Latest information from Ross Willocks:

Kia Ora Parents / Caregivers,

We hope that term 2 is starting well for you. The children have all made a great start and we are seeing some exciting learning right across the whole school.

Check out learning action happening at the moment:

• Year 7/8 catapult challenge

• Senior Technology at Mairehau

• Rocket Day end of term 2

• Junior school swimming

• Fantastic acceleration being achieved with our Reading Recovery teacher

What's been happening in the teams lately:

Nest +1:

Swimming at Taiora QE2 Aquatic centre - we are having 10 lessons. Children have been amazing showing the Queenspark 3 R's. We love going swimming on the big, bendy bus (longest bus in NZ!)

Cross country - a successful day of students stepping up and trying their best. We thank the parents /grandparents /friends for coming along to support.

Recent student success:

Last term our Q competencies focus was Self Managing. Hopefully your child can explain that this meant: 

I can do things for myself

I look after my belongings

I know when I have tried my best

I can talk about what I am learning

This term's Q competency is Relating to others.

YR2/3:

The Year 2 & 3's have been practising hard for our Cross Country which was held on Friday. We had lots of fun with everyone trying their best.

We have started learning about animals and their habitats and we have enjoyed having pets come to school and the children telling us all about them.  We are looking forward to our Museum trip on Thursday 17th June.

YR4/5:

Science Learning - Living World with a particular focus on plants. We will soon be planting some seeds!

Continuing our focus on Writing development - your child may come home asking questions to help with their description of a special person in their life

Our Year 5 students are looking forward to their first experience at Rawhiti Sports, as well as some runners competing in their first Eastern Zones Cross country early in June

Some classes have been recently rearranged. Miss Morris is located in Room 22

YR6

The Year 6 team are looking forward to starting some scientific experiments where we will be focusing on observations.

We will soon be getting into our Rawhiti Weekly Sports teams in preparation for weekly sports starting in Week 6

YR7/8:

The Year 7&8 students are currently immersed in a Science focus on the Material and Physical World. 

They are investigating scientific concepts through hands-on experiments including forming hypotheses, making observations, changing variables and analysing results. Some of the experiences have included making catapults, exploding cans, coding micro bits and saturating solutions.

Gumboot Day - Friday 28 May

Thank you to all our families who donated to this very worthy cause today. We are happy that our school is able to be part of making a difference in young people's lives.

To help raise awareness for mental health. 100% of donations deposited by you on Gumboot Friday goes to counselling for young people by registered mental health practitioners. Your money goes directly where it's needed: to young people getting the help and support they need, when they need it most. 

PTA Fun Run

Congratulations to all the children who took part in the Fun Run last Friday. What a fantastic day this was. The children thoroughly enjoyed the obstacle course and they would have certainly slept well on Friday night.

Thank you to Krissy and the PTA for organising this initiative. This was a first in terms of online sponsorship. $12,115 was raised. What a result!

This money will help go towards Kapa Haka uniforms, Ukuleles and Reading Books.

Junior Cross Country

Congratulations to our junior superstar runners! We were really impressed with the way all the junior team took part and gave this event a good try. We have some really great runners in the making!

Thank you Hellers! The sausages donated for our sausage sizzle tasted amazing! We really appreciate the support from Hellers - sausages for schools 🙌

Mid-Year Disco

The mid-year disco is in week 8 on Friday 25th June. The student council have chosen the theme, 'Seasons' for the mid-year disco. We are looking forward to seeing all the creative costumes, clothes and colours inspired by this year's theme 'Seasons!' The student council will publish details via the mid-year disco poster next week.

Attention Parents and Caregivers who drop their children off to school by car.

Thank you to all the parents who have heeded our safety message about the manner in which we drop off our Queenspark students to school. The response by the majority of parents has been to realise our collective responsibility and take action to reduce the risk to children coming to school via Pinastar Place.

However, there are still a few drivers and in the last week a couple of drivers who obviously feel entitled to speed near and around our school during the morning drop-off and afternoon pick up times. The expected speed is 40Km/h passing a school. The expected driving speed in and out of a cul-de-sac road with at least 200 students moving through the back gate entrance twice a day, would be less than 40km/hr so on that note, let's be doubly cautious here.

Please do not pull into private driveways. There is a turning area at the top of the street. Please use this instead of pulling in and out of people's driveways. I am sure you would get annoyed if this was your property. This is a safety issue also. You may not see children while backing out.

A big 'thank you' to the concerned parents who have notified the school after observing parent and caregiver drivers being irresponsible and putting our students at risk. We encourage parents, as concerned citizens, to report these incidents as well. It's about being part of a community; it's about looking out for our most vulnerable, our children. 

If you observe dangerous driving around our school then note the number plate, colour and make or type of car, if possible get a description of the driver and contact the Police on 105. You can call or do this online. Yes it will take 10 minutes of your time, but it will result in action being taken against the 'entitled' few. Give the same information to the school and we will do the same as a follow up with the Police.

Bike Race

The student council organised bike race will take place at lunchtime on Thursday 27th May weather and ground conditions permitting. 

Farewell to Maree in the Library:

It is with sadness that we say farewell to Maree Silver. We wish to thank Maree for all the hard work she has put in to our school over the past 8 years. Maree has picked up another library position at another school and we wish her all the very best for her new adventure.

Have a great weekend everyone

Ross Willocks

Principal