FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S LAPTOP
Kia ora koutou,
Earlier this week we held a morning tea at school for our International parents. It was a pleasure to spend time sharing about Matua School and getting to know this special part of our community a little better. For these families the impact of COVID-19 has been significant. With the border being closed, international mums and children who are living in New Zealand have not seen fathers and family back home for a long time and have no real certainty about when this might change. It is wonderful to be able to provide a safe and welcoming school for these families to be part of.
One of the keys to effective teaching and learning is having strong relationships. As teachers, we know that understanding our students and having meaningful connections is vital to supporting an effective learning environment. In the busyness of life, we can often miss opportunities to stop, reflect, listen and learn. Next Tuesday we take the time to pause and connect through our Learner Conferences. They are a fantastic opportunity at the start of the year for teachers, children, and whanau to meet together and build a partnership. To support the conversation at the meeting, teachers are sending home a document that we’d like you to complete about your child. CLICK HERE for a digital version. School will be closed on Tuesday to allow these meetings to happen.
We are noticing that some children are spending quite a long time on the school grounds before heading home at the end of the day. Supervision of children at school finishes at 3:15pm and teachers are often heading straight to staff or parent meetings. We understand that students do use the grounds as a play area out of school hours. However, children should head home after school and check in with a parent before returning back into the community to play.
A massive congratulations to Mr Hantler and his wife Steph who welcomed their first child, Alfie into the world this week. We are so excited for Jeremy and his family as they start this next season of life.
Marcus Norrish
Principal
Juniors - Fergusson Park Activity Day
Friday 19 February
Learner Conferences
Tuesday 23rd February
School Closed
Minis Trip to Fergusson Park
Wednesday 24th February
Senior Swimming Sports
Wednesday 17th March
New Parent Information Meeting
Thursday 4th March. 7 – 8pm
Teacher Only Day (Cluster)
Friday 12th March
School Closed
Jolly Jar Mufti Day
Thursday 18th March
PTA Gala
Saturday 27th March
Easter Weekend
Friday 2nd April till Tuesday 6th April
(School Closed)
Last Day of Term 1
Friday 16th April
BACK TO SCHOOL REMINDERS
If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason, please remember to notify the school office each day. This can be done by using the Skool Loop Ap, click on the absentee button. You can also call the school on 07 576 9027 and leave a message on the absentee line.
In order to keep our students safe, they all need to be accounted for. If we haven’t heard from you, you will receive a phone call. Students do actually get marked as truant if we can’t contact you.
Please try to remember to notify the office as it can be incredibly time consuming each morning. Many thanks for your understanding
Stomach Bugs – There is a stomach bug going around our school at the moment. Sore tummies, vomiting and diarrhoea. If your child feels unwell, please keep them at home. If they have an upset stomach or have been vomiting, they need to be kept at home for 24 hours after their last vomit. If they return to school too early, they will be sent home again.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
LIBRARY
A library is proof that you can never have too much of a good thing!!
Welcome back everyone!
We have a wonderful library at Matua School, and everyone is welcome. I work in the library Monday to Thursday (mostly between 10am – 2pm). If you need to contact me when I’m not here, please email library@matua.school.nz.
Classes have a 45 minute library session during the week with their teachers. Junior classes are allowed to issue one book at a time, while middles and senior classes can issue two books. Books are issued for two weeks, but may be returned before then. There is a return box located by the entry doors. Middle and senior children may also return and issue books at lunchtime.
If a book is more than a week overdue, a notice will be sent home. If you are unable to find a book please ask your child to search the classroom and the class library collection as well as to see me. Together we can search the library shelves, if it has been returned without being scanned. We ask for a $10 donation towards the replacement of lost books. If the book is subsequently found this money will be returned to you
The library is open to the children every lunchtime except Friday. Senior children will have the chance to apply to be Librarians over the next few weeks. Senior Librarians are vital to help run the lunchtime time activities. Students use the library activity timetable on the library door to see whether it is their day for colouring or listening to stories using the Tauranga Library tumblebooks. The library is quiet space for puzzles and board/card games also.
