Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 2 Week 9

We are racing towards the end of the term. Please remember that Monday coming, July 2nd, is a Teacher Only Day. Read on for important messages and celebrations.

Ski Day:

Our ski day is coming up in the third week of term 3, on Thursday August 9th. We have our parent helpers sorted and have raised $20 per child to reduce the cost of the day to $30 per child! We now need every family to complete this form for their child. If you have more than one child in the hub, please fill the form in twice.

Disco:

Our school disco is this Friday. We would love to see as many of our children coming along between 7:30 and 8:30pm. Bling, water and food will be available for purchase. Please come into the hall to collect your child at 8:30pm.

Sleep Research:

Many thanks for your support with reminding the children to fill out their sleep slips last week. On Wednesday we will be forming sleep goals. This will involve using what has been learnt in research to improve the sleep experience. Sleep slips will be coming home on Wednesday, Thursday and Tuesday next week. Please talk with your child about their sleep goal tomorrow evening and what changes they will be making to their routine.

Science and Maths Badges:

There are a number of children in the hub who are working through maths and science badges, for the pleasure of learning and also to earn points for their 'we love learning' badge. If your child would like to do a badge, please check out these web-links to see what is on offer and then email one of us with their preference. Science badges are $6 and Maths $10. Payment is required before we order the badge. 

• Science badges
• Maths achievement challenge

We Make a Difference:

We have been so impressed with the progress the children are making towards earning their Kete badges. Last week we presented another 5 badges in assembly. We are noticing an improvement in the quality of reflections the children are writing in their blogs, about the actions they have completed. 

Morvern has designed her own 'We Make a Difference' action. Read about her project below. You can support her initiative by purchasing her products at the school office.

Hello! I'm Morvern from the Kauri Hub and I am making some bags for Plastic Free July. Plastic Free July is trying to not use plastic for all of July, so it would be awesome if you could play your part and not use plastic bags, but reusable fabric ones. I have made these handy bags in two sizes. You can purchase bags for a gold coin, either one large bag or a bundle of 5 snack bags. Pay your money and select your bags from the honesty box in the school office. 100% of the money will go to Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue, who are saving bull breed dogs lives. Thank you for supporting them!

We love challenge too!

Yes, the staff love putting the kete into action as well.  We embraced the challenge and got there together! This is the end of our 'Mud, Sweat and Tears' experience last week ...

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 2 Week 8

We had a fabulous time creating artworks last week. Check out the animal faces at the bottom of this post. This week we are getting underway with our sleep investigation. Please check the details under sleep research below. I have heard that the camp books are in transit and expect them to arrive within the next week. As usual, it is all go in the Intermediate Hub!

Volleyball:

If your child is doing volleyball for their passion choice, and you haven't filled in the form about going to Cashmere High, please click this link now.

Sleep Research:

Recently we have been learning about the benefits of getting a great sleep and what factors contribute to sleeping well. We are now entering the sleep science phase. This involves the children recording the time they switch their light out to sleep and the time they wake in the morning. Today they will be bringing home a timing device and a sleep slip. They need to complete the sleep slip and return it to school tomorrow morning. New sleep slips will come home three days each week until the end of term. Please encourage / support your child to complete this and return it to school the next day. There is some time calculation required and some children may need help with this. If your child is having trouble setting their timer, there is a link on google classroom showing them how to do this.

Choir:

Well done to the choir. I have heard such good feedback about their singing and conduct last night. Many thanks for supporting them at home to learn their lyrics.

PJs and canned food tomorrow: Thursday

Tomorrow the student council are running a pyjama day to celebrate winter solstice and our current sleep inquiry. A porridge breakfast is available in the hall from 8am, BYO bowl, spoons are provided. Please bring a can of food to donate to Methodist Mission. This will go in food parcels to single mothers.

Reminder: Tuesday 26th June - School will close for formal instruction at 12:30pm

Due to the Paid Union Meeting for teachers in Christchurch that will be happening on the afternoon of Tuesday 26th June, we will be skeleton staff (Principal and Teacher aides only) from 12:30pm due to our teachers all needing to attend the union meeting. We are requesting that you pick up your children at 12:30pm that day, or contact the office to let us know they will be staying at school so we can arrange supervision.

Living our Kete:

Each week we allocate 40 minutes to working on kete badges. Many of our children are doing great things in and out of school that count towards their kete badges. These include:

• scouts and guides etc
• sports teams
• dancing 
• 40 hour Famine
• representing school at zone sports
• singing in a choir
• helping at Treemendous...

We talked about this today and also about being reflective when you blog about what you have done. We showed the children some blog posts that have been done well, to give them an idea of what is expected. Some children are on a roll with completing great blog posts and earning badges. Others need a bit of prompting. It would be good to have a conversation about this at home and to ask your child to show you their blog.

Here are some recent blog posts from our tamariki ...

