Newsletter - WE 05.02.2021

Welcome to 2021! We have started the year with 375 students! Yes, this is a number we have normally reserved for the end of the year, meaning the need for extra classrooms and redevelopment becomes ever more urgent. We have received solid enrolments into all areas of the school with healthy numbers throughout and one of the largest year 13 cohorts we have seen in some time. Our school continues to grow and thrive which is a sign of the great work in the wider community to make the Amuri area a great place to live and to raise your children.

NCEA Results

Firstly, congratulations to our 2020 cohort on some excellent results in a difficult year.

For students entered in NCEA who completed the year at Amuri our results were:-

• NCEA Level 1 - 96% Pass rate
• NCEA Level 2 - 97% Pass rate
• NCEA Level 3 - 100% Pass rate

We were especially proud of the large number of courses and certificate endorsements many at Excellence Level and the 66% of level three students achieving University Entrance.

It is interesting to note that very few students passed as a result of the additional Covid credits awarded by the Ministry with the vast majority of students passing with the full 80 or 60 credits they would need in any regular year.

Property Work Over the Summer

The asphalt on the junior side is looking great and we now have to wait a few weeks for it to harden up before we can bike or scooter on it. Once this has happened, we can then get some playground games painted on for the students to enjoy. The basketball court is complete and looking stunning and the freshly painted courts look great. As we now have 2 outdoor courts for basketball we are asking students in year 10-13 to leave the smaller court for the exclusive use of the students in year 7-9.

In the gym we now have air conditioning units installed meaning we have now finally completed our heating upgrade and have no need of the coal boiler which will be decommissioned at some point this year.

We are still waiting on the outcome of our education brief and redevelopment and will advise you as soon as we know any more.

Uniforms and Phones

It was so good to see students looking smart on day one this week with very few students out of full uniform. Our additional lunchtime activities kicked off on day one with frisbee fun and we are really encouraging students to get involved, to communicate and socialise to substitute the loss of the cell phones. Time will tell, however we are confident we will end up with more active, more engaged and happier students as a result.

Assembly Next Week

On Tuesday next week our whole school assembly will open with a Mihi Whakatau to welcome our new students formally and to welcome Mr Garvin Filby and Mr Ross Williams to our staff. This assembly will also be the formal start of duties for our new Head Students Celine Barnes and Hannah Ferguson.

Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees Chair for 2021 is Adam Williamson with Wallace Jamieson coming onto the board with the finance portfolio. Esme Hewitt is our student Board rep for 2021 with the rest of the board unchanged.

A couple of important dates to note in your diary!

Monday 8th - Waitangi Day is observed so there is no school

Monday 8th March - We have our Cluster teacher training day with our contributing schools and other Canterbury Area Schools. This will mean all our schools will be closed on this day for instruction.

2nd to the 6th April is Easter and this falls within Term One this year with students coming back on Wednesday 7th of April for the remainder of term one.

Term ONE ends on Friday 16th April

Welcome back and let us have an outstanding year!

James Griggs
Principal

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Junior School News

Welcome back to the start of a brand-new school year. It was a very positive start to our year on Tuesday morning and I really enjoyed welcoming students in Year 1-8 back to school. There were many smiles, and no doubt a few nerves, but my visits to all classrooms were positive and it was clear that students and staff were pleased to be back. Thank you to everyone for making our school such a positive place to be throughout the week! We changed our transition of our Year 7 and 8 students this year because of student feedback from previous years. They spent their first day in their homeroom to help them become familiar with their new classmates and teacher.

Term 1 is a reasonably busy term, and this year is no exception. We have Year 7-13 Athletics, Year 3-13 Swimming Sports, HPSSA (Zone) Athletics and Swimming, T-Ball/Softball for Year 4-6. There are plans being made for further sports activities that will involve the whole primary side, but all will be revealed in due time! Next week Harold the Giraffe and the Life Education bus will be here from Thursday through to the following Monday. The focus for this visit for Year 1-6 will be based on Friendships and Relationships. At the end of February, we have ASB Getwise Financial Literacy here on a four day visit. The facilitator will be running one lesson with Year 1-4 and then two lessons with Years 5-8. Thrown on top of all of that we have the Amuri Show at the beginning of March! So, there is more than enough happening this term.

Over the summer break, the concrete was removed from the primary side and replaced with new asphalt. This has made an enormous difference and tidied the playground immensely. While we are waiting for it to set we have asked the children not to ride their scooters and bikes on it. The asphalt should take about three weeks to set and then we are meeting a company to talk about new playground games and markings to be painted on the asphalt.

By now all families and whanau should have had a letter from your child’s classroom teacher regarding our online platform Seesaw. Please take the time to read through the instructions and get logged onto the classroom account. This is our main port of contact with you and all notices and communications will be put through this avenue. Please check it frequently to stay in touch with your child’s class teacher.

Most of our Year 1-6 students are wearing their compulsory hat which is great to see. Please make sure your children have their hat every day for Term 1 as it is part of our Sunsmart policy to have children wearing a sunhat.

We look forward to seeing you back at school soon.

Nga mihi nui

Kylee Habgood 

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Piano Lessons begin next Thursday with Andrea Hooper.

There are spaces available should your child wish to learn to play the piano. For more details, contact Andrea on 020-4035-8805 or

e-mail penquinsurfer1@live.com