Message from the Principal
Latest information from Ross Willocks:
Kia Ora Parents / Caregivers,
We hope that you are getting through these winter days OK. The shortest day has come and gone and we long for daylight hours stretching out in the weeks ahead :)) Despite the cold wet days we are seeing lots of exciting learning happening at QPS and children working hard, showing excellent self management skills and 3R values.
Marimba Group
If you get a chance, pop in to the hall on a Tuesday morning to see this group in action. The children are taught by Genivieve Long and they have recently performed at the annual Christchurch Schools Strike, Strum Blow concert. Our children performed with distinction and we were very proud of them all. Most importantly what a delight they all are. Watching the children at their weekly practices; you can see why they do so well. They are hard working, they listen well and they are expert self managers. This is just one example of children stepping up and taking advantage of self directed learning opportunities at Queenspark School.
School Disco
Well done to the PTA team and our enthusiastic Student Council who organised the recent disco last Friday with the theme - Seasons. This was a fun night that was much enjoyed by children, staff and parents alike. We loved the special effort the children put into their costumes. It was great to see so many students and parents venturing out on a cold night to enjoy this school community event.
School Production - ‘The Not So Mysterious Disappearance of Cinderella’
We have really enjoyed the senior school production this week by all the senior children. Lots of fun and some great acting and singing has been on show. We loved the humour very much and also the way the children stepped into their show characters.
Well done to the big team of senior students led by Bridie Cassidy who have worked hard over many weeks to pull this together.
Congratulations everyone - We have some Hollywood stars in the making!!
Property update
You will be noticing the physical changes to our school site as we progress through our Canterbury Schools Property development programme. We have progressed beyond the new block rebuild as follows:
Extending the footprint in the Year 6 area by a decking and verandah on the south side of these classes facing the tennis courts
Sealing the large entry /exit area to the back field between the new block and Room 24
Resealing the front court. This area will be coloured in the school colours when the weather gets warmer. New basketball hoops are on the way also.
Developing a central amphitheatre / performance area in the middle part of the school complete with a stage and raised synthetic grassed audience area. Below is what we have developed so far 😀
Further planned development will include installation of new carpet in the older part of the school, upgrading block 1 internal learning space entry / exit doors so that we can have more flexibility in the way we use these spaces and further installation of outdoor seating. We are also wanting to upgrade our outdoor lighting and camera coverage in the near future.
Special thanks to Chris Wheeler, our hard working Board of Trustee property coordinator, for his expertise and his hard work in bringing this all together and making sure that the granted public funding budget is being spent wisely and in the best interests of our school.
Thanks also to the PTA who have recently agreed to grant $4,000 funding to increase our security camera coverage.
If you haven't made it in to school for a while, pop in and have a quick look. We are loving the changes so far.
Staff Professional Development
Our Teaching and Learning Support staff regularly hone their effective pedagogical skills and knowledge through targeted professional learning development. With the advent of the expanding curriculum to be taught at primary and intermediate levels our professional focus is currently on the new Digital Technology curriculum mandated in 2020, the expansion of the Health curriculum via Wellbeing and Mental Health focuses as well as individual teacher and learning team professional development designed to meet the differentiated needs of year group cohorts.
Nationally, preparation is being made to roll out the next new curriculum learning area which will be Aotearoa New Zealand History. We expect to receive from the Ministry of Education strategic information on how the implementation will work in the primary sector by the end of 2021.
Green Team update
Unfortunately the weather has been less than helpful for outside Green Team gatherings. However our vegetable garden is thriving and good weather will allow more work to be done in the garden such as constructing a scarecrow, establishing our worm farm and weeding. In the meantime our Green Team have been making bird feeders - one for home and one for school. So when you are walking through the school, keep an eye out for bird feeders hanging from a tree.
Road Patrol
We are looking for parent supervision for our after school Road Patrol on Mondays and Wednesdays please. If you are here at school and can spare 20 minutes we would love to hear from you.
Thank you in advance.
I am Hope:
We recently had the Ty, Michelle and the team from I am Hope at school talking to the YR6-8 students about everything from anxiety, communication and how to deal with our 'inner critic'. It was very informative and interesting. Ask your child what they took away from this discussion - they may be able to teach you some new things that they have learnt.
National Young Leaders Day 2021:
This term the QPS House Leaders attended National Young Leaders Day 2021. This day was full of inspirational speakers that filled us with the knowledge we need to become wonderful young leaders. The event's speakers were local people that really brought an element of connection and relatability. Some speakers included the hockey sportswoman Brooke Neal, and international speaker Cam Calkoen. Thank you to all the teachers and staff that made this happen. This event was an amazing experience to be part of.
Ben Swift
YR7/8 EPro8:
The EPro 8 team recently competed in a 'Qualifying Challenge'. They came 2nd with a creation of the Empire State Building. Congratulations Max, Sam, Ben & Olivia!
From there both the YR7/8 and the YR5/6 teams went on to the next round this week and came 9th! It was a huge night and the teams did really well. They worked so well together! Well done to our EPro8 teams!!
School donation and activity fees:
Many thanks to all the parents that have paid their children's school and activity fees so far this year or have set up regular payments to do this. By paying these fees it enables the school to continue to provide a high level of education and ensure that the children are receiving the best school experience we can provide. Your support in paying these fees really helps and is appreciated. Without them we may have to look whether it is viable to continue some of these much loved and enjoyed activities.
If you would like an updated balance of your account, you can log onto your child/s Hero account or contact the school office and they will be able to assist you. If you have any difficulty in paying these fees, please do not hesitate to contact the office and we can work with you to arrange a suitable payment plan.
A holiday reflection :))
If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight,
If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy,
If a child lives with shame
He learns to feel guilty,
If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient,
If a child lives with encouragement
He learns confidence,
If a child lives with praise
He learns to appreciate,
If a child lives with fairness
He learns justice,
If a child lives with security
He learns to have faith,
If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself,
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
He learns to find love in the world.
Children do not learn through what parents preach but children learn through the action of their parents.
written by - Dorothy Nolte.
Plus one from me...
If a child lives with boundaries...
They learn the difference between right and wrong and learns how to do the right thing and the right thing well!
Have a really great holiday break everyone
Ross Willocks
Principal
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