Newsletter 12 October 2023

Kia ora TPS Whānau, 

Welcome to Term 4! We hope you all enjoyed a nice holiday break. Term 4 is looking to be another busy term filled with plenty of fun and impactful learning experiences for our children. With so much happening, please keep an eye out for extra communications that will come through via our newsletter and the HERO app. 

Staffing News

We would like to let you know that Mitchell Brennan, one of our Tūī teachers, will be leaving our kura at the end of this year. Mitchell has taught in Tūī D for the last two years and we have loved having him as part of our TPS community. It was a hard decision for Mitchell to make as he expressed that he has really enjoyed being part of our kura. However, new adventures await Mitchell in Wellington where he will continue his teaching career.

School Pool Update

After working closely with three different companies over the last 18 months, we are very excited to be swimming in our school pool again this term. Unfortunately, what started out as some routine maintenance after two lockdowns and some wild weather events turned into a much bigger and more expensive project. To date we have replaced three filters, two pumps and repaired the pool chlorinator. Delays with sourcing equipment and people power meant all of this work took much longer than expected, while rising inflation has meant increased costs. A huge thanks to Pool Magic who have gone above and beyond to ensure our learners are able to swim this term. Over the next few months we will continue to finish off a couple of pool projects but we do not anticipate that this will impact on the learners’ opportunities to swim. While it has been a lengthy and costly journey getting to this point, as a school we believe the pool is a valuable asset and we are committed to ensuring our learners are able to grow their confidence and water safety skills during their time at Takapuna Primary. 

School Carparks

You may notice some new signs around our school carpark areas. This is a timely reminder that the Collins and Killarney Street carparks are for staff and disabled parking only. There is also an area of the Anzac Street carpark that is for staff and permit holders only. You can continue to drop off your child in the safe areas marked in the Anzac Street carpark where there is also some visitor parking. We ask that if accessing the school from the Killarney Street carpark, and vice versa, you use the gate in front of Rooms 6A/B/C. By next Monday, all of our ākonga will have been shown the correct gate to use. The other gate to/from the Killarney Street carpark is for disabled access only.

Uniforms 2024

We are currently in the process of transitioning to a new uniform supplier. We would like to reassure you that there will be no change to the compulsory school uniform requirements and you can continue to order items in the same way via our school website. In fact, we will be able to offer a saving on some items that you purchase. However, there will be a change to the sports uniform top, effective from the start of 2024. From January 2024, you will be able to purchase the new-look sports top which is shown below. Children will also be able to continue to wear the previous style of sports top.

Photo Book – School Production

We had been working in conjunction with the S.C.G to produce a photo book of images from the school production. Unfortunately, the photos that were taken at the rehearsal were not of a good enough quality for us to be able to use so we have made the joint decision to not go ahead with the photo book. Later in the term, your child’s teacher will share a link with you to photos of their class and any other groups that they performed in. Please note that these photos are intended only for your family, and are not to be shared on any public or social media platform. 

Bike Track

In another piece of exciting news, we can confirm that we have a new bike track on the way! Earlier in the year, our school purchased a brand new bike storage container which is located on the field. This will be complimented by a new bike track, with the construction of it planned for the summer school holiday period. This will be a permanent track and will provide our ākonga with a new surface to ride on. We would like to thank the charity Bike On for their generous donation of $60,000 towards the construction of the track. Our Board will contribute the remainder of the cost.

Tūī Seating

It was also exciting to have some new outdoor furniture arrive that will be used mainly outside the Tūī learning space in the Rangitōtō building. The tables and seating will provide our tamariki with another place to eat their lunch and do their learning in the warmer months. We would like to thank the S.C.G for all their fundraising efforts which has enabled them to purchase this furniture for our kura.

Devika Tagg

Principal

STEM Learning for Term 4

In term 4, students at Takapuna Primary will be experiencing learning using a STEM approach. So what does STEM stand for, what does it look like and why are we taking this approach?

STEM stands for the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. When we employ a STEM approach to learning these subjects are integrated and applied to solving real world problems. Using STEM helps to show learners the ways that these subject areas can work together.

This term we will be using a STEM approach to investigate how water is a precious resource which needs to be protected, conserved and made sustainable. This year there have been a number of events such as flooding and pollution. They have had an impact on our community and made us realise just how important it is for our students to truly appreciate water and the role we have in protecting it as the treasure that it is.

Our school (kura) is on the edge of Lake Pupuke, a deep water lake that was once an important source of drinking water. We will be learning more about its history, its current health and its importance to our community. By understanding how we are part of the water cycle and the impact of this on our local sources of water, we can begin to understand how we can become guardians (kaitiaki) of our environment.

