2023 Newsletter - Week 1, Term 1
Greenmeadows School, 10th February 2023
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou kātoa,
It is such a great feeling to be back at school and having all the students and staff back on site. The children have turned up happy and raring to GO!!! It is neat seeing how many are 'taller' and that the tamariki are all willing to get into learning and school life.
Included in this newsletter are:
* information on parent interviews set for 27 and 28 February, and how to book for them
* an update on the building progress at school
Ka kite anō,
Mark Johnson
Principal
WELCOME TO GREENMEADOWS SCHOOL
The start of every school year brings a number of new arrivals to GMS.
A very warm welcome to the following tamariki who started with us this year:
Charlotte Ataklian Riley Betesta Iris Carvalho Alves Addison Christie
Cooper Eliason Dandre' Enslin Leo Forster Oliver Grigg
Charlie Grisdale Max Hall Grayson Heaps Sofia Juno Ayvish Kishore
Eshadhi and Janadhi Kotagoda Hettiarachchige Dorothy Lin
Elvira Lo Athena O'Leary Cheyon Siyamalan Henrico Smit
Harper Smith Joel Tester Kora Williamson
We wish every one of you all the very best for your time at Greenmeadows School.
Staffing Update
We have one new teacher on staff for 2023 - Marcia Carpenter is teaching in Room 2b. We welcome Marcia to Greenmeadows School, and know she will have a fantastic time here.
Mrs Nicole Johnson has returned to our school to work alongside Mrs de Lange in 'Room 18' which is in the same learning space as Mrs Kinsey's class. Welcome back Nicole!
Mrs Millner has suffered a break to her lower leg and we are unlikely to see her this term as she recovers from this. Mrs Michelle Brown is taking Shona's class until she returns.
And finally in some very sad news: we have heard that Tom Wells, the husband of Mrs Vanessa Wells, passed away earlier this week. Vanessa has been here as a Teacher Aide for several years and is a key member of the GMS team. On behalf of the entire school whānau I want to express our sorrow and condolences to Vanessa and Pippa for your devastating loss.
Meet the Teacher Interviews - 27 and 28 February.
In just over three weeks the whole school will be holding parent-teacher interviews. We are having an interview early in the year so teachers and parents get the opportunity to talk about the learning ahead and work together in the best interests of the child. It is also an opportunity for the teachers to find out more about your child, which helps them immensely.
We urge all families to participate in these interviews and have set aside two afternoons for these to occur:
Monday 27 February 2.15 pm – 5.30 pm 6.15 pm – 7.30 pm
Tuesday 28 February 2.15 pm – 7.00 pm
You can request an interview by using our online booking program.
Go to our school website www.gms.school.nz and click on the ‘Parent – Teacher Interviews 2023’ tab. There you will see instructions to take you to the interview booking website, along with the special code for booking dates and times at our school - remember to use the school code which is ‘e9tjw’.
Once your booking is completed you will receive an email confirming your interview. These details can be rescheduled if your availability changes. If you are unable to access the school’s website, then you can ring, or visit, the school office and Carolyn or Sara will book a time for you.
We expect a 100% attendance of families at these interviews, so please let us know of any difficulties you may be having booking a time. Due to the interviews, school will close early at 2.00pm on both Monday and Tuesday.
Mihi Whakatau for new families to GMS
On Thursday 16 February we are planning to have a school mihi whakatau to welcome all our new students and their whānau. It has been a long time since we have had one of these ceremonies.
All new families who have started with us in 2023 are welcome to attend. This will take place under He Kapua starting at 9.10am. Those parents and children being 'welcomed' to school are asked to meet by the dental clinic from 9.00am.
Building Progress - Coming Along Beautifully!!
The office and administration are now operational as we are almost finished moving into the new surroundings. It feels so fresh and clean, and is working extremely well.
Over the next few weeks the entrance to the school will be completed so access in will be much easier than at present. Visitors will be able to come straight in to the administration area through a new gateway and waharoa.
At present we are without our outdoor speakers ... unfortunately most of these were stolen from school some time between Christmas and New Year. This is extremely disappointing, as it is our children who are missing out. They will be replaced in the coming weeks.
TERM DATES 2023
Below are the term dates our school is going to be using this year.
Term Dates 2023
Term 1 7th February - 6th April
Term 2 24th April - 30th June
Term 3 17th July - 22nd September
Term 4 9th October - 20th December
As we are starting later, this means we will go later into December than usual. Please note that this will also be different to a number of other schools in our area.
CANTEEN NEWS
The school Canteen is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday each week.
To order online please download the mobile Kindo App and set up an account. Please ensure any order is under your child's name and has the correct room number.
Please place orders before 9.00am ... as the cutoff point is 9am on the dot!!
If you already have an account please make sure you change your child's room number to which room they are in this year otherwise their lunch order will go to their old class.
Thank you for your continued support of our School Canteen.
SETTING UP A KINDO ACCOUNT FOR CANTEEN ORDERS & SPORTS REGISTRATIONS
To setup an account click on the link below to register and log in to our canteen shop online, via Kindo.
New users can click on the ‘create an account’ option and fill in your contact details and your child’s name, ensuring it is your child's details (not yours!).
https://kindo.co.nz/families/
Our sports registrations are also processed through Kindo.
OSCAR ASSISTANT AND CLEANER
The Greenmeadows School OSCAR Programme is looking for a friendly, energetic and positive individual who has a passion for children to work in our Before School and After School Programme. We are also seeking a cleaner for OSCAR to work early evenings. These positions may be combined.
The Assistant position is for approximately 12 - 17 hours per week during term. There may be additional hours available during school holidays. The Cleaner’s position is for 5 hours per week.
For more information contact Tina on 027 603 4568 or email gmoscar@xtra.co.nz.
To apply, please email a cover letter and your CV to gmoscar@xtra.co.nz.
