Wānaka Primary School Newsletter for Term 4 Week 4

Newsletter Term 4 Week 4

5th November 2024

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

IMPORTANT DATES

Term 4
Week 4
Pod 2 Swim Week - all week
Year 5 Camp - all week
Wednesday 6th November - Year 3 Camp - Pod 4
Wednesday 6th November - Year 6 Bike Ready
Thursday 7th November - Year 3 Camp - Pod 3
Week 5
Friday 15th November - TEACHER ONLY DAY - School is closed for instruction
Week 6
Book Week - all week
Thursday 21st November - COPSSA Orienteering (postponement 22 Nov)
Friday 22nd November - POD 2 Assembly - 2.15pm - Hall
Week 7
Tuesday 26th November - End of Year Parent Deep Dives
Thursday 28th November - COPSSA Triathlon (postponement 29 Nov)
Friday 29th November - Tribe Afternoon
Friday 29th November - End of Year Reports emailed out
Week 8
Monday 2nd December - Final Board Meeting of the year
Tuesday 3rd December - Parent Teacher Conferences
Wednesday 4th December - Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday 5th December - WPS Disco (see flyer below)
Friday 6th December - 'Taste of MAC' Year 6 Transition Visit
Friday 6th December - POD 1 Assembly - 2.15pm - Hall
Week 9
Tuesday 10th December - 1pm Matinee Performance of Pantomime
Wednesday 11th December - 6pm Evening Performance of Pantomime
Friday 13th December - Wendy's Farewell
Week 10
Monday 16th December - Tribe Water Fun Afternoon
Tuesday 17th December - Year 6 Graduation Assembly 1pm
Wednesday 18th December - Last day of school 2024
school closes at 3pm, buses run as usual

Term 1, 2025
Monday 3rd February - First day for students 2025

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Gumboot Friday

$426.40 was raised from the Gumboot Day on Friday. Thank you to those who contributed - all proceeds go towards helping improve the well-being of young kiwis.

Leaving Wānaka Primary School

If your child / children are leaving WPS at the end of this term and you have not yet advised the office, can you please do so as soon as possible as we will be starting to plan classes for 2025.

If your child is in Year 6 and leaving to attend MAC, there is no need to contact us. However, if your Year 6 child will be attending a different school, please advise us of this.

BOARD BUZZ

Board of Trustees Meeting

At the Board of Trustees Meeting last night a motion was passed re the Health Curriculum. Draft considerations for the 2025 budget and staffing were discussed.

CURRICULUM COMMENT

Attendance

We have just received our attendance report for term 3 from the Ministry. This is just a brief summary just to show you where Wānaka Primary stands according to the Ministry's analysis. I thought this would be of interest to you all. Please look at the attendance percentage on your child's school report when it arrives in you emails on 29th November, or log into your child's Edge portal to have a look.

For term 3, 2024 we had only 58% of our students classified as having regular attendance. This figure included illness/medical (57%), accepted but unjustified holiday (17%), justified/other (2%). This is over a 90% attendance rate i.e. those missing fewer than 5 days across the term. Our term 3, 2023 regular attendance rate was 61%. Chronic absence for term 3 was 7% (absent for 15 days or more across the term). Wednesdays had the highest rate of attendance (91%) and Friday the lowest (87%). This is the lowest regular attendance rate since term 2, 2022 (42%), with our highest attendance 82% in term 4, 2021.

Male students had the highest rate of justified absences (66%), female students had the highest rate of unjustified absences 47% (with 53% justified). Male students had the highest percentage of students attending regularly, with 58% of students above 90% most of the time, and females had the highest proportion of students with chronic absence with 8% at school less than 70% of the time.

This rate of 58% is well below the Government's expectation of having 90-92% of the school with regular attendance (i.e. fewer than 5 days absence across the term).

PANTOMIME...HELP!

HELP! We are looking for the following costumes and props. If you can assist in anyway please either email me or send the item along (NAMED). What we can't borrow or hire, we will make, so we need to know asap if you can help with any of the following:

Large fishing nets to drape over the backdrop
4 barrels (they will stay on stage and are not moved)
2 model/toy ships (one preferably a pirate looking ship)
Pirate hats, swords etc and clothing suitable for size 10-14 children (Year 6s)
Large bunch of keys (preferably plastic)
Tankards (tavern type glass, wood or metal beer drinking vessel - must have a handle)
Parrot outfit size 12
Hawaiian leis
Sailor clothing
Mouse costumes
Monkey of gorilla costumes (size 12-14)
Large toy telescope

If you are keen to make props, scenery or help with sewing costumes I would love to hear from you as well.

