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Newsletter - Term 1 Week 7
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From the Principal | Tumuaki.
Kia ora whānau o te Kura Wairau Valley,
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Another fortnight passed, another action-packed fortnight of teaching and learning here at WVS! The tamariki are settling into the groove of the school year, and I am settling into the grooves of this chair. Although I try my best to get out of it, this job is A LOT of admin! To that end, something I've tried really hard to reframe over the last couple of years is the concept of busy. When you ask how someone is; "I'm busy, always busy, busy at home/work etc".
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Yes, we ALL are busy! No one appreciates being told how busy someone else is. I'm also not sure busy is an emotion when I'm genuinely trying to connect with someone on how they might be feeling. Maybe they're overwhelmed, tired, excited?
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The one thing I like to reframe this as is TIME. Time is a thing we as human beings hold precious and are very conscious of. It's also one of the most valuable commodities - time to volunteer, time spent with whānau, time spent refilling our buckets doing what we love - all things that are the 'nice to haves' in life.
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Make time! When we prioritise time, we notice we aren't as busy. We might still be checking off the same number of tasks in a day, but our frame of mind has gone from the "I'm too busy to do all of this" to "let's prioritise what I need to do with the time I have". I have certainly found that to be useful particularly when trying to fulfil my family commitments. When you look at things through the lens of priority rather than a to-do list, the weight of the 'busy' changes and everything seems less overwhelming.
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One thing I'm never too busy for (WAIT! Read: I will always make time for!) is whānau dropping by and saying hello. If we haven't caught up yet, I'd love for you to carve out a moment to pop in - whether it’s for a quick hello, a cup of tea, or a wander around the school to see what the tamariki are up to. There is always time in my day for that!
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On an entirely different matter, an important notice has been sent via Hero to do with smartwatches. Please take the time to read this and come have a chat if you have any questions. There is also the option to provide feedback on the policy if you have any strong preferences. I've also included the information below.
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Smartwatch Clarification.
At the Board meeting last night, the topic of smartwatches was discussed as part of a wider conversation about the policy review regarding Cellphones and Other Personal Digital Devices. Instances have come to light of children wearing smartwatches, ones that have cellular capability, to make contact with parents and whānau during school time. Further, with the evolution of technology, these smartwatches are effectively mobile phones worn on the wrist (if they have inbuilt cellular or internet connectivity functions). They have cameras, the ability to install apps (including social media apps), record conversations, and are a general distraction to teaching and learning.
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The Board reached the conclusion that a smartwatch that has cellular or internet connectivity meets the definition of a mobile phone, therefore falls under the "Phones Away for the Day" legislation. This means that smartwatches with cellular or internet connectivity abilities are either left at home, or put into the drawer in my (Adam's) office when the child arrives and is collected when they leave. I understand that these devices are possessed for the walking to and from school part of the day, but they have no place in the classroom or playground during school time. If you need to make contact, the appropriate channel is through the school office (03 572 2715) in the first instance. Our phone systems mean that most calls will get answered - after 3 rings, it rings on my cellphone. If no one does answer, your message immediately gets emailed to the office. You can also text us on 0275090515.
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I have included some links below that provide further clarification on this, and also the link to provide your feedback to the policy.
Ngā mihi nui
Adam.
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Upcoming/Important Dates.
- Rippa Tournament (Y4/5) - Tuesday 31 March
- Technology - Tuesday 31 March
- Last Day of Term - Thursday 2 April (8 sleeps!)
- First Day of Term 2 - Monday 20 April
- Technology (+ every odd week in T2) - Tuesday 21 April
- SCHOOL CLOSED - ANZAC Day Observed - Monday 27 April
- SCHOOL CLOSED - Maths TOD Day - Friday 29 May
- SCHOOL CLOSED - King's Birthday - Monday 1June
- Small & Rural Schools Cross Country - Friday 26 June
- Last Day of Term 2 - Friday 3 July
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Fundraising Reminder.
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Easter is NEXT WEEK, and the Fundraising Committee is organising an Easter Raffle gift basket as a fundraiser. If you are able to donate some Easter eggs or related goodies (we have heaps of Easter themed items now!), please bring these to the school office. We have sent raffle tickets home with each family to sell. If you want more, simply let Lisa know and they can come home with your child(ren) or come and grab some from the Office. Tickets are $2 each, with a prize going to the family that sells the most tickets. The Raffle draw will be held on 1st April, before the end of term. Could we please have all sold tickets back by that date.
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WVS Represent at PALs Training.
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Kobe, Kyan, Valentina and Aria made the trip into the Lansdowne Hub on Monday to represent Wairau Valley School at the Sport Tasman PALs (Physical Activity Leaders) training. An action-packed day of learning how to implement games and physical activities with fellow students in our school - a great example of tuākana/teina (big/little buddy) style learning. Some comments from the students included "ok", "fun" and "made some new friends" - absolutely riveting commentary for a day spent learning in a unique environment! We'll work on giving feedback...
