2014.02.10

Welcome to the 2014 school year.  We have many exciting learning opportunities planned for the year so it will be a full on year for all involved.
Term Dates :
1st Term : 7th Feb - 17th April (Thursday). Term 2 : 5th May - 4th July.  Term 3 : 21st July - 26th Sept.
Term 4 : 13th Oct - 19th December.
Welcome
We would like to welcome Kirsten and Joshua to our school family as brand new 5 year old students. Kirsten is the younger sister to Dylan and James. Joshua is the younger brother to Anneke, Bianca and Damian.
Unfortunately we have to say farewell to Charlotte and Joanne.  Charlotte has gone to Huntly School and Joanne has left the area.  We wish Charlotte all the very best at Huntly and Joanne all the best at her new school.
We have also had to say farewell to our year 8 student Jaycee, who has moved on to High School.  It was a pleasure having Jaycee with us during 2013.  He was a great role model for all our students.  We wish him all the best success for his High School years and beyond.
We have started the new school year with 24 students, 15 in the senior room and 9 in the junior room. We look forward to 2 new entrants starting later in the year.

Quick Reference
11th Feb - ASSA meeting at 7.00pm
21st, 28th Feb - Oroua Touch in Feilding after school.
22nd Feb - Apiti Show.
24th Feb  - Strategic Planning / Board of Trustees.
26th Feb  - Swimming training day at Makino Pool (we will need transport on this day please).
3rd March  - Oroua Group of Schools Swimming Sports (please note this is a Monday).
4th, 11th, 18th March  - Cricket Coaching at school.
14th March - Oroua Triathlon at Apiti School.  (pp 21st)
14th, 21st, 28th March - Oroua Touch in Feilding.
25th - 27th March - EOTC trip to Wellington.
Technicraft every Monday for Year 7/8 students for Term 1 and 2 at Feilding Intermediate.

School Times
School times for this term are as follows:- Class time from 9.00 - 10.30. Break from 10.30 - 11.00. Class time from 11.00 - 12.30.  Lunch from 12.30 - 1.30.  Class time from 1.30 - 3.00pm.
2014 Staff Members
Principal / Junior room Teacher - Mrs Mary Cuming.
Senior Room Teacher - Mrs Nicki Fielder.
Teacher Aide - Mrs Pat Prince.
Teacher Release - Mrs Mary Burton.
Office Administrator - Mrs Christine Digby.
Caretaker / Cleaner  - Mrs Christine Lowe.
Bus Driver - Mrs Pat Lambert.
2014 Board of Trustee Members
Chairperson - Mr Ben Pratt.
Staff Representative  - Mrs Nicki Fielder.
Principal - Mrs Mary Cuming.
Secretary     - Mrs Christine Digby.
Treasurer     - Mr. Mike Sandbrook.
Health & Safety Officer - Mrs Fiona Stephenson.
Personnel Officer      - Mrs Katherine Gillespie.
Property Officer       -  Mrs Yvonne Clarke.

Celebrate Learning :-
Thanks to the many parents who have ensured their children come to school motivated to learn. Lots have read widely in the holidays and have library books, and books from home that are a good fit (books that are interesting but can be read independently).
Reading - Damian for a Dynamite job in reading in the holidays - he now knows 123 new words!!!

Integrated learning topic for 2014 is ...
'Inspirations'
Apiti Show
Our learning tasks for the Apiti Show are as follows:-

  • Photo of something that inspires you in your local area
  • Poem/description about photo above
  • Abstract painting of something that inspires using 3 colours (A primary colour on the colour wheel and the secondary colour on either side of it plus black and white)
  • Create a model. Take an everyday object and give it another use using BAR (B=bigger, A=add, R=remove or replace )

These have been on the Apiti Show Programme and our wiki home page and on the "Apiti Where's That" facebook page  .https://www.facebook.com/groups/111242488911823/
We will be developing our descriptive language, creativity, thinking and presentation skills.
It would be great if you could discuss inspirational and interesting possibilities with your children as part of our home school collaboration. The photo needs to be taken by the student and may also be used for the digi awards later in the year.

Strategic Planning Day - 24th of February 
The Apiti Board of Trustees are working with Nadia, who is funded by the Ministry of Education on training and strategic planning.
The plan for the day is as follows:-
9.30 - Finalise targets and Charter with Nicki and Mary
1.00 - BOT training (this will be tailored to our school and part of the action plan) with Nadia (Lunch provided)  
We will have the BOT monthly meeting after that, parents welcome. The teachers will present the long term plans, targets and annual plan. 
Reminders 
Could all students please ensure they bring togs, and PE gear daily.
A reminder that it is each students responsibility to ensure that they have a sunhat and use sunscreen. Students without sun hats are expected to wear school hats.

