Farewell: Sophia Rose Silcock
Tena Koutou Parents, Caregivers and Whanau.
Hello everyone,
Kia ora e hoa mä.
Tōtika – Balance
Mahia i runga i te rangimārie me te ngākau māhaki
With a peaceful mind and respectful heart, we will always get the best results
Pink Shirt Day
It’s tomorrow - 17th of May. Please wear something pink to show your support and acknowledge that we are an anti-bullying school. Room 7 are going to collect a gold coin donation that will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation.
New School Phone Number – 027 555 3534. Please delete all previous numbers and only use this number, or the landline, to contact the school for messages, absences, or to talk with staff. The landline is still 03 2025 814.
The newsletter is being published on our website
You will be able to find it there, and all previous weeks ones as well. Shortly we will move to just publishing it there… but we
will let you know when this is happening.
Please return all pool keys to Riversdale Service Station or the School NOW. Thank you.
Coming up this term:
Thursday 23 May Waimea Cross Country – all children attend. Held at Waikaia.
Monday 27 May Board of Trustees meeting, 7.30pm at school. All welcome.
Wednesday 29 May Teacher Strike. School Closed.
Thursday 30 May Community Assembly at 1.30pm in the school hall.
Monday 3 June Queens Birthday observed. School closed.
Thursday 6 June Northern Cross Country.
Monday 10, 17, 24 June Senior children at badminton skills sessions.
Wednesday 19 June Home and School AGM.
Friday 21 June Southland Cross Country at Waimumu.
Thursday 27 June Community Assembly at 1.30pm in the school hall.
Friday 28 June School Reports and children’s workbooks are sent home.
Friday 28 June School Disco 6.30pm until 8.00pm in the school hall.
Monday 1 July Parent/Child/Teacher Interviews from 3.15pm.
Tuesday 2 July Parent/Child/Teacher Interviews from 3.15pm.
Friday 5 July Last day of Term 2.
Monday 22 July Term 3 starts.
Thursday 25 July John Parsons, Cybersafety expert, at school working with teachers and children. Parents also welcome to come along.
Board of Trustees Elections
Close Main Roll Noon Wednesday 8 May, 2019
Call for Nominations by Friday 10 May, 2019
Close Supplementary Roll Noon Wednesday 22 May, 2019
Nominations Close Noon Friday 24 May, 2019
Voting Papers sent by Wednesday 29 May, 2019
Election Day (voting closes) Noon Friday 7 June 2019
Count Votes Thursday 13 June, 2019
Board takes office Friday 14 June 2019
Please consider standing for the Board …. if you would like anyinformation about the role of a Trustee, give one of our currenBoard members a call. (Emma Smaill, Andrew Allan, Richard Clarkson, Sonia Dillon and Gavin Tayles).
Home and School AGM
Wednesday 19 June, Waikaia Hotel
Meal at 6pm, followed by the meeting at 7.30pm.
Waimea Cross Country
Where: Waikaia
When: Thursday 23 May
Time: 1:00pm sharp
You must contact the bus driver if your child is off the bus.
On Thursday 23 May all of our children will travel to Waikaia for the Waimea Schools Cross Country. The Cross Country is held at the property of Mr Ray Ferguson on Blakie Road, it is signposted from the Waikaia Bridge (refer to the map above). We ask that parents please provide transport. If you are unable to do this please find a ride with someone else for your child/ren, and send a note to school advising us of this. Teachers will be able to transport a small number of children.
Cross Country is not an optional event – every child displays our school vision and values by participating and doing their best. Each child who does their best and competes receives House Points.
Children come to school as normal, by bus or walking/biking. We will depart from school at 12:20pm to arrive at Waikaia by 12:45pm. Children will have an early lunch prior to leaving school. Please meet your child at the front or back school gate.
The 5 year old children are the first to race, with 6 years, then 7 years and so on up. Last are the 12 and 13 year olds. Ages are as at 31 December 2019, and will be written on children’s hands by their teacher.
Upon arrival children must line up in an orderly manner, in their age groups, and racing will commence. At the end of each race the first ten or so boys and girls are lined up in finishing order and their names recorded.
Once your child/ren have run, you are free to take them home.
Please ensure your child has warm clothing, a change of footwear (including socks) as it can be very wet underfoot, and a jacket and hat to put on. It may be appropriate for them to run wearing a hat if it is very cold. Also ensure that they do have a drink for when they finish the race. Gym shoes are worn to run in, as per Southland Primary School rules.
Toilets are back in the township beside the Waikaia Store.
If you have any questions regarding cross country please either ask your child’s teacher, or phone the school. We look forward to a fine day, and encouraging each of our children to do the best that they can.
