Kahikatea News Term 4 Week 6

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Kia ora whānau, 

Here we are in Week 6, this term has been zooming along! A special thanks to those of you who assisted us during the swimming sessions in Weeks 3 and 5. The kids were all amazing due to the fantastic organisation and your support. We will have swimming again for Kahikatea and Kowhai in 2026. 

Upcoming events: 

  • Celebrations Assembly - these will be every Friday at 10am until the end of the school year 
  • Kapa Haka - Sarah and Ella's groups will resume weekly lessons with Whaea Kath. These are held in the school hall on Friday
  • Whānau Thank You -  Friday 29th November 8.15am - 9am (invitations for this have already been sent out to whanau)
  • Kahikatea End of Year Performance - Thursday 12 December 2-3pm (in the school hall) 


Transition Visits

During weeks 7, 8, and 9, our Year 2 tamariki will visit the Kowhai hub to familiarise themselves with the spaces and the different resources/play activities they can engage in when they become Year 3s in 2025. These are important visits, and your child/ren may have questions about next year, and we will do our best to answer them! Some children will need more visits than others, and each teacher has a plan for them. Class placements and teachers are still being finalised. 


Staying Safe Online

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.

Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone who isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and what whānau can do to educate kids.


Check out the link https://netsafe.org.nz/grooming-and-online-predators/


End of Year Performance 


We are learning two songs for our EOY performance. Please encourage your child/ren to practise! 


UNITY  & Seven Continents 




More Magic Swimming Moments



















Pōhutukawa Update, Term 4, Week 6

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 Ngā mihi e te whānau, warm greetings to you all,

We hope you all enjoyed the long weekend, and with Show Day now behind us it means we are well past the halfway mark of the term, and find ourselves with less than 4 school weeks left in the year! You will have received your tamariki's end-of-year school report, and we hope you have had the opportunity to sit down and read through this together with them. As you will know, the General Comment from their homegroup teacher is written directly to your child and is a summation of the highlights and the successes of their year with us. It's also a wonderful opportunity to read and reflect on 2024 as well as look ahead to next year, be they staying in Pōhutukawa or moving on, and start to think about and discuss together some goals and aspirations they may have for 2025.

With all of that being said, it's very important to note that we are not yet at the end of the year and our message to the students continues to be that we have a lot of fantastic things to look forward to yet! You can read about them below, as well as some other important information. Thank you for your continued support, and good luck to all of our athletes competing at the Canterbury Athletics on Wednesday. Nau mai te wero, bring on the challenge!

Transition Visits

As busy as it is at the end of the year, we are also preparing our students for next year with 'Transition Visits'. Next week we will be giving the 2025 Year 6's a chance to be with our incoming 2025 Year 5's as a cohort and have a Learning Through Play session together. As well as this, our outgoing Year 6's will be spending 2 mornings in the Kauri team to learn about their programme and will spend a morning with next year's Year 8 students. These visits are a valuable chance for the tamariki to reconnect with some of their friends, and ask some questions they may have about 2025. We encourage you to talk with your tamariki about these visits and start the conversations about 2025 if you feel they're ready. Any momentum we can build now to set everyone up for a successful start to next year is gold. Mā tātou katoa te waka e hoe, we are all rowing the waka together.

Navigating the Journey

Our Navigating the Journey programme continues to roll along, we are into Growing and Changing - Te tipu me te huri o te tangata now, and our key concepts are again attached. Thanks as always for your continued support in continuing the discussions we have at school at home, too.

Cycle Safe Programme (Year 6 only)
During weeks 8 and 9 (December 2 - 10) our Year 6 students will be involved in the Cycle Safe Programme provided by the Christchurch City Council. Cycle Safe is a cycle skills education programme for schools. Students learn the benefits of cycling and how to ride with confidence and be road-wise. All Year 6 students will participate in this course and the instructors cater to all cycling abilities. Your child should have brought home a permission slip for you to sign and return to school.

Next week we will be sending some more information home about which days your child will be participating.

You can find out more information about the programme here https://ccc.govt.nz/transport/getting-around/getting-to-school/resources-for-schools/cyclesafe/ If you have any questions about the programme, please get in touch with your homegroup teacher.

Pioneer Basketball Opportunities

Pioneer Basketball have 2 Upcoming 3x3 Tournaments and a Girls Overnight Program.
 
Pacers 3x3 Girls Year 5-8 Tournament
- 6th December 4pm - 6:30pm
- Individual entries
- @ Pioneer Stadium
 
Pacers 3x3 Boys Year 5/6 Tournament
- 13th December 4pm - 8pm
- Individual entries
- @ Hillmorton High (New Gym)
 
TCP Girls Sleepover (WEBSITE LINK)
- 21st-22nd January 12pm-12pm
- Individual entries
- @ Cracroft Girl Guide Center
 
Any questions or for further information please email Ollie Wilkinson at ollie@pioneer.nz.basketball
 
Ngā mihi o ngā rā whakatā, enjoy your weekend everyone,
 
The Pōhutukawa team

Koru Team News: Term 4, Week 6 (22/11/2024)

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 Kia ora e te whānau,

As we start to get to the end of term 4, we look back on and celebrate the awesome year we have had in the Koru team! The tamariki have settled into school beautifully, formed wonderful connections with their peers, and have adjusted well to school life. These last few weeks of term will be rather busy, but full of lots of fun!

We welcome Jasper, Kanoa, Olena, and Max who have started over the last few weeks, to our Koru team. They have all made a positive and happy start to school! Well done, tamariki!

