Week Three

Good morning and happy rainy Tuesday! 

Reunion

We had the most amazing reunion on Saturday with a stunning performance from our children that brought tears to the eyes of our guests (and me).  So super proud of our Kowhanga, we had a great turnout, two thirds of the school, and we all had a fun day with perfect weather.  Huge thanks to you all for sacrificing your long weekend, bringing baking and getting your children to school by 8.30am, it was a huge ask but so very appreciated.  I expect there will be lots of photos of the event as Brooke Woollett was on the job.  We will be put these on the blog when they come through.   

Survey

We are also super appreciative to those of you who have completed the short survey about our Kowhanga.  Your comments are invaluable and they will help shape our presentation, but equally they will help to refine our teaching practice next year.  If you haven’t completed the survey and have a couple of minutes please follow the link in this weeks email.  Responses are anonymous. Thanks so much! 

Fundraising Committee Plug 

We have a group of parents who are super dedicated to fundraising for our children, and who make a massive contribution to the ongoing resources we have at school. Our TVs, IPads, the high anticipated new sandpit, furniture, netball hoops, trips, concerts, the list goes on.  At the end of this year a number of these amazing parents will be moving on and the committee is keen to get some new faces, with a get-together planned for Monday 14th November.  I reckon we could get a fabulous group of Kowhanga parents together - it’s not all hard work (lots of fun too - a good once-a-month social get together!))  If you are keen let me know and I will send you through the details. 

Diwali

Diwali is approaching and we are very lucky to have Vi (Devesh’s mum) join us next Tuesday 1st November for a day of celebration.  We will be learning about Diwali in class this week in anticipation of our activities next week. Thanks so much Vi for giving us your time. 

The week ahead: 

This week we will ease into our focus on the Pets, which will continue over the next few weeks.  We are currently planning a trip to the Wellington SPCA on Wednesday 9th November with more information to come home soon. This should be a great day out.  

We wil continue to practise our Poi in preparation for our assembly presentation on Friday 4th November, the same day of our school Bring’n’Buy.  French  lessons continue tomorrow with Susannah and baking on Friday with Gina. 

Our sports focus continues to revolve around athletics skills.  Don’t be surprised if your children come home with some catchy phrases that we use to help refine their skills : 

“take a call, and let it go” (throwing, in preparation for vortex and javelin)

“la-di-da” (javelin) 

“check the time, make a bow and let it go” (discus) 

I think that is it!  Take care and see you tomorrow, 

Amy and Claire 

Term 4 Week 2

Hi there and Happy Sunday! 

Firstly, apologies, I mentioned last week that we would be sharing in assembly at the end of Week 2 (this coming week), and that the school would be having a Bring ’n’Buy.  These will both  be at the end of Week Four.  Sorry!

Looking ahead: 

We will be visiting the Petone Settlers Museum this Tuesday 18^th October, leaving Hutt Central at 12.45pm after an early lunch.  We will arrive back at school by 3pm.  Many thanks to those parents who have said they are able to join us. 

Claire and I will both be released on Wednesday. Penny Musgrave and Andrea Spink will be teaching in the Kowhanga. 

On Thursday our Kowhanga will be visiting the Hutt Library between 10.45 and 12.30pm.  Please let us know if you are available to join us. 

There will be no assembly on Friday afternoon as the school will be preparing for the 150 year Reunion. 

On Saturday school is open, and the children have been asked to arrive at school by 8.30am, meeting in our Kowhanga.  Children can be collected from school from 12.30 /1pm.   There will be no school on Monday or Tuesday. 

 We have started French lessons with Amelie’s mum, Susannah, every Monday morning.  The children are learning greetings and basic phrases,  and are embracing the opportunity to learn another language, as well as te reo.  Thanks so much Susannah for sharing your time and knowledge with us.

 We have been so impressed with the progress all our children are making with their basic facts (instantly recalling addition and subtraction facts) and we appreciate the additional practice you have been giving the children at home.  There are some good online programmes you can access at home:

www.studyladder.co.nz

www.mathseeds.co.nz– you can access a free trial

www.mathzone.co.uk

www.learningplanet.com

www.mathscats.com

Our PE focus this term is on running, jumping and throwing, and developing these fundementals skills for participation in competitive athletics in years 3+.  We often timetable our PE for 2.30pm – feel free to join us if you spot us playing a game.  The kids love it! 

Yay, enjoy the rest of this lovely Sunday!  See you all tomorrow. 

Claire and Amy   

Our Old Fashioned Dress Up Day

Hutt City Library's blog post on Hutt Central Schools 150 years!

https://heritage.huttcitylibraries.co.nz/2016/10/09/hutt-central-school-150-years-old/

Term Four, Week One

Hi all, 

Welcome back, and to a busy Term Four.  We hope you have had a stress-free, EASY school holiday period! 

We throw ourselves straight into our 150 year celebrations with a dress up day this Thursday, taking us back to our grandparents era and before.  Please don’t feel the need to buy special dress ups for this: utilising what you have at home is great!   When we visited Pataka we looked at fabrics and styles of pioneering NZ.  Boys wore shorts until the age of 14, colours were neutral and girls wore skirts with an apron over the top.  Zips and velcro didn’t exist, and hats were compulsory (this is just a guide - just a token item of clothing will suffice!)  We will spend some of this day transforming our class into an ‘olden day’ classroom.  Fun! 

As part of our focus on times past we have a trip planned to the Petone Settlers Museum to look pioneering life in the Hutt Valley.  (Week 2). A notice will come home about this next week.  We are very grateful to the Fundraising Committee for funding the buses there are back, which has meant no charges to families.  Awesome!  

We are due to visit the Hutt Library on Thursday 20th October.  Any parent help will be appreciated. 

Term Four requires all students to wear bucket hats during morning tea and lunchtime.  Please ensure your child brings one to school each day, or even better, keeps a hat in their tote tray.  Sunscreen is also highly recommended, and while we don’t keep sunscreen at school we can certainly help children apply their own sunscreen at lunch is required. 

Fitness this term will focus on athletics skills, working towards a fun Athletics Morning at school in November.  These fundamental skills focus on running, jumping and throwing through a number of different games and activities. 

Our Discovery time on Fridays will continue with our Kowhanga construction theme, and we will reuse materials to create structures, art and sculptures. 

We would appreciate any materials that could be used for this. e.g. cardboard, egg cartons, bubble wrap, shoe boxes, plastic bottles, paper.  Thanks in advance!

At the end of week four we will be having another infamous Bring’n’Buy.  If you happen to be having a clean out please save your old toys, books or games and bring them into school from the beginning of Week 2.  Thanks.

We are grateful to Fiona Johnson Belle for the time and effort she gave our Kowhanga last term to teach us poi.  We will be sharing our waiata and poi with the school on Friday 21st October during assembly.  

Just a reminder: school will be open on the Saturday of Labour Weekend as part of our anniversary celebrations.  Children are asked to come to school for the  morning. School will be closed on Tuesday 25th October.  

Wow, I hope I have covered everything…you may get a SeeSaw post in the next couple of days otherwise!  

Can’t wait to see all your beautiful children,  

Claire and Amy