Newsletter

15th September 2011 NEWSLETTER NO 28

It would be hard to top last week as a great week for the school. We started off receiving the great ERO Report and finished the week with the wonderful World Cup opening, both of which show cased the excellence of the school. Congratulations also to Jonah Palota-Kopa of Room 12 who placed 3rd in the Interschool Zonal Speech Competition. Thanks also to Mrs Forgie for organising the event.

WARM WELCOME THIS WEEK TO
Cassidy Conway-Ford, Lorenzo Pearce and Caleb Murphy, we wish you a long and enjoyable time with us here at Matipo Primary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO
Cassidy Conway-Ford, Caleb Murphy, Lorenzo Pearce, Kate Harding, Eric Zhang, Tania Pilikosi, Phoebe Webster, Amber Ball, Joshua Burte, Alyssa Vince, Shae Kopua and Marshall Taia.

ROTARY CLUB
The Waitakere Rotary Club has acknowledged Doug Pilkington’s long association with the ‘Trees for Survival’ project by planting a tree in his honour to commemorate his service and commitment.

MATIPO BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Would like to congratulate Wayne and all the staff on an outstanding ERO report for our school this year. Without great leadership and vision Matipo would not be the school it is today, and we hope you agree we are very lucky to have our children in such a positive learning environment.

TE ATATU FOOTBALL CLUB PRIZEGIVING
24th September 2011:
Midgets 9am and 10am at Matipo School Hall.
Juniors 11am-12.30. Free goodie bag.
Youth and older at Te Atatu Football Club 2pm – 4pm.
BBQ and bouncy castle 12.30 – 2pm. Senior Prizegiving from 7pm.

KAPAHAKA GROUP
Will be performing at tomorrow’s assembly, hosted by Room 12, 2:15 pm Hall, all welcome.

GARDENING GROUP
Thanks for the many replies. We will have our first session tomorrow Friday at 9am with a pruning, trimming and planting session. Please bring clippers and pruners (weather permitting). We will then follow up with some heavier work on a Saturday morning.

Parent Seminar
‘Understanding Our Kids’ - Dianne Levy
Family Therapist, Author, Counselor
Light Supper Spot Prizes
@ Te Atatu Intermediate School Wednesday October 5th, 7pm
$10 for one ticket or $15 per two people
Sponsors – Westside Church, Harveys Real Estate
Tickets available from the school office

NETBALL FIELD DAY
We sent three teams to the Netball Field Day where we didn’t feature amongst the prize winners finishing in 5th and 6th positions. Players of the day were;
Betsy-Bella Davis Barr, Margaret Lowe and Indica Elisara
Thanks to our coaches and supporters.

1st September 2011 NEWSLETTER NO 26

Thank you everybody who responded so well to our request for helpers for the Te Atatu Christmas Parade and the gardening detail. We will be in touch shortly.
Netball season has now finished and I especially wish to acknowledge and thank Mrs Kennerley who has had the soul destroying job of being our netball co-ordinator; getting draws out each week, getting uniforms issued and returned, sorting out coaches and solving problems.
Thanks also to all our coaches: Mrs Kennerley, Helen Gavin, Ms Nicholson, Ms Oto, Sandra Hart, Jolyon Ludbrook and Maree McDonald.

WORDS OF THE WEEK
EXCUSE ME

WARM WELCOME THIS WEEK TO
Willy Maheu, Quinton Grindle, Posie Davis Barr and Franklin Davis Barr, we wish you a long and enjoyable time with us here at Matipo Primary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO
Franklin Davis Barr, Posie Davis Barr, Stevi Igiraneza, Lilly Marchant, Michael Robson, Anton Vrdoljak, Slade Winthrop, Kristina Bojin, Aaliyah Cash and a belated happy birthday to Quinton Grindle for last week.

FRIDAY ASSEMBLY
This Friday’s assembly will be hosted by Room 11, 2:15 pm in the Hall. All welcome.

WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY
Instead of assembly, we will have our own World Cup Opening ceremony at 2:15 pm on Friday 9th September. Children are encouraged to wear jerseys, t-shirts or colours of their team and make signs or banners. We will have a march past, the National Anthem and a Haka. Come and join in the fun.
All New Zealand Schools are supporting the All Blacks and we have all been given second teams – ours is the USA.

