Wairakei Primary School Newsletter

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June 1, 2021

Hune 1, 2021

Week 5 Term 2, 2021

Issue Contents:

Principal's News
Latest News
Upcoming Events
Room 16 Learning
Sponsors

Principal's News

Today is the first official day of winter. With winter sports well underway now, the weekends are just as busy as the weekdays. It’s great to see so many of our students involved in winter sports across the town.

Our recent Parent Teacher Discussions were a great success with around 84% attendance across the school. These discussions are a very important component of students being successful at school. If you were not able to make a time to meet your childs’ teacher on this evening, you can make an appointment to meet them after school one day.

It was lovely looking out into the playground on Pink Shirt Day and seeing all of the bright pink - it is such a happy colour and made the staff smile all day. Our mufti day was a success and we were able to send $365.90 to Mental Health New Zealand.

Our two Year 6 Epro8 teams travelled to Rotorua last week to compete in the regional semi-finals. They did well placing 6th and 9th out of 12 teams. Well done to these students.

Kids Greening Taupo
Through their support our gully area is being revitalised and tidied up. We are looking forward to our students being able to use this space again in the near future.

Thursday, June 3, 2021, we are celebrating Greening Taupo Day.
In order to show our appreciation for their work and to support their work in the future, we are having a Wear Green Day. Bring a gold coin donation to wear green.

We also have a chance to win some great prizes for the school if we all wear green - and there are spot prizes for some best dressed green students.

As part of our Greening Taupo celebrations, our annual Tree for Every Child will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2021. Students who have joined Wairakei Primary School in the last twelve months will be invited to plant a tree in the school grounds. A letter has been sent home with those students involved, including approximate planting times. You are welcome to join your child for this planting.

Greening Taupo are holding an Arbour Day event on Friday June 4 on Centennial Drive by the Golf Course. The celebrations start at 9:30a.m. and there will be lots of things to do and trees to plant. This will be a great activity to do with your children on our Teacher Only Day.

Is your child in Year 5 or Year 6?
ICAS exams are run by the University of New South Wales. They recognise academic excellence and assess the students ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts using higher-order thinking and problem solving skills. These are offered to our Year 5 and Year 6 students who wish to sit them.
Please complete the following form if you wish your child to complete the ICAS 2021 Exams.
https://forms.gle/3WuDC8AJyUns98wH6
The exams cost $20 each to sit. This would need to be paid into the school bank account by July 9, 2021.

We are changing the time of our full school assemblies in week 7 and 9 this term. They will now be held at 10:30a.m. on Monday. We found that it was too much of a rush at the end of the day with buses and getting students out the gate on time. We hope that you are still able to make this time.

PTA Subway Lunch Winners
Thank you to all those that returned their PTA forms from the recent Parent Teacher Discussions. The following students will be receiving a free subway lunch on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Poihipi: Tomas G - Room 16.
Te Huka: Linaya - Room 13, Austin - Room 13, Deklyn - Room 13.
Ohaaki: Isobel - Room 3, Paige - Room 4, Jaxon - Room 2, Danielle - Room 4.
Aratiatia: Sofie - Room 1.

The next PTA meeting will be at The Bay Bar in Acacia Bay at 6p.m. They will be discussing the organisation of the upcoming discos and butter chicken lunch. Come along to find out how you can help with these two fundraising events.

A reminder that this Friday, June 4, 2021 is a Teacher Only Day. We will be closed for students on this day.

We will see you back at school on Tuesday, June 8, after Queen’s Birthday weekend. Let’s cross our fingers for fine weather.

Latest News

POWER Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who received an award in Week 4 and 5.

Week 4
Room 1 Indie J
Room 2 Kayleen
Room 3 Jacob M
Room 4 Jacob P
Room 5 Charlie
Room 7 Keanu
Room 8 Emily
Room 9 Donovan
Room 10 Aramaera
Room 11 Arkayzhia
Room 12 Ananmalia
Room 13 Emmy
Room 15 Oliver
Room 16 Daetyn
Penny - Room 12 Tom

Collections

We collect the following items which our school receives rewards for Yummy Fruit Stickers/Bag Labels and Old Mobile Phones. The Enviro Group also collects and recycles plant pots. Please bring any of these items to the school office. Thank you.

There is a huge amount of polar fleeces, hoodies, tops, footwear and non-uniform items in our lost property. If your child is missing any of these items please come and look. If these items are not claimed they will be donated to charity in the next couple of weeks.

P4L Assembly Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who received an award in our P4L Assembly held on Monday May 17, 2021.

Room 1 Brooke
Room 5 Max
Room 7 Zoe
Room 8 Izak
Room 11 Victoria
Room 13 Callan
Room 16 Austin, Matilda

Friday Lunch Orders

Orders for lunches on Fridays need to be at the school office or shop no later than 10.45a.m.
Thank you.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday June 2, 2021
1.45p.m. to 2.45p.m. in Room 16

Steaming Into School

Thursday June 3, 2021

Tree for Every Child Planting Day

Come dressed up in green.

Friday June 4, 2021

Teacher Only Day

School closed for students.

Saturday June 5, 2021

Arbor Day

Monday June 7, 2021

Queen's Birthday

School closed.

Wednesday June 9, 2021
1.45p.m. to 2.45p.m. in Room 16

Steaming Into School

View our upcoming calendar events

This issue Room 16 presents

Circle Time

“Children love Circle Time, Circle Time brings just the right blend of structure, enjoyment and learning!" "Circle Time meetings for children involve creative circle time activities, circle games and the practice of speaking and listening skills.” Jenny Mosley - UK Educator.

Children need to work on 5 essential skills during Circle Time:

Use your eyes to look at the person who is speaking.
Use your ears to listen to the person who is speaking.
Use your brain to think.
Use kind words.
Use a tidy body - feet and arms are still.

Circle Time follows a structure involving six steps. The Circle Time lesson outline is:

Meeting Up:
We begin with an opening game such as “Change chairs with someone who…..” to get together in a positive way.

Warming Up:
Students are encouraged to use their voice in the circle with a familiar topic. For example “I am pleased that……”

Opening Up:
We share any problems and focus our discussion around this and finding solutions. For example, “I feel happy when….. I feel angry when…..”

Cheering Up:
We share positive experiences with each other, for example “I’d like to thank … for …..” Here we can sing a song together.

Calming Down:
We practice breathing techniques or a ‘Mindfulness’ activity to calm our mind and body.

End of Session:
We finish our Circle Time with another positive game such as, “Just Like Me” or “Little Finger Squeeze.”

We also use picture prompt cards to work on our critical thinking and oral language skills.

The children look forward to Circle Time and frequently ask, “Are we doing Circle Time today?”

Their courage shows and their personal voice is evident. The children are usually very keen to share their thoughts and ideas with their teachers and peers during Circle Time.

Here are some, “I am happy when…………….” responses...

Jhenae said, “I’m happy when I go to school.”
“I’m happy when I go to the beach,” said Alena.
AJ said, “I am happy when I go on holiday.”
“I was happy when I go to school every day,” said Paige.
Oliver said, “I am happy when I go to school.”
“I’m happy when I go on school holidays,” said Marshall.
Koby said, “I’m happy when I go fishing on the boat.”