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Week 4 - 19 August 2016

Kia ora e te Whanau o Whetukairangi

"If you do not change direction you may end up where you are heading "– Lao Tzu

We are going for more of a tweak in direction with our Student Led Conferences (SLCs) - Celebrations of Learning - later this term. According to those who have been around these parts much longer than me, the 'SLC' has retained its near original form for well over 20 years at this school! That's very impressive, as for many these are seen as a more recent addition to the calendar in many NZ schools.

With the introduction of Seesaw, the digital portfolio of learning, we knew that the SLC would need to take on a different look and feel as there is more traffic between home and school this year and we don't want examples of a wide range of learning to be old or stale when you get to see and discuss it with your child/ren. Additionally, 2016 is also the year we want to check that our learner attributes
  • I am powerful
  • I am a goal setter
  • I am connected
  • I am a thinker
are truly at the heart of our curriculum and what is known as 'learner agency' is being promoted. To find out more about learner agency: http://www.core-ed.org/thought-leadership/ten-trends/ten-trends-2014/learning-agency.

Seesaw has added a new flourish to the landscape! We are continuing the four annual parent/teacher connection points, with two of these including the child/ren - the heart/s of the matter! However, this year the traditional SLCs will become more social, hopefully providing a greater opportunity for the children to really take charge of the conversation. 

This time around, each area, except for Autahi, have two days set aside for these Celebrations of Learning. You will be booking in groups of 5 (children + parents) for 30 minute slots during the day. A teacher will be facilitating the group, your child will lead you through a variety of pieces of work, with prompting from yourselves and the teacher as they work with the group. On either side of the conversation, you will have an opportunity to experience a bit more of regular classroom life as well. Some of you will remember the learning space treasure hunt of 2015........ a great success! We are reinstating that, in combination with the group facilitated conversations. We very much value the children having this opportunity to articulate their learning journey, so please diary these days:

Autahi:                         Thursday 8 September
Mahutonga/Matariki:     Monday 12 or Tuesday 13 September
Tautoru:                        Wednesday 14 or Thursday 15 September

Please follow the instructions below on how to book:

Enter the Worser Bay School Code: q8vsd
Please book a time with the area where you child is (Autahi, Tautoru or Mahutonga/Matariki).
Bookings will close at midday on Wednesday 7 September.

If you are totally confused, please chat to a teacher in your area or Steph in the office and they will get you on track.

It's all a bit exciting next week with the Festival of Music. Ka mau te wehi! Thanks so much to our teachers, support staff and parent helpers for not accepting the status quo! This will be something special! In the words of Albert Einstein “A ship is always safe at the shore - but that is NOT what it is built for.” I'm full of quotes this week!


Nga mihi



PRINCIPAL’S AWARDS
Our Principal’s Awards are currently focusing on the following:

I am a goal setter... (self management)
  • I can reflect on my learning
  • I can share and discuss my achievements
  • I can plan my next learning steps


Autahi and Tautoru
Konrad, Kura, Anneke, Jupiter, Violeta, Liam and Hunter T.

Matariki and Mahutonga
Alex G, Alex P, Zach, Eleanor, Parker, Caitlynn and Alastair.



Board Shorts
With the new members having their feet now well and truly under the Board table, we spent our second meeting focusing on what needs to be achieved to ensure our unceasing focus on Student Achievement is maintained.

Each Board member brings different skills and experiences to the table. Given the students and teaching team have been doing work around how Character Strengths can help them achieve their goals, it was appropriate for the Board to do the same. We found that we share a number of similarities and, of course, we also have a few differences ­- variety is, after all, the spice of life! We intend to harness these strengths and the diversity of the group to deliver our plan.

Work is underway on building a robust 3-year Board Work Plan. The Work Plan builds on the wonderful work of past Boards, so this work has started from a very strong platform of success.

It isn¹t all about planning though, as there are immediate areas to be addressed. Health and Safety implications are, and will remain, front of mind and we are undertaking a review of the school's approach to Health and Safety to ensure that we are complying fully and effectively.

