Term 3, Week 2 eNews

28.07.2023

From the Principal

Term 2 ended superbly with our ‘I Am a Scientist’ morning and Term 3 has started with a hiss and a roar also. We have Kelly Sports in for the next 6 weeks taking class PE sessions, the Intermediate Sports Camp learners are having Lacrosse and Ki-o-Rahi sport sessions and we are eagerly practicing for our powhiri next week.

POWHIRI – What is a powhiri?

Powhiri is a welcoming ceremony and is set in place for the safety and wellbeing of both visitors (manuhiri) and locals (tangata whenua).

The powhiri process is a loving and respectful beginning of a new relationship.

Alfriston School is holding our first powhiri on Friday 4th August at 9.00am and we want our community to be a part of this special occasion.

If you are new to Alfriston School in 2023 you are the manuhiri and will be welcomed by our existing learners and whānau. Please assemble outside the PAC at 8.50am.

If you have been a part of the Alfriston School community prior to 2023 you are tangata whenua and will be a part of the welcoming group. Please assemble inside the PAC at 8.50am. Sharing kai is an important part of the powhiri process and we ask that existing whānau bring a plate to share. This can be placed on the table in the PAC outdoor verandah area on arrival. We thank you in advance for your support with this.

REPORTING TO PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

In the past we have provided learners with a report at the very end of the year. This year however learners will receive their 2nd Progress and Achievement Report at the beginning of Term 4. The reason for this is so that we have the time to discuss your child’s next steps with you and then to spend time working on these before your child moves on to a new teacher and new year level.

The written reports will be sent home on Tuesday 24th of October and Three Way Conferences will be the following two days, Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th October. We ask that all whānau attend these meetings and that the learner is present. A link to book a conference time will be sent out in the near future.

Alfriston School continues to evaluate and review systems and processes and makes changes in the best interests of our learners.

Inquiry Learning

Our 2023 learning theme of “change” continues this term and we are focusing on the legacy that people leave. The learning has started by inquiring into prominent New Zealanders, including the people that our school houses are named after. As the term progresses learners will be reflecting on their time at Alfriston School and what legacy they can/want to leave. The end product for all to enjoy will be a ‘tui display’. Each member of our learning community will create a tui that represents them and this will become part of the schoolwide display. To ensure we have the quality resources we need there will be a small charge, $8 per student, requested. The cost for this has been loaded onto your child’s kindo account (Alfriston School Legacy Project) and we hope you will support us by paying this fee.

Staffing update

On Friday we farewelled Kerry Pearcey, Room 15 class teacher. Kerry has given our new entrant learners a wonderful start to their schooling and we thank her immensely for this. Kerry has also coached our Intermediate learner hockey teams and both teams placed in our ECCS Tournament. Kerry is going to be really missed, however we wish her all the very best with her new role.

On the 25th of August we will farewell Pritcilla Meikle, Room 13 class teacher. Pritcilla has impacted the lives of many Intermediate learners positively and prepared them for the next phase of their educational journey, High School. Pritcilla has led our Aotearoa Histories curriculum area in 2023 and the staff have enjoyed her passion and expertise.

I am excited to share that we have employed a very experienced, well respected teacher named Melanie Melville to teach Room 13, and she is very excited to be joining us on Monday 4th September 2023. Melanie has held leadership positions, is adored by the learners and community she is currently a member of and has a passion for the Intermediate years.

Learning Celebrations

Room 4

Kia ora, nau mai, haere mai ki te wahanga tuatoru. E hikaka ana te ruma 4 ki te whakapuaki ki a koe i nga akoranga kua mahia e ratou i tenei wa ki te timata i te wahanga hou.

(Hello and welcome to Term 3. Room 4 is excited to share with you the learning they have done so far to start off the new term.)

Room 4 has been learning all about Mānawatia a Matariki (The Maori New Year.)

Matariki is a time where people come together and celebrate, acknowledge the past, and look ahead to what the new year will bring.

It’s a great time to celebrate Māori culture and to learn and share Māori traditions, customs and stories.

Matariki is the Māori name for a group of 7 stars known as the Pleiades star cluster. Some hapū (subtribe) know the Matariki as 9 stars. Some people think of Matariki as a mother star with 6 daughters, and it is often referred to as the Seven Sisters.

Matariki appears in the eastern sky sometime around the shortest day of the year, and is thought to determine how successful the harvest crop will be in the coming season. The brighter the stars, the more productive the crop will be. Matariki is officially celebrated on the 14th July every year.

Click on the link here to see Room 4 performing the Matariki Macarena.

Congratulations to..

Rayan Attraqchi, Amy Cullen, Dakshith Yachamaneni, Harkirat Sidhu, Rueben Brown, Fiona Naivaluvou, Elizabeth Aiono, Gemma Blackwell, Rubani Kaur, Srigranth, Cruz Feagaimalii, Gurlal Singh, Emily Kelly, Samarah Hassan, Jake Ahn, Elijah Sitzer, Kirat Bhandohal, Pranav Naidu, Mehar Kaur.