SCHOOL PRODUCTION
Many of you are aware our School Production ‘Giants from Outer Space’ is approaching and we require help. Help can come in all shapes and forms from painters to props. A list of props can be found on Room 14′s website under production.
Miss Oto & Mr Webster look forward to hearing from you!

COMING EVENTS
Tuesday 6th September Netball Field Day at Te Pai Courts
Friday 9th September World Cup Opening
Friday 23rd September School Writing Contest
26-30th September School Production
“Giants from Outer Space”
Tuesday 4th October Learning Expo
Friday 7th October Term 3 Ends
Monday 24th October Labour Day – Holiday
Tuesday 25th October Term 4 Starts – Summer Hours

HATS
In the summer terms, children are required to wear hats at playtime and lunchtime. This normally starts at Labour Day so will start from the beginning of Term 4.

NEW CLASSROOM
Work is proceeding well on the building of our new classroom (Room 19) which will hopefully be ready for a new New Entrant class to start at the beginning of Term 4.

BIKES
Only children Year 4 and above are supposed to ride bikes to school but must wear a helmet. Younger children now appear to be riding to school but must be accompanied by their parents.

PETITION
Shelley Boyack presented her 205 signature petition to the local council board for a walkway around the edge of Te Atatu Park from Neil Ave to Matipo Road. Thank you for your support of her petition and thank you Shelley for organising this.

RECYCLING
- Clothing – Back Gate Crieff Place
- Cell Phones for Starship Hospital – Office

THANK YOU
To those people who help supervise the patrols down by the dairy – Celleste Wilson, Dean Triffilo, Ann MacDonald & Sherryn Flower.

18th August 2011 NEWSLETTER NO: 24

Monday 15th August 2011 @ 1:55 pm history was made at Matipo School, with a brief snow flurry falling! It didn’t last long and was very light but light snow did fall! Amazing!

WORDS OF THE WEEK
“PLEASE”

WARM WELCOME THIS WEEK TO
Fiston Iradukunda, we wish you a long and enjoyable time with us here at Matipo Primary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO
Fiston Iradukunda, Ryan McDonald, Manaia McMath, Indi Bell, Hannah Whyte, Casey Nayler, Amanda Lowe, Nathaniel Heenan, Donna Jamieson and Johnny Rockel.

FRIDAY ASSEMBLY
This Friday’s assembly will be hosted by Room 9, 2:15 pm in the Hall. All welcome.

STRANGER DANGER
Last week we had what we thought was an attempt to lure one of our pupils into a car. Upon investigation and by very skillful questioning by Constable Siaki, it turned out to be a false alarm. A motorist misinterpreted some play fighting on the way home and stopped to offer assistance to who they thought was the “Victim” and offered a child a lift home to get him away from the ‘trouble’.
None the less, it was an important reminder to us all about child safety and stranger danger.

PARENT POWER
Shelley Boyack is presenting a petition at the local Council Board Meeting next Thursday night. The petition is on the counter at the school office. She is asking for a footpath through Te Atatu Park from Neil Ave to Matipo Road. This would encourage walking rather than a car trip. Children would arrive at school with dry shoes, it would reduce gate chaos and bike danger on the road route and contribute to the council’s path network.

PARENT INTERVIEWS
Thank you to those who attended. The turn out was about 67%.

TERM DATES FOR 2012
Term 1 Tuesday 7 February – Thursday 5 April
Term 2 Monday 23 April – Friday 29 June
Term 3 Monday 16 July – Friday 28 September
Term 4 Monday 15 October – Thursday 20 December

SPEEDING ALONG MATIPO ROAD
The Speed Limit outside our school is 40 km per hour – please watch your speed school particularly in the busy morning and afternoon drop off and collection times. Excessive speeding will be referred direct to the Police. Also, people are double parking in the carpark opposite the school, u-turning and backing with speed – please do not do this for obvious reasons.
Thank you so much to all our helpers – the weather has been very cold and often wet lately and we are very grateful to those who give their time to ensure our children a safe trip home. A special thanks to Dean Trifilo who has helped us all year. Thank you, we are very grateful.

