Writing Competition Opportunity

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EssayCompetition TwoLines
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, managed by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. Every year, it offers all Commonwealth youth aged 18 and under the opportunity to express their hopes for the future, opinions of the present, and thoughts on the past, through the written word. The competition will help to build confidence, develop writing skills, support creativity and encourage critical thinking, using literacy to empower young people to become global citizens.
If your child is keen on writing, they might like to enter the competition.

Here are the options for children under the age of 14.

Junior CategoryBorn after 31st May 2004 (under 14 years of age)
  1. What does a 'safer future' mean to you and your community? 
  2. Write a recipe for a common future: what ingredients will you need? What is the best method for making it? What will it look like?
  3. ‘A Day in the Life’. Imagine you are your country’s Head of Government for the day: how will you build a better future for young people?
  4. Our Common Earth.
Judges described entries to the competition in 2017 as ‘emotive’ ‘hauntingly assuring’ ’striking’ and as having ‘powerful narratives’, that ‘this letter should be read by everyone’. We expect a similarly high calibre of writing for 2018.

If you want further information, here is the link with all the details.

Kauri Whānau: Weekly Update Term 2 Week 3

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This week we welcome Sharon Tipene to our hub. Sharon will be working with our children to learn about the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand history, over the next three weeks. Each home-group will spend six 90 minute sessions with Sharon.

We are now building time into our classroom programme each week for the children to work towards their kete badges. These were introduced at learning conferences at the start of the year. It would be good to talk with your child about what they have planned to do and which badge they are working towards. It is optional to continue working this at home.

Comedy Evening:

Many thanks to those who have purchased tickets and offered to help with our Comedy Evening on Saturday. We now have 33 tickets left to sell. A final promote and purchase would be really appreciated.  We have sent home flyers to those who can advertise at work today. If you have offered a hamper item, please send it along to school tomorrow. We have a box for collection on the spotty table. If you offered to make a supper plate, please check the instructions that Leigh emailed through today.
Still to book your ticket? Click here now.

Cubby Holes:

We've had a few instances of things moving around in the cubby holes outside the hub. If you see anything come home that doesn't belong to your child can you please let us know - we've had a sketchbook and drawing implements misplaced and the student who they belong to would really like them back!

It's a good idea for students to bring their lunch boxes inside at the start of the day and keep anything special in their bucket as only one set of cubby holes is easily visible from inside the hub.

Winter Sport:

At last we are underway with winter sport this Friday. A huge thanks goes out to Jenny for her many hours of work to coordinate and prepare the teams, and also to those parents who will be giving their time to support teams. Without you our children would miss out on this opportunity. On Friday your child needs to come to school with their sport uniform, drink bottle, asthma inhaler, boots, mouthguard and shin pads, as appropriate.

Ski Trip

Many thanks to those who have offered to come on our ski trip. We now have plenty of helpers.

High School News:


Cashmere High School Open Day is on Tuesday May 22 from 4-6pm

Christchurch Steiner School Open Day is on Thursday May 24 from 9am - 3pm

Team Koru: Term 2 Week 1-2

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Notices 
* We are ready for parent helpers in Tahaka (Year 1-2 Hub). If you would like to come and join us on a one off or regular basis, please see or email your home group teacher.
* Swimming for Year 1-2 will run 28 May - 8 June. An email was sent this week. 

Reading for Pleasure 
Reading for pleasure has multiple benefits for happiness, wellbeing & success. Learn about the benefits of reading for wellbeing, and key strategies for engaging students in reading here.

Here are some happy snaps from our first fortnight back together: 

We Make A Difference 
Collecting rubbish on our own initiative, at lunchtime.

We Love Learning & We Get There Together
Developmental play / discovery time

  




  

 






   





We Get There Together & We Love Challenge
The Cross County run
   




 

Pōhutukawa – writing motivation and cross country tomorrow

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Hopefully your child/ren came home from school yesterday buzzing about the fun they had experienced during the writing motivation yesterday afternoon. We had such a great time!
At the beginning of the session the students were given a passport to enable them to travel between the four countries. They filled in the details on their passport and then had to answer two questions about each country (Japan, Italy, France and USA - Hawaii) before they received a stamp, which meant they could commence their travel. Whilst at each country, along with finding the answers to the passport questions, the children were able to watch a slideshow, listen to music, make a flag and sample delectable edible delights. There was a fabulous atmosphere in the hub as children learnt, munched and drank, all the while dressed in fabulous outfits or clothing from all around the world. Many thanks to those parents who sent along food, encouraged dressing up and supported the fun afternoon. We are very sure that the interest sparked yesterday will be translated into terrific writing! Most children will have decided which country they are going to research, so should be able to tell you at the dinner table.













Tomorrow is our cross country. This is a whole school event. We will be eating lunch at 12:15pm, and then having lunch play. We will take the roll at 1:10pm and then the students will all assemble on the field at 1:20pm for a briefing. The Year 7 and 8 students will be running first, with the Year 5 and 6 students following and then the Year 3 and 4 students after that. Everyone will be finished running by 3pm.

To prepare for this event it would be great if all children had a drink bottle at school, wore appropriate footwear for running and have with them an inhaler if they require one. They are able to change into sports clothing at lunchtime if they wish. If a student is unable to run the cross country due to illness or injury, a signed note is required from home to explain the situation.

Having the whole school participate in a sporting event is a new initiative. As our school wide focus is on sustainability we support the following school outcomes:

  • If we value our physical and mental well being we must act to sustain it. One way to sustain our health and well being is through regular physical exercise. 
  • Cross country running exercises the heart and lungs, developing our physical fitness. 
  • As we run, the body releases serotonin, a feel good hormone that can improve our mental well being. 
  • Cross country running will present a variety of challenges. Success can take on many forms, depending on the goals of each individual. Working to overcome challenge can increase resiliency, which is vital to our mental well being.
  • Being a part of something bigger than ourselves can support our well being. 

The desired outcome for this year’s whole school cross country is to:

  • Provide a platform for children to experience success in a sporting context - We love challenge
  • To promote sustaining a healthy and active lifestyle - We love learning
  • To demonstrate our school spirit - We make a difference
  • To foster tuakana teina - We get there together and We care
Good luck to all our runners in achieving their personal goal!

Image result for cross country running clipart