Kia ora koutou,

Can you believe that we have reached the end of Term 1 already!  I trust that you will have a holiday break that is just right for you, whether that be getting out for an adventure, travelling around the country or slowing down for a time and just enjoying being a family.  We also know that work for parents usually continues during the school holidays and so childcare is often required.  Skids Matua have had challenges with maintaining staffing in recent years, and so recently Samantha has taken on the Matua site.  Sam has been working as the area manager for Skids, with oversight of Matua and Pillans Point.  Bookings for the upcoming break have been low, meaning that Skids aren’t able to run a programme for the school holidays at Matua School.  I thought this was a good opportunity to survey parents who have used Skids on your experiences with the programme.  Thank you to all those who have already completed this survey.  If you missed it via Hero earlier in the week, you can still fill it out by following THIS LINK.

The term has been filled with lots of learning and activity for our students.  Yesterday some of our Year 5/6 students have competed in the first round of the EPro8 Challenge.  Round One was run by Mr Cochrane in the school hall.  The EPro8 Challenge is an inter-school science and engineering competition. Every year over 25,000 students from throughout New Zealand take part.  Students participate in a series of events: firstly within their school and then inter-school.
These events are designed to promote science, engineering and problem-solving.  Two teams from Matua School will go onto the next round and compete against other schools to go through to the finals.  We look forward to tracking their progress along the way.

Service Concept

As you may know, we are weaving the concept of Service through much of our learning this year.  During Term 1, classes have been considering the different ways that people in the community serve others.  We all appreciate the people in our lives who give to others without expecting something in return.  This is a wonderful attitude to develop in our children, too.  Consider taking the time to share with your kids how you and your whānau serve others.  Maybe you volunteer somewhere, give time to others in your community, donate finances to those in need, or give back in another way.

Policy Update – Personal Digital Devices

The Matua Board has approved a new policy regarding Cellphones and Other Personal Digital Devices at school.  This policy is generally in line with our current practices, however it includes devices such as smart watches, which are increasingly present in primary schools.

The new policy is available in SchoolDocs along with our full set of policies.  You can also have a quick read by following THIS LINK.  Instructions on accessing the full set of policies are available on the school website in the ‘Our School’ menu.

Smart watches can be worn to school. However, communication and internet functions must be turned off during school hours. Most smartwatches can shut down these functions on a schedule.  School policy requires that all communication between school and home should happen via the school office or teaching staff, and that children should not be directly calling or messaging parents during this time.  We understand that in some cases children have these devices due to after school care arrangements.  However, I would encourage you to consider the functionality of any smartwatch your child may have and decide if it’s appropriate to wear at school.

If you have any questions regarding this new policy, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

TŪĪ TALKS – EPISODE 8…Follow, Like & Subscribe on Spotify!

Tūī Talks Episode 8 is now available on Spotify.  This week, the team focus on being Enviro Warriors and talk with our special guest, Fiona Lavin.

Please follow the link below to listen, and subscribe to our Tui Talks SPOTIFY channel for future episodes.

Sponsorship 2024

We are thrilled to have a number of businesses that support Matua School as sponsors.  We are approaching a time when we have opportunities for new sponsors to partner with Matua School.  If you are a business leader and would like to explore these opportunities further, please see the information below and/or contact me at marcusn@matua.school.nz

SCHOOL INFORMATION

COMMUNITY NOTICES

MATUA PLAYGROUND UPDATE

An upgrade for the Matua Park playground will begin on Monday, 29 April.

In addition to swings and a slide for toddlers, the new play space will include a large basket swing and a timber climbing frame with a slide. It also features bike and scooter racks, a new picnic table and built-in seating around the play area. It’ll be great for children of all ages!

The playground is scheduled to be completed in mid-July, weather-dependent. If you have any questions, please call 07 577 7000 or email kylie.sisley@tauranga.govt.nz .

CAPE EGMONT VIRTUAL HALF MARATHON 2024

Want to walk or run in your own time, but also be part of a fantastic event?  Then we would love you to join us.

The Cape Egmont Virtual Half Marathon offers three distance options  – 5 km, 10 km and 21 km.  Which can  be completed any time anywhere from the 1st to the 31st of July 2024.   Simply record your time via Strava, Map my run, Fit Bit or screenshot and upload through our website.  Every finisher receives a medal and all money raised goes to the Taranaki Cancer Society and the Taranaki Men Can Exercise Group.  To help those in our province affected by cancer.

ENTER AT:  www.capeegmonthalf.com  ENQUIRES capeegmonthalf@gmail.com