Newsletter
3rd June 2015 – Week 7, Term 2
Dear Parents and Caregivers
As you will see in the newsletter, our community has been very busy supporting our school: helping
out at working bees; celebrating students’ poems and speeches; and cheering our runners during
cross country; it is always wonderful to see the great turnout of parents and whānau.
Assessment of our students’ progress is an on-going process: observing, conferencing, formal and
informal testing, and working with the students and parents to address the next learning steps. Over
the next few weeks, we will be writing comments for the mid-year reports and providing further
opportunities for parents to attend interviews. Please see dates in the Diary and, where possible,
keep an afternoon after school free to attend. This is a very important and formative time to set the
goals with your child/ren for the rest of the year and celebrate their achievements to-date.
Frances Nimmo
Vision
Windwhistle Students will be self-managing, inquiring and enterprising learners, contributing to their
communities, and seizing new opportunities, as they strive to be the best they can be.
Kia ora koutou. We welcome Emily Lauren to our classroom
this week. Emily turned 5 over the weekend. Our Year 3's have moved
through to Room 2 so we have a bit more room to move in now! I will
miss our Year 3's. They have been super helpful and are awesome
workers. As its a short week this week, there won't be any spelling for
the Year 2's. Robyn will also be spending more time reading with the
Year 2's from now on. If the books seem particularly easy - they
are! We are now teaching them the skill of finding information in the
text. This week they will be dissecting 1 book chapter by chapter! Some of
the older Year 1's will soon start bringing spelling words home. We will start
off with just 5 and build them up. The notebooks will go home on Monday
and need to be back by Friday. Friday is my testing day. Please remember if
your child is away sick to ring the school and let us know. Otherwise they
will be noted as unjustified absences. Ngā mihi nui. Jane
The
children
enjoying exploring
and creating –
using the prunings from the trees – and planting
500bulbs! THANK YOU parents and Hororata
Community Group
This week, we welcome the Year 3s into
our class. This will add a new dimension to our
teaching and learning and will provide additional
opportunities for our Year 6s to step up as leaders.
We will use the diaries as a good way to
communicate between home and school – please
write down any questions/issues/ideas and sign
after homework is completed.
www.windwhistle.school.nz
email: windwhistleschool@gmail.com Tel 03 318 6828 Fax 03 318 6928
The Arts – Dance (whole school)
The Windwhistle School Folk Dance Evening listed in the diary of past newsletters for Friday 26 June has
been cancelled (due to a number of circumstances).
Room 1 and 2 children have been joining together for folk dance lessons this term and have had heaps of fun
learning “dances from other cultures and times”, which is required by the New Zealand Curriculum. I've
never seen so many happy faces on so many children at once, doing school work! They have all progressed
wonderfully in their learning of beat, rhythm, movement an d performing with others in time to the music.
Our next and final folk dance lesson for this year is on Friday 19 June. Any queries, please contact me
(Kathy).
SportStart Gymnastics – Room 2
Tammy Mehrtens from Sport Canterbury came to school in week 2 and taught the students and teachers
their first lesson of SportStart Gymnastics.
Any of our SportStart activities have the goal of enabling all children to participate at their level. (Gone are
the days of being humiliated as the last child waiting to be picked for a lunchtime team game!) There is no
sitting around picking grass waiting for a turn, or feeling left out in SportStart. Children are encouraged to
be individually creative, to feel great about their level of ability/involvement and to monitor their own
progress/next steps. It is hoped from these positive beginnings at primary school that more New Zealanders
will be more active, for life. Those children who enjoy the more competitive side of physical activity and
who excel as an athlete can also progress from this starting platform.
As you can see from the photos, the children have loved the subsequent lessons we have done since
Tammy's visit. The aim was for each child to create a gymnastics sequence involving a variety of shapes,
rolls, jumps, pathways, direction and ways of “travelling”. The children were challenged the other day to
create their most varied sequence....I had to limit them in the end, as some children were surpassing 20
separate actions! Any queries, please contact me (Kathy).
Golf – Term 4
I was asked by a parent if our children could have a series of golf lessons this year as part of our PE
programme. This is just a heads up to let you know I have arranged for a golf professional to come to school
for 1 day/week for 3 weeks in November/December to give all the Year 0-6 children golf tuition at their
appropriate levels. As a culminating activity the Year 4-6 children will join with Springfield School at the
Hororata Golf Club (at Coalgate) on Friday 11 December for a mini event between the two schools. (I did
request this be at Terrace Downs, but too far for Springfield children). Further details closer to the time.
Any queries, please contact me (Kathy).
We are delighted to welcome
Emily Lauren, Abisha Raju
and Megui Panaligan to
Windwhistle School and into
Room 1.
Bus Tomorrow!!!
Please remember that tomorrow,
4th June is a half school day, we
have teacher PD in the afternoon
and so the first afternoon bus
will be leaving at 12.30 pm and
the second bus from school at
1pm. Remember to let Robyn
Know of any changes – PLEASE!
