Kokopu Newsletter
Term 3 Week 5 - 25th August 2022
Principals Message
After a very wet two weeks at school it is great to see the sun shining and allowing our school grounds to dry out a bit. Last week our library was finally back up and running after the recent renovations to the back rooms. It was invaluable during the wet lunch breaks. The kids love playing the wet day games the School Council purchased earlier this year and last year.
You would have noticed the path being redone from the parent carpark. This will hopefully be finished by next Monday. Please use the teacher’s carpark gate to enter the school.
Car parking at the front gate.
Recently I witnessed a very close call with a visitor backing out onto the main road and narrowly being missed by a ute coming around the corner at about 90kmh. We encourage everyone to avoid parking close to the front gate as this is a high risk area.
Community of Learning
Last week I met with our local schools COL (Community of Learning). There are ten local schools in our COL and we have been working together over the last 5-6 years to get the best for our students through working together and pulling our resources.
Our current focusses include developing stronger phonics based literacy programs, Write that Essay, and wellbeing for students and staff.
Supporting Attendance
This next few weeks Whangarei Schools are working together to get everyone to school after a hard few years of COVID disruption. You may start to see this being promoted in the media.
Kokopu School already has great attendance but if you know someone inside or outside our community struggling to get their kids to school get in beside them and see if they need some help.
Nga Mihi
Yaron Overeem
Kokopu Cross Country
Kokopu Cross Country will be held at school tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd August.
The PTA will be selling food at the event. See the attached poster for prices etc. and please bring your own mug for soup, tea and coffee.
Parents are welcome to come along and support the children.
- Cross country will start at 9:30am.
- Students will run in age groups based on their age on the 1st of January and split into boys and girls. This is in line with the WPSSA cross country criteria.
- There has been some confusion about who goes to the WPSSA interschool event. We base this on our school results not Te Horo.
- There is a parent race this year if you want to enter. It will be after the 10 year old race. Please let Vicki or Yaron know if you are planning to run.
- Years 1-3 only (Age at 1st of January)
- 4 Year Old Girls 900m
- 4 Year Old Boys 900m
- 5 Year Old Girls 900m
- 5 Year Old Boys 900m
- 6 Year Old Girls 900m
- 6 Year Old Boys 900m
- Y3 7 Year Old Girls 1200m
- Y3 7 Year Old Boys 1200m
- Year 4-8 (Age at 1st of January)
- Y4 7-8 Years and Under Girls 1700m
- Y4 7-8 Years and Under Boys 1700m
- 9 Year Old Girls 2000m
- 9 Year Old Boys 2000m
- 10 Year Old Girls 2000m
- 10 Year Old Boys 2000m
- Senior/masters/parents Race
- 11 Year Old Girls 2400m
- 11 Year Old Boys 2400m
- 12+ Year Olds Girls 2400m
- 12+ Year Olds Boys 2400m
Te Horo Cross Country - Thanks to those parents and whanau that transported the children to Pipiwai to compete in the Taniwha Challenge. Kokopu children did extremely well, winning the shield competing against against 8 other schools. The following children placed in the top 3. 1st .. Avery Powell, Caeden McMurchy, Conrad Burson, Tahan Bellingham, Ana Waterhouse, Eva Gray, Jordan Donker, 2nd .. Eric Burson, Nova Weavers, Kaliah Barge, Annabeth Riley, Drake Yearbury, Journey Hughes, Amber Bellingham, Chloe McMurchy, 3rd .. Kyzah Hape, Indi Weavers, Amelia-Rose Hape, Skyla Bellingham, Jack McBeth. A big congratulations to all the children who competed in the races, it is a huge effort from you all!
Daffodil Day
This Friday 26th August is Daffodil Day supporting the Cancer Society. To fundraise for this the children can come dressed in yellow and bring a gold coin donation or you can go online and donate via this link https://daffodilday.org.nz/kokopuschool We appreciate your support.
Learning at Home - Parent Help - Literacy
At Kokopu School our year 1 and 2 students are following the Better Start Literacy Approach for reading. BSLA is a phonics-based system that teaches children the foundation skills and sounds they need for successful literacy.
IF you want to read some of the books at home then follow this link. On the back page of each book there are the focus sounds and suggested teaching points.
https://www.betterstartapproach.com/childrens-readers-families-school
BOT Elections
Please get your voting papers back to school by Election Day when voting closes - 4pm Wednesday 7 September. Thank you.