Getting water, storing it and distributing it to use for drinking, growing, and cleaning are problems that have long been on the minds of engineers, designers, scientists and mathematicians. We will be discovering how they have solved some of these problems in the past and how we can use this knowledge to meet our own challenges.

We hope that you will be able to join us later in the term to view and experience STEM learning with your child. Kiwi, Tūī and Kererū whānau will each have an open morning for you to see what we have been learning. There will be more information soon on dates and times.

If you are currently working in a STEM based role and would like to share your expertise with your child’s class, please get in touch with their teacher. 

Out of Zone Enrolments (those turning 5yr in 2024 only)

2024 (new entrant) BALLOT NOW CLOSED

Ballot (if required) will be drawn Wednesday 18 October 2023.

Parents will be informed of the results within 3 school days of the date above.

Enquiries to enrol@tps.school.nz 

General Reminders

Reporting Absences:

If your child is absent from school, this MUST be reported, along with the reason, BEFORE 9:00 am. Please note that an absence notice is a requirement of the Ministry of Education. If we do not receive confirmation of absence AND the reason, your child will be marked as “truant”. 

Picking up your child from school:

Could we also be mindful of the school policy with regards to picking up your child promptly at 3:00pm. Children who have not been picked up by 3:15pm will need to be placed in After School Care, where they can be supervised. We do not want to have to do this, as this will be at a cost to parents. 

Volunteer Required:

Are you able to assist us with our gardens? We are on the hunt for a wonderful volunteer within our community. Perhaps a grandparent or parent.

It would be a couple of hours each week. Your time is appreciated, so days and times are totally flexible. No heavy work, just general weeding and light pruning. 

Please email saraho@tps.school.nz

Sunblock Donations:

Would anyone in our wonderful community be in a position to donate bottles of sunblock to the school? This is used daily by students in each classroom through terms 1 – 4. 

Please contact office@tps.school.nz

Here is a photo of the nominated students who are working hard on developing their skills and knowledge of the Māori language. We celebrated their success during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori week in Term 3.

TPS Chess Champs!

At the end of term 3, TPS entered 2 teams into the Auckland Chess Champs Tournament at Willow Park Primary School. 

One of the teams was placed a commendable third and the second team came eighth place (out of 22 teams).

We received a trophy for our efforts. We are very proud of TPS’s achievements. A big thanks to Jeff and Jessie our parent helpers for their support on the day.

The teams were: Isabella, Arfa, Ian, and Kevin (team 1) and Ryan, Mana, Onyu and Iris (team 2)

Invitation to join the TPS ‘Friends of the Library:

Tasha and her Student Librarians work really hard to create a library we can be proud of – but some jobs just need adult help.

This year we started a ‘Friends of the Library’ group who meet Monday afternoons (2-3pm) to help cover seal the new books. At the moment our wonderful Cherrie, who is an amazing volunteer for many things at our school, is doing this job single-handedly and she could really use some support.

Could you come and help out? You do not need to be a fluent English speaker, you are welcome to use your first language to chat with others or put your headphones on! Tasha would teach you how to do the job initially so don’t worry if you have never coversealed a book before – it really is quite easy. 

The library is always a special place in a school. It opens up windows to the world and inspires learners to explore and achieve. Please email Tasha if you can invest any time to help.

natashag@tps.school.nz

Mitey – Mental Health Education:

Mitey is a New Zealand specific, Years 1-8 approach to embedding mental health education in both teaching and learning. It was developed by the Sir John Kirwan Foundation. Our kura is now in the second year on our Mitey journey.

Children will learn how to recognise and respond to their own mental health and those of others. Cultivating good mental health helps us cope with life’s ups and downs, and to feel comfortable asking for help from others when we need it.

All the teachers at Takapuna Primary are engaging with Professional Development from our expert coaches working for Mitey. 

For more information visit the website: https://www.mitey.org.nz/

Year 6 Leaver Hoodies 2023

Orders must be placed by Friday 3 November (please see link on Hero Post)

https://www.apparelmerchco.com/products/tps-leavers-hoodie-2023

Friday 13 October               Mihi Whakatau (new families to TPS) 9:15am

Wednesday 18 October      2024 Out of Zone Ballot DRAWN

Monday 13 November       Teacher Only Day (no school)

Thursday 7 December        Graduation (year 6) 6:00pm

Click here for School Calendar

TPS SPORTS:

COMMUNITY NOTICES:

The 2023 General Election will be held in October and we want every eligible New Zealander to enrol and vote.

Voting ends at 7:00pm on election day (Saturday 14 October).

https://vote.nz/enrolling/enrolment-in-your-language/enrolment-information-in-multiple-languages/