Thank you to the parents who let us know that there are a few clashes with the weekend practice date we set for the extra practices nearer the production time. We have revised these and changed them to Sundays. If you have something else on, please just let us know nearer the time, that your child will be unavailable.

We only hold these extra practices as our Year 6s are time poor during the day and lunchtimes as so much is going on at the end of the year for them.

The times are: Sunday 24th November, Sunday 1st December, Sunday 8th December.

For those of you interested in coming along to our school hall to view the pantomime, The Pirates of the Curry Bean, the performance dates are Tuesday 10th December 1-3pm and Wednesday 11th September 6-8pm. Tickets ($10 per person) will be on sale a couple of weeks prior to the performance dates. Mark these dates in your calendar now.

What's Up This Week

The Year 5s headed off to Camp at Pukerau, Camp Columba, this morning excited and full of anticipation. I can hear the Year 6s from my office as I write this newsletter blurb - they are having a ball with the Bike Ready programme, games and other activities making the most of their time together as a cohort. Tomorrow night, Wednesday 6th and Thursday night, 7th November, the 2 groups of Year 3s have their one night camp in tents in the playground with the 2 days either side spent undertaking EOTC activities out and about. Such a fun week for all. I would like to say it's a lot quieter with 80 children away heading to camp, but it is not. I love the sound of happy, engaged children playing and interacting so well in the playground at playtime and lunchtime. What a great bunch of students we have at WPS this year. I am so going to miss them all and their amazing teachers as well.

End of Year Reporting

Teachers are busy finishing off their reports ready for them to be reviewed by the DPs and then myself before sending them out to parents via the Edge Portal on Friday 29th November. End of year Parent Deep Dives are happening on Tuesday 26th November with the usual times 11-12.30pm, 1.30-3pm and 4-5pm. As usual we are offering face to face parent/teacher conferences the following week on Tuesday 3rd December and Wednesday 4th December. Parents need to book for these conferences. The booking system will be activated nearer the end of this month and we will notify you via the newsletter when that happens. If you wish to have a video or phone conference on a different day as you are unable to attend these face to face conferences, please contact the classroom teacher directly.

SCHOOL NOTICES

Year 6 Transition to MAC

Wow, our Year 6 cohort has only 6 weeks left at Wānaka Primary School. Mount Aspiring College, the RTLB and WPS have organised various transition programmes to help our amazing cohort be ready for next year.

Last week a few of our ESOL children in Year 6 had their first visit and had a great time meeting some teachers (and checking out where the canteen was). Over the coming weeks, we have Kahu Youth running a programme in school with some of our incredible learners and on Thursday we are lucky to have Nicola Jacobson (Principal at Mount Aspiring College) and Tiffany Kemp (Year 7 Curriculum Leader) come to school to welcome and meet the Year 6s and answer any questions they may have. Tiffany will then return in the coming weeks to meet with Wānaka Primary School staff to discuss academic and social information so MAC can place our leavers with the right teacher. Julian Hardman (RTLB) and Jason will also take a group of students over to MAC (19th November) to give them a little more time to familiarise themselves with their new school. Then finally on the 6th of December, all our Year 6 children will head to Mount Aspiring College with their teachers for their 'taste of MAC' Orientation Day, where the Year 6s will be organised into small groups so they can complete a range of activities designed to introduce them to some of the College's different learning areas and teachers. There will be a short break from 11.05am when the students can purchase food from the College canteen. We will head back from MAC to school at 12.15pm.

With the Year 5 children leaving for camp today, our Year 6 group are lucky to have an amazing time this week with Bike Ready, Orienteering Practice and Puberty! What a mix!

Book Fair

2 weeks to go!

Our annual book fair is coming up in Week 6!
This is our biggest fundraiser for our school library.
EFTPOS and credit cards welcome.
This is a great time to do some Christmas shopping!

Cookie Time Christmas Cookies Fundraiser

We are again offering the chance for families and friends
to purchase Cookie Time Christmas Cookies.
Christmas Cookies are proudly New Zealand made, owned and loved.

Orders need to be placed by
TUESDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2024

Seven flavours to choose from - Each 2L bucket holds 600g of bite size cookies
(approx 85 cookies) - $22.00 per bucket.

Chocolate Chip
Apricot Chocolate
Cranberry White Chocolate
Chocalicious
Salted Caramel
Brandy Snap White Chocolate
Bumper Brownie Bites (12 Bites)
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip - 1L buckets hold 275g of bite size cookies (approx 39 cookies) - $20.00 per bucket

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

Payment can be made via direct credit to WPS Account - 02-0673-0023784-001 (please include your name in the reference)
or by Eftpos or Cash at the School Office.

