May 8, 2024 Week 2

Principal's Message

Kia ora koutou,

We welcome Hannah and Maia who are both student teachers working in our school in Ruru and Ruru iti during the term. It is great we have the opportunity to support and guide the training of teachers in the profession. 

You will have noticed that the playspace matting has been re done and everyone can enjoy using this again. We are now looking forward to having hopscotch and foursquare line markings completed in the coming weeks to increase the games that can be played. 

Last weekend I know there were many of our children who participated in the start of winter sport codes and were excited for trialling or the first game. During the week we have parents coaching Basketball on a Monday and Netball on Tuesday and Thursday on our courts. We also have private guitar lessons held in the library Monday - Wednesday and Bricks for Kids starting this Wednesday in Te Kōhanga for those who have enrolled. 

A Free Coding club for Year 5-8 students will be starting in a few weeks in one of the classrooms and will be run by some of our parents. This will be on a Wednesday after school from 3:15 - 4pm. Please read the ‘join our code club’ section further in the newsletter. 

Our Year 4-8 Cross Country is next Tuesday and training is happening in classes during the day and I know others are out there on the weekend building up stamina. If you are able to pop down to Karori Park next week, we would love to have you cheer students on. Details have been posted on HERO.

We are running two parent workshops later this term that are connected to our annual plan. One will be a focus on structured literacy across the school and the other will focus on Positive Behaviour for Learning. It is important that you know why and how we are explicitly teaching reading and writing at Northland and teaching prosocial behaviour that builds a positive and safe environment. 

Structured Literacy - Tuesday 28th May for Year 1- 4 and 18th June for Year 5-8 

Positive Behaviour for Learning - Wednesday 5th June 7pm - 8pm.

C - confident

H - hikohiko

A - auahatanga

M - manaaki

P - pataitai

I have been noticing our students are engaged in learning both in and out of the classroom. All teams have something a little different offered this term. We have Kelly sport running weekly sessions on Ki O'Rahi for Year 4-6, Cooperative games for Year 1-3 and Mountains to Sea running a programme with our Year 7 & 8 classes with a focus on science and kaitiakitanga. 

We can share with you that our students do demonstrate being a Northland CHAMP and we have very positive feedback on the positive attitude and enthusiasm they show.

I look forward to our mihi whakatau this Friday at 9:15 for all new families, students and staff. Our students show great pride in our school and we hope to see you there. 

You will be receiving team newsletters next week outlining more detail on programmes and ways that you can support your child or the class with activities. This will be posted on HERO.

If you would like to come and chat, or have questions or concerns, please get in touch with any of the senior leadership team, Andrea, Judith and Grant.

Ngā mihi nui

Andrea                                       

Mihi whakatau

We will be holding our mihi whakatau this Friday at 9:15 for all new families, students and staff. New families will meet in the Library at 9:00 and our student leaders will brief you (manuhiri) on protocol and procedure.  This will be held in Te Kōhanga and it would be lovely to have parents (tangata whenua) join us to welcome new members to our community. 

School Cross Country May 14th

Cross Country is finally here! It will take place on Tuesday May 14th and will run from 9:30 - 11:30 (approx). The schedule is running a little differently this year so please take note of changes.

Pink Shirt Day

On Friday 17 March we will be celebrating Pink Shirt Day at our school. 

Pink shirt day is about  eliminating bullying, promoting inclusion, kindness and celebrating diversity.

We will be encouraging people to wear pink and will be hosting a bake sale to raise money for 0800 whats up. This is a support helpline run by Barnardos children’s charity aimed at children and teenagers. 

How you can help:

We need donations of baking, lolly bags and sweet treats to sell on Friday 17th. They can be dropped off to Kākā 7 in the morning and must be labelled if they are dairy or gluten free. We are requiring  that NO nuts be used in any of the baking. 

At the sale, students will not need more than $3 to be able to purchase anything.

Parent Workshops

We are running two parent workshops later this term that are connected to our annual plan. One will be a focus on structured literacy across the school and the other will focus on Positive Behaviour for Learning. It is important that you know why and how we are explicitly teaching reading and writing at Northland and teaching prosocial behaviour that builds a positive and safe environment. 

Structured Literacy - Tuesday 28th May for Year 1- 4 and 18th June for Year 5-8 

Positive Behaviour for Learning - Wednesday 5th June 7pm - 8pm.

Red Bin Donations

The red bin will be back for Term 2! It will be parked at the Tiger Turf entrance from Thurs, 23 May - Thurs, 30 May .  

All clean, good condition clothing and shoes are welcome.  As we enter into the colder months, we are especially interested in coats, hats, jumpers and good condition shoes or gumboots.  Used sports gear in good condition is also welcome.  

The red bin is available one week each term and items collected are donated to our partner school in the Wellington area. If you have any questions or have a large donation for collection, give Deborah a text or call on 021709467.   Thank you!

