TEACHER AIDE POSITION

We are looking to employ a teacher aide to work with a medically fragile student with high complex needs, to start Monday May 29 2017.
Please contact Mrs Gordie Palmer for more detail

TERM 2

Welcome to term 2 and an exciting term of learning and opportunities at Whangaparaoa School. We hope you all had some great family time and fun together over the last two weeks. Our schoolwide inquiry this term unpacks the concept of “Change” in a science context. We have learning celebration time in week 4 this term with our families. Your children will be working hard to present their learning to you - where they are at, their goals and their proud moments to date. We hope you can take some time to share what they are doing and where they are going.

Looking after our teachers - We are very lucky to have committed and hard working teachers in our school. We have systems and people in place to observe, support and develop our teachers to be the best they can be. Every staff member in our school has things they want to work on to try and be better at what they do. Please realise, that as much as they want to, they can not be all things to all people. To help them in their job, they have a buddy teacher, a team leader, a management person and curriculum coaches. These people go into rooms regularly to work with the teachers and these positions are held by staff who have considerable experience and success in schools. These people also know the teacher and their current workload and pressures. With this in mind they give our teachers feedback and feedforward to help them grow.

We are lucky to have caring parents in our community who are frequently asking what they can do to help. Here are a couple of suggestions.

• If your child has learning concerns ask the teacher how you can help them and work together as a team to help your child.
• If your child comes home with a worrying statement, please find out all sides of the story before jumping to conclusions. Your child will see things from their perspective which can be very different to others’ perspectives.
• When your child comes home and you want to ask about school, ask for a highlight in the day or a positive thing they did to make someone else’s day,
  what they thought their best effort was or did anything funny happen?
• Our teachers are all very different in terms of experience, curriculum strengths, sense of humour, sporting expertise and personality. This is our strength as a
  staff and why we select them. Please celebrate this with us.

TSUNAMI DRILL

Next Tuesday 9 May, weather permitting, we will be having a Tsunami Drill. If your child suffers from anxiety around these emergency evacuation practices please discuss this with them.

COMMUNITY OF LEARNING NEWSLETTER

Our school has been invited to work with other schools on the Hibiscus Coast and form a Community of Learning (COL). Please find attached a newsletter that outlines the reasons for forming a COL and information about our COL. Also attached is the opportunity for someone to enter a competition and create a logo for our new COL. View newsletter here.  Click here for Logo Competition

PASSION FRIDAYS

Passion Fridays commences in week two and there is much to look forward to during Term 2. We have had lots of enquiries about people wishing to participate this term, so if your child is keen and you have not yet returned a form to us now is the time to do it.

We ask that these be filled in by Monday 8th May at the latest please so we can add them to the list ready to start next week. Please fill out the form attached to this newsletter and hand it into the office or alternatively email it to clare@peachesandpickles.net. View Details Here

TERM 2 LEARNING CLELBRATION

On Wednesday 24 May, our school will finish at 12.30pm so we can have a learning celebration afternoon and evening with our parents.

We are offering parents the opportunity to choose a 45-minute timeslot. In this time students will share their learning, their goals, their proud moments, examples of their work and details of their classroom. The teacher will also schedule a time slot per family (during the conference time) to answer any specific questions the student or parents may have.

IMPORTANT POINTS

• Students will lead this celebration time.
• There will be between 5 and 10 minutes time planned for the teacher to share with each student and family.
• If there are bigger matters that need discussing, these need to be deferred to a separate meeting time.
• The student should be a key person in this time. Our belief is that if the discussion is about the student, their learning and wellbeing, then they need to be involved.
• If there is something personal that you would like to discuss only with the teacher, please let the teacher know.
• In the time, your child will have lots to share with you.
• There will be up to 5 other families in the room at the same time sharing their child’s learning journey.
• If your child gives you all the information you need, it is your choice whether you take up the time with the teacher, or not.

PLEASE CONSIDER

• Our staff are working from 12.30 to 8pm to provide this opportunity. Please look after them.
• On a rare occasion when we have a parent come in who is upset about something; our advice is – Respect the Person.“The problem is the problem; the person is never the problem” 
• Control your emotions and think “How can I help?”
• Book a separate time with the teacher.

HOW TO BOOK A LEARNING CELEBRATION TIME?

• Go to the website www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and enter our school code: k23pp
• You will need your child’s 2017 year, classroom, and name of teacher, to complete your booking.
• Enter these details and choose a time that suits you. You will receive an emailed confirmation of your booking.
• If you are unable to complete your booking online, please either:
   - Email pa@wgp.school.nz with child/rens names and preferred times or
   - Call into the school office and fill out a booking sheet.
• A brochure outlining what to expect, frequently asked questions and how you can make this a successful and positive experience can be viewed here.

