Tēnā Koutou Katoa,

Wow...we are ending week 7 already!  It has been a very busy term with many opportunities for the children to learn and grow inside and outside of the classroom.  I had the pleasure of attending the National Young Leaders' Conference in Hamilton yesterday with the Year 5/6 members of our Student Council.  We were all inspired by the speakers and gained further insights into leadership.  The theme for this day resonated with me: being 'Ehara taku toa takitahi engari he toa takitini - My strength is not due to me alone, but due to the strength of many.' 

The teachers are currently busy writing reports which will go out on the last day of this term.  We will then have Parent/Teacher and Student Conferences on Wednesday, 11th and Thursday, 12th August (Week 3 of Term 3).  During these conferences, you will have time to discuss the report, assessment results and any other relevant information with your child's teacher.  After this time with the teacher, your child will join the conference, sharing their accomplishments and areas that they would like to work on.  Please mark the dates for these conferences in your diary.  Further information, including the booking of these conferences, will be sent out before the end of this term.  This partnership between home and school is vital and provides you with a better understanding of your child's learning expectations.   
      

Well done to our students that represented Tahatai at ShowQuest last Wednesday evening.  Our group of more than 50 children were up against some very stiff competition, with them not only competing against other primary schools, but also intermediates.  After a wonderful performance, our group finished third overall.  A big thank-you to Justine Taylor for all the time and effort she put into preparing the children for this performance. 

Also last Wednesday, we had 29 children compete at the Mount Cluster Cross-Country Competition at Arataki Park.  From this group of children, eight placed in the top 7 of their category and will represent the cluster at the WBOP Cross-Country this coming Wednesday.  We have a shiny new trophy in the cabinet as the group placed 2nd overall.  Thanks to Sarah Nancolas and Rebecca Borman for training the children and preparing them for this event.    

A couple of weeks ago, a group of students worked with Ngākohu Pāpuni to name the mauri gifted to us by Ngā Pōtiki.  Our mauri come in the form of two rocks that were found on Kōpūkairoa, the father whale from the traditional story, Ngā Maunga Tōhora (The Whale Mountains).  A mauri is a reference to future descendants and primarily refers to ones life/being.  After much discussion and consideration, the students and Ngākohu decided on the following names:  the mauri that will be buried by the pou at the front of the school is 'Hangahanga'.  This means strategy and was the name of the important pā site that was at the top of Mangatawa, the mother whale, which can be seen from Tahatai.  The other mauri, was named 'Te Kākano ō Waiū'.  The children liked the idea of 'Te Kākano', which means 'The Seed', as a symbol of a new beginning.  The 'Waiū' refers to a spring at the back of Mangatawa where the water runs a milky white.  This is the spring of sustenance, strength and success.

'Te Kākano ō Waiū' sits proudly on top of a carving (see below), by Sarhn Broederlow, a parent of Tahatai, to the right of the double doors when entering the office block.  I'll share more about the meaning of the carving in the next newsletter.          

The school hall and library are currently being reinstated.  It will be great to have these spaces reusable in the coming weeks.  I know Debra Coombes, our librarian, is super excited to get back into the library space! 

As we head into the cold of winter, I hope that you all keep warm and healthy!

Matariki - the Māori New Year.  This celebration is very important for Aotearoa. It is a time to get together and celebrate our people, our land and our culture. We will hold our Matariki celebration on the evening of Thursday the 8th July. Two kai vans (Da hangi van and Eze Feedz) will be available from 5pm - 7pm (pre order sheets coming home Week 8, eftpos available on the night).  There will be Milo available for $1 per cup from the hall kitchen.  There will be 'The Coffee Cup' available from 5pm on the turf.  There will be access to the hall from 4.30pm via the turf side doors.  There is an option to bring a picnic if you'd like and there will be tables outside to eat your kai. 

Juniors will be performing first - junior whānau can watch the junior performances then head outside to enjoy your kai. While the juniors are performing, whānau of senior students can enjoy their kai outside then head inside to watch their tamariki. Each Whānau will be called up five minutes before they are due to go on stage and every Whānau will be performing.

It is expected that while our tamariki are performing, the hall should be quiet so everyone can enjoy the show. 

Last week at Kai Growers, we harvested the kumara that we planted way back in November.  We had so much fun digging into the garden bins and finding them.  We had a competition to see who found the longest,  biggest and the smallest.  

This week, we made kumara chips and also roasted them.  They were so yummy.  We then wondered what to do with the kumara skins.  So we fried them with thyme that we grew from seed.  They were amazing and we wanted to eat more.  Because we couldn’t fry them all, we then dug some into the garden beds and then the rest we composted.

We also cut some up,  so that in the next wet day we can make soup.  We talked about what else we could have with the kumara and decided on oranges from our tree.  We couldn’t wait for the soup so we tried some - they were so delicious and juicy.   We felt so proud that after looking after the trees in the orchard as they are now producing yummy fruit for us to eat.

Upcoming Events and Dates to Remember
Visit our website to see all upcoming events and term dates.

Thank you very much to the following businesses that are supporting our school by being gold sponsors. The money gifted by our sponsors helps us fund extra projects for the children at Tahatai.