Our Environmental group has been planting sunflower seeds this week - we can't wait to see these in our gardens!

Daffodil Day: We loved seeing our school in a sea of yellow today as we showed our support for Daffodil Day. With everyone bringing their coins along, we have raised $531.30, plus $106.61 online! This brings our total to $637.91!!!!!! All funds raised in Mid Canterbury stay in Mid Canterbury. We are proud to support their fundraising efforts, as we all know someone who has been affected by cancer. If you would still like to donate, here is our page: https://www.daffodilday.org.nz/dashboard

Kapa Haka: Our kapa haka rōpū has been putting in the hard mahi, with extra training sessions on Wednesdays from 3–5pm and Saturdays from 1–5pm as they prepare for the competitive section of Flava Festival in Timaru. Students will travel by bus on Saturday 12 September to showcase their spectacular bracket, which includes Whakaeke, Mōteatea, Waiata-a-ringa, Poi, Haka and Whakawātea. We are incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment our students have shown. Ka rawe, kapa haka rōpū! Kai pai Martha, Miss R and Pare for helping out with all the extra practises!

Cricket Skills: Over the next four weeks, we are excited to welcome Taine from Mid Canterbury/South Canterbury Cricket, who will be working with our senior students to develop their cricket skills. Students will have the opportunity to learn and practise a range of skills, including batting, bowling, fielding and teamwork, while building confidence and enjoying the game. This is great timing, as the annual Softball Cricket Festival will be held in Week 10 for Ashburton schools! If your child is interested in taking part, please get in touch with Miss Hensman.

Winter Tournament: On Friday 21 August, our students took part in the Mid Canterbury Winter Tournament, competing against schools from across the region in rugby, football and two netball teams. The weather was perfect for a day of sport, and we were incredibly proud of our Hampstead students. They showed great teamwork, sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout the day. A huge thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers who managed and coached the teams. We also appreciate Miss R’s support with rugby, Miss Wise for running the netball, and Miss Hensman for organising all of the teams. Ka pai, Hampstead!

PB4L: Our school is currently in the process of adapting to the PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) model. Our PB4L team has been working with PB4L advisors through several professional learning sessions, and over the next couple of years, families will notice the gradual introduction of new approaches and initiatives across the school. Our first step has been developing our new school values, and we would like to thank our parents and wider community for their valuable input. Following the feedback collected during our Cross Country Day, we were able to narrow our values down to Kind, Brave, Respectful and Determined. These values will be explicitly taught alongside our Hampstead expectations. This will be an ongoing process, and we will continue to keep our school community updated as our PB4L journey progresses.

Bus Park: Our bus park must be kept clear for the buses to park before and after school. Too often, our office staff are called away to move cars from this area so that our bus drivers can park safely and let our school children off. The Police will be keeping an eye out for us, so please keep this area clear for our school us.

Ski Trip: Our Year 5s enjoyed a day up at Mt Hutt Ski Field on August the 14th. The weather was perfect, and the children enjoyed learning how to ski or snowboard. It was fantastic to see them giving it a go and enjoying the experience. Thank you to all our parent helpers on this trip! We enjoyed having you help us.

Sickness: Thank you to our caregivers who are keeping their children home when they are unwell. We hope that by the end of the term all the bugs have passed! Please keep your child at home if they have any of the following:

• a fever – a temperature higher than 38°C

• vomiting or diarrhoea - And children must stay home for 48 hours after being sick or having diarrhoea.

• school sores (impetigo) or other potentially infectious sores that are uncovered and untreated

• a sore throat that requires pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to feel comfortable

• a new rash that could be a sign of a serious illness or infection

• wheezing or difficulty breathing

For more information:https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/health-topics/keeping-healthy/healthy-homes-environments/going-to-school/knowing-if-a-child-is-well-enough-to-be-at-school-guidance-for-schools

Online GP Care Now Free for Ākonga 13 and Under: With health services experiencing high demand, online GP care is another option for accessing healthcare. This service is now free for all ākonga up to and including the age of 13. Appointments usually take place through a video app or a phone call. The service can prescribe medicine and send prescriptions to your nearest pharmacy. To learn more, visit Online GP Care – Health New Zealand or check out the Care Options for You and Your Whānau information.

Athletics: Rose, our caretaker, is starting to get our field ready for Athletics Day! It’s great to see the high jump mats already out. We are looking forward to seeing our tamariki in action! Our Athletics day will take place in Week 2 of Term 4, more information to follow.

Tongan Language Week: Last week we celebrated Tongan Language Week! Mālō ‘aupito — it was fabulous to see so many of our Tongan whānau wearing their cultural clothing last Friday. It was also fu'u fabulous to see other students wearing red and white in honour of our Tongan students. What a wonderful way to celebrate and recognise Tongan language and culture across our school!

Triathlon Skills: Sunday 20 September, 10.30am–12pm. Registrations open at 10.15am. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Gymnastics Milla & Iris from Room 5 were excited to show me their gymnastics badges and medals after the weekend! Ka pai!

New Whanau afternoon tea – Meet our teachers and other new families! This will be in Room 1, Wednesday, 2nd September at 3pm.

Sid and Zak popped in from Room 9 yesterday to show me their Design challenge. They had to design an environment that invertebrates would like to live in. I could tell that they had thought hard about what their bugs would like to live in as they had a lot of detail. Ka pai Sid and Zak!

Student of the Week Two weeks ago we had Ruby from Room 3 receive Student of the week. Ruby was awarded this because she is a kind caring student who loves to help others. She will give anything a go and takes on feedback. She is always trying hard to improve in her learning. She is valued member of Room 3 and we know she will achieve her goal of being a teacher one day. Keep up the great work Ruby!

Last week Estherina received Student of the week because she is a kind and caring member of Room 1. She has settled into school well and is beginning to build positive friendships with her peers. It has been lovely to see her grow in confidence as she becomes more familiar with our classroom routines. Estherina enjoys learning alongside others and is developing her independence as she takes part in classroom activities. Keep being you Estherina! We are proud to have you in Room 1!

And this week we have Sione from Room 14! Sione is a hard-working, kind and considerate student who consistently follows the school rules and demonstrates excellent manners. He shows respect, kindness, determination and bravery in all that he does. Sione represents Hampstead School proudly when participating in activities outside of school. He gave his best at the Winter Tournament and is an enthusiastic all-rounder who shows commitment and sportsmanship. Sione is a joy to teach and we love having him in Room 14.

Upcoming Dates

Friday 11th September - Teacher Only Day

Saturday 12th September - Flava Festival, Arowhenua Marae, Temuka
Week 9 - Year 5/6 Swim Week at EA
Wednesday 23th September - Top Teams
Friday 25th September - Last day of term