Kia ora Whānau,

It has been a busy and productive couple of weeks to wrap up the term for the Pōhutukawa team! From testing our academic limits to sharpening our skills on the sports field, our students have been giving it their all right up to the final bell.

Here is a quick update on what’s been happening across our team:

Kiwi Competitions Update

This week, many of our students stepped up to the challenge for the annual Kiwi Competitions.

Completed This Week: Maths, English, and science. A huge congratulations to everyone who participated. We saw some fantastic focus and critical thinking on display.

Coming Up Later: If your child is signed up for the spelling competition, please note this will be held later in the year.

Sphero Bolts

In our CCC lessons, we have been putting our digital technologies skills to the test by programming Sphero Bolts. The students have been working hard to code their mini robotic spheres, learning how to control their speed, direction, and angles to navigate them successfully along a custom-designed race track. It has been brilliant to see their problem-solving and teamwork in action.

Canterbury Softball Visits

Last week, we wrapped up our final session with Canterbury Softball. Over the two visits, the coach worked with our students to develop their throwing, catching, and batting skills.

It has been fantastic to watch the students' confidence grow on the field, and they thoroughly enjoyed learning these new skills. A massive thank you to Canterbury Softball for their time and energy!

Homegroup Moves

Just a quick heads-up that most of our home groups have now moved into new learning spaces for the second half of the year. The students have settled into smoothly and are really excited about the change.

Thank you for your ongoing support throughout this term. We hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and relaxing school holiday break with your families. We look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Term 3!

Warm regards,

The Pōhutukawa Team

Ngā mihi e te whānau,

It has been fantastic to see so many smiling faces back in the Pōhutukawa hubs as we kick off Week 1 of the new term! There is always such a great buzz in the air as students reconnect with friends and settle back into their school routines. We have spent the last few days sharing holiday stories and setting our intentions for the exciting learning ahead.

Please read on for some important updates and a look at what we have been learning over the past few days.

ANZAC Biscuits

Throughout the week, our spaces have been filled with the delicious, buttery aroma of ANZAC biscuits! As part of our wider learning about the significance of ANZAC Day and the history of our servicemen and women, homegroups have rolled up their sleeves to try their hand at this traditional recipe. It has been a wonderful way to blend practical kitchen skills with a bit of history, as the tamariki learned why these sturdy treats were so important back then.

We have included some photos below of some of our flour-dusted chefs in action.

Random Chat Online

How do random chat websites work? And what are the risks for tamariki using them?

Random chat websites, like Chatroulette, pair users randomly through text or webcam conversations. The appeal is getting to talk to someone new that the user would never meet. But these websites are designed for adults and often allow nudity and other inappropriate content from users.

If you’re concerned that your young person might be exposed to these sites or you want to introduce parental controls, you can find out more on Netsafe’s Random Chat Websites page.

Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all

Camp

Warm regards

The Pōhutukawa Teaching Team

Chris, Rae, Gayle, Megan, Nick, Georgie, Stacy and Laura