PUPIL REPORTS
The interim report form that most of you got is the report form designated by the government and Education Minister, Anne Tolley. It is the prescribed format – it is not “our” form.

GARDEN BEDS
A parent suggested a couple of garden beds (for flowers) would be a nice addition to the school. These have subsequently been dug. Volunteers are now sought to do the planting and/or donate some clippings or plants. It is suggested that each garden could have a cultural theme, eg a Pacific garden, or maybe an English garden. A working bee on a Saturday morning (tbc) is suggested. Anyone wishing to be involved in any way on this project should send your name and phone number to the office by phone
(834 6909), email (principal@matipo.school.nz) or by reply slip.

TE ATATU CHRISTMAS PARADE
A very early call for any volunteers for our float for the Te Atatu Christmas Parade – see reply slip below.

ON LEAVE
Mrs Siaki goes on leave tomorrow for 7 weeks as she and her husband Faga are adopting a baby girl (Kiana). Congratulations and best wishes to Leanne and Faga and welcome to Amy Huizing who will relieve in Room 10 while Mrs Siaki is away.

4th August 2011 NEWSLETTER NO: 22
Welcome back to term 3. Over the holidays an electrical upgrade of the school was completed which included greatly enhanced security lighting and alarm upgrade and work has started on a new classroom to house a 4th New Entrant room in Term 4. It is also expected that some time this term, the rain will stop!

VALUE OF THE WEEK
We are back to the top of the list so this week’s word is “PLEASE”.

WARM WELCOME THIS WEEK TO
Daisy McMahon, Michael Stuart, Lycan Kay, Aleksy Kowalski, Cassandra Kinross, Ezra Bowman, Cairo Wheldale and Maria Leti, we wish you all a long and enjoyable time here at Matipo Primary.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO
Elise Ibbott, Ethan Trifilo, Andrew Young, Alex Clack, Brooke Lancaster, Joshua Zhang, Waimarie Ned-Senior, Hazel Campbell and Ethan Hempleman. A belated happy birthday over the holidays to; Daisy McMahon, Michael Stuart, Lycan Kay, Aleksy Kowalski and Cassandra Kinross.

FRIDAY ASSEMBLY
This Friday’s assembly will be hosted by Room 7, 2:15 pm in the Hall. All welcome.

ROLL GROWTH
On the first day of this term we welcomed our 400th child for the year. A special welcome to number 400, Maria Leti.

STAFF CHANGE
Mr Pilkington is on leave this term. Ms Jessop becomes acting Deputy Principal and Mr Webster acting Assistant Principal. Grace Smith will undertake Mr Pilkington’s position in Room 8 and Room 10 (Mondays and Tuesdays) and Brett Grant in Room 13 (Fridays). Welcome to both these new staff members.

NETBALL
Is underway again. Please let the coach know if you can’t be there and remember to allow for plenty of time to beat the traffic and parking problems.

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
Remember that if you are unhappy with any aspect of school performance you may ask for a refund of your school donation, no questions asked on December 1st.

TERM OVERVIEW
August 11 Individual Portrait Photos
August 12 Reports Home
August 17 Parent Interviews
August 22 Rugby Field Day
September 6 Netball Field Day
September 9 World Cup starts
September 23 Story Writing Contest
September 26-30 School Production
October 4 Learning Expo
October 7 Term 3 Ends

VISITING
Karen Carding and Cathy Veen from the Education Review Office for their 3 yearly visit to check on school governance, management and achievement of children.

INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS
Thursday August 11th – next week – please get your orders into the office ASAP. If you have lost your envelope or require a sibling envelope please call into the office.

PARENT INTERVIEWS
Wednesday 17th August 2.10-8:00 pm. School closes early @ 2 pm but children waiting for their parents will be supervised in the library or by SKIDS after school care if you are a client. Children may attend the interviews and speak about their goals, learning, achievement etc. All teachers are available from 2.10-8pm. It is an expected requirement of staff to be available for out-of-school commitments.