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Waitaki Valley School
Newsletter

Wednesday 15th May 2019

Tena koutou katoa, greetings.

Welcome:
I'm pleased to be able to welcome Kim Kennedy to our teaching team. Kim will be teaching in Mahutonga from after Queen's Birthday until the end of term, while Mrs J is Acting Principal. Kim has a range of experience in education, with CCS and with other welfare agencies. Kim will be visiting next week to spend the day with Mrs J - so that she can get to know the students in Mahutonga and the wider hub. Kim will teach Mondays to Thursdays as while being Acting Principal, Mrs J will still teach on a Friday in order to keep in touch with the students.

School Reports:
We have been redesigning our school reports. Previously these were a template design from the Student Management System that we use. We have taken this one step further and had these branded and designed to better meet the needs of our school. The new reporting format will include our G.R.E.A.T values, information about the effort your child is putting into their learning, along with the information about achievement, comments and next steps. These will come out in Week 9 of the term, with Student Led Conferences in Week 10.

Support Staff Day:
Tomorrow is Support Staff Day - a day when we acknowledge and celebrate the support staff in our school. I just want to say a big thank you to Michelle, Melanie, Liesel, Kelly, Bridget, Jim and Sarah for the work that they do in our school to support everything that happens.

Playhouse Theatre
On Monday we hosted the Playhouse Theatre with their show 'The Hare and the Tortoise'. This was very much enjoyed by children and teachers, and you may even have had one song in particular sung in your house at night. This show was funded by the contribution that the Friends of the School made through their donation to the school this year. Thank you everyone for your support of the Friends of the School for this to happen.

Strike Action
Unfortunately with no further progress in our Collective Bargaining, teachers and principals have voted to strike on Wednesday 29th May. We are genuinely sorry that this is having to go ahead, however we continue to be concerned for the profession. This is real for us at Waitaki Valley - in that a number of times we have had to double classes up as relievers haven't been available. On a number of occasions I have phoned 12 or 13 relievers who haven't been available, before having to make the decision to merge classes. These relievers haven't been available as they have quickly been snapped up into other schools for short term relieving, long term relieving, or the daily relief. We have even had one who has recently taken early retirement due to the increased expectations on relievers in schools, from behavioural needs of students. This is very quickly having a flow on effect - and will soon reflect on our ability to attract teachers to permanent teaching positions.

A teacher from Kapiti has penned a very clear response as to why teachers are striking and I ask that you take the time to read this (linked here). This is the situation throughout the country. Her finishing statement:
"It’s time to invest in our children. It’s time to invest in education. We just have no choice but to fight for this. Our education system needs it and our children are worth it" is poignant.

We appreciate your continued support in this.

Please make sure your child's lunch is wrapped in tinfoil and clearly named with both their name and classroom.

LOST PROPERTY

There seems to me quite a lot of lost property in the foyer.

If your child is missing clothing items please pop up and have a look through the box and claim what is yours!

Our next whole school assembly will be on Thursday 17th May @ 2:30pm
and will be hosted by the Tuakana Hub (Yrs 4-8)

We will be holding a Farewell Assembly for Mrs Senior on
Thursday 30th May @ 2:15pm.
This is an open invitation to the community. Please feel free to come along and join us.

Thursday 16th May: Storylines Authors Visit to our school
Support Staff Day
Friday 24th May: Technology Challenge Day
Wednesday 29th May: Teacher Strike - School Closed
Thursday 30th May: Farewell Assembly for Mrs Senior @ 2:15pm
Friday 31st May: Teacher Only Day - School Closed
Monday 3rd June: Queens Birthday - School Closed
Friday 14th June: Winter Sports Day (Yr 4-8) at Duntroon
Monday 17th June: Speech Finals - Yrs 1-4 11:20am
Yrs 5-8 1pm
Wednesday 26th June - 4th July Book Fair
Monday 1st July Student Led Conferences 1:30pm - 6pm

Wednesday 15 May

Ministicks

Upper Waitaki Wolves vs Pembroke Yellow, 4.30pm on Turf 3

Upper Waitaki Whippets vs Weston White, 4.30pm on Turf 1

Kiwisticks

Upper Waitaki Wekas vs Upper Waitaki Wallabies, 5.00pm on Turf 1

Please arrive 30 minutes before the game to warm up with your team. If your child is unable to play please let your teams Manager know.

Have a great week and good luck

Waitaki Valley School

1 Settlement Road

KUROW
Principal: Deidre Senior

Important numbers:
School phone: 03 4360 660
Absences: School Mobile Text: 0277142774
School Bank Account: 02 0900 0000532 00

office@waitakivalley.school.nz

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Waitaki Valley School · 1 Settlement Road · Kurow, Otago 9435 · New Zealand