Whenuakura 
School 
 
Newsletter 
 

 
 
‘Growing Personal Excellence’ 
  

Thursday 22nd August 2019 

Term 3 Week 5 
Hi everyone,

We are already halfway through term three and working hard in all learning areas. Our Monday Momentum
meetings have helped to set our learners up for the week and is used to encourage the use of our CORE Values.
This week we have been learning about gratitude and you may have seen challenges from previous weeks in our
school foyer or on Facebook. It is excellent to hear that some of these challenges have been completed and
discussed at home and in the community too. There is lots coming up in the next few weeks before the end of
term!

Learner-Led Conferences - No normal classes - only attend appointments (with students)

This reporting procedure on ​Tuesday 3rd September ​takes the form of a conversation between the student,
whanau, and the teacher. This approach gives students an opportunity to share their growth as a learner and will
be 20 minutes long.
Feedback from last year was very positive and it was an excellent learning and sharing opportunity for all.
We have made some positive changes to our booking system but if you have any problems, please let us know
and we can make the booking for you.

Booking your interviews

The booking website is open and will close on Monday 2 September at 6:00 AM.

1. Go to​ ​parentinterviews.co.nz​, enter the event code ​DGTEHQUV​ and click Go.
2. Enter your name, email address and the names of the students you wish to make bookings for.
3. Select the teachers you'd like to book by ticking the checkbox beside their name, and then click the Book Interviews button at the bottom of
the page.
4. Using the timetable, click the Book button beside the time slot you'd like to book for the teacher. You'll be asked to confirm your booking.
5. Continue until you've booked all teachers.

Once you're finished, you can view your timetable by clicking My Interviews at the top of the page. You can also print a PDF timetable to take to your
interviews.
Before your interviews, you'll receive an email reminder containing your timetable. If you need to cancel any interviews, you can do so by following
the link in the email you received when you first signed up.

Recipe Books for Sale!

We have managed to
source some beautiful
recipe books which we
are able to sell. These
would make a wonderful
gift or even Christmas
presents. The books are
$45 each, and our school
gets $20 for every book
sold, and the other $25
goes directly to Ronald
McDonald house - so two very deserving causes. We have a sample of
the book at school if you would like to have a look at it. Please see order
form attached with the newsletter.

Old newspapers
If you have any spare newspaper at home, could you please send them
along to school. We will be needing lots of paper for our upcoming art
activities. Many thanks
School Cross Country
Our school cross country is on Friday 6th September at 12.00pm. Thank you to Ian
and Sophie Honeyfield for the use of their paddocks. Don’t forget a change of clothes,
water bottle, and running shoes (not compulsory but at your discretion).

Sausage sizzle $2
Juicy $1
Send in orders in an envelope please

Patea Area School Open Day

Patea Area School is having an open day on Wednesday 4th September from 1.30 - 3 pm. ​They are inviting (and
encouraging) all year 5 and 6 students along to this. There will be some fun activities as well as giving you the
opportunity to make an informed decision about the next steps in your child’s education.Please RSVP to the
school.

Pet Day - Tues 17th Sept (Back up day - Thurs 19th)

Can we please have all the Pet Day cups returned to
school.
As we have a number o​f new families we thought it
would be a good idea to explain a wee bit about our
Pet Day. Our Pet Day is one of the biggest highlights of
our school calendar year. It is an opportunity for the
whole community to come together, and for us to showcase our Whenuakura Learners. We are so lucky to have
the support of many families and businesses, both local and regional who support and sponsor us every year.
This can be in the form of donations of prizes, auction items, meat, bread, barbeques and often just great “man
power” on the day.

As well as students competing with their animals, there is always a number of other activities happening around
the school. In the hall, you will have the opportunity to see items of art and work that the students have been
creating for some time - these are judged the day before Pet day, and students enjoy the camaraderie and
friendly competition between their friends. We ask that respect is shown towards these displays, and all
students to have an adult with them when they are looking around.

Fathers (and men in your lives!) please remember we will be doing our annual cake auction, so start googling
your ideas now. This is a fun event on the day, where we encourage Dads to use their imagination to create
something edible and amazing! These cakes are then auctioned, with the highest bidding cake winner receiving a
highly sort after trophy. We appreciate your enthusiasm, and unlike our students - this competition is fiercely
sought after!!

There will also be other items to auction, which we will inform you of closer to the time.
There will be raffles available, barbeque and a few new activities with details still to come.
There is a Pet Day meeting at school on Tuesday 10th September - this is for anyone who would like to help out
on the day, and help set up the day before.

Meat Raffle
We really need all of the yellow raffle cards back at school tomorrow!!​ Even if you haven't sold them, as then
we will know what numbers we have available. Or if you have lost them, please let us know as well! Many thanks
to everyone who has returned their tickets and money - we will let you know the winner as soon as we have
accounted for all the numbers.
Professional Learning
I have recently completed the NZ Beginning Principals Programme and am thankful for your support in, and
around the school over the last two years. On Sunday I look forward to travelling with other local principals to
Nelson to observe in schools and bring back some new learning. I will be back on Wednesday. Kat

Dates to remember (updated from the last newsletter):

Fri 30th Aug Assembly, 2.30 pm

Tues 3rd Sept Learner Led Conferences, No Classes

Fri 6th Sept School Cross Country, 12.00pm

Mon 9th Sept Cluster Cross Country, Kakaramea.

Tues 10th Sept Pet Day Organisation meeting, 12 noon

Thurs 12th Sept Duffy Role Model Assembly, Jo Guy, 11.30 am

Thurs 12th Sept Touch starts, Hawera

Tues 17th Sept Pet Day

Fri 20th Sept The Sailor Asthma Show, 2 pm

Fri 20th Sept Assembly, 2.30 pm

Wed 25th Sept Taranaki Cross Country

Fri 27th Sept Last day of term 3

Regards, Whenuakura School Staff

Hall Committee meeting

Whenuakura Hall Society AGM

Tuesday 27th August, 7pm

Whenuakura Playgroup and Community Centre

All community members are invited to attend and see the progress

being made on the building renovations.

Trish Williams