Tūwhitia te hopo! Banish your fears.

Kia orana e te whānau, welcome to Cook Island Language Week. This newsletter's whakataukī builds on the last one, it's about having a go, feeling the fear and doing it anyway. With cross country next week, Polyfest, and Production later in the term, we want to encourage our tamariki to take risks and try new things.

I hope you are enjoying the Olympics. I love how this event brings the world together but I have been very proud as a New Zealander to see the grace and sportsmanship shown by our athletes, particularly Emma Twigg and Hayden Wilde. The way they congratulated their opponents showcased the best of us, they are truly great role models for our children.

Finally, at the weekend the government announced changes to the way New Zealand will deliver maths in primary schools, with new resources from Term 1 2025. Our national average of Year 8 students at the expected level of achievement being 22% is something that needs to improve, however reading the PISA report on mathematics shows our 15% drop in this report is in line with the OECD average and we are actually above the OECD average for mathematics. If you would like to read more I have included the link, https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/pisa-2022-aotearoa-new-zealand-summary-reportWith that said we owe it to all tamariki to have success in mathematics. I will continue to update you all as more information comes to hand.

Values Trial💭

This term, taking into consideration community consultation from our Stragic planning process in 2024, we are trialing simplifying our school values, into three.

Be Brave, Be Respectful, Be Kind.

This will help us support tamariki to be the best versions of themselves. Currently we have been using the 5 Play is the Way (PITW) values and then another 7 virtues which makes it hard for new members of our school and community to get their heads around. PITW is an important part of Green Island School and these values link really well with this program. However, we believe this simplification of the values will make it easier for our tamariki to understand.

Book Fair 📚️

This week the book fair is from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm daily in the school library. Eftpos payment preferred. As part of book fair week, the teachers rotate around the classes, reading to different groups of children. Tomorrow Wednesday 7th August - tamariki can come to school dressed up as their favourite book character. No donation is required.

Scholastic Book Club - Issue 5 📚️

Orders are due back to the school office by 9am, Friday 9 August or order online at scholastic.co.nz/LOOP

Stationery ✏️

It is that time of the year when students are starting to run out of some of their stationery. If a child requires replacement stationery the charge will be added to their account. If you do not want replacement stationery automatically given, and charged to their account, please contact Kellie in the office.

FOTS Fundraising 💸

You should have received an email or seen on our FB page our FOTs Kai Pies Fundraiser has started.

Head to https://greenislandschoolpies.raiseit.co.nz/ to sign up for a fundraising page so you can start selling and help us fundraise.

We are raising funds to put towards helping us upgrade our school library and turn it into a modern learning space, including new furniture and library books. Once you have a page setup share it with friends and family. After the fundraiser Go Raise It will send you a report of your sales and you can pick up your products and use that report to get them to your supporters.

If you do not wish to create a fundraising page, you can just click on the link to order some Kai Pies. https://greenislandschoolpies.raiseit.co.nz/fots

Ngā mihi nui

Green Island Friends of the School (FOTS)

A big thank you to the following businesses who have made donations to our library refurbishment:

KidzActive our before and after school provider and Promo-X.

Hockey Donation 🏑

With 3 games to go in the season our Year 7/8 students now have the opportunity to be in goal fully kitted up. Again thank you so much to our donor, it is very much appreciated.

School Assembly 👪️

A reminder that we have a school assembly this Friday 9 August, in the school hall at 2.15 pm.

BOT Meeting 🏫

The Board of Trustees meeting is today in the staffroom at 5.45pm.

Cross Country 🏃

Our School Cross Country, is only 9 days away, Thursday 15 August. Click on the link for more information, including the times of races. A big thank you to Miss Ford for organising this event.

Skills and Drills at the Edgar Centre ⛹️

Our Year 4-6 students will be attending a skills and drills session run at the Edgar Centre on Friday 16 August. A letter with all the details was sent home yesterday.

Production 🎬️

We have been busy practising our production over the first 2 weeks of the term. Click on the link to get more information on the venue and costumes.

William Pike Challenge

In week 10 our Year 7/8 will be hiking up Mt Cargill as part of their William Pike Challenge. Again none of this would be possible without our kind sponsors.

Kickstart Breakfast

Click on the link to read about this programme we run at school.

Term 3 Dates 📅

3 dates have been added to the calendar:

Week 4

Friday 16 August - Skills and drills, Edgar Centre Year 4-6

Week 8

Tuesday 10 September - Kapa Haka group perform at 11am, Edgar Centre

Week 10

Thursday 26 September - William Pike Challenge Year 7/8 Mt Cargill tramp