Self Review is also a hot topic. As a school, we have strong Management and Governance Policy and Procedures available to us to ensure we are performing effectively and applying best practice. However, we always need to be checking how these are being applied. Are they delivering the results expected? How can we be certain that they are effective? Are we making the best choices? How do we review our own performance? As happens with the teaching and support team, the Board is working towards Self Review becoming innate in our practices and cyclical in nature, much the same way as we treat Inquiry.

Board members are encouraged to attend Professional Development Courses and the new Board members fed back on their recent experience. A few of the key aspects discussed were the important distinction between governance and management, rules of engagement, education and administrative guidelines, and the focus on priority learners.

A shout out to Suzanne for the detailed action research she has been undertaking about the support provided to our target readers. This has involved extensive research, including engaging our children, collaborating with our teaching team and other schools, and exploring written research. We are heartened by the improvements to date ­which are based on how well the students' needs are understood ­and we are looking forward to seeing the results of ongoing improvements.

So that's us for now. It's exciting to get stuck in and continue to make sure all roads lead to outstanding Student Achievement.

The Board



Letter from the Public Health Nurse

Please read the Letter from Public Health Nurse regarding Sore Throats and Rheumatic Fever.



Letter from Stephanie Hayes' Parents

Please read the Letter from Stephanie Hayes' Parents about Stephanie's suppressed immunity.



Parents' Responses to Children's Peer Interactions - Research Study

My name is Tegan Lynch and I am undertaking this study as part of my PhD research at Victoria University of Wellington.
In this study, I am asking parents and caregivers about social peer situations involving their children, their experiences of these, and will then ask parents if they experienced anything similar when they were growing up. Most of the questions will be concerned with negative peer experiences.

To participate in this study you will need to be a parent or caregiver (this can include grandparents, aunt/uncles, or anyone else who acts as a main caregiver or guardian) who has at least one school-aged child. Participation in this survey is voluntary and anonymous.

More information and the survey can be found here: www.kidsandpeers.com






We've gone live with our fab new blog site www.plasticfreepeninsula.wordpress.com. Check the site for our latest news and events and please sign the pledge for Miramar Peninsula to be plastic free. All WBS students will have a chance to sew their own reusable tote bag at school with the support of Sew Love on either 5th, 6th and 7th September.


Autahi


Friends of Ten
Some of us have been learning about the pairs of numbers that add to make ten. We’ve been making them in lots of ways.




Buddy Reading
We have new reading buddies. We spent some time getting to know each other better.






Tautoru


Read Nicola's post-Singapore trip Press Release:
http://www.asianz.org.nz/bulletin/nz-teachers-return-singapore-trip

Character Strengths
We have been exploring character strengths this week and specifically those needed when you compete and lose in the Olympics. Check out our video and some of our writing on the blog to see what we think!



Beauty and Excellence
We have been focussing on looking at things that are beautiful in our environment. We have started a whiteboard and we are writing up things that we think of. If you would like to add something, please come into Tautoru.



A Time I Lost Writing
We have been learning how to write recounts and moments in time. Here are some examples of our writing about a time that we lost and reflecting back on what character strengths we need.





Mahutonga/Matariki

SportsFest
What a day for SportsFest! We had a great day on Tuesday. Take a look on the blog for more.



Preparing for the Music Festival
Read the blog to find out some of the steps we have taken to get ready for the festival so far...



Recording!
We have been incredibly creative over the last week recording voices and all sorts of sounds for our piece. The wind, birds, rocks rolling down the slide; it’s all inventive. Read about it and see more on the blog.


Concentrating on making music sound good. Fingers crossed!

Orange Day Parade
On Friday, 26 August, those students who regularly help with road patrol (Year 5 and 6 students) will be catching a bus into town to participate in the Orange Day Parade for school road patrollers. The Parade will begin at Parliament at 10am and students will walk along Lambton Quay to Civic Square, under police escort and with road closures. After the parade, the students will gather in the Michael Fowler Centre for a presentation ceremony. Please give your consent via Wrap It Up. A small number of Year 5 and 6 students will be going to Eastern Zone swimming instead.