BOOK FAIR
We are holding the Book Fair next week - Monday 8th – Friday 12th June. This
year’s theme is Queens, Kings and Castles. Books will be displayed in our school
library during the week and parents /grandparents/relatives and friends are most
welcome to come in and view these beautiful books any time during school
hours. Purchase of books can be made at the time of viewing (you can pay for
books via internet banking if more convenient) and, of course, there is an option
to buy a book and donate this for our school library. On Wednesday 10th June at
1.30pm the children will be dressing up according to the theme of Queens, Kings
and Castles so please talk with your children over weekend and have a think
about what they can dress up as. Anything to do with our theme, ie. queen, king, dragon, jester etc.
Parents, relatives and members of our community are most welcome to join our children in the library
where there will be games and activities.
News from Vanessa Johnston - BOT Fundraising Coordinator
What a wonderful but busy time we have all had this month.
Our wee gems have just been amazing, participating in the golf tournament followed by the speech
competition, cross country and the working bee. Each and every child has made us very proud.
Parents and children, please know that your involvement does not go unnoticed :-) THANK YOU
"TAKING A BREAK FROM THE
COALGATE SALES"
It's now time to take a wee
breather. On this note, it has been a
board decision to take a step back from
selling food at the Coalgate
Sales. Glentunnel School have kindly
agreed to cover our months for the rest
of the year. This has been a great
fundraiser in the past so we will
revaluate our involvement later in the
year for the 2016 roster.
Thank you to everyone who baked and
provided their time on the day. As
always, your time and resources are
appreciated. Maybe mum or "DAD"
might have more time now to put some
extra "HEALTHY" goodies in the cake
tins at home :-)
"WINDWHISTLE GOLF CLASSIC"
The golf tournament was yet another fantastic success.
It was a magical, slightly windy, high country day full of long drives, high scores, laughter and a lot of
lost balls :-)
Everyone’s help and support leading up to the day and on the day has been greatly appreciated. A lot
goes on behind the scenes so a huge 'thank you' to everyone who worked with the team to bring this
enjoyable event to the community.
A special thanks to the school kids for decorating the lunch bags, selling so many raffle tickets and
looking sharp in their events uniform. The feedback from the day has been very positive. Once the
paperwork has been complete we will update you in the next newsletter on how successful the
tournament was.
"WORKING BEE"
Many hands make light work. The weather was in our favour and the majority of the outside jobs
were achieved. Note, I stated "the majority" :-) A little more weeding and general tidy up is still
required. Don't be afraid to call Frances or myself and ask what can be done to help. The kids love to
help out so maybe make it a family activity :-)
The school bench seats have been sanded and boldly painted, they look fabulous. Check them out next
time you are at school.
Once again, a huge thanks for everyone’s help on the day.
www.windwhistle.school.nz
email: windwhistleschool@gmail.com Tel 03 318 6828 Fax 03 318 6928
TERM 2 DIARY 2015
½ Day – Teacher PD 1st bus 12:30pm
Week 7
Thurs 4 June
Week 8
Mon 8 June to
Fri 12 June
Tues 9
Fri 26 June
Book WEEK
Theme – Kings, Queens and Castles
Mobile Library – 1pm – 1:30pm
Mid-term reports sent home
Mon 29 June
Mon - Wed
Fri 3 July
+++EXTRA+++ Mobile Library – 1pm – 1:30pm
Parent teacher interviews 29th June – 1 July
BoT meeting 5.30pm Library
Week 10
Week 11
Room 2 students creating individual moves during gymnastics – Aim:
each child to create a gymnastics sequence involving a variety of shapes, rolls, jumps,
pathways, direction and ways of “travelling”.
SKIING, Term 3
–
See attached notice
from Jen
Windwhistle 5 year old
Cross Country boys –
ready for ACTION!
Term Dates this Year:
time:
Public Holidays in term
Term Three: Mon 20 July – Fri 25 Sept
Term Four: Mon 12 Oct – Wed 17 Dec
Labour Day – Mon 26 Oct
Canterbury Anniversary – Fri 13
Nov
PUBLIC NOTICES
Cool for School Programme
Check out Pulse Energy and compare with your own energy provider. Are the power bills cheaper?
Every year, for every customer, $50 will be donated to their school of choice. Make Windwhistle
School of choice to receive $50 if you decide to sign up for Pulse Energy!
Check out their website: www.pulseenergy.co.nz
Autumn Work
Got that job that just needs doing?
Contact us to book or discuss your needs
on 318 8228, www.73hire.co.nz, or
enquiries@73hire.co.nz
FUEL for SCHOOLS
Pea Straw for Sale
Lions Peastraw for sale, $30 a
bale. Contact Gavin King
318 6938 or 027 318 6938
www.windwhistle.school.nz
SouthFuels have a sponsorship
programme whereby for every 100L of bulk fuel is
purchased, $0.50 is donated back to your
nominated school. We can choose between a
technology package or a sports package.
For more information on how you can participate,
contact SouthFuels or check out their website:
http://www.southfuels.co.nz/fuel-for-schools/
email: windwhistleschool@gmail.com Tel 03 318 6828 Fax 03 318 6928