so much but better that than having non-communicative kids! We notice our akonga are able to use their words well and that can often be attributed to the way that they are allowed to express themselves and are talked with, not talked to. Or at! Having great conversations is the key to this and not restricting their vocabulary also makes a difference. Seriously, it does my head in when I hear parents talking down to their tamariki. We need to give them more credit than that, and it seems that within our community we do.

Watching the way that these youngsters (7 to 8 year olds) managed the stage, used the space, engaged the audience and spoke with such projection and personality was mind-boggling to both see and hear. There must have been many hours of practice given to this and lots of great parental support and advice too. A true team effort within each whanau. Whether your child made the finals or not, each such opportunity like this helps to develop their confidence and self-belief. Indeed, the growth of this year's Year 4 cohort compared to how they spoke last year was phenomenal.

What a neat group of akonga and what a neat experience.

Ngā mihi

Marty Hantz

Did you know that Mr English runs ICT classes with years 3 to 6? He is also supporting the Year 5 Whare tamariki who are learning how to build and program Lego EV3 robots!

Mr Hantz runs French classes for year 6. They play games in French and learn about French language, culture and food!

There are so many exciting opportunities for the akonga at Taradale Primary School and we are very fortunate to have skilled kaiako who share their passions with them.

• Disco - Friday 10th June
  
• Matariki Public Holiday - Friday 24th June
• End of Term 2 - Friday 8th July 3pm

We have a lot of lost property missing their owners. Please remember to check it daily.

It is in the Hall, just inside the doorway by the office.

This has been scheduled for Sunday 18th of September! How neat will it be to be able to get that fabulous fundraiser back into action? A neat day for the school and an awesome way to bring our community back together after the impositions of Covid! While it might seem a long way off now, it will come upon us very quickly indeed. You can help us all prepare for that by marking that date on your calendar and thinking about how an hour or two from you on the day will help us raise much needed funds for our kura. Also, if you have access to photocopier paper box lids then please collect them for us as these make wonderful cake trays for the cake stall. Send them to school - best recycling ever!

Pop into Source Cafe and take a wee look at some of the art produced by members of the TPS Year 6 French class. Their art is based on the iconic Aotearoa New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell with his Hawkes Bay roadside art as its template. Thank you Kylie of Source Cafe for promoting the artistic talents of our tamariki and a thank you too to Conrad of Rembrandt Fine Arts for the provision of the frames used to display the art!

L'art a l'air fabuleux!

Congratulations to Baylee Gibbons who had a fantastic day at a recent gym festival where she finished first on beam, vault and floor placing her first overall and first in teams for her age group.

Kapai mahi Baylee!

Kia ora koutou Whānau.

On Wednesday 22nd June we are holding our school wide Matariki Day. At this stage, our COVID numbers are looking good and we would love it if you could join us for our shared morning tea. Pre schoolers are welcome too! Please mask up. Although we would really like to welcome you in throughout the day, we have had to limit the time to just the morning tea time.

We will be having a shared morning tea in our home classes. Can your child please bring a small plate of food that is either of cultural significance to your family or is a family favourite. If the weather is nice, classes will be eating outside in the fresh air.

10:30-10:50 Shared morning tea in our home classes.

10:50-11:10 Outside play time.

Looking forward to this exciting day!

If you want to do some things to celebrate Matariki with your whānau, here are some links for celebrations happening in the Bay.

Check out the Ātea a Rangi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atea.nz

https://www.kahungunu.iwi.nz/matariki-2022

On Friday 10th June (tomorrow) Taradale Primary School will be supporting the local fundraiser "Jammies 4 June". This is a locally organised fundraiser that helps children in need in our community. We will be having a PJ Day at TPS and the tamariki can wear their PJ's to school for a gold coin donation. You can, if you wish, also donate new (non-flammable) PJ's to this amazing cause.

“He aroha whakatō

Then kindness you shall receive”

Another year of legendary performances from our Team Rua tamariki. The calibre of performance this year was incredible. A huge thank you to Mr Hantz and Mrs Dyer who had the difficult job of choosing our winners. A big congratulations to all our finalists, but a special congratulations to:

Kia ora whānau,

Once again we see a very slow rollout of COVID cases and this is a fabulous example of keeping our tamariki, kaiako and community safe. Keep up the great mahi whānau.

While we have COVID-19 pretty much under control we must not become complacent about the flu and cold season as we note that many of our schools in Te-Matau-a-Māui (Hawkes Bay) have been hit hard with cases of this. We have been told that this particular strain of flu can really knock our tamariki around. With this in mind we will continue to promote good hygiene practices and will insist on children going home if they present at school with symptoms.

Auē. Oh no! Auē can mean many things. Heck! Oh dear!...

Book Club Issue 4 out now!
The weather is getting cooler and it’s the perfect time for kids to cosy up and read! There is something for everyone in the latest Book Club catalogue. LOOP Orders close Friday 1st July 8am.

Feel Good and Cosy up and Read with $5 Off*
Receive a $5 discount on all orders placed before midnight, Friday 10 June. Use the code COSYREADS22 at the checkout *Conditions apply

These are on tomorrow night! The theme is Glow in the Dark and the entry fee is $3 per child. The Year 1 to 3 disco begins at 5.30pm and finishes at 6.30pm. The Year 4 to 6 disco begins at 6.45pm and finishes at 8pm. There will be sausages and chocolate available for the hungry and plenty of water for the thirsty!

Holiday Programme for July holidays