ACTIONS AT A GLANCE

  • Celebrations of Learning - book a time at www.schoolinterviews.co.nz (see above)
  • Fair Storage Space required urgently - please contact Jim at captainwmtoad@me.com
  • Fair Volunteer Form - please complete the Fair Volunteer Form today. We'd love to know what you can help with for the Fair, on the day and leading up to it.
  • Fair Donations required now - Sugar, FULL bottles for the Tombola, clean label-free jars, paper bags and succulent clippings.
  • WBS Music Festival - Tuesday 23 August (for surnames A - K) and Wednesday 24 August (for surnames L - Z).
  • Eastern Zones Swimming - Friday 26 August (only those children who have brought home a notice)
  • Orange Day Parade (Year 5 & 6 Road Patrollers Only) - Friday 26 August - No charge, but permission is needed via Wrap it Up.
  • Pizza Lunch - Wednesday 31 August
  • Fair Stall Holders Meeting - Wednesday 31 August, 7.30pm in the staffroom
  • Mahutonga/Matariki Only - Busking at Courtenay Place - Friday 2 September
  • NZEI Union Meeting - Tuesday 6 September from 1pm. We will be keeping the school open with limited staff. However, if you are able, please collect your child at 1pm. (See below.)
  • Sew Love - Whole School - Monday 5, Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 September
  • School Photo Days - Wednesday 7 September and Thursday 8 September
  • Mahutonga/Matariki Only - Andy Griffiths at Seatoun School - Thursday 15 September
  • Please diary: Chocolate Fish Cafe, Shelly Bay - Friday 18 November, 5pm- 6.30pm - Post Fair "Thank You from the Board".

  • The following payments are now due:
    • Voluntary Contribution - $335.00 (Full year)
    • Voluntary Contribution by Instalment - 3rd instalment is now due - $83.75 per term
      (or $71.25 if you initiated the payments in Term 1)
    • Miniball - Terms 2 and 3 - $35.00

    All payments via Wrap It Up please.





    Worser Bay Music Festival - 23 and 24 August

    Get ready, get set, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

    The culmination of a few weeks' experimentation with sound comes to fruition next week on Tuesday and Wednesday nights with our first Music Festival!

    Our kids have been learning about how music is made, the stories it can tell, about tone and texture and timing. They have been composing, creating, recording: playing every known, and as yet undiscovered, instrument, banging on every possible surface with any available implement. Doors being slammed have been sampled as has the whispering wind. Even the local tuis in the trees have had their song recorded.

    So, what will we hear come Tuesday night?

    The clanging of the crazy creative kitchen, musical animals, Junkbots, turntables and samplers used in new ways; whatever there is, it’s going to challenge and excite. It will be like some sort of musical Circus!

    How it’s going to work: 
    Everyone will gather in the driveway and then be led into the courtyard by the students in Autahi. From there, you will start with your child’s base group (or if more than one child, choose one of their base groups). Every 5 minutes there will be a bell and you will transition to the next group - like a rotation. You will receive a map as some items will be outside. You will have 5 minutes to get to the next musical item on your musical menu. 

    As you can imagine, we can’t gauge space and how this may all pan out. (What was that about taking risks - eek?!) 

    So, what we are requesting is that our parent community selects 1 of the 2 evenings to attend. We are hoping that you will be able to accommodate the evenings based on your children’s surnames. 

    When:    Tuesday 23 August (for surnames A - K)
                  Wednesday 24 August (for surnames L - Z)

    Time:      5.45pm - 7pm (All students will be required to arrive at school between 5.10 - 5.20pm at the latest.)

    Cost:      Gold coin koha

    Be sure to mark the above dates on your calendar, as this festival of music is going to be a cracker!

    A bit more detail:
    The students are currently working in base groups developing musical ideas and working towards creating a performance for the 2 nights, 23rd and 24th August.

    The festival will start at 5.45 pm sharp. Autahi will start the event with a parade from Autahi to the courtyard which will also enable Autahi students to head home early if need be. 

    The audience will be separated into seven groups and start the evening at one of the base group performance spaces. Each performance will last approximately 5 minutes and at the end of each piece the audience will stay together and rotate around the remaining base group spaces.

    Students will be required to stay at school for the entire time as they will be performing seven times each night (except for Autahi).

    Please be aware of the following:
    Parking on these nights will be at a premium. Please ensure that you are prepared for this and that we are respectful of our neighbours.