40 Hour Famine:
On Friday the 8th of June I started the 40 Hour Famine. Most people started at 6pm, but I started at 8pm, until 12pm on Sunday the 10th. The 40 Hour Famine is run by World Vision, and this year they did it for South Sudan. South Sudan is the newest country in the world, separating from Sudan only on July 9th, 2011(newest countries in the world link here) and are already struggling. So that's where we come in! I did the 40 hour famine for: no furniture, living out of a backpack(except for water), no technology, sleeping on a box(I unfolded the box)on the floor, and no shouting. That's five things! I ended up getting most of my aunties and uncles to sponsor me, and my mum and dad and brother, and I ended up getting $51.80! I hope they raise enough money to give some families homes and food. I may have had a few times where I messed up, like when I accidentally sat on the couch, or ate a thing that wasn't in my backpack. When I added up all the time that I spent sitting on the couch or eating something I wasn't supposed to, it was only about 1-2 minutes. But since I felt really bad for messing up, I decided to do 30 minutes extra. Can't wait until next year's famine! (Morvern)

We get there together: Football
Every Saturday I turn up to my Football games excited and ready to go. I decided to play Football on Saturdays because I enjoy getting up and doing stuff in the morning and I love Football, to watch it and to play it. Football is one of those things which is good for you and fun to do as well. I play in the CTFC 12th grade green team, we play 9-a-side with 3 subs (we sub every quarter), and everytime we are subbed we make sure to cheer the team on. We go to the game 30 minutes before kick-off so we have time to warm up and practice, we always play in different positions to make sure everyone has an equal turn in all the different positions they want to play in. On Thursdays we come to training for a good 1hr 15m practice where we must show our full commitment or we won't be able to play in our favoured position. I also go to the CTFC Academy on Mondays as well to work on my skills and get better at the sport, academy starts at 4.00 and ends at 5.15, which gives me a lot of time to work on my skills. (Daniel S)

We are building up a collection of lunch boxes in the hub. Can you spot one of yours below? 

Kauri Whānau Term 2 Week 7: Weekly Update

Treemendous Makeover:

We are very much looking forward to Friday and Saturday of this week, when our Treemendous Makeover hits its climax. On Friday morning we will be learning with The Bug Man and The Shark Man. We will learn about the impact our actions have on the environment, as well as lots about our creepy crawly friends. 

We hope you have got our makeover written into your Saturday diary. If winter sport is also on your schedule, we would very much appreciate you dropping in before or after, to plant a shrub or two.  Just bring your shovel, spade or trowel. The makeover runs from 9 till 12, followed by a sausage sizzle. Do come along and join the fun.

High School Applications:

We are currently busy writing school reports. These will be sent home at the end of term 2, in time to be included, where required, with high school enrolments. If you require yours earlier, please make contact with your child's home-group teacher now. 

40 Hour Famine:

It's been fantastic hearing all the stories of tamariki participating in the 40 Hour Famine last weekend. Those who took part should be very proud of their efforts to help the children of South Sudan. The final step of the process is to collect in sponsorship money and return it to school. All books and money need to be back by Tuesday 3rd July at the absolute latest. 

Art Week:

Every term we have an art week, which we are currently in the middle of. We love to offer the children choice in their learning, and have offered them a choice of projects for this week, (well a second choice for many as painting was the preference of 90%). The children are busy painting animal faces, drawing morphed insects and creating Matariki kites.  Drop into our hub later in the term to see what they have created, on display. 

Choir:

I am writing this blogpost at Hillview, listening to the children rehearse for next week's choir performances on Tuesday the 19th and Wednesday the 20th or June. Tickets are now available to purchase from the school office. 

Kauri Whānau Weekly Update: Term 3 Week 6

Last week we wrapped up our Treaty of Waitangi workshops. These sessions gave the children great insight into the history of our country. We have also welcomed an ASB facilitator into our hub to share a practical session on financial literacy. The children have just finished a free choice writing topic and tomorrow we will have our motivation session, which will lead to opinion based writing.

Communication:

From time to time we have issues with communication pathways at school. It would make life much more straight forward if you called Jacky in the office if:

• you are dropping your child off at South on Tuesday mornings.
• you need to get a message to your child during the school day.

Choir:

The choir are busy practising for their upcoming concerts on Tuesday the 19th and Wednesday the 20th of June at Hillview. All children in the choir, which is most of our hub, need to be at both concerts. Each student will be allocated two tickets per night, at a cost of $5 per ticket. There may be some spare tickets. These can be purchased from the school office from next Tuesday, June 12th. It is very important that the children are practising the songs at home. Jarred has sent them an email with instructions to sign up to a new google classroom, with the code bluzoap. This will give them access to Kauri choir music. 

Camp Photo Book:

Thanks to those of you who have completed the form to order your camp photo book. If you planned to do this, but haven't, now would be a good time. Orders close on Friday. Please click on this link. 

Volleyball Passion Group

Cashmere High School have offered an after school coaching session to our passion group to further promote the sport and make connections between the two schools. This will be an optional after school activity on Thursday the 21st of June. The children will be transported by car to Cashmere straight after school by adult helpers. Once there, their senior volleyball team will run a coaching session and play a mixed, friendly game. This season will finish at about 4:30. A form will be put in the next blog for you to indicate wether your child will be attending and if you are able to provide transport. 

Sport:

The children are loving their winter sport experience at Hagley Park. Here is some of the action from netball and hockey...