Regulation Strategies

Working Bee

We are looking forward to our next Working Bee on Sunday 26th May from 1- 4pm or Sunday 9th June if needed due to unsuitable weather. Matt George is coordinating people,tools and tasks that we can all contribute towards tidying up our grounds, planting and working together. Please contact Matt on mattgeo23@gmail.com if you are able to help. We will have a sausage sizzle too.

School Lunch Options

Subway  - Every Monday - order online through  www.lunchonline.co.nz

Sushi  -  Every Tuesday - order online through  www.ezlunch.co.nz

Pizza   - Once a month - available the 1st Friday of each month, $6 per pizza  order forms available on the school website or in the school office.

Apps available for Subway and Sushi through the school website.

Library News

Scholastic Book Club Term 2 2024 - Issue 3 is out now!

Term 2 Issue 3 2024 catalogues have been distributed in your child's class. Deadline for orders is on 17 May .  Please note that we do not take paper order forms or cash payments - all orders are done online via LOOP. Please go to https://mybookclub.scholastic.co.nz/Parent/Login.aspx to register. 

Join Our Code Club: Explore, Design, Invent, Make!

Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of coding? Join our first Northland Code Club and embark on a thrilling journey of discovery, creativity, and innovation!

Python: Your Gateway to Endless Possibilities

Python is a text-based computer programming language made up of recognizable characters, numbers, and words. It's incredibly versatile, allowing you to write a variety of programs, from fun games to sleek mobile apps and dynamic websites. Did you know that many Google products, including YouTube, are almost entirely written in Python? With Python, the sky's the limit!

Exciting Learning Path

Our new learning path format is designed to ignite your passion for coding! Here's what you can expect:

Explore, Design, Invent: Dive into the world of Python with different projects. Get hands-on experience and discover the magic of coding. Express yourself through code! The Invent project challenges you to tackle a real-world problem and come up with innovative solutions using the skills you've acquired.

Bonus: Basics of C++ Programming

In addition to Python, we'll also explore the basics of C++ programming.

Get Started Today

To join our first Northland Code Club, all you need is a curious mind and a willingness to learn. Don't worry if you're new to coding – we will be there to guide you every step of the way.  Limited spots are available. Reserve your spot now! The last date for registration is 16/05/24.

Year 5,6,7, 8 students are welcome to join https://forms.gle/G3d9488zsBgPeWsX7

Parent Help Needed Thursday 13th

The delicious pies that have been purchased via Home & School will be delivered to the School on Thursday 13th. These need to be sorted and it is a mammoth job. Parent help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact homeandschool@northland.school.nz or the school office if you can help.

Pie Fundraiser Last Orders May 31st

WINTER PIE FUNDRAISER 2024

Join our fundraiser for Term 2 and treat yourself to delicious family-sized pies (19.5cm diameter) from Doughboy Bakery in Palmerston North, priced at $11 each. Ideal for hectic evenings, simply freeze them for a hassle-free dinner. Please be aware: all pies contain dairy and gluten.

Share with your family and friends or consider purchasing to gift/donate to support communities in need.
Proceeds will be used to support structured literacy programs and provide sports equipment. Paper forms or via NEW Order Online form: https://forms.gle/7pdHgXjmW7TCNvh3A 

To contact the Home and School Committee with any enquiries, please email: homeandschool@northland.school.nz

Western Zone and School Sports Days

Western Zone sports day are usually held on a Tuesday with the Thursday of the same week being the postponement day.  Information is sent home separately for each of these events, with updates on HERO or the school website.

School Cross Country  14 May 

WZ Cross Country  28 May 

WZ Netball 13 August 

WZ Hockey  3 September

School Athletics Day  23 October (Wednesday)

WZ Athletics  1 November  (Friday)

Kia ora whanau, 
The annual tough guy/gal event is coming up in May and we have had a few students enter already which is great! 
Due to the busy term 2 schedule, we are unable to send a school team, but you are welcome to sign up as individuals. Please see the link below if you would like to sign your children up.

https://eventpromotions.co.nz/junior-tough-guy-and-gal-challenge/
Suzanne Mccarty is happy for you to contact her on 0211331272 as she has signed her children up for the Wednesday session. 
As always, please reach out if you have any questions.
Nga mihi,
Alex Munro 

Term Dates

2024 Dates 

Term 2 Monday 29 April - Friday 5 July                   

Term 3 Monday 22 July - Friday 27 Sept                    

Term 4 Monday 14 October - Wednesday 18 Dec   

Our teacher only days are 

Term 2   Friday 31 May 

Term 3   Friday 30 August 

Term 4  Tuesday 29 October 

Bricks for kids - Starts Today!!!

Bricks for kids starting at Northland School, week 2. 

https://www.bricks4kidz.co.nz/wellington-north/after-school-classes/

Community Notices