We are now officially half-way through our school year. In this newsletter we look forward to a break to break the 'winter bug' cycle, celebrate a great PTA event, provide a little information around the proposed teacher strike on 15th August and you get a gentle reminder of the upcoming Mid-year Whanau Conferences and farewell one teacher and welcome another to our whanau.

Zdravstvuj

Well, we are now at the end of another term and halfway through the year. To a certain extent we are looking forward to the break ahead to get rid of all the 'flu that seems to be spreading around. I am sure the students are looking forward to their break ahead.

Quiz Night 

Last Friday, we held our annual PTA Quiz Night event held at the Mt Pleasant/Redcliffs bowling club. I was unable to attend, but from all accounts it was hugely successful with a over 108 community members in Quiz teams for the night. We thank all those who attended and gave generously to help our school. With the team entries, bar sales and silent auctions, we raised $6,500. All this and there was a good time had by all… which is a huge part of our PTA events. We must give a special thanks to Carolyn and Rachael from our Office and their band of merry helpers for their supreme organisation that made this event such a success. We must also thank our sponsors large and small who contributed items for our auctions. We truly appreciate your support.

Proposed Strike Action in August

I have had a few questions and comments regarding the NZEI proposed teacher strike on the 15th August. Firstly, we hope that negotiations are successful and we are able to settle our contract so that strike action is unnecessary. It is important to note that this negotiation is not just about pay. There are many challenges around conditions and support for schools that affect all our students and staff, all of which are important. If the strike were to go ahead, it will either be a full day or a half day (from 1:30pm - 4:30pm). This has not yet been decided and a ballot will be taken at the beginning of Term 3 for union members to signal their preference. Should negotiations be unsuccessful, we will inform you of the ballot outcome and the how this strike action will be managed.

Mid-year Whanau Conferences

We hope that you manage to have some time off over the next couple of weeks. I am personally looking forward to seeing Sweden win the world cup. We look forward to seeing you all next term. If you haven't already booked for the Whanau Conferences, now is a good time to do it. You can do this here: Mid-year Whanau Conferences

So Long Suzie!

Finally, we farewell Suzie Vesper who is leaving today to head off to Saudi Arabia to teach with her family. Suzie started here in 2013 and has been a valued member of our staff. Her passion for teaching and development of our digital technology shone through and we will miss her. We welcome to our staff Anita McGowan who will start at the beginning of Term 3. Anita is coming from St Martins Primary School where she teaches in the Yr.7/8 area. I am sure you will all make her feel welcome as she settles in to MPS.

My nadeyemsya, chto u vas budet schastlivyy prazdnik. Proshchay

Chris Nord