    We are hoping the weather will continue to be kind, but just in case bring something warm to wear, a torch to light your way and raincoats. There are two groups that will be performing outdoors.

    All students will be required to be at school by 5.20pm at the latest on the night of the festival and can be picked up from their respective classrooms and signed out. Please ensure that your child has had something to eat before arriving at school.

    We will require help from the parent community with a number of jobs, such as setting and cleaning up spaces, helping students getting ready, costume and instrument making and more, so if you are able to lend a hand, please add your name to the posters in each area or see/email your base group teacher. Your assistance at these events is very much required and appreciated.

    We look forward to seeing you all there. 




    NZEI Teachers' Union Meeting - Tuesday 6 September

    On Tuesday 6 September from 1pm, there is a NZEI Union Meeting. We will be keeping the school open with limited staff. 

    If you are able, please collect your child at 1pm. If you are NOT able to collect your child at 1pm on Tuesday 6 September, please email your child's base group teacher.

    Please note that the Sausage Sizzle will go ahead. We will serve the sausages slightly earlier than usual.



    Pizza Lunch - Wednesday 31 August

    On Wednesday 31st August, small individual pizzas will be available for lunch.

    All pizzas have a tomato sauce base and you can choose from three types of topping:
    • Cheese
    • Cheese and Ham
    • Cheese and Salami
    Pizzas cost $5 each. Please order via Wrap It Up. Orders must be in by 9am on Tuesday 30th August - no later.

    The pizzas will be handed out by area (Autahi, Tautoru and Mahutonga/Matariki), therefore it is important that you order under each child's name separately (if you are ordering for two or more children).




    WBS Treasure Island Fair - Sunday 13th November, 11am-2pm

    Reminder: 31 August - Fair Stall Holders Meeting, 7.30pm in the Staffroom.

    Parent Fair Volunteer Form
    Our Fair Volunteer Form is fully up and running and online for the first time this year. 

    For those who haven’t had a chance, please click on the Fair Volunteer Form link to add your name to some of the tasks. We really hope as many of you will volunteer as possible - we are a small parental community and to make the day a success and, more importantly, FUN for our children, we need LOTS of help and we rely on you! Thanks to everyone who’s stuck their hand up already.

    Food Stall leads still need filling! SOOOO, if you think you could lead a Food Stall on the day, please pop your name in the Lead Position that you will see on the form. All ingredients, recipes, and methods will be provided, it's just a matter of making it and preparing it for sale on the day. Food is always such a hit at our Fair, so, if you can, please pop your hand up and make this happen!

    We need approximately 5 volunteers per stall and many more for set up/pack down. If you are able to help in both capacities (i.e. being on a stall on the day, and helping with either set up or pack down) just pop your name down in both boxes - we LOVE that! 

    The fair is an opportunity to get to know people a bit better, to 
    have fun and come together as a community. We promise, you will have fun on the day!

    If you are unable to access the form, please email Carolyn at cbrett@worserbay.school.nz and she will pop your name next to the stall you wish to work on. 

     


    Tombola Bottle Donations Needed Now!
    Please donate FULL unused bottles of anything – jars of lollies, creams, shampoo, sauces, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Some donations in the past included champagne, shampoo, perfume, chilli sauce, big bottles of fancy beer, olive oils…

    Please drop your donations up to school and pop them into the box outside the office. Alcoholic beverages can go straight to the office team to put somewhere safe.
     

    Donations and White Elephant 2016
    We will start collecting donations from families in late August. We will be collecting: books, clothes and toys. We will let you know where and when shortly. 

    Donations for White Elephant stall goodies will be taken only on the weekend of the Fair. White Elephant donations include crockery, sports gear, household appliances and other bric a brac.


    Plant Stall Request
    Do you have any gorgeous succulents you can take cuttings from? The Plant Stall would love to propagate them for our School Fair. Any other seedling or plant donations would also be appreciated.

    Drop off to Kyla before or after school at Tautoru or contact her on 021 208 2750. 
     

    Deli Stall Donations
    We would be grateful for any donations of sugar and clean jars (without labels). Please drop off at the office.


