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Term 1 Week 5
05 Mar 2010

Point Chevalier School – Friday Notices

Te Ra Road, Point Chevalier, Auckland 1022.

Telephone 846-1359, Facsimile 846-2911

Email: ptchev@ptchev.school.nz Website: www.ptchev.school.nz

Term 1 - Week 5

5 March 2010

Thanks to So Many People

It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through our first term of the year. It has been a very smooth start to the year. This does not happen by accident. There are many people to thank.

For the great start our students have had to 2010, thank you to their teachers who have put considerable time and energy into making classrooms stimulating and welcoming.

As a staff meeting focus last week, we went for a tour of rooms and celebrated the many and varied ways teachers are focusing their students on learning. No doubt many of you have visited your child’s room by now and seen some of this for yourself.

Thank you to our parents for preparing your children for a great start to 2010 – organising their stationery, making sure they are well, providing them with a broad range of experiences outside the classroom to draw on in their learning.

On the administration side of things, my thanks go to Shirley, Lynley and Luana for the way they have handled to start of year pressure. Shirley and Lynley have welcomed all our new students and their families and answered countless queries from many of you in their usual calm and unruffled manner. On top of this Shirley has also collated all our enrolment information to provide our Returning Officer with a parent voting roll for the upcoming Board elections. She really is a “Super Woman!”

Luana has processed thousands of dollars of stationery money, Resource charges and school donations in the past month as well as processing all the usual payments to our creditors.

No list of people to thank would be complete without expressing my appreciation for the hours of hard work put in from the start of term, and during the school break, by our two Deputy Principals, Lesley Mitchell and Phil Spriggs. We had numerous meetings to set up the framework to support teachers and students in 2010 and of course work around providing this support is ongoing.

Our Learning Focus

This term all classes have been discussing Learning – what learning looks like, sounds like, feels like, how we learn, what it is to be a learner, what things help us to learn and what things are barriers to learning. Perhaps you could start a dinner table discussion by sharing something you have learned this week and talking about whether it took persistence to learn this new thing and to apply it.

Have you identified your next learning step? This is what we are encouraging your child to do in the classroom. The same reflection should happen with all learning.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW CLASSROOM BLOCK

Immediately before the school picnic, we are having a brief ceremony as an official opening of our new classrooms and junior playground. This is all happening on Monday 15 March with the official part in the junior playground at 5.30pm and the picnic itself beginning at 6.00pm. Guests at the official opening include David Shearer, Minister of Education Anne Tolley (to be confirmed), our Kaumatua John Komene and many of those involved in the planning and construction of our new areas.

Leaving Your Child in the Morning

One of the key areas of focus for teachers, particularly in Year 1, is the development of independence in the classroom and then in the school as a whole. Routines and clarity about what is expected are two ways we support this growing independence. We need your support with this.

You need to make it clear to your child that you will bring them to the room before school starts, spend time looking at their work or with them on the playground if they need settling and that when the bell goes you will leave. This is when formal learning starts and children need to understand this.

Having some parents leave and others stay on for a while is unsettling for the whole class and simply prolongs the separation. Once parents have gone and learning is underway children’s concentration moves to the task at hand. If your child remained distressed we would call you but this is extremely rare.

Gathering outside Classrooms

We realise that with a large part of the area in front of the new classrooms roped off at present there is not a lot of “waiting space.” However teachers in these rooms would appreciate it if parents could wait away from the classrooms before 3.00pm. If weather means you need to wait immediately outside, please keep your voices down to cause the minimum of distraction to classes.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION IN MAY THIS YEAR!

Timeline below:-

15 March - Nomination forms sent to all eligible voters

23 April - Nominations close

28 April - Voting papers posted to eligible voters along with statements received from candidates

7 May - Votes must be received either at school or direct to Returning Officer by 12 noon

14 May - Results published in newspaper

Welcome to our new student this week – Sean from Room 2.

Board Elections

Please give serious consideration to putting your name forward for these upcoming elections. If you feel you can work as part of a team focused on the very best outcomes for all of our students, you are the person we need!

Camp meeting Monday 8 March at 6:30pm in the Resource Room

We hope you will be able to attend this meeting with all of the teachers from the senior school. We request that those parents attending camp as full time helpers meet with the teachers as a smaller group following this (approximately 7.00pm) to discuss their responsibilities further.

National Standards

There is still debate about the introduction of National Standards into our schools. I have made our school position clear. While there are certainly issues which need addressing, I believe that these standards by and large reflect the New Zealand Curriculum and that it is our professional role to implement them to support student learning in our school.

I know some parents may also wish to hear from those opposed to their introduction at present. NZEI, the primary teachers’ professional body, is holding a public meeting at Balmoral School Auditorium, 19 Brixton Road, Mt Eden on Wednesday March 10, 7.00pm. The guest speaker will be Dr. Martin Thrupp, who will talk about the situation in the UK, where standards are assessed through national testing.

POINt Chevalier/Western Springs Draft Precinct Plan

Auckland City will be hosting public open days at the Point Chevalier Community Centre in Huia Rd to gain feedback on the draft precinct plan for Point Chevalier / Western Springs at the following times: Friday 12 March midday – 7.00pm and Saturday 13 March 10.00 – 3.00pm

The draft plans (maps and text) will be available on Auckland City Council’s Future Planning Framework website from Monday 8 March 2010, on the following address: www.itsmybackyard.co.nz.

