20 th July 2015 – Week 1, Term 3
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Welcome back. I trust everyone had a good family break whether around home, up on the ski slopes or away. We’re looking forward to hearing all about the exciting events that have happened. That’s one of the wonderful things about working in a small school, everyone enjoys sharing and listening to each other’s adventures and it helps us to know and understand each other better.
The African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is well known. However, I believe we go one better with our school’s motto, “Quality Community Learning” – it really epitomises what
Windwhistle School is all about. So, if you have any hidden talents/resources that we don’t know about yet and you would be prepared to share them with our students, please let us know!
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.
Talofa! Nau mai haere mai ki te Term 3! We welcome Jed McCarron to our class this week. Jed has come from Woodbury School just outside Geraldine. Another Year 1 boy for our class! Thank you to all the parents who spent time reading with their child/ren over the holidays. It makes a real difference to their learning. Attached you will find a News timetable for this term. I have highlighted the days for your child to share their news. Year 0/1 will need help but the Year 2's should be doing their own work.
To help make the skiing go a bit easier, could I ask that you text/email/ me or write on a piece of paper your child's shoe size! The first day is always the craziest.
Please remember to send your child to school with a coat. There is still snow on the ground and temperatures are cold outside.
Library day is still Friday mornings. Mobile library is Tuesday 4th
August. Please keep the library bags at home.
Our topic this term is the Water Cycle. Should you need me my cell phone is 02102503517. Home is 3188920. Email is windwhistlerm1@gmail.com
. N gā mihi
Jane
This term, for the first four weeks, I will be teaching
Monday to Wednesday, plus Friday morning followed by skiing.
Lucy Cookson will be releasing me and teaching on Thursdays until
Kathy starts back in Week 5, teaching Wednesdays and Thursdays for the remainder of term. Lucy will take up Kathy’s spelling and maths geometry strands as well as PE. The overlaying theme for Room 2 will be
‘Energy’ – using the Principles of Learning to learn, Community engagement, and Future focus and Values of
Innovation, Inquiry and Curiosity; and Ecological sustainability . Please continue to support your child/ren with their home learning of reading, spelling and basic facts/times-tables. Many thanks, Frances.
www.windwhistle.school.nz email: windwhistleschool@gmail.com Tel 03 318 6828 Fax 03 318 6928

:
1.
Create a waterproof / snowproof jacket (10 plastic bags, scissors and sellotape)
2.
Design something to safely catch a falling baby from a height of 2 m! (40 sheets newspaper, 10 30cm bits of string)

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
We are looking forward to starting our Friday skiing sessions. The first one is always a bit hectic especially with so many new children, and for that reason we would ask everyone to help as much as possible when they are going through ski hire. We are going to write each child’s boot size on their ski pass, once they’ve got the correct fitting
– this will help to speed things up the following week. Please make sure you have ticked off each item from the “Gear List”, it can be bitterly cold on the mountain – each child
MUST have waterproof clothing, a warm hat and sunglasses/goggles - helmets will be provided FREE.
Before we head up to Mt Hutt, we need to hold a safety briefing for all concerned – it is very important that all drivers/parents who are helping please meet in the LIBRARY at 10:45am on Friday: Jen and I will cover all the safety/ RAMS/ programme/ lessons/ after-lessons’ skiing and supervision/ transport – signingout/ clothing/ sun protection, etc. If Mt. Hutt is CLOSED due to weather, we will be teaching as normal and the school bus will be operating in the afternoon. (check online - https://www.nzski.com/mt-hutt or phone 03
308 5074 ). If the weather is marginal, a decision will be made with all the local schools involved/Mt Hutt
Manager and I will txt you to advise whether it is ON / OFF. If your child is not skiing due to sickness, please have a parent at school by 11am to pick your child up. Please remember, JEN must know by each
WEDNESDAY who is transporting which child UP and DOWN the mountain – for safety AND for sending out accounts later. Happy Skiing, Frances!
Friday Afternoon Ski Programme
Children will attend school until morning interval then travel up the mountain at 11am. This programme requires parent supervision and transport – please remember to organise transport for your children amongst yourselves and let the school know. Please remember booster seats of those children needing them. If you are new to Windwhistle School I am happy to help organise transport for you. Jen
On the Mountain
www.windwhistle.school.nz email: windwhistleschool@gmail.com Tel 03 318 6828 Fax 03 318 6928

Meet: Please be at the main foyer at Mt Hutt by 12pm and all sign in with JANE. Skiing parents need to get their ski pass from Frances. You MUST sign-out with Jane before you leave the mountain.
Lessons: Lessons start at 12.30-2.00. Frances will sort the children into the correct groups. Please make sure you are ready to meet your child at the end of the lesson, have some food/drink and ski/supervise your child/group until 4pm.
Mountain Status: You need to check the mountain status at www.nzski.com/mt-hutt or call 03 3085074. If the skiing is cancelled for any reason, the phone tree will be activated and school will proceed as normal.
Please ensure you contact your list of parents on the phone tree.
Detail Changes: If you change any detail at all from the return slip, you must contact Jen by email daly@farmside.co.nz
or phone 0274043887 or 033186563. I need to know by no later than Wednesday
8pm , prior to the ski day to obtain discount for the school.
Changes after this time, please contact Frances by cellphone 0277 500 708 or email address windwhistleprincipal@gmail.com
Ski Gear
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Water proof jacket
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Water proof leggings
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A warm jersey or polar fleece middle layer
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Polyprop or merino thermal layer including long leggings or tights
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A t-shirt or similar to wear under mid layer
Sunglasses or ski goggles (very important)
Sunscreen
Socks
Waterproof gloves
Beany or hat for after – ALL children will wear HELMETS – provided FREE at ski-hire – parents please check that they are fitted well
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Plastic bags for your wet clothes
Please contact me if you have any questions, Jen Daly 033186563