    Running of the Balls Update
    Thanks to the fantastic support from school families, local and national businesses, we have now secured three amazing prizes for the Running the Balls. 

    A brief run down of the prizes, valued at $1,600.00, are as follows: 
    • First Prize - Return Tickets for Two to the Gold Coast. Value $1,000.00. Kindly donated by Wellington Airport. 
    • Second Prize - A Sumsung Galaxy Tab 8 (Tablet). Value $379.00. Kindly donated by Noel Leeming Lyall Bay and the Jain-Thwaites Family. 
    • Third Prize - Interislander $250.00 online travel voucher. Kindly donated by Interislander. 
    Tickets will be sent home shortly - watch this space and your child’s bag.

    Thanks to Ricoh who are printing the tickets for us and a HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Rebecca Wedge, our amazing graphic designer, who kindly donates heaps of her time and skills to create not only the fabulous ROB tickets, but a whole suite of amazing images for WBS and its Fair.

    Key people organising the Fair include:




    Community Notices...

    Lost Property
    Nick has lost his blue Kathmandu puffer jacket, no hood, size L. It has his name inside. Also, a black power cable for an HP Notebook. If you find them, please contact Jo Rosenbrook on 021 982 219.

    Springboard & Platform Diving at Kilbirnie Pool
    Wellington Diving Club has a range of diving classes for kids aged 5 years and up. Why not try something new this year? Visit our website and come along for a free trial! We have many after-school sessions on most days and cater for kids of any level from beginners to competitive. We also run fun casual sessions on Sundays. For more information, please visit our website www.wellingtondiving.org.nz or call/text Barbara on 027 485 8888.

    Scots College Centenary
    Fri 26 – Sun 28 August 2016
    Join us to celebrate 100 years of Scots College at our centenary weekend next month. We have a huge range of events planned, including the ‘Ladies Long Lunch’ with celebrity chef Nadia Lim on Sunday 28 August.

    For more information, go to     www.scots100.co.nz

    Storylines Free Family Day
    Saturday 27 August 2016, 10am-3pm, Michael Fowler Centre
    Over 50 Authors, Illustrators, Storytellers and Performers from all over New Zealand will enthral and entertain children and families at the nationwide Storylines Festival Family Days. So come along! Free entry for all.     Koha appreciated.
    For more information, go to www.storylines.org.nz. 

    Kids' Cross Country Series Event
    Sunday 28 August
    Kids' Cross Country Series Event is a Mini Mountain Run on Mt Victoria. If you haven't already taken part in our Kids' Cross Country Series come along to Mt Victoria on Sunday 28 August for a Mini Mountain Run. Our events are open to everyone. You don't have to be a member of a club to take part. We have races for preschoolers through to Year 8s. You can pre-enter online or enter anytime on the day from 9.30am on. 

    For more information, go to https://www.athleticshub.co.nz/our-programmes#kidsxcountry or contact Jo at Athletics Wellington on 021 976 116 or jo@athleticswellington.org.nz

    Mega Garage Sale
    Saturday 10 September - 10am - 1pm
    Village Hall, 22 Forres Street, Seatoun.

    El Rancho Spring Kids' Camp
    Monday 26 - Friday 30 September
    The theme is MYTH BUSTERS, so there'll be loads of opportunities for the kids to experiment and discover heaps of cool stuff!! This time we have FIVE great Activity Streams to choose from:

    • MYTH BUSTERS - for 11 & 12 year olds...perfect if you like experimenting and discovering crazy stuff!
    • ART & CREATIONS - a fun chance to unleash your artistic and crafty talents.
    • PERFORMING ARTS - a great stream to express yourself creatively through dance & drama.
    • HORSE CARE & RIDING - learn the basic skills required to care for and ride a horse.
    • SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES - all the usual great activities, which could include water slide, archery, rifles, tubing, rock wall and more.
    To book, go to:http://elrancho.co.nz/Camps+and+Events/Kids+Camps.html

    Supporting Success in your School
    If you are a parent, staff member or member of the school community and draw down a new ASB home loan of $150,000 or more, ASB will donate to your chosen participating school $500. Visit www.asb.co.nz/schoolbanking for more information.


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