This term we have a number of sporting events planned:-
  1. Kiwi Sport Cricket - each Tuesday. This has been planned by the Oroua group. 
  2. Feilding Touch. This term we are organising Oroua touch teams to play in the Feilding Touch tournament. It would be great to have as many Apiti Students as possible playing in our teams. Year 4- 8 students are encouraged to play.   When: Friday (6 weeks in Term 1 only) Mini (Year 5-6) - 4 and 4.40pm / Maxi (Year 7-8) - 5.20 and 6pm. Where: Victoria Park, Feilding. Once we have finalised teams we will be able to organise car pooling. Many thanks to Adam who has offered to coach the teams. If your children are keen to play, please let Nicki know asap.
  3. Swimming. We will be swimming for as long as weather permits. Instructional / training lessons will be held in the afternoons and lunchtime swims will be available for all students. If your child is unable to swim please send a note to school.
  4. Oroua Triathlon. We are hosting this event. Its success is a team effort. We will begin planning this event after the Apiti Show.
  5. Sam Strahan Rugby. Trials are held for this team. The competition is organised by the rugby union and is usually in the last week of term. Dates will be put on the google calendar when we receive them.
Education Outside The Classroom
Our 2014 camp to Wellington, has been confirmed for 25-27 March
Students will keep you updated with planning. Through camp planning student develop a range of skills including:-
  • Oral and written language. 
  • Telephone, communication and ICT Skills.
  • Mathematics; in particular timetabling and numeracy skills; in particular addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages and ratios.
  • Key competencies:- managing self, relating to others (Both at school, local community and in Wellington), negotiating and problem solving.
Technology
Year 7 and 8 Oroua group students attend technology at Feilding Intermediate each Monday morning of term one and two.  Please ask Nicki if you have any other questions regarding technology.

Enrichment
As part of our oral language focus this year, all students will have specialised Speech and Drama tuition, as part of literacy programmes, in term 2 and 3. We would like to thank the BOT for supporting this.
This year there will be enrichment in music, sport and language learning. We are presently finalising available opportunities for our students. Watch this space!

Communication
We are currently reviewing the way in which we communicate all our information to parents, students and community members.  We would value your feedback and suggestions on how you would like to receive information eg the blog spot, text messaging, hardcopy etc.  Please contact us before the 24th Feb with your suggestions as this will be discussed at the BOT meeting.

2014 Stationary
All students now have their books for 2014. We would like to encourage you to cover these as it helps them last the year!
Because of the wealth of assessment data your child collects in their time at Apiti School we are in the process of transferring to a larger portfolio folder. Students are proud of these portfolios and may choose to bring their portfolio home to personalise the Apiti Curriculum title pages. Could students only colour these in with pencil please and ensure they are bought back to school each day.

Updates
We need to update/add mobile numbers, and also add email addresses of both parents to our contacts list. Plus we would like to add these mobile numbers to the phone tree, so we have all contacts correct. Please let us know if these change through the year.
If for any reason you have changed your emergency contacts, or the doctor details, that were on your enrolment form or you have a change of cell phone number, student health details etc, please ring and tell Christine so that files may be updated. 

We would like to thank ...
Blair, Fiona, Adam and Pam for helping us bring the last of the Rangiwahia School chattels over.
Christine for the amazing job she has done, once again, ensuring the school looks fantastic inside and out to start the school year.
Adam for mowing the field for us.
Fiona (again) for helping Chrissy to clean out the caretakers shed for the new lawnmower. 
Pat for all her work in the old dental clinic, cooking room and adding the extra books to the library during the holidays. 
June and Murray for all of the time they have spent getting the pool into ship shape condition for swimming for the start of the year.

ASSA Meeting
The next ASSA meeting will be held Tuesday the 11th of February (tomorrow night) starting at 7.00pm at school.  The major topic will be Apiti show fundraising.  We would encourage at least one parent from each family to attend please.       

Happy Birthday to the following student, we hope you have a great day!
10th February - Jackson!
Well that's it for the first newsletter of 2014, will be back in a fortnight.
Regards, Mary, Nicki, Pat, Mary B and Christine.