Kia ora e hoa mā,

It has been a fast paced energetic week around school, with lots going on across all of the hubs.

• We have had our ‘Out and About in Wellington’ week in Pōhutukawa, with trips all over the show across the five options of sports, food tech, the outdoors, innovation and technology, and the arts. Lots of exciting trips and activities, including Matiu Somes Island, Botanic Gardens, NCIS (the Phoenix training facility), community gardens and City Gallery. Huge fun for all, including a sleepover in Pōhutukawa Hub, where varying degrees of sleep was had.
• Koru Hub had a fabulous trip to the zoo on Monday and were very lucky with the weather. Much excitement had over a stray hat in the sun bear enclosure! They ended the week with a Thursday night sleep over in the hub.
• Harakeke have been out and about around school and at the Churton Park Reserve, having had their zoo sleep over earlier this term. They also forgot to get dressed on Wednesday, and so watched movies and ate popcorn and smores in their pyjamas - ka rawe!

All of this excitement and fun doesn’t happen without a lot of preparation, time and energy. HUGE thanks to our fabulous kaiako (teachers) and kaimahi (staff) for all of their amazing mahi with this. Your work offers great opportunities to our ākonga, and we really appreciate it. Huge thanks also to all of our parents and whānau who come along and help on trips and sleep overs. Again, we can’t run these events without you and we are truly grateful for your support with this.

Next week promises to be another big week, with Surf Life Saving Education happening on most days. Across the school, hubs will be running transition days next week, where ākonga will be based in their hub / learning space for 2024. They will start on Monday in their current hub, to help with a smooth and consistent start to the week. As they move through the day, groups will move to their new learning spaces, and they will then be based in those new spaces for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week. By Friday they will move back to their current hubs, and they will end the year with their current whānau group.

As we move into the final couple of weeks, it can be useful to have a reminder of the different events coming up:

• Mon 4th: Beach Education for Year 1 at Lyall Bay
• Tues 5th: Beach Education for Year 2 at Lyall Bay; Regional Athletics at Newtown Park
• Wed 6th: Beach Education for Year 3 at Lyall Bay
• Thurs 7th: Beach Education for Year 4 at Lyall Bay
• Mon 11th: Beach Education for Year 5 at Worser Bay; Year 6 transition trip into town: Year 6 graduation dinner 5:30 - 8pm
• Tues 12th: Beach Education for Year 6 at Worser Bay; reports go live on Hero
• Wed 13th: Water play fun for all - 11:30 - 1pm
• Thurs 14th: Farewell celebration for all students and kaiako leaving 9:15 - 10am; school sausage sizzle picnic 11:30 - 1pm; school closes for the year at 1pm

We will send out an article in next Friday’s digest about the last few days of school, giving more detail about each event.

And finally, a HUGE farewell to Ciara, who finishes her time at Amesbury School today. Ciara will be travelling back home to Ireland with her partner next week. We have loved having Ciara as part of our fabulous Pōhutukawa team this year, and we will miss her hugely. All the very best, Ciara. Take lots of Kiwi love and best wishes back home with you. 

Ngā mihi nui, Urs Cunningham