We warmly invite you to join us for a special opportunity to hear from our literacy consultant from Learning Matters, Esmee Elias-Tito. Esmee will share insights into structured literacy and the journey we are on in our kura. If you’re curious about the changes happening in literacy and education, this is the perfect chance to come along and learn more. Following the session in the staffroom, you are welcome to visit your child’s classroom until 10:15am to see their literacy block in action. We look forward to seeing you there! 

9:00 – 9:30am with Esmee in the staffroom

9:30 – 10:15am observing literacy teaching in classrooms

Please join us for this special occasion.

On Tuesday 17 March we will hold our school triathlon for Year 4-8 students. We encourage all students from Year 4 upwards to give this event a go, whether they are elite level or trying it for the first time. Please talk to your child about whether they wish to enter as an individual or as part of a team (or both).

Any student who chooses to participate in this event must ensure they can competently swim and cycle and have the correct gear to compete safely. It is a good idea to check bikes thoroughly before the day to ensure they are safe. Please note that cyclists must have a helmet, shirt and shoes.

Supporters are welcome to attend the event and cheer on the students. Each event will start with the swim leg at the Bell Block Aquatic Centre, followed by the cycle leg along Wynyard, Kingsford and Hua Streets and ending with the run leg inside the school grounds. Please avoid parking on these roads wherever possible to ensure a clear path for our cyclists.

If you are driving around the school on Tuesday, please look out for our students on the roads around the school

Triathlon Team Events – Year 4-8

10:00am        Years 4-6

11:20am        Years 7-8

Triathlon Individual Events – Year 4-8

1:00pm          Year 4 boys and girls

1:10pm          Year 5 boys and girls

1:20pm          Year 6 boys and girls

1:30pm          Year 7 boys and girls                                                          

1:40pm          Year 8 boys and girls                                                                                                                                                           

Distances                                                                                          

Year 4            25m (1 length) swim            2km (1 lap) bike ride               1.5km run

Years 5-6       75m (3 lengths) swim           4km (2 laps) bike ride             3.0km run

Years 7-8       125m (5 lengths) swim         6km (3 laps) bike ride             4.5km run

On Wednesday 11 March, we have our first major school sports event for the year – Swimming Sports. We hope all students are able to take part either in the participation events or the finals as they earn points for their whānau with every event they participate in. Students and staff will be dressed up in their whānau colours showing their whānau spirit. It is always a great day of students giving things a go and ends with the hotly contested class, whānau and Staff vs Students relay. We welcome all our families to come along and support the Year 4-8 students in action. Please know it can get very loud!

Preliminary heats to determine the fastest six finalists have been held during class time. On Swimming Sports day, all full length races will be participation heats followed by the event final. Placings are awarded in the final only.

Wednesday 11 March – Year 4-8 Swimming Sports (Indoor Pool)

11:15am        Year 4                Width Participation Events and Swimming Demonstration

                     Year 4                25m Freestyle, 25m Backstroke

                     Years 5-6            25m Freestyle, 25m Backstroke, 25m Breaststroke, 75m 3 Stroke Medley

12:40pm        Years 7-8            25m Freestyle, 25m Backstroke, 25m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle, 75m 3 Stroke Medley 

1:50pm          Relays                                                                                             

Following last year’s curriculum changes which introduced Structured Literacy across our school, we would like to invite our whānau to join us for an Open Morning on Wednesday 25 February.  Parents and caregivers are asked to meet in the school hall at 8.55am for a short presentation.  The presentation will provide an overview of what Structured Literacy programmes look like in our classrooms and the reasons behind this approach.

From approximately 9.30am, families will have the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom to observe a Structured Literacy lesson in action. Please note that, on this occasion, the classroom visits are for observation of learning and not a general classroom tour as we have done in the past.  All of our families are warmly welcome to attend.