NEWSLETTER NO.2010/13 12 May 2010
Tena koutou katoa
MELVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL
NAME: _______________________________________
Nga mihi nui kia koutou
Greetings to all our parents, families and school community
NEW ENROLMENTS: Welcome to these new learners this week: Cody.
PRINCIPALS AWARDS for I can use “pink to think” for powerful learning go to: Paedyn A2, Jessica A3, Mason C4,
Arnika C5, Jayden B6, Hossana B7, Tamara B9 and Ha-My D11.
PRINCIPAL NEWS:
Year 5 and 6 Camp Raglan: What a great time we had at camp last week. The weather was wonderful and the view from
Bryant House absolutely stunning everyday. The learning focus on Erosion really came to life as we did several investigations using sand walls, standing in the sea shallows feeling the wave drag at our feet and observing the erosion on the beach cliffs and where planting in the sand dunes is stopping the sand from being blown and washed away. Other challenges on the confidence course, sledging and the flying fox tested determination and courage. Congratulations go to our very own Camp Raglan American Idol – Javarne. His dancing prowess had us all yelling his name. Big congratulations go to Mrs Wilson and Mr Keegan for their planning, organisation and implementation of a successful camp. A very big thank you goes to our camp adult helpers. Without you we cannot hold Camps and give our Melvi learners these Learning
Outside the Classroom experiences.
School Uniform: Many Melvis are in uniform and our children are looking great. Parent feedback is very, very positive and all our supply glitches have been worked out. Children are proud to be wearing the uniform and to be identified as a
Melvi. We are moving towards having the uniform compulsory by 2011. Please make sure your child is wearing all the uniform not bits and pieces. We don’t see a soldier or a policeman with half the uniform on and half street wear.
As the colder weather approaches some children are wearing a skivvy or long sleeved t shirt/sweatshirt under their polo shirt. This is perfectly acceptable but can we please have either bottle green or red as these are our school colours. A reminder also for the colder weather, that shoes are to be black.
A plea from staff – please name your child’s clothing. We have clothing pens in the school office to lend you so you can name clothing before you even take it home. It is very easy to return a polar fleece jumper to a child when it is named but not so easy to find a rightful owner when it is not named and there are many children with the same uniform polar fleece.
Melvi, Parent and Teacher Conferences: Please mark this date on your calendar – Tuesday 29 June. Melvi, Parent
Conferences will be held with teachers to report both verbally and in a written report form to parents. We want
parents to bring their child to the conference. The child will be telling and showing you what they are learning. If all three players are at the conference then all are sharing, hearing and listening to each other about the Melvi child’s learning achievement and progress.
Teachers have been working on a new report form to use that takes in to consideration National Standard signposts of learner achievement, the curriculum learning levels and our school progressions and assessment. We want the format to be easy for parents to understand exactly where their child’s learning progress is at and where they are in comparison to the expected level of achievement for all children of that age.
I have asked a group of parents to feedback to me how they see the proposed report format working for them. The questions is, is it easy to understand? When you read this will you know exactly where your child’s achievement is and how you can support them at home? It has met with favourable comment to date. All parents consulted felt they would know exactly at what level their child was at and how they will be able to help them at home. Thank you to those parents for their feedback and wisdom.
Newsletters and school information reaching home: I am concerned when parents say they do not receive the newsletters and information flyers about classroom and teaching Team activities. Children are given the newsletters and flyers to bring home to parents and we ask parents and whanau to check the school bags everyday. Not all of our children are good at handing parents the newsletters and school flyer information.
I am considering posting the newsletter and flyers home. This would be a considerable cost to the school but we would know that parents had actually received the information. We would send all information on the one day. Possibly we would do this on a fortnightly basis rather than each week. I would like to hear parent feedback on this idea. I note that
Melville Intermediate are concerned about exactly the same thing.
Duffy Books in Homes Programme Sponsors Week: Yesterday our guest at whole school assembly was Juhli from
Scholastic Children’s Book Publishers. Scholastic is Melville Primary School’s major sponsor for the Books in Home
Programme. Without Scholastics sponsorship our school would not have the super benefit of being able to give children books to keep for themselves and their families at home.
Thank you Juhli and thank you Scholastic. You are Melvi Champions!
We will continue to celebrate Duffy Books in Homes Sponsors week next week and will send Juhli and Scholastic office in
Auckland some photos and children’s work.

SCHOOL NOTICES:
School Readers and Library Books: Have you looked around the house, under the beds, behind the couch, in the car and on top of the fridge? We appreciate parents who return our readers and library books whenever they find them no questions asked. Each library book costs us on average $25 and our school budget is very tight.
Cross Country: Weather permitting we will be holding our school Cross Country at Resthills park tomorrow, Thursday.
Melvis are training everyday for this event as part of the physical Health and PE focus for this term. Melvis need to come to school tomorrow dressed appropriately for running in the cross country event.
SPORTS NEWS:
Netball Team: Melville Blossoms Netball team played against Puketaha Tigers 8 May, losing 13 – 4. However, they were playing with only 5 players. This week we are playing against HNS Hotshots at 8.30am on Court 19. All players need to be at the courts by 8.10am please.
COMMUNITY NOTICES:
Help your children learn to save: First Credit Union provides a school banking service to all pupils at Melville Primary
School. Getting started is easy - just pick up an application pack from the school office, fill in the application form and return it to the school office. If your children already do school banking – great!
Remember, the school banking is collected on Thursday each week!
For Sale: We have a number of items for sale, ranging from children’s toys and shoes to household items all at reasonable prices. Please see the office for an item list and prices. All money raised will go to Learning Experiences
Outside The Classroom.
Parents Inc are holding a Hot Tips on Marriage and Relationships seminar at Hamilton Central Baptist Church, 33
Charlemont St. This is a two part seminar, Part 1 on 23 June and Part 2 on 24 June, 7.30pm to 9.45pm on both days. The cost is $30 per person. Tickets are available from all Ticketek outlets. For more information please contact Fiona Pook on 8551241 or visit www.parentsinc.org.nz
.
Submission to Hamilton City Council for a new playground in the Bader area If you would like to see a new children’s playground in the Bader area, please come and show your support at the VERBAL SUBMISSION to Hamilton City Council next Tuesday 18
May.10.20am - 10.30am at the Council Chambers, Garden Place. Things maybe running ahead of schedule, so please try to arrive by 10am.
GOLD FOR GLORY – A WRITING GEM
The waves sing a gentle song and sparkle like gold.
Qayne C5
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
 Melville Primary School Cross Country morning – Thursday 13 May – Resthills Park
 Year 6 Melvi Leaders – 11 leaders and 2 teachers attending Halogen Leaders Seminar Rotorua,
Monday 17 May
 Melville Cluster Schools Interschool Cross Country Competition – Tuesday 25 May
 Vision and Hearing Tester in the school – Tuesday 25 May
 Whanau Open Day at school – 26 May
 Education Review Office – school review 31 May – 4 June
 Queen’s Birthday Day public holiday – Monday 7 June
 Computers in Homes parent training days – Group 1 - Saturday 29 May
Group 2 – Saturday 12 June
Saturday 3 July
 Melvi Learners and Parent Conferences with Teachers – Tuesday 29 June 1pm – 8pm
School will finish at 12.00 on that day.
 School Closes for the term on Friday 2 July at 2.45 pm