Tena Koutou Parents, Caregivers and Whanau.
Hello everyone,
Kia ora e hoa mä.
Mā te tuakana ka tōtika te teina, mā te teina ka tōtika te tuakana
(From the older sibling the younger learns how to do it, from the younger sibling the older learns how to be tolerant/everyone has responsibilities, both the old and the young.)
Mud!
The school grounds are very wet, therefore children get muddy and wet at break times and bring the mud back into the classrooms. Please pack spare clothes in your child's bag for them to get changed into or put over the top of muddy legs and feet.
Speeches
All Year 5, 6, 7, and 8 students will be presenting their speeches next Term in Week 3 on Thursday 12 August in Room 2 at 9am. Information will be sent home by classroom teachers with specifications around student’s speeches. Speeches are to be written at home.
Junior children will present their speeches mid next Term. Information will be sent home by teachers when junior children need to write their speeches.
Sexuality Education
Sexuality Education will be taught to all students next Term in Weeks 1 - 3. If you wish to know the content being taught you are welcome to come in and speak to your child’s teacher.
Under Section 51 of the Education and Training Act 2020, parents or caregivers may write to the Principal requesting to have their child excluded from any particular element of sexuality education in a health and education programme.
Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
We have invested in an app for scheduling school interviews. Please schedule your times to meet with teachers to discuss progress and achievement. All children are required to attend these, as they are about their learning.
Appropriate Use of Phones by Children
It has been brought to my attention that children may be sending inappropriate ‘snapchats’ or brief videos of themselves to other children.
Please check in with your child around this and discuss what to do if they do get sent an inappropriate message, clip, or picture.
Next term John Parsons, cyber safety expert, is visiting our school, so I will ask him to cover this area of safety with all children.
School Values Awards
At Riversdale School children are awarded House Points for displaying the school values of; respectful, responsible and resilient. Children are working towards achieving values targets.
50 House Points = Bronze Values Award.
100 House Points = Silver Values Award.
150 House Points = Gold Values Award.
Congratulation to Zachary, Cristofe, Hennessy, Billie-Mya, Isabella, Blake, Quinn, Max, Olivia, Bailley, Lily, Hunter, Adam, Liam, Rylan, Carter and Amelia who have received their Bronze
School Values Award for earning 50 House Points in 2021. Ka Pai!
Disco
The senior students organized a great disco last Friday. It was great to see lots of students there having fun. A big thank you to Rob for being the Disco DJ. The lights and music were fantastic! We appreciate you kindly donating your time and equipment for the school disco.
Board Corner
The Board welcomed Tess Livingstone from the Education Review Office to their meeting. Tess outlined the new operating model for ERO and gave feedback around the early review sections of the Board Assurance Audit. The Board and Tess discussed the focus for Riversdale School’s review, which is Literacy. Tess will be partnering with the school for the next three years and gaining assurance that all programmes and processes are as they should be. This is a journey of continuous improvement.
The current roll is 125 beautiful students.
Staff have completed reports; these will be sent home on Friday 9 July. The Board acknowledged the hard work of the staff in writing these and sincerely thanks them for this.
Parent/Child/Teacher Interviews are on the first Monday and Tuesday next term. All parents should have used the app to book their times.
The Board attended Professional Development on New Zealand History with Tamsin Hanley. The curriculum is legislated to be taught as from the beginning of 2022. This school is well resourced to implement the New Zealand History Curriculum.
Thank you to all parents who attended the Strategic Planning meeting last Friday. The Board will be putting together your ideas and threading them into the Strategic Plan.
Health and Physical Education Consultation. Pam will be putting a box that you can respond in on School Stream. This should make the process of giving feedback much easier.
The Board received the 10 Year Property Plan.
Uniforms. Discussion was held about the possibility of school uniforms. The Board will be holding a special meeting early next term to develop a survey.
Audit Arrangements 2021 until 2023. The Board is delighted with BDO as our school auditors. We hope that the Auditor General reappoints them to this role.
The hall wall and the guttering will be cleaned with a high pressure hose.
The Board will be receiving a quote to remove the hedge and replace it with a fence.
Underneath the ropes needs fill; the Board will action this.
Faul’s will be coming to check the heating at school.
Meeting closed at 6:40pm.
Next meeting Monday 23 August.
Please return Pool Keys to the School Office.
Values Certificates
The following students received certificates for displaying the Riversdale School values of being respectful, resilient, and responsible. Ka Pai! You all displayed the school values so well last week.
Room 1 Rylan, Ella, Ming.
Room 3 Luca, Olivia, Mason.
Room 4 Ella, Jaelyn, Aaron.
Room 5 Georgia, Winter, Evie.
Room 7 Blaine, Blake, Quinn.
Coming Up…
Thursday 1 July - Community Assembly in the School Hall at 1:30pm, hosted by Room 5. All Welcome.
5 July until 8 July - Year 7/8 camp.
Friday 9 July - Last day of Term 2.
Monday 26 July - First day of Term 3.
26 and 27 July - Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews.