You must contact the bus driver if your child is off the bus
Teacher’s Industrial Action – 29 May
You will have heard via TV news and other media, that teachers across New Zealand are taking industrial action and striking for better conditions, more support from the Ministry of Education, and pay.
This industrial action is a ‘land mark’ as it involves both the PPTA (secondary teachers union) and the NZEI (primary teachers, early childhood, and support staff union). Never before have both unions come together to signal to the Government that there is an URGENT NEED to address the issues facing teachers now.
New Zealand is facing a crisis in education on a number of fronts:
· Severe teacher shortage.
· Lack of funding and support for our most needy children, both behavioural and educational.
· Lack of support for social challenges and catering for child well-being.
· Lack of support for teachers facing abusive children (and at times, a minority of parents).
· Teachers feeling undervalued, as pay is much higher in the private sector.
The government have tried to address some of the issues, for example, by bringing in a number of overseas teachers. However, there are challenges with this strategy, as these teachers may not have a high level of English, and have not trained in our education system. Our children are very different from those in other countries.
The most valuable contribution to the future of our country lies in the hands of our young people; as our mission says “Today’s learners, Tomorrow’s leaders”.
Let’s stand together to improve conditions for our teachers, so we can attract and retain our brightest and best people into the profession.
Amazing Autumn Complex Sentences from our
Room 1 children
We learned that complex sentences have a main clause, and subordinate clauses, must have a comma, and can start with an AAAWWUBBIS word.
When the coffee club causes catastrophe, it’s hard to admire the mountainous horizon. - Jake
As I go to school, I see all the leaves dangling off the trees. - Quinn
When the cows were walking out of the shed, it was like kids in the playground. - Zohan
As I get on the bus, I look outside my window, and I see the cold naked trees. - Billie-Mya
As I feel the crisp air on my nose, I spin around, in delight! - Khloe
As autumn comes, the leaves swirl a painting on the ground. - Adam
As I walk to school, leaves fall on me, and they tickle me. - Hennessy
As Freckle drives down the road, I notice the beautiful yellow and orange leaves, falling from a tree. - Dillon
When I went to school, I saw the beautiful leaves rustling in the wind, but it is not cold. - Charlie
While I was admiring the fabulous views, I realised there were mushrooms growing on the lawn. - Ella
As the morning arrives, cold breezes boom into action, and the wind turns my hands red. - Zyrhon
When I got to the shop it was 9am, so I pedalled faster. - Dakota
As the leaves fall down to the ground, a warm breeze blows into my face, carrying the smell of the hillside. - James
As I walked outside into the cold breeze, I see a beautiful pile of different coloured autumn leaves. - Alyssa
As summer blows away, Autumn sets in. Leaves are falling of the near-naked trees, twirling like a ballerina. - Ebony
It looked like the sheep had dragged their dirty footprints up the lane. - Casey
As I walk, I see the leaves pushing themselves off their trees. - Blake
Before the leaves came off, they were frosty and cold. - Bella
Since autumn has arrived, multi-coloured leaves dance their way down from the trees. - Blaine
When I bike to school, the leaves fall on my head. – Jack
Minutes from the Riversdale Home and School Meeting held on Wednesday 10th April 2019 at the Riversdale School Hall after Assembly.
President opened the meeting at 2.55pm.
Present: Kylie Tyles (President), Wendy Scully (Vice-President), Emily Hawker (Treasurer), Kelly-Anne Blatch (Event and Social Communications Co-ordinator), Jane Lawrence (Secretary), Tracey Miller, Rachael Nicholson, Jo Clarkson, Janine Marshall, Emma Smaill, Isabelle Frei and Jordan McLeod.
General
ChatBus. Emma Smaill discussed a proposal that has been sent to Riversdale School called ChatBus Counselling for Children. ChatBus is a professional, mobile counselling service for children under 14 years of age, working through Primary and Intermediate Schools.
ChatBus counsellors work one to one with the children, and with groups as required, within the safe and confidential environment of the bus. The bus visits the school at the same time each week. Children can self refer, and other referrals can be made by school staff, parents, or other professionals.
ChatBus began in 2008, as a response to a spate of youth suicides in Dunedin. If this proposal goes through the Home and School may be asked for funding for the ChatBus.
Tracksuits. Kylie has received quotes for Canterbury tracksuits including logo and signage.
Kylie moved to put $10,000 towards purchasing tops and bottoms with signage on them for tracksuits, seconded Rachael Nicholson.
Fruit Trees. Kylie moved to purchase apple and pear trees for the School up to a value of $200.00, seconded Wendy Scully.
Home and School AGM, Wednesday 19th June at Waikaia Hotel. There will be a 6:00pm meal at Waikaia Hotel followed by meeting at 7:30pm.
Meeting Closed at 3.14pm.
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