Oxfam to Challenge Poverty Event

Two of our teachers, Keren in Room 21 and Nicole in Room 3, are training hard for a special event being held in the school holidays for Oxfam to Challenge Poverty. They are in a team of 4 who must all complete a 100km course together in Taupo, starting at 6.00am on Saturday 10 April and walking through the day and night to the finish line on Sunday 11 April! They are holding a movie fundraising night for this worthy cause on Monday 22 March at 6.00pm at the Bridgeway Cinema, Northcote. The movie is...The Boys are Back starring Clive Owen. Shot in South Australia, this movie is from the director of Shine and based on the 2001 memoir by Simon Carr. Tickets are $20.00 with lots of fabulous spot prizes and raffles! Please come along and support this event! Please contact Keren or Nicole for tickets.

Feet First in Blue

Chris Lowery, one of the Blues stars, walked to school with the Moa Road Movers yesterday. Then he stayed on to have a kick around with the kids at school. It is always wonderful to see so many of our students using their feet to come to school – and even more made the effort this week. Let’s keep it up – it’s good for them and good for our environment too.

NETBALL REGISTRATION TIME

Please pick up a netball registration form from the office if your child is interested in playing netball this year. Please note if we do not have enough managers and coaches we can not guarantee that your child will be placed in a team. Registration must be in by Monday 15 March.

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

We have three old Road Patrol raincoats (bright orange with no marking) free to a good home. Please come to the school office if you would like one of these.

POINT CHEVALIER SCHOOL – PTA AGM

The PTA will be holding their AGM on Tuesday 9 March at 6.30 pm in the Resource Room. This will be followed by the usual monthly PTA meeting at 7.15pm. Nominations for any role on the PTA (e.g. president, secretary, treasurer) are welcomed and should be forwarded to susiehoughton@xtra.co.nz before the meeting. Look forward to seeing you there.

"A weekend in the Chev" Photo Competition

Our local community website http://www.pointchev.com/ is organising a photo competition as a community building event. Any photo taken anywhere in Point Chevalier over the weekend March 12-15 is eligible to enter, and could win some excellent prizes donated by local businesses. There are also specific prizes for primary, intermediate and high school pupils to help get the kids involved.

Judges are local residents Mary Lambie, Steve Braunius, Russell Brown and Jim Mora and the library will exhibit the best photos after. For all info see http://www.pointchev,com/.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS

These can now be pre-ordered through the school office. If you pre order before the 29 March you are entitled to a bonus offer sheet. Pre-ordered books will be sent home with your child on 29 March so that you may use your entertainment book during the school holidays. Some of the new businesses on board are Lone Star, Adelie Bar and Kitchen as well as old favourites likes Vinnies, GPK and Wagamamas.

LOST PROPERTY – CAN YOU HELP PLEASE?

Can you help us please? We need a new Lost Property Co-ordinator. Jodi Leeves is stepping down from doing a marvellous job over the years of rotating / sorting through the lost property box; ensuring named property got back to its owner. If you are able to spare 10-15 minutes a fortnight please contact the office. Thank you.

LOCAL AREA PERMISSION FORM

Thank you to those who have completed and returned the Local Area Permission form to the school office. If you haven’t returned this form, can you please do so as soon as possible. Thank you.

POINT CHEVALIER T-SHIRT – ON SALE NOW!

T-shirts are available NOW, in Point Chevalier School colours, great for boys and girls! T-shirt on display in the school office and they are available for purchase at YBe Fashion Design Gallery. $25.00 with $3.00 being donated to the school. Y Be somewhere else when you can be in Pt Chev! Contact Jenny @ YBe to order your T-shirt. Y Be Fashion Design Gallery, 506 Pt Chevalier Road Ph 845 2371 http://www.ybe.co.nz/

Calendar Events - Term One

8 March

Year 5/6 (Rata/Totara)

– Camp Meeting

6.30pm – Resource Room

9 March

PTA AGM Meeting

(followed by usual monthly meeting)

6.30pm – Resource Room

12 March

Whole School Assembly

2.15pm – Auditorium

15 March

Board of Trustees – Nomination forms sent to all eligible voters

15 March

School Picnic and

Official Opening of new classes

Official Opening 5.30pm – 6.00pm followed by school picnic

16 March

Year 5/6 (Rata/Totara)

– Swimming Sports Day
(Save Day = 17 March)

9.15am – 12.30pm

18 March

Interschool Cricket – Victoria Park

8.50am – Leave School, 2.30pm Return to School

19 March

Year 2 (Pohutukawa)

– Swimming Sports Day
(Please note: No Save Day)

11.10am

19 March

Team Assemblies

(Kauri = 9.15am;

Pikopiko/Te Rito = 10.00am;

Kowhai = 11.00am;
Rata/Totara = 11.45am;

Pohutukawa = 2.15pm)

22 March

Waterwise – Room 9

Morning session

22 March

Waterwise – Room 11

Afternoon session

23 March

Year 4 (Kowhai)

– Swimming Sports Day
(Save Day = 25 March)

11.00am

23 –

26 March

Year 5/6 (Rata/Totara)

– School Camp

26 March

Year 3 (Kauri)

– Swimming Sports Day
(Please note: No Save Day)

1.30pm

31 March

Waterwise – Room 6

Morning session

1 April

Waterwise – Room 7

Morning session

1 April

Whole School Assembly

2.15pm – Auditorium

1 April

Last Day – Term 1, 2010

3.00pm

Calendar Events - Term Two

19 April

First Day – Term 2, 2010

8.50am

23 April

Board of Trustees – Nominations close

28 April

Board of Trustees – Voting papers posted to eligible voters along with statements received from candidates

7 May

Board of Trustees – Votes must be received either at school or direct to Returning Office by 12 noon

14 May

Board of Trustees – Results published in newspaper

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