Te iwi tahi tatou - We are one family.
Tēnā koutou, Konnichiwa, As-salāmu 'alaykum, Hola,
Dear Parents & Whānau
As I write this newsletter I can see numerous students and staff walking by in onesies and festive PJs. That's one of the many reasons why SWIS is such a wonderful school. Not only is it a hoot to have theme days, but SWIS has such enthusiasm for helping local charities.
Today's fundraiser is for Ronald McDonald House. Last week a bake sale run by our William Pike Challenge group raised $775 for Wellington Free Ambulance and the Children of Ukraine, and another group's bake sale before that raised $305 for Save the Children. Coming up, there will be a bake sale at the Parent Information Evening (5 July) for the teams going to AIMS games (see below).
These last few weeks of term have been incredible. Behind the scenes, staff were able to pull together to ensure that we stayed open each day. This has meant that sometimes your children have had relievers, or joined in with other classes, or teachers have stepped out of their release times, but it has also meant that we could still have many wonderful learning experiences this term. Thanks to all of you - staff, parents and students, for your flexibility and support.
It really has been a full term, with a wide range of activities both at school and offsite. So nice not to have cancellations!! Here are some highlights and there are also some wonderful photos below:
- Well done to all our students who competed in the recent chess, football, and hockey tournaments. We are so proud of you all.
- Another exciting event was The Show Quest Toi group who had fantastic makeovers for their professional photos at the Michael Fowler Centre.
- The debates between classes and teams of classes has been fierce. It has been great to see our students rehearsing their debates with such dedication, then speaking with confidence in front of large audiences (at least 4 classes!). Tu meke!
- Rooms 7 and 8 invited other classes to tour their Tiny Home Model Exhibition. This was a real treat to visit. Students made interesting presentations explaining the process they went through and the thinking behind their choices. Each tiny house was exquisite with small details that added character. Well done!
- Special mention also goes to the aroha that went into commemorating Matariki. See below for the beautiful waiata that was sung by our SWIS students.
As we head into our last week of Term 2, I'd like to remind you about our Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 5 July. This event is made up of two sessions:
- At 6pm in the staffroom, our Health Team will be talking about our upcoming health unit on Sexuality Education. The New Zealand Curriculum supports a holistic approach to sexuality education as defined by the hauora model, which includes physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Please come and ask questions and be part of the discussions and consultation. Any children that come with you will be able to have some activities to do in a nearby classroom.
- At 7pm in the Hall, we are hosting a Cyber Safety session called 'Our Kids Online Parents Evening'. If you haven’t signed up for this already, please do so as it really is a perceptive and informative talk on what is being accessed by students online and what the impacts can be. We have free childcare offered in the library if you need to bring your children.
Both are definitely worth putting in your diaries and we look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi
Aloma Barry
Acting Principal
Don't forget to check out the school's Facebook Page which has the latest updates about what is going on at school.
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Upcoming Dates
Term 2
5 July - Parent Information Evening about our upcoming Health unit “Navigating the journey: Sexuality Education” and "Our Kids Online" Cyber Safety presentation - see details below
8 July - Students will be given their school reports to take home. School term finishes at 3:00pm.
School holidays are Saturday 9 July - Sunday 24 July inclusive
15 July - SWIS Board of Trustee nominations open
Term 3
25 July - Start of Term 3
31 July Movie night AIMS fundraiser
To help support the SWIS AIMS teams’ efforts, the AIMS games parent fundraisers are organising a movie night on Sunday 31 July at the Penthouse cinema. The movie is “Where the Crawdads Sing”, an adaptation of the best-selling book.
Admission is from 6.30pm with the movie starting at 7.00pm. A raffle will be drawn at the event, with a range of exciting prizes on offer. You can purchase movie tickets from Friday 1 July via your school Kindo account.
1 August - Early 2pm finish
3-4 August - Parent/Teacher Conferences - see more below
8 August - Board of Trustees Meeting - 6pm in the staffroom, all welcome
9 & 10 August - Open Days for Year 6 students (9am to 12:30 pm)
17 August - Open Evening for prospective families (6pm to 8pm)
12 September - Board of Trustees Meeting - 6pm in the staffroom, all welcome
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Parent Information Evening Sessions - 5 July from 6pm
Please note SWIS is providing free childcare during these sessions and a Bake Sale will be on to fundraise for our students going to the AIMS Games.