Last day to accept postal votes - Monday 12 September 2022
Votes counted - Tuesday 13 September
Board takes office - Wednesday 14 September
Vicki Lye
Returning Officer
Kokopu School Ag Day - Register Now
We will hold our annual Kokopu School Calf Club/Ag Day on Saturday 29th October term 4 here at school. Our lamb/goat day care is open at school each day. Children are welcome to bring their animal to school so they can look after and feed it during the day. Please register your animal that you are entering so we can order certificates and ribbons. Go to Permissions on our Skool Loop app.
If you know of anyone who has lambs available for children to raise, please contact the school office so we can put people in touch.
Chickens. This year children will be able to raise a chicken. It must be reared after the 1st July 2022. They will need to keep a photo story of the rearing of their chicken. They will be judged on their knowledge of rearing their chicken.
Fish Bin Gardens. Once again the children can grow a garden in a fish bin to bring along to school on Ag Day. There are two categories, edible and themed i.e. dinosaurs, fairies etc. It would pay to get your garden growing now.
Central Day - Thursday 3rd November at Barge Park.
Mangakahia Country Meal
Kokopu School will be hosting the Country Meal at the Mangakahia Sports Complex on Friday 9th September. We will need help with the jobs below. Please email the school office if you can help out and let us know what jobs you can do.
Helpers/roles required:
- Set up @ 5.30pm x all
- Take orders (from 6pm) & payments x2
- Check dockets at kitchen & assist with serving of food x1
- Dishwasher x1 (best to start early than let pile up)
- Run food orders, collect dirty plates, check on salad bar x2
- Prepare and supervise desert x 1
- Clean up - all helpers as finish other roles
All families please provide one or two salads or some bread rolls whether you are attending or not.
Thank you for your support with this lucrative fundraiser.
REMINDERS
- Year 7 & 8 Technology Training. Every Monday for term 3 and 4 our Year 7 and 8 students will be taking the bus into Manaia View School to do Technology Training. Please ensure they are at school before 9am when the bus leaves and also that they are wearing their Kokopu School Tee Shirt.
- Gymnastics Coaching. All children train on Fridays with Active Attitude to get ready for our gymnastics competition later in the term. Please send them in appropriate clothing for gymnastics.
- Carpark and gate. Please come to the gate in the carpark to collect your children at the end of the day. We do not want children walking through the carpark without an adult as it is unsafe with the amount of cars and limited parking. We have a teacher on duty at the gate each day to supervise. Can we ask parents and visitors to make sure they close the gates if you use them? We have a few children that may be prone to walking out an open gate. Thank you.
- Absences. A reminder that it is important to contact the school before 9.30am when your child will be absent. You can either phone, email or let us know via our Skool Loop app. We need to know where your children are so we know they are safe and can mark them correctly on the roll. See details in this newsletter on how to download our Skool Loop App.
- Iceblock Sales. Ice Blocks are for sale again to raise funds for the school. Many children who come to school with $2 like to buy their friend an ice block. Please could you send a note to say they are allowed to do this? The Room 6 children do ask but a note would be easier for them.
- Term Dates. Term 1 03/02— 14/04 Term 2 02/05— 08/07 Term 3 25/07— 30/09 Term 4 17/10— 15/12
Key Dates
- Term 3 25/07 - 30/09
- 29 July - Gymnastic Coaching starts
- 23 August - Kokopu Cross Country
- 26 August - Daffodil Day
- 30 August - Country Study Meal (China)
- 31 August - WPSSA Cross Country
- 1 September - Mathex
- 6 September - Kokopu Speech Competition
- 7 September - Wig/Wacky hair day
- 9 September - Kokopu Gymnastics Competition
- 9 September - Mangakahia Country Meal - Kokopu School Hosting
- 21 September - Production Rehearsal at Clark Road Chapel
- 22 September - Production Matinee and Evening shows
- 28 September - Mangakahia Lions Speech Competition
- Term 4 17/10 to 15/12
- 29 October - Kokopu School Ag Day
- 3 November - Central Ag Day
School Policies and Procedures Schooldocs
School Accounts
Community Notices
Ruatangata Indoor Bowls
Kokopu School
Email: office@kokopu.school.nz
Website: www.kokopu.school.nz
Location: 921 Kokopu Road, Kokopu, New Zealand
Phone: 094346765
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kokopuschool