Kia ora koutou,
We have come to the end of a fantastic term of learning at Matua School, filled with experiences that we trust build pride and connection for our children. Along with the usual emphasis on maths and literacy, our term focus has been on the Visual Arts and Matariki. Children have used the visual arts to explore and share the meaning behind Matariki, which cumulated in a showcase to the community. On Thursday evening, we celebrated this learning by inviting whanau into the school to see the art on display. We finished the time together by gathering around an open fire to sing waiata. Thank you to those who were able to make it along. Sharing in an authentic context is a critical part of the learning process, and for children, parents and family are the most important audience. Please enjoy this short video that captures some of the evening.
Part of our Matariki celebrations included a school hāngī. One of the beautiful things about the hāngī process is the community that makes it happen. I want to express special thanks to Chris Andrews for leading our kura in cooking the hāngī. Chris is a koroua (grandfather) in the school and led a team of parent volunteers with passion, grace and aroha to ensure the hāngī experience was positive for tamariki and all those involved. Cooking a hāngī is a long process. The team started at lunchtime the day prior, setting up the pit and getting resources together. This was followed by a 5:30 am start to get the fire underway. The hāngī team were the last to finish as they removed the hot rocks and filled the pit so that it was safe for the evening. Thanks to Whetu Douglas, Maria Irwin, James Gilbert and Liam O’Brien for joining Chris on the hāngī team. We also appreciate all those parents who supported us on the day with food preparation and serving lunches. The video below shows the process that the hāngī team went through to serve lunch for over 300 people!
Looking ahead to Term 3
We look forward to reconnecting with whānau at our Learner Conferences on the first Friday of next term. Reports will be sent to you via Hero on Monday, 22nd July, and these can be discussed at the conferences that week. Bookings for the Learner Conferences are now available on Hero.
Next term the school will be running the Primary Enterprise Programme (PrEP). This Social Sciences learning unit will see a small economy be developed in the school, where children will form businesses. They will join business teams, create products, complete market research, solve development problems, manage budgets, and go to market on our school market day. With this context for learning we will see a focus on financial literacy and the technology process. We all know that work teams operate best with a group of people who bring complementary skills. We will start the PrEP process by having children think about the strengths they bring to a business.
I trust the winter colds and flus are staying clear of your household. Enjoy the mid year break and we look forward to seeing you again in the new term.
Ngā mihi nui
Marcus Norrish
Principal
TŪĪ TALKS – EPISODE 11…Follow, Like & Subscribe on Spotify!
Join us for our latest episode, where we dive into the topic of leadership. We are joined by Sam Uffindell, our local National MP, who came to visit Matua School and has some great things to share. We also had our fab Principal Mr Norrish in the hot seat for the Quick Fire 10. PUSH PLAY!
LEARNER CONFERENCES
Learner conferences are taking place Week 1 of Term 3. Friday 26th July. School will be closed for instruction on this day.
Bookings are now open on HERO. Please let us know if you have any issues making a booking.
ART ROOM SUPPLIES NEEDED
Mrs Scott is on the hunt for donations for her art room.
Please can you save old CD’S, cream containers or small plastic bottles and cardboard rolls from glad wrap.
These can be dropped at the office.
Many thanks.
Designgroup Stapleton Elliott (DGSE) is an award-winning architect practice with studios spread across Aotearoa. Formed by a large team with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, their services include Architecture, Interior Architecture, Master Planning, and Landscape Architecture. Acknowledging the weight of their responsibility as architects, a deep understanding of people, place, and culture are at the heart of their design processes.
SPORT
It’s been a busy couple of sporting weeks for Matua School. It’s great to see so many teams practicing on these crisp mornings and sunny afternoons.
Our girls and boys rugby teams travelled up to Katikati last week and played some well fought games of tackle 5’s rugby. Congratulations to both teams on some great performances.
The Matua Thunder year 3&4 basketball team participated in the Basketball World Cup tournament last week and this weeks our year 5&6 team, the Matua Mavericks also competed. The Thunder represented Switzerland in the competition and the Mavericks played as New Zealand. Well done to all our players and a huge thank you to those who helped the teams on the day.
At the WBOP Cross Country champs our team of 12 ran so well on the day that Samantha, Toby, Jason and Oscar qualified to run in the BOP champs at Waipuna Park. Special congratulations to Oscar for placing 1st in the year 6 WBOP boys race. The team put in an another amazing effort at the BOP champs with Jason placing 10th, Toby and Samantha 6th and Oscar 3rd. Ka rawe team!
Keep up the hard work Matua. It’s so cool to see our teams, both in school and extra curricular playing hard and enjoying their sport.
We finished this term strong!
Stacey Sutherland
POOL KEYS
PTA NEWS
The PTA are on the hunt for decorations for the Candyland Disco next term.
If you have any of the following and wouldn’t mind lending them, please drop off to the office or Room 24 during the first week of next term.
– Cellophane
– Fairy lights
– Pool noodles
– Crepe Paper
– Paper plates
– Polyester stuffing
Also, If you’ve got any available time to help on the night (25th July) please open THIS LINK and add your name to the list.
SCHOOL HOURS
A friendly reminder that school is not open until 8.30am. If you require childcare before these hours, please contact SKIDS either by email – matua@skids.co.nz, phone – 027 586 0408, or book online – www.skids.co.nz/Matua.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
LUNCH ORDERS – EVERY FRIDAY
Lunch orders are available for delivery to Matua School each Friday.
SUBWAY
Simply order your SUBWAY lunch online through you myKindo account by CLICKING HERE
Order (or cancel) any time before 9:00am on the day or schedule in advance.
Help? Visit support.mykindo.co.nz or call 09-869 5200 Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
TERM DATES 2024
Term 1, 2024 – Wednesday 7th February 2024 – Friday 12th April
Waitangi Day – Tuesday 6th February
Learner Conferences – Friday 1st March. School will be closed for instruction.
Easter Weekend – Friday 29th March until Tuesday 2nd April
Term 2, 2024 – Monday 29th April – Friday 5th July
Teacher Only Day #1 – Friday 31st May
King’s Birthday – Monday 3rd June
Matariki – Friday 28th June
Term 3, 2024 – Monday 22nd July – Friday 27th September
Term 4, 2024 – Monday 14th October – Friday 20th December (12:30pm finish)
Teacher Only Day – Friday 25st October
Labour Day – Monday 28th October
First Day Of Term for 2025 – Monday 3rd February 2025
SETTING UP KINDO
Setting up with Kindo
Kindo is our prefered payments system. To help you learn how it works, we’ve added their new help sheet and video. We hope it helps.
KINDO VIDEO HELP
COMMUNITY NOTICES
A new waterfront playground is on its way!
The final design for a new waterfront playground in the city centre has been revealed. Creative and inclusive ideas from local children were incorporated in the design.
There will be four different play zones for the children to explore: an impressive 8-metre-tall waka tower structure for climbing and sliding; a nature play zone; an elevated pathway that follows the milky way design; and a water play zone with troughs, water pumps and more.
Making way for the new playground, the former playground has been removed, come summer the children will be able to let their imaginations run wild as they explore all the new waterfront playground has to offer.
For more information about the playground and all the other projects happening in the city centre, please visit: www.tauranga.govt.nz/ourfuturecitycentre
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