Information & Parent Consultation on our upcoming Health Unit
Find out about our upcoming Health unit “Navigating the journey: Sexuality Education” on Tuesday 5 July from 6-6.45pm in the staffroom. The Health Unit is based on this link: https://www.familyplanning.org.nz/advice/relationships-and-sexuality-education. We will cover the unit and answer any questions you may have. This session will finish in time for you to attend the Cyber Safety session detailed below. If you bring your children, we can set them up in a classroom while the talk is happening. If you are unable to attend, please let Paul Cooper know, as your input is valued and we can arrange for you to view the resources.
"Our Kids Online" Cyber Safety Parent Evening
Register here for this FREE event, on Tuesday 5 July from 7pm in the Hall.
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COVID Update & Reminders
As per our communication on 21 June, due to our review of SWIS student COVID absence data and the impact and implications of COVID on our staffing levels, the SWIS BOT has decided to continue mandatory mask use until the end of Term 2 on 8 July. We will revisit this decision during week one of Term 3.
Visitors to the school will also need to be compliant with our current mask-wearing requirements.
Please email Toby (principal@swis.school.nz) directly to confirm if your child is exempt from wearing a mask.
Thank you for your ongoing support during these changing times.
Additional info
Self-isolation advice
Extra support if you are self-isolating or have COVID
Book your Vaccine
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School Noticeboard
Education Outside of the Classroom (EOTC) week 2022
As part of our EOTC week, from the 5-9 December, we are planning on holding four major camps and numerous other activities in and around Wellington. All SWIS students are involved and expected to take part.
Follow this link to see information about the different options. An estimated cost for each activity is included in the descriptions. All EOTC activities are run in the same week.
Students will fill in a google form regarding their preferences. We'd appreciate you looking over the options with your child.
Join the SWIS Board of Trustees - Nominations open 15 July
It’s board election time again. Next term we will be electing board members for the next three years. We're looking for 5 new members from diverse backgrounds with a variety of skills. The more representative of all our ākonga the better. You don’t need any specific prior experience, so if you want to know more, visit https://www.schoolboardelections.org.nz/becoming-a-board-member/.
Nominations can be made online through an email link provided in the Call for Nominations. A hard copy nomination form can also be obtained from the school office.
If you wish to stand for the board, it is recommended that you provide a candidate statement and photograph. The electoral roll will be held at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours.
The returning officer for the triennial board election is Bernardine Vester. She can be contacted at returningofficer@myschoolelection.nz.
The timetable for the election is:
- Main Roll closes: Wednesday 13 July
- Call for Nominations: No later than 15 July.
- Supplementary Roll closes: Monday 1 August
- Nominations close: Wednesday 3 August. If there are more nominations than vacancies, then parents and caregivers will receive an invitation to vote either electronically or by post.
- Voting starts: Wednesday 10 August
- Election day is September 7.
- Voting count: Tuesday 13 September
- New board in place: Wednesday 14 September.
Early finish at 2pm on 1 August
School closes at 2pm for a staff professional development session. Please contact your child's teacher to give permission for them to leave school at this time, otherwise they will be supervised at school from 2 - 3pm.
Parent/Teacher Conferences - book your time slot on 3 & 4 August
Our Parent/Teacher Conferences are held over two days (3 & 4 August). Follow this link to book your preferred slot with your child's teacher. Please note, conferences are one on one between your whanau and your child's teacher, and we prefer that your child also attends and is part of the discussion.
Support SWIS students doing the 40 hour famine
We have had an amazing number of students sign up to do this year’s World Vision 40 Hour Famine to help kids who urgently need clean water. Visit our SWIS World Vision page and donate using the ‘Give Now’ button and help us bring life-saving water to children in the world’s toughest places.
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School News
Mānawatia a Matariki!
Our Music classes and Kapa Haka group worked hard to learn a waiata to celebrate Matariki. Ka rawe! Also, as part of our celebrations, each class received a box of Reo Maori books which included the book by Georgia and Anna Latu called Ngā Mihi. Thanks to you both for your generosity!
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"Hoki whakamuri, kia anga whakamua"
"Look to the past in order to forge the future"
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Highlights of Term 2!
Images top left clockwise: Our chess players, Onsie/PJ Day for Ronald McDonald House, debating in action and one of our Show Quest Toi teams.
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Tiny Houses are a hit!
Room's 7 and 8 have been working on a Tiny Homes project over the past few weeks. They began by looking at the reasons that people choose to live in a Tiny Home then looked at proportion and size working out the volume of their tiny homes.
The students thought about what storage may be needed, what might be a 'need' and what may be a 'want'. The class also investigated how a variety of Tiny Homes have been built and showcased their work to many classes from around the school.