This term we are moving to a new school library system. This may mean over the next few weeks children will be unable to bring school library books home and that lunchtimes in the library may look different from normal. Accessit is a modern engaging library system which will support a love of learning, reading and discovery. In the interim, the Tauranga City Mobile Library bus parks outside the Matua Bowling Club every second Tuesday. This is an option for those needing a top up of books to peruse.
I am always very grateful for parent help/grandparent help. Please come and see me or email me, if you have time to give to the library. Some fiddly and meticulous jobs can also be done at home (taping and covering new books), while other jobs can be completed at any time of the school day (helping librarians with the overflow of books to be shelved or shelves to be tidied). I’m also on the look out for five or more helpers once a term to sort Scholastic Book Orders. It’s also a time to catch up over a staffroom coffee with others and glimpse at the multitude of books scholastic has on offer.
Warmest regards to all
Tracey Donovan-Grammer
SPORTS
Summer sports registrations are now open. Children keeping active by taking part in sport not only helps with fitness but also social and fundamental skill development. We are lucky to have many options available including basketball, Kiwitag, Rippa Rugby, Flippa ball, Volleyball, and softball.
For more information and registration please follow THIS LINK.
PERFORMING ARTS & LUNCHTIME CLUBS
Our teachers are passionate about providing a library of experiences for our learners, and are pleased to offer a range of performing arts groups throughout the week, as well as fun clubs that take place during break times, at no cost to families. Lunchtime clubs are an opportunity for children to have fun and connect with peers, including peers from different year levels, who have similar interests and passions. Joining clubs is also an opportunity for children to increase their interests in safe spaces, and find belonging in different areas of the school.
All performing arts groups and clubs take place during school hours. No permission is needed, and children are encouraged to sign up and give things a go. Most clubs offer a “try-it-out” period, which usually spans the first few sessions, and is open to any student to come along and give it a go. After this time, club groups become confirmed. Some clubs are open to whoever throughout the year. Club notices and reminders are put in the student daily notices, which are read out to students each morning in class. Connect with your child’s classroom teacher if you would like to chat about club opportunities for your child.
Follow THIS LINK for more information on what is available.
LETTER & WORD FANS
We have a big shortage of ‘Letter & Word Fans’ that have been sent home with Year 0 & 1 in the past. Please could you have a look at home and see if you still have one from last year and if so return them to the school office. We would love to re-issue these fans to our new students. Many thanks.
PARKING & TRANSPORT
It is a busy time of year on the streets around the school. Please be extra careful when driving, parking, and dropping off at school that you are mindful of children who are crossing roads and exiting cars. Tauranga City Council is expecting to install a ‘Kea Crossing’ on Clivedene Street in the next few months. This will provide a monitored crossing area for children at the start and end of the school day.
LUNCH ORDERS
ezLunch orders are made online through your myKindo account. You can order lunch by simply going to www.mykindo.co.nz
Order anytime before cut-off or schedule in advance. Lunch will be delivered to school at lunchtime on a Friday. You have the option of Pita Pit or Subway.
Click here to view the menu.
Help? Visit support.mykindo.co.nz or tel. 09-869 5200 Mon-Fri 8 am to 4 pm.
Find out more ezlunch.co.nz or mykindo.co.nz
TERM DATES 2021
Term 1, 2021 – First Day: Tuesday 2nd February 2021 – Friday 16th April
Waitangi Day – Monday 8th February
Easter – Friday 2nd April – Tuesday 6th April inclusive
Term 2 – Monday 3rd May – Friday 9th July
Queen’s Birthday – 7th June
Term 3 – Monday 26th July – Friday 1st October
Term 4 – Monday 18th October
OUR SCHOOL APP
Our School App
We have a new school app to keep you up to date with events and notifications. Click on the button below to check it out.
SETTING UP KINDO
Setting up with Kindo
Kindo is our new prefered payment and permission system. To help you learn how it works, we’ve added their new help sheet and video. We hope it helps.