WPS PTA School Disco

Year 6 Leavers Clothing

Click here to Order

Fern Fuel For Schools

Thanks to the following businesses who support Wānaka Primary School:

Run 505 Ltd
Diverse Works Ltd
Golden Plains Orchard Ltd Partnership
Whistler Orchards Ltd
Evergreen Homes & Construction Ltd
Avalon Station Ltd

SPORT NOTICES

COPSSA Orienteering (Y6) - 21st November

This event is in Queenstown again this term at Jardine Park. We are allowed to take 12 Y6 girls and 12 Y6 boys to the event. These children will be identified in the coming week so we can provide them with some training before the event.

COPSSA Triathlon (Y5-6) - 28th November

This event is in Queenstown again this year. Placegetters from Challenge Wānaka at the start of the year qualify for this event. Parents and children will be informed in the coming weeks about who has qualified.

Challenge Wānaka

Challenge Wānaka for 2025 is back in town. The race will be on Thursday 13th February 2025. This year all entries will be through school, not on the Challenge Website. We are currently working through the logistics and changes so watch this space and emails for updates.

PB4L SCHOOL-WIDE GOAL

Positive Behaviour For Learning - PB4L

PB4L School-Wide looks at behaviour and learning from a whole-of-school as well as an individual child perspective. The framework is based on international evidence and is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life.

Each fortnight we focus on a school wide goal to encourage positive behaviours. The current goal is: 'We manage our emotions'.

ENVIRO SCHOOLS

Seedlings for Sale at our Garden to Table Cart

LIBRARY NEWS

Scholastic Book Club / Loop Instructions

This is the final Scholastic Book Club for 2024. Because we have our big Book Fair in Week 6, I haven't handed out the brochures to the classes. However if you want one they are available from the office or let me know and I will send one home with your child - [email protected].

If you wish to place an order, please follow the instructions on the inside back cover using Option 1 – Credit Card / LOOP. No cash / orders are accepted at school.

If your order is a gift, please tick the ‘GIFT’ option, otherwise all orders are handed out to the children.

Orders will close at 9am on Friday 22 November.

Library News

Click the image below to view our wonderful Library Webapp.

Feel free to email Melissa at any time if you have any questions.

Digital and Audio Resources

Borrow box is an amazing resource which you can have free access to for digital reading and audio resources for your children. Click on the image below to look at the amazing range. You need a QLDC library membership (which is free) to borrow.

BookHub

BookHub is an relatively new NZ based website where you can search for books you want to buy online from NZ based booksellers rather than from overseas sites.

Obviously I support local booksellers as well but if you are an online shopper I fully support supporting NZ businesses before the likes of Amazon who charge exorbitant shipping fees. Click on the icon or this link : https://bookhub.co.nz/

Quote of the Week

HEALTH SNIPPETS

Whooping Cough Cases in Wānaka

Our Public Health Nurse has advised us that there have been some cases of Pertussis (whooping cough) in Wānaka. Pertussis can be particularly severe for babies, and they may require hospital care. Please read the attached Health Information Sheet around Pertussis and vaccination for your awareness.

Public Health Information Sheet

Further Information about Pertussis (Whooping Cough):

Health NZ |Te Whatu Ora: Pertussis – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
IMAC: www.immune.org.nz/diseases/pertussis
KidsHealth: www.kidshealth.org.nz/whooping-cough

COMMUNITY NOTICES

The Hallowed Cello - Central Otago Regional Orchestra

Parenting NeuroStars

Upper Clutha Angling Club – 'Take A Kid Fishing Day'

Supported by Otago Fish and Game

WHO: This is for children 8 - 10 yrs old
DATE: Sunday 17th November 2024 - 9.45am- 1.00pm (2hrs free fishing)
VENUE: 45 South, Molyneaux Orchard, 3 Ord Road, Cromwell (opposite Highland Park)
TRANSPORT: Some Club members’ vehicles will be available, but assistance from parents is welcome.
TIMINGS: Allow 45 minutes from Wānaka. Meet at pond venue by 9.45am. Briefing will be at 10am followed by fishing until 12pm midday. A free BBQ lunch and games will follow the fishing.

Please click here for more information and an enrolment form

Delicious, nutritious and popular with kids, Subway delivers school lunches every Friday. Order online at subwayexpress.co.nz by 9am.

Wānaka Primary School

7 Ironside Drive

Wānaka, Otago 9350

New Zealand

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