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Congratulations to our students doing the William Pike Challenge
The students below are doing the William Pike Challenge. As part of their community service (they need to do 20 hours total over the year), they ran a bake sale to support the Wellington free ambulance and also people in Ukraine. They did an amazing job and raised a total of $775. The William Pike Challenge (see more here) is a hugely rewarding experience, and we encourage our students to look into it for next year if they haven't participated in 2022.
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Art for Art's Sake Friday Enrichment
Over the last several weeks, our Friday afternoon Art for Art's Sake Enrichment group has been working on David Hockney inspired paintings and pieces inspired by the street artist ALO who is based in London. Aren't they fantastic!
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Thank you!
A huge thank you to the parents who come in to the art room every week and are invaluable for the success of our art lessons. Thank you Catherine, Chetan and Nat (and Nat for two terms!), we really appreciate your time!
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Art Helpers for Term 3!
We are looking for helpers for Term 3 - email Karen Shuker (Karen.shuker@swis.school.nz) to let her know you’d like to help out too!
Artistic experience unnecessary!
Room 2: Tuesdays 10.30am - 12.15pm
Room 9: Wednesdays 1.05pm - 2.50pm
Room 12: 10.30am - 12.15pm
Room 14: 1.05pm - 2.50pm
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Congratulations to Luqman!
Luqman was chosen to be part of the New Zealand Football Regional Training camp. These are the top 30 footballers in the region! What an amazing accomplishment.
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CodeCamp
CodeCamp allows kids from the ages of 7-12 to develop 21st century skills in a fun and action packed environment. Develop confidence & initiative through design, creativity, solving problems, presenting & collaboration. Create games, apps.
Wednesdays, 3pm till 4:30pm
From the 11th May - 29th June
Book Now at https://codecamp.co.nz
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PRIDE LANDS FUN HOLIDAY ADVENTURES
WINTER HOLIDAYS AT SOUTHERN SUBURBS SWIS
Dates: 11 – 22 JULY 2022 from 7.00am-6pm daily
Fees: Daily $81.04/cub per session
Weekly: $324.16 per cub/week
Social Development: Interactive Activities and NO TV or Video Games, cooking, Fitness, and Life Skills Programme creating healthy Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Teas
Qualified 1st Aid Trained Activities Coordinators and Youth Mentors
One-on-One Care: Available for cub(s) if extra support is needed at $11/hr
MSD Approved & WINZ subsidies are available for eligible families.
SHUTTLE SERVICES (with booster seats) AVAILABLE
Please contact us: 0800 PRIDE 4 U Or Register online: www.pridelands.co.nz or Visit our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/PrideLandsChildcare
PRIDE IN ACTION (1-on-1 Home support) Mentors are also available if needed at $33/hour
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Bigair Gym - Holiday Programme and Term 3 classes now open!
If your child loves doing cartwheels, handstands, trampolining, flips, or parkour moves, then they will thrive at Bigair Gym!
Bigair Gym classes are excellent for fun, focus and fitness! Children learn new skills and develop personal confidence and self-achievement! Strong focus is given to safety and technique, ranging from fundamentals to advanced skills. The structured classes follow a Bigair Badge Programme, which creates focused learning, and allows children to achieve and feel personal progression!
Bigair classes include GYMNASTICS, TRAMPOLINING, TUMBLING, FREE RUNNING (that’s parkour with flips) & CHEERLEADING! Inquire about Bigair BIRTHDAY PARTIES too!
GET IN QUICK FOR TERM 3 GYM CLASSES & BIGAIRS POPULAR HOLIDAY PROGRAMME! Bookings open Mon 27th June. Booking in is easy online at www.bigairgym.co.nz or contact your local Bigair Gym office today.
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Does your child love to sing? Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is currently recruiting for more singers aged 8-15 to join the Cathedral Choristers. This is a terrific way to gain a musical education and learn vocal technique from one of the foremost conductors in the country free of charge. Please see this link for more information, and this link to hear the Choristers talk about their own experience. For further information or to organise an audition, please contact Michael Stewart at dom@wellingtoncathedral.org.nz
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Looking for a holiday programme that is suited to creative and musical children? Busking trips to build their confidence, songwriting sessions to unlock their creativity and lots of fun activities. Perfect for singers, guitarists and keyboard players. Beginners to advanced. Contact us today! geoff@therockacademy.co.nz or 021 565 750.
From Monday 11 July to Thursday 14 July, 8:45am until 3:30pm.
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Subway on Mondays & Tuesdays
Pita Pit on Wednesdays & Fridays
O'Sushi on Thursdays
See the full menu here.
Order your lunch or register for KINDO here
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