Life Education

This blog post is focused on our time in the Life Education classroom that we have had over the past few weeks. We had two sessions which focussed on Big Emotions and the Qualities of a Good Friend. In these sessions, our tamariki met Harold the giraffe, and spent time with Helly, the educator in the special Life Education van. In our Big Emotions session, our tamariki learnt about the different emotions we feel and some strategies we can implement to try to move out of being in a 'stuck' feeling back into a 'stay' feeling. In our Qualities of a Good Friend session, our tamariki focused on "growing" a friend, and discussing the different attributes a good friend needs. We also heard some funny jokes from Harold, as well as having an awesome Disco party to finish our last session. 

The sessions were really enriching and engaging for our tamariki. Below are some photos of our time in the Life Education classroom.
















Reminders:

  • Our last day for school this year is Tuesday 17th December. School will finish at 12:30p.m. on this day.
  • Reports have gone out on Hero, so please check this out if you have not done so already. A reminder not all children will be receiving an end of year report. 
  • We're loving this warmer weather! Thank you so much for sending your children to school with sunblock and their hats. Remember - no hats, no play!
Staying Safe Online: Online Grooming 

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.


Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone who isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and what whānau can do to educate kids.


Check out the link here.



Have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday!
Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou,
Georgia, Stacey, Elizabeth and Nicola



Kōwhai News Term 4 Week 6

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Kia ora Kōwhai Whānau!

We are having a fabulous Term 4. 

A reminder that all students need to have a hat at school each day or they will not be able to play in the sun. 

Thank you to all the families who have clearly named their hats. This makes them so much easier to be returned to the correct person should they go missing.

Word of the Week

Our word of the week is RESILIENCE. Resilience is the ability to bounce back after challenges and through tough times. It is a skill that we frequently revisit with the students as they tackle new challenges daily at school and in life in general. 

Nau mai te wero! (We Love Challenge)

Swimming

Last week was our final week of school swimming for the term. Our students had a great time learning new water skills and how to be safe both in and around water. The life jackets and inflatable boat were a big hit with the students.










Poetry

During our literacy lessons, students are currently exploring different types of poetry. Poems are a great way to express yourself in written form and the topics and types of poetry are endless. We are having so much fun exploring this genre.

Maths Learning

Here's a notice, think, wonder picture to get your math brain activated.

In regards to the picture:
- What do you notice?
- What do you think?
- What do you wonder?
- Where is the maths / what maths could you explore from the picture?

Cyber Safety

Staying Safe Online: Online Grooming 

As young people become more independent online, they can connect and communicate with people they don’t know.

Often this is a positive experience, but sometimes your tamariki could be being groomed or talking to someone who

isn’t who they say they are. Netsafe’s advice explains how unwanted contact works, including grooming and what

\whānau can do to educate kids.


Check out the link here.


Thanks!

Team Kōwhai,

Anna R, Rowe, Nick, Anna M, Krystal and Tracey

Kauri Whānau Update: Term 4, week 6

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 In this blog post:

  • Production
  • Victoria Park Walk
  • Year 8 Pool Party
  • Cass Bay
  • Leavers Farewell

We have an extremely busy time ahead; here are some important dates and information for you.



Production: Held in the school hall Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December-7pm!
We are busy gearing up for our production-'A walk through Aotearoa, New Zealand History.' This production has got our tamariki fizzing; it is student-led, and everyone has been very engaged. We are currently busy learning lines, dances, songs, and making props.
More to come from homegroup teachers about what students will need for costumes.
Students will need to be at school by 6:30pm both nights.


Victoria Park Walk:

We are carrying out our annual hike up to Vic Park on Monday the 9th December. Thank you to all of the parents who have said they can come and help. If you would like to accompany us please fill in this parent helper form HERE.

We will leave school at 10am and leave Vic Park to return at 1:30pm.

I have attached the SOCIAL STORY link, which has all of the relevant information. We will start to go through this with our homegroups over the next couple of weeks.



Year 8 Pool Party:
This is also happening on Monday, 9th of December, and is for our Year 8 students only.
We are going to meet at Waltham Pool from 4-6pm; students need to make their own way there and home.
Students' need to provide pool entry of $3.80 and $2 for the use of the hydroslide if they choose.
We will provide a sausage sizzle on the BBQ.
They will sleep well on Monday night!



Cass Bay:
We are heading to Cass Bay on Thursday, 12th of December. We will leave school by bus at 11pm and return at 3pm.
Students are encouraged to wear their togs underneath their activewear so that they can quickly get changed at Cass Bay.
Students need a big packed lunch; they can organise to share a lunch with friends. Please make sure all sharing food is nut-free.
They also need a sunhat (compulsory) sunscreen, any medication such as inhalers, a towel, and a warm jacket.
Optional: A book, card game, water shoes, long-sleeved rashshirt are a great idea, and shoes for around and on the rocks.
Phones are to be left at school as normal.
We will be working through a social story around this trip over the next couple of weeks.
We still need a few more parent helpers for this trip; we're not quite there with numbers for our student-to-adult water ratio. Please use the above form linked in the Victoria Park walk blurb if you can come!

Leavers' Farewell-Year 8 parents only:
This is to be held on Monday, 16th of December, at 11am in our school hall. It is followed by a luncheon. This is the final day for our Year 8 students.
Please indicate on this FORM whether you are able to attend  and if you have any dietry requirements.


Thanks for reading to the bitter end; there is a lot of information, and I will keep sharing it until closer to the time.