A large group of Year 7/8s headed to Brookside Park for a fun Summerfest 'have a go' at different sports event on Tuesday. It was great to have a close trip for the children to experience, and the staff were really pleased with the risk-taking and GROW attitude displayed by all.

We also had a group of learners at school playing basketball and held with Mr Ben Galletly and Miss Elisabeth Baker so lots of energy and enthusiasm being displayed by our senior learners.

We have been very busy organising 2022. You will find out next Friday who your child's whānau group teacher will be. We have welcomed Miss Frances Dench from Oaklands School and Miss Jessica Bensdorp from Ashburton Intermediate to our awesome School Community, and Mrs Caitlyn Tinnelly returns from parental leave. Sadly we farewell some staff. Good luck to Miss Jessica Cooper who is moving to Shotover School in Queenstown, Mrs Kelly Maude to Te Matauru School in Rangiora and Mrs Katherine Cuttle to Methven School - thank you all for your aroha [love] and manaakitanga [care and kindness] towards our learners. Mrs Sarah Kerkhofs and Miss Dionne Wallace will start the year on parental leave. The teams are organised as below:

Te Kete Kākano [Year 1]: Mrs Narrelle Robson, Miss Holly Miller, Ms Melanie Herron, Miss Melissa Grant [Team Leader] Some of the younger children currently in TKK will start the year in there.

Te Ara Tupu [Year 1/2]: Mrs Caitlyn Tinnelly, Mrs Ollivia Nancekivell, Mrs Karen Townsend, Mr Mike Stewart, Miss Rachel Pickering, Miss Estelle Austin [Team Leader]

Te Ara Whanāke [Year 3/4]: Miss Claudia Copeland, Miss Leigh Thrupp, Mrs Jo Norman-Larter, Mrs Leona Whittington, Miss Sam Nichols, Miss Madeleine Walker, Mr George Harnett, Mrs Emma Bennett, Miss Laura Finn [Team Leader]. Miss Janelle Osborne will also be Team Leader before she heads off on parental leave early in Term One. Te Ara Whanāke will also use Te PuaWaitanga which will be called Te Ara Whanāke, as well.

Te Ara Whānui [Year 5/6]: Miss Kendra Ward, Miss Frances Dench, Miss Nicole Davidson, Mr Otis Sole, Mr James Hunt, Mrs Tess Rodgers, Mr Pete Northmore [Team Leader]. Te Ara Whānui will also use the new studio which is known as Te Ara Whānui as well.

Te Ara Māia [Year 7/8]: Ms Elisabeth Baker, Mr Kyle Seckold, Miss Jessica Bensdorp, Mr Phil Wilkins, Mrs Amanda Skinner/Mrs Megan Murray [Team Leader]. Te Ara Māia and Te Ara Tupu will do a direct swap of studios but the names will go with them as they relate to our pathway of learning e.g. Te Ara Tupu means that learners are on the 'emerging pathway' and Te Ara Māia represents the 'broad pathway' as our learners enter the final phase of their primary learning. We believe and hope that the build of our new studio [where TAM should move to] will begin in January. This will be built by Hawkins Construction in front of the staff carpark.

I am soooo excited to announce that our library will re-open in Term One. It was something I was very passionate about having as a foundation school! I personally love to read for pleasure [and for learning] and I'm still a hard copy book fan! Speaking of libraries I was very proud to see the mahi of our art club featured in this recent article https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127139996/te-ara-tea-cultural-centre-to-open-in-rolleston-after-years-of-planning 

Special thanks to Mrs Leona Whittington for her vision with artworks and to her support from Mrs Nicki McKenzie and our caretakers Clive and Andy.

Thanks to the small number of parents who attended our final GROW meeting for 2021 this week. It was lovely to be able to personally thank Laura and Joel Cameron for their generous donation of brand new Scooliform stock to our school. We will have a cash sale of these items in the new year and the revenue will go towards sports uniforms. Please calendar our first GROW meeting for 2022 as Monday 14 February at 3.15pm [studio to be advised].

Hopefully everyone read my HERO email regarding the format for end of year prizegivings. The MoE have said that Covid Level 2 guidelines will remain the same for all schools for this year despite the fact the traffic light system is being implemented from tomorrow.

Many external providers of services that we use as a school like swimming pools, sports centres and our school camp venues are currently making contact to communicate what the traffic light system will mean for their service which in turn will have implications for us as users. We will communicate with our school community if and when we are directly affected by these changes.

If you’d like to learn more about the framework visit COVID-19 Protection Framework.

Finally, good luck to our code club team who are participating in the Lego Competition at Kaiapoi North on Saturday. A really special thanks to Miss Sarah Kerkhofs who works with this group even though she is on parental leave.

Ngā mihi

Sylvia