Koru 12 were the first class to return all of their spellathon cards and money. The children enjoyed a morning tea in the staff room last Friday, put on by the PTA. Thank you to all Koru 12 Parents for helping us win this lovely treat. The children had beautiful manners- passing around plates of food to their friends and taking one thing at a time!

Cupcake extravaganza:
Our grateful thanks to you all for your generosity and willingness to help and support our SPCA Cupcake fundraiser event. Not only did the children have a fantastic day (full of lots of amazing learning, and fun to boot!), but also we managed to raise well over $200 and rising! This wouldn't have been possible without your support - we do appreciate you! We are hoping to invite a representative from the SPCA to come to the whole school assembly in Week 9, which is being led by Te Whanau Koru children, and this is when we would like to present the money we raised.

So please note:
In Week 9, 18th September, the PRIDE assembly will be led by Te Whanau Koru students. You are warmly invited to attend (10:00 - 10:30 a.m.)

Cricket training:
Tomorrow (Tuesday, September 1st), following on from the huge success of the Cricket World Cup, Christchurch Metro Cricket will be visiting us to run sessions with the children teaching basic skills prior to the start of summer cricket later this year. They will provide contact information for the children about local cricket clubs. Tomorrow's session times will be:
Hub 11: 11:30 -12
Hub 10: 12 - 12:30
Hub 12: 1:30 - 2
Hub 13: 2 - 2:30

Quaky Cat Dress up Day:
This Friday, your children are invited to dress either in orange or as a cat (or both!). We will be reading Quaky Cat Helps Out, which links to our school values of 'We care', 'We get there together' and 'We make a difference'. A gold coin donation is requested.

Our writing focus areas this week are:

• Room 12 - explanation writing (how to make a web) 
• Room 10- information report writing (All About Spiders)Room 13
• Room 13 - character descriptions
• we shall also be making thank you cards for the PTA who have recently gifted some amazing equipment to us (train set, block sets, and a great deal of wonderful outdoor equipment too

Farewell:
It is with sadness that we have said goodbye to Angela Phuyel of Hub 10/11. Angela's family have moved over to Woolston and this is to be her new school. We wish the family all the best as they move into a new neighbourhood and a new school community.

Term 3 Week 5 News

Kia ora whanau,

Next week is our Cupcake Day - excitement is brewing in the Te Whanau Koru team! This is a fundraiser for the SPCA.  We will be selling our cupcakes to staff and the Year 5 and 6 students of the school. A notice has come out to parents this week asking for donations of pre-made, un-iced cupcakes.  Thank you so much to the parents who have returned their notices. We are also looking for donations of empty ice cream containers with lids.  If you have any of these available, please send along to school this week.

Learning Conferences
Learning conferences are being  held next week, Week 6.  School closes on both Tuesday and Thursday at 2.00 p.m.  If you need your child cared for at school until 3.00 p.m., please let Jacky in the office know by the end of this week.  The Learning Conferences are a wonderful opportunity for the children to share their learning and their learning goals.  Your child will be supported to lead their own conference. We would appreciate Learning Conferences  to be booked online by this Friday.  Please check your emails for the link.

Pride Assembly
We have Pride Assembly this week at 10.00 a.m. in the hall.  Everyone welcome.

Mutukaroa
Thank you so much for the resources that are being returned to school.  Please keep these coming in, so that our new children have activities to use.

Spell-athon
All children will be completing their Spell-athon testing this Friday.  The children will be bringing their completed cards home on Friday afternoon so that the sponsorship money can be collected and then returned to school.  No pressure, however, just a heads up...there is a prize for the first class to get all their sponsorship money back to school!

Friday afternoons:
We have noticed that many of our wee ones are becoming very keen to be involved in soccer, and we are suggesting that if children own soccer boots (or even if they don't - but perhaps send a spare pair of shoes along rather than risk masses of mud on footwear at hometime!), they can bring them along on Friday and we shall have a group of children playing soccer on the grass outside Rooms 1 - 4, at Friday Funday time after lunch.

Kind regards,
Amanda, Andrea, Jo, Cath, Rowe and Gail