Nau mai hoki mai, welcome back to 2024.

We are so excited to welcome our new Year 7s and welcome back our Year 8s to Te Maunga.

Te Maunga represents the place where our tamariki experience a sense of clarity and purpose. To climb a mountain, our children need to be supported and supportive, encouraging and courageous. The right attitude and a growth mindset needs to be cultivated to help our tamariki continue to climb when the journey is tough. A pathway is created for others to follow, by those that have gone before them. At the top of the mountain, our tamariki can see what lies ahead of them. They are stronger for facing the difficulty of their journey.

Stationery -Thank you to those families who have already purchased their stationery online. If you have any issues with stationery, please contact one of the Te Maunga teachers. We are able to store students' spare books and extra stationery in our learning spaces.

Hats -In Terms 1 & 4 Woodend students are required to wear named hats as part of their school uniform, otherwise they will need to spend break times under the shade. This is part of our school sun safety programme. Hats need to be wide brimmed or bucket hats that are either navy blue or green in colour as part of the Woodend uniform.

Technology - Our technology days this year will be a Monday. Our Year 8s are going in Term 1 & 2 and Year 7s in Terms 3 & 4. This is so more consistent programmes can be run at tech and school. They travel by bus to Kaiapoi Borough School, leaving just after 9am and returning before 3pm. The Year 8’s will have their first day at Tech on Wednesday 31st January (the first day of school) They will also have another session the following Wednesday before beginning their regular classes on the following Monday (12th February). If your child has tech and they are running late for school please call the office as they may need to be dropped at the technology centre. Technology fees have been set by Kaiapoi Technology Centre for 2023 at $134 however the donation scheme we have opted into for this year will now cover a huge portion of this, so the cost we are able to make this is now $40 to parents.

BYOD- We are very lucky with the amount of technology we have available for students at Woodend however with growing numbers and amazing learning resources constantly being provided, if your child does have an Ipad, tablet or laptop it would be hugely beneficial and appreciated if this could come to school. Mike Crawford has developed a robust BYOD system so all students are safe on personal devices. Please email him if you have any questions around this as he is happy to answer any questions. We do not allow cell phones to be used at all during the school day so can not be used to support learning.

Phones and Smart Watches -In a world with expanding forms of communication, we have noticed a number of students coming to school with smartwatches and cellphones. Our policy for cell phones and smartwatches in Te Kete, Te Hapua, Te Awa and Te Peka is that they are handed in to the office. Te Maunga students must place phones and smart watches in the teacher's office in the technology box.

If the child needs to make contact with you during the day, they have access to do so via the office.

Te Maunga Jackets - These are available to purchase from Mainland Uniforms but ordering is done through the school office. We have some sample sizes available for students to try on before you order. They are available for $80 and sizes come from small- 16 and adult sizes $90.

Nut Free Zone - Te Maunga is a NUT FREE ZONE ! We have children who are anaphylactic in our team. These children have severe nut allergies. We are asking that children do not have any type of nuts or nut butter in their lunch box as we need to keep our children safe. Thank you for your understanding.

All About Me Student Photo - As part of our Mana Unit at the start of Term 1 each Te Maunga student will create an ‘All About Me’ A4 page. This will include things like their favourite things, fun facts about them, and a photo of themselves. Could all students either bring in a printed photo of themselves or email one to their Pakeke Teacher by 6th of February. Our Teacher Introduction letters are an exemplar of these and are attached to this newsletter.

Camp- If your child brings home a camp form this week please ensure it is completed by Friday as numbers attending MUST be in by Friday 2nd February.

Swim Safety For Life- Please complete the following form - Information is attached. Form link