October 16 2024, Week 1
Principal's Message
Wednesday 16 October
Kia ora koutou
We welcome a number of new families to Northland school, Fiadh, Sylvie, Samuel, Zadie, Zoe and Atticus. This Friday at 10:00am we will have our final mihi whakatau for the year in Te Kōhanga. We take pride in our school coming together with our students fully leading the welcome in te reo and our kapa haka performing.
We are really looking forward to the whole school enjoying the dress rehearsal of The Labyrinth tomorrow at the community centre, thank you Ryan, Angela and Scout for the invitation. For those 54 students who are involved in the show, they will come to school as usual, have the roll taken in their class and then promptly meet in Te Kōhanga with GNAT organisers and two of our staff who will walk the performers down ahead of others. All other students will be walking down in classes to the community centre so we can start at 9:30 and view part of the show. If you haven't got tickets yet for the public performances please see further details below. I am sure you may be encouraged to attend after you hear feedback from your child. This is very much a highlight event of the Northland community.
During the last few weeks of term 3 all teams planned and delivered aspects of the Health programme with a focus on friendships and citizenship. During this term the lessons will include more of an emphasis in the area of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). This programme aims to enable ākonga (students) to understand themselves and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to think about and engage in positive and healthy relationships.
It includes:
- learning about the self (physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually)
- gaining knowledge and skills for meaningful and supportive relationships with others
- learning about social, political, cultural, and environmental contexts, and taking action within these contexts.
Schools are expected to provide curriculum time to enable ākonga in years 1–8 to explore their identities, learn about wellbeing, and develop interpersonal and communication skills. Children and young people have the right to engage in critical inquiry about relationships, gender, and sexuality as part of meaningful learning. This Friday we will provide an overview of the content of the lessons that are taught at each level of the school, so you are well informed. All teams will be providing you with a brief of the lessons and the days that these will be taught. If there are some aspects of the lessons that you would prefer your child not be part of please notify your teacher. An alternative learning focus will be planned for. We look forward to parents attending this session in Te Kōhanga from 8:45 - 9:30 on Friday 18th.
This term we do ask that all students and staff have a sunhat that is worn when we are outside. Please make sure this item is named. We expect all students to have a sunhat at school next Monday.
We are hopeful for good weather next week on Wednesday 23rd for our School Athletics Year 4-8 which will be held at Ben Burn Park for most of the day. Friday 25th is the postponement day, just in case!! If you would like to cheer students on we will be there from 9:30 onwards. Thank you to parents who offered to help and let Rachel know, if you are available please contact Rachel, rachelp@northland.school.nz
Today we have had further information regarding the Maths curriculum and resources we are able to select for 2025. This is very timely as we will be focusing on reviewing our current resources and maths planning across the school with the new requirements during our Teacher Only Day on Tuesday 29th October. The school will be closed for instruction and staff will be onsite for professional development.
We are currently working on our school organisation and classes for 2025. Teachers all work together on the many layers of considerations that are taken into developing classes. The sharing of information about individual students e.g. learning & behaviour needs, achievement data, social/friendship combinations and siblings or relations that could be in a team are all part of how we develop classes. Please trust the school and knowledge that all staff have in this process. We will be informing you of the school organisation in the next few weeks before any classes are finalised.
If you know you are making other arrangements for your child for 2025, who is not a Year 8, we would appreciate knowing as soon as possible.
Term 4 is always a busy term, so there will be weekly newsletters and team communication on HERO to make sure you are well informed of events such as Ruru swimming, Athletics, team or class trips.
At this stage we have a date for a Neurodiversity workshop for parents 12th November at 7pm in Tieke. Further details will be in next week’s newsletter. This will run in conjunction with Te Mahau (Ministry of Education, Learning Support), Nga hau e wha (RTLB) and Neurodiversity in Education Project.
If you would like to come and chat or have any concerns please get in touch with any of the senior leadership team, Andrea, Judith and Grant.
Ngā mihi nui
Andrea
2025 Enrolments
To help us with our planning for next year we do need to know the number of students who will be attending. If your child is in Year 1 – 7 and is leaving at the end of the year, please let us know as soon as possible. If you have children due to start at Northland School in 2025 please check with Ann in the office to ensure that we have these details recorded. If you know of children from other families who are likely to start next year, please encourage their parents to contact us. The more information the school has about potential in-zone enrolments the better equipped we are to provide the best possible class organisation for the coming year.
Navigating the Journey - Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)
Navigating the Journey Parent Information Session Term 4
Week 1 Friday 18th October from 8:45- 9:30 am
Please come and join us in Te Kōhanga on Friday 18th October from 8:45- 9:30am. Andrea, Judith and Grant will outline the overview of the Navigating the Journey programme that will be taught in Term 4. Schools are expected to provide curriculum time to enable ākonga in years 1–8 to explore their identities, learn about wellbeing, and develop interpersonal and communication skills. Children and young people have the right to engage in critical inquiry about relationships, gender, and sexuality as part of meaningful learning.
- Programmes are organised into Year 1 -2, Year 3-4, Year 5-6, Year 7 -8. Whilst these might not always fit into the way school is structured in terms of year groups, teachers have access to all programmes and select what is appropriate learning for the students they are teaching.
Civil Defence Emergency Contact Form
We have planned our drill for Monday 2nd December 2pm to 3pm. We are still outstanding around 50 families returning their Civil Defence Emergency contact details. Further details regarding the process and organisation will be sent closer to the time.
Library News
Book Swap Day
This year, one of the activities during Book Week will be Book Swap Day. Students can bring a book(s) from home that has been read and is sitting idle. The book(s) need to be in good condition (i.e. no drawings, no mould, no missing pages, etc..). Give the book(s) to the librarian who will mark on her list the name and number of books given. Books have to be given no later than 1 Nov.
On Book Swap Day, students, who brought books in, will have the opportunity to choose the same number (or less) of books they brought in. Please note that books given for book swapping will not be returned back to the original owner, this is an optional activity.
Scholastic Book Club Term 4 2024 - Issue 7 is out now!
Term 4 Issue 7 2024 catalogues have been distributed in your child's class. Deadline for orders is on 25 October. 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.
Should you wish to gift the books you ordered to someone, please place your order then email Erwin so she knows. When the order has arrived, she can then put it aside and get in touch with you so you can come and pick it up. Any other queries to Erwin Palado by emailing librarian@northland.
Sport Shirts - Cleaned and Returned
Can we PLEASE have all sports shirts returned to the school office. Can you please check bags, draws and under the bed - we are missing many many shirts, thank you.
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.
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 Athletics Day 23 October (Wednesday)
WZ Athletics 1 November (Friday)
Term Dates
2024 Dates
Term 4 Monday 14 October - Wednesday 18 Dec
Our teacher only days are
Term 4 Tuesday 29 October
2025 Dates
We have confirmed the dates for 2025. We will have an open afternoon for families on January 29th to help the transition back into school, see the class space and meet the teachers in the learning space. This is prior to the first day of school on 30th January. We are yet to confirm Teacher Only Days and once these have been decided we will let you know.
Term 1 - 30 January - 11 April
Public Holiday- Thurs 6th Feb- Waitangi
Please note Easter and ANZAC day are within the Term holiday in 2025
Good Friday - 18th April
Easter Monday - 21st and Easter Tuesday 22.
ANZAC Friday 25th April
Term 2 - Mon 28 April - 27 June
Kings Birthday - Monday 2nd June
Matariki - Friday 20th June
Term 3 - 14 July - 19 September
Term 4 - 6 October - 17 December Labour Day- Monday 27th October
Kelly Sports Term 4
