Kia Ora everyone. 2018 has been another positive year for our school. It is important to reflect on the year that has gone and there is a lot to celebrate! Our children have continued to strive for personal excellence throughout 2018, and our school roll has grown to 560 students.

KNS is a wonderful place to be! Our strength as a school revolves around our positive school culture, strong values and beliefs, fantastic family support, many opportunities to shine and participate, and dedicated and caring, supportive staff. Our Year 8 students had an exciting night last night at their graduation and social! We gave out awards, shared some kai and then had a bit of a dance! A big thank you to Mrs Steph Hunter, Miss Caitlin Turner and the team of helpers for organising this night for our Year 8 students. Congratulations to all award winners, a special congratulations to Dux winner Lily Porter!

Congratulations to the following students and groups:
- our award winners announced and presented at the Sporting, Outdoors and Coding Celebration evening last week. Special congratulations to Year 8 trophy winners JayJay Morris and Dylan Fern (sportsboy) and Georgia Smith (sportsgirl).
- all students who went on the KNS float at the Santa Parade - the Kaiapoi Promotions Association and supporting businesses were very generous in providing the float for our children directly effected by the fire.
- our KNS basketball teams for competing so strongly in the North Canterbury competition, special congratulations to the 4 KNS teams who won their finals - particularly the Section 1 Year 5/6 and Year 7/8 teams who have now won these competitions for 4 years in a row! A big thank you to Mrs Megan Gilmore for your leadership and to all coaches and managers!
- our First Lego League Team who travelled up to Auckland to compete in the New Zealand competition and won the gracious professionalism/core values trophy! Thank you to Mr Brayden Johnson and parent Mr Dean Sole for preparing this team so well!
- our KNS athletics team who competed with grit and skill at the Canterbury Athletics - well done to Ella Van Meer for placing 3rd in the Year 7 long jump!
- our Year 8 art extension group for their amazing mural that is now on the wall in the hall! Thank you to Mrs Christine Watton for your amazing guidance and for your time with this talented group! There are also pieces of art from our talented KNS artists that will be on display in the Youth Art Exhibition at the Kaiapoi Civic Centre, Art on the Quay from 21st December - 6th February 2019. Thank you to Ms Nicole Duxfield for leading this work with our students!

Well done to our 2018 student leaders who were announced last week. The following students will have leadership roles at KNS: Kruz Fettes, Oliver Dickson, Ollie Cooke, Raidyn Laird, Benjamin Gilmore, Dominic Toli, Blake Ormiston, Abbie McCurrie, Elenoa Drulidruli, Kiriama Cooke, Ella Van Meer, Angam Vraich, Aliyah Newton, Kaylee Moffat, Helena Kendrick, Kaylee Thomson and Brooke Dear.

On Thursday you will receive a letter with details about the beginning of the 2019 school year and notification of your child’s home class and teacher. Please be aware that there has been a detailed and sustained process into making class placements for our children. For Year 2-8 students your child will have a core teacher but will also be working in a Flexible Learning Space (FLS) with other children and teachers. I encourage you to take the time to visit your child’s class and learning area early in 2019 to familiarise yourself with the classroom spaces. You will also receive a map of the school to give you information about where classes will be located in 2019.

The school office will re-open in 2019 on Wednesday 23rd January for existing families to provide us with any new information about circumstances and for new enrolments. School uniform is available from The Warehouse in Rangiora and from Kaiapoi Monograms in Hilton Street. Your child will receive a pack of stationery (cost will be added to family account) on the first day back next year - Monday 28th January, 2019.

I would like to conclude with a thank you to everyone in our school community, thank you to:
our exceptional children for striving for excellence
our wonderful staff for your effort, enthusiasm and expertise
parents and caregivers for your positive support throughout the year
the Board of Trustees for your effective child focussed governance of our school
the PTA for your outstanding support and financial donations throughout the year
our 2018 Head Students for your wonderful service to our school.

If you need to contact me over the holidays please feel free to email me jason.m@kaiapoinorth.school.nz We will conclude 2018 with a school assembly on Friday 14th December from 11:00am - 12:00pm. Please make sure you pick your children up by 12:05pm. Wishing you all a very happy and safe holiday season, we look forward to welcoming the children back on Monday 28th January, 2019.

Kia Kaha, Kind Regards
Jason Miles, PRINCIPAL