Kia ora koutou,
Can you believe that we are already 4 weeks into Term 3. When walking through classrooms across the school, it is evident how settled and engaged the children are in their learning. We continue to have a strong focus on literacy and mathematics, supported by our financial literacy and enterprise activity for this term. There are so many mini-businesses developing around the school. We love seeing children passionate about their roles in the business, the products being developed and their growing vocabulary around the topic. Keep talking with your children at home about the things they are doing at school, as these conversations are essential for making connections and embedding learning.
There has been a lot of sickness across the kura with children and teachers being hit hard by the winter flu. Thank you for keeping your children home when they are unwell. Those getting sick are often taking a number of days to recover well, and we are also keen to reduce the sharing of bugs around the school. When children return too quickly, they sometimes struggle and end up getting sent home again. We know this is a challenge for families and sometimes a difficult call to make. THIS WEBPAGE has current advice knowing when your child is well enough to send to school.
Bike Safety
Some of our teachers have recently observed children travelling to school making poor judgements when riding on bikes and crossing roads. We love to see children growing their independence and travelling in ways other than cars. However, we also want them to be safe. Our senior children take part in the Kids Can Ride programme, which helps embed good road safety practices however many need regular reminders or are in the earlier years of school. If your children ride to school or even walk and cross road, can I encourage you to take a ride with them over the weekend and talk about the decisions they need to make along the way. One ‘near miss’ was recently observed where a young boy rode straight through a T-intersection, causing two cars to quickly stop to avoid him. While no harm occurred on this occasion, it could have been tragic. Our Kids Can Ride programme teaches children the saying “The Top of the T, goes before me”. Sayings like this can help children embed these rules and help keep them safe.
Welcome to Room 3
Our newest classroom is slowly growing! Mrs Needham is having a wonderful time with this lovely group of 5-year-olds! Starting school is such an exciting time of life, and we love that we get to be part of it!
Ngā mihi nui
Marcus Norrish
Principal
JUMP JAM 4 STAR JAM – Mufti Day!
Matua School is participating in JUMP JAM 4 StarJam 2024 on Thursday 22nd August. Come to school dressed in bright colours!
This exciting event will help Matua School to raise awareness around disability and promote health and wellness in our community. Please show your support by donating a gold coin, and receive a cool StarJam sticker. All funds raised will go to StarJam so they can continue to help young people with disabilities to unleash their potential through the magic of music, dance and performance.
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.
LIBRARY
Book Character Day Thursday 29 August 2024
Students are asked to come to school dressed as their favourite book characters or a character from their favourite book. Homemade/student made costumes are the best! We suggest to students that they use recycled materials and objects/resources that can be found around the home. Costumes from dress up boxes are also fine – families do not need to go and buy something especially for book character day. A fun slightly crazy book character parade will take place in the morning block in the school hall. There are some small fun prizes for each school team as well as chocolate fish for teachers spotted being awesome book characters too.
Donate A Book Fair
Thursday 29 August 7.45 am – 9am and 2.45pm – 4.00pm
Friday 30 August 7.45 am – 9.00am
The bookfair is set up in the school library and books that are displayed can be donated by families for $5 and $10. Donated books are then certificated with the student or family name and then issued to the student to have the first read. For fast tracking (the library just buzzes with book loving students !!) cash is preferred but eftpos will be available. We are looking for help during the following times;
Thursday 8.00am – 9.00am (3 helpers)
Thursday 2.45pm – 3.30pm (3 helpers)
Friday 8.00am – 9.00am (3 helpers)
Please contact the office on 07 576 9027 or email Tracey on library@matua.school.nz
SPORT
HEADLICE
It’s that perennial problem – Head Lice! We have a few cases across the classrooms.
If you could check your child’s hair tonight then there is a better chance of nipping the problem in the bud. It’s tricky when it gets to a cycle of reinfecting each other.
Can you please also ensure your child’s hair is tied up at school until the outbreak subsides.
Below are some ideas for prevention of head lice you may find helpful.
You can prevent head lice by…
1. Brush hair every evening before going to bed
Brushing dislodges and/or damages head lice. Damaged/injured head lice cannot lay eggs. • The hair needs to be brushed with the head hanging down
• Use a firm bristled brush
• Brush from the nape of the neck to the hair end ten times
• Brush from the right ear across the head ten times
• Brush from the left ear across the head ten times
2. Wet combing method weekly
This will help pick up head lice before they become established.
• Wash hair with ordinary shampoo
• Put lots of conditioner on the hair. While the hair is full of conditioner and wet, comb through the hair from the roots with a fine toothed comb purchased from the chemist (often called a ‘nit comb’)
• Clear the comb of lice between each stroke
• Repeat this routine every 1-2 days for 2 weeks
• If no lice are found, repeat on a weekly basis
3. Use own brush and comb
Everyone in the family should use their own brush and comb.
Please click on the link below for more information and guidelines from the MOE
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