PLEASE NOTE:

YOU MUST COLLECT YOUR CHILD AT 12.30PM UNLESS THEY ARE BOOKED INTO AFTER SCHOOL CARE

AFTER SCHOOL CARE

If you have a regular booking on Wednesday - you are automatically booked into After School Care. There may be a few casual places on that day available - please contact Karen on 021 705 804 to put your name on the list.

PROPERTY LEGENDS

If you have been into school you would have seen that once again our hard working property team of Troy and Graham have been upgrading our environment and organising wall coverings in Tindalls, a deck for the bike container, new lino for many classes, new basketball backboards, new sinks and cupboards for a couple of rooms, modern learning furniture for many rooms, painting of lines for outdoor games, sandpit work, new toilet roll and soap dispensers, gutter care and electrical tagging to name a few things. We had 18 contractors in our school over the holidays working on various projects to make our school a better place. We are very lucky to have such a committed property team who want to make a difference to our environment. Thanks Troy and Graham.

OUTDOOR PAINTING WORKING BEE 
The school is beginning to look really great and refreshed with its newly painted classrooms and some of the old fixtures removed. However we think we could make it look even better with a touch of colour and paint to some of the seats and benching around the school. We would therefore like to organise a parents working bee over a weekend in May in an effort to make the rest of the school look beautiful! If you are keen to lend a hand, please drop us an email with your availability over the weekends of 13/14th and 20/21st May and we will be in touch!
Thanks Helen and Rick.  hbrown3690@gmail.com

MEDIA RELEASE PLEASE READ

Below is an article from the President of the New Zealand Principals Federation. This is an issue all schools in New Zealand (including our schools on the Hibiscus Coast) are facing. With election year it will be interesting to hear what solutions parties are offering as this issue effects our children directly, or indirectly. View article here

Your representatives are:

• President - Warren Frogley
• Vice President - Sam Cranston
• Treasurer - Warren Rogers
• Secretary - Sigi Hense

Committee Members are:

• Donna Nicolson
• Helena Humphries
• Katie Clark
• Melissa Kearney
• Mardie Wilson
• Sam Munnings
• Sian Stimson
• Wunny Harman
• Kevin Cronin - Teacher representative
• Barbara Taylor - Teacher representative
• Deb Brewer - BOT representative

We have had some great recipes in at the end of last year and have been busy sampling them all but we need more.

Your school's PFA are embarking on a journey to create an amazing cookbook. With an emphasis on healthy, wholesome and fresh food, we would love to receive your recipes to our email address - wgpschoolcookbook@gmail.com

Initially we are asking for submissions under the following headings:

• Lunchbox Ideas
• BBQ
• Picnic
• Brunch
• Take a Plate
• Sweet Things
• Birthday Food
• Entertaining

Community Notices

SNOWPLANET PROGRAMME
Want to learn to Ski or Snowboard?!?

Snow Planet 10 week Snow Sports programme for Whangaparoa School students interested in learning to ski or snowboard or looking to improve technique and ability. The programme includes:

• 1 hour group lesson and snow access for the lesson only*
• 1 hour rental equipment hire, skis & boots or snowboard & boots. (clothing not included) 
• 1 hour Helmet hire (Helmet’s are compulsory, and must be worn to participate in the programme)

*An extra hour snow access after the lesson is available for $9. This can be paid for on the night and is not included in the program pricing

Dates: Thursdays 4 May - 6 July.
Time: 5.45pm-6.45pm
Cost: $260.00 - $26.00/session

A skills awards program is available as part of entry level training. There are various levels of achievement and recognition of each level. The program emphasizes skill development designed to allow an individual to enjoy the sport of skiing for life. To book please go to: https://t2whangaparoa17.eventdesq.com/ Any questions please contact Selena selenaduncan@ymail.com

POWERHOOPING
Powerhooping coming to school hall starting Saturday 22nd April, 10am - 11am Beginners welcome. 1st class FREE to any parent. Please phone Margaret 09 428 4817. This is necessary to book a place as places are limited. Would love to see you there.

SPANISH LESSONS
Spanish lessons at Whangaparaoa Primary School on Thursdays after school from 3.00 pm. Please contact Cristina for more info Ph: 021-0734528

ART AND CHOCOLATE GALA EVENING & AUCTION FUNDRAISER

Orewa College Arts and Events Centre Saturday 6 May 2017- Art viewing, a pop up shop and cafe are all open from 10.30 am til 3.30pm. Evening Gala Auction from 6.30-9.30pm. This event is to raise funds for Orewa College Drama and English senior students to travel to the London's Westend and Stratford-upon-Avon.

DRUM LESSONS

Drum Lessons at Whangaparaoa Primary School with Pete Warren. For further info pvfwarren@windowslive.com