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Riding our Bikes in School.
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We have asked the tamariki to not ride their bikes in the school grounds from the pool/bike shed area around to the big kids playground (basically around buildings where we cannot see people coming around corners). Too many near misses have occurred. Everyone is to get off and push their bike around this area. It can be ridden once past the 4 square court. Please encourage this if dropping off/picking up your children.
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While we are on the topic...
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Please know that we will not be liable for any bikes that go missing because they are left out by the kids after school. It is the responsibility of the children bringing and riding bikes to lock them up at the end of the day.
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WANTED! Your old Android.
Do you have a good, working Android phone that is surplus to requirements? Let us repurpose it as the Wairau Valley Text Machine! We are looking for an Android (NOT iPhone) cell phone that we can hook to a computer to text. The school number will still be 0275090515
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Congratulations, superstars!
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A huge ka pai tō mahi | great job to the following children who have certainly been showing the Wairau Valley values this fortnight!
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Penny Eaton: Penny, you were the only kid off the bus that saw what I was doing (moving the big TV stand) and offered to give me a hand. It's evident you have great situational awareness and great manners. You made me laugh too the way you handled the wasp on the bus the other day - no job seems too big for you! Great job.
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Valentina Leov: such a diligent, capable learner. We are all watching closely your passion project to see where it takes you!
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Ryan Boon: settling into routines and making an excellent start to your learning journey.
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FREE Books.
Want free stuff? We have heaps (well, a few) of these Homework Books pictured above lying around - I think they're a post-Covid thing. Unfortunately we don't have one for everyone (for example, I couldn't locate any Y5 books) but if you would like one, come and see us in the office or flick me an email and tell us what you would like/need. First in, first served.
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Also, we are 'moving on' a whole bunch of Library books. The plan is to have these out on the Library deck next week for whānau to come and help themselves. I would much prefer adults coming to take these than children, as we don't want them ending up back in the Library or strewn around the grounds. If you would just like a box of random books, I'm sure we could put one aside for you. Again, just email us and we'll make the magic happen.
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The Zones of Regulation - what is it?
The Zones of Regulation is a programme we are learning about to help children understand and manage their emotions.
It uses four coloured zones - Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red - to help tamariki recognise how they’re feeling and how alert or focused they are. Each colour represents a different emotional state (for example, calm, upset, tired, or excited).
The goal is to teach children to notice their emotions, understand how these feelings affect their behaviour, and learn simple strategies to help them feel more in control and ready to learn. It gives students a shared language to talk about feelings and is a helpful tool for building emotional awareness and self-regulation.
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Once our staff have completed the professional learning, each class will have a scheduled weekly time slot where they will take part in a Zones of Regulation lesson, led by their classroom teacher. To support this learning, there will be a permanent wall display in each classroom. These displays will grow over time as new concepts and strategies are introduced, helping tamariki build their understanding and use the Zones in everyday situations.
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Shout out to Bunnings Warehouse.
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As you know, Bunnings have been very generous to Wairau Valley School so far this year, donating a new shed for our furniture storage (we'll ask some whānau in the holidays/post harvest to see if anyone is free to bang it together). On Tuesday last week, the amazing Sandy came out to Wairau Valley School with a boot load of compost, potting mix, some donated gardening tools & gloves and some seedlings to give our space a bit of a zhoosh up. Judith, Tony and myself (Adam) got our gloves on and started pulling weeds to prepare for the new soil. The transformation has been simply outstanding - the garden now looks like a garden and is ready to grow our winter harvest.
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BEFORE
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ERO Report Format Update.
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The Education Review Office (ERO) is overhauling their school review reports to better enable parents and whānau to understand school performance and engage in their child’s learning. The new reports have an increased focus on progress – celebrating where schools are doing well in lifting student outcomes. Alongside an easy-to-understand picture of how well the school is doing for parents, the new reports provide a clear roadmap for improvement focusing on the key things that will make the most difference for students. This will enable schools to make changes and get the support they need in a transparent way. The reports will also celebrate progress schools have made. If you want to know more, visit the ERO website here.
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Thanks, Woodbourne Tavern!
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A huge ngā mihi nui | thank you to the Woody for donating some sauce to our school for the kids to ensure their school lunches are palatable. They're already edible, I can guarantee that, but sometimes they just need that classic Kiwi squirt of encouragement to make them more appealing!
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Community Relationships - FENZ.
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We recently had the pleasure of hosting the Wairau Valley FENZ brigade at our school pool for their water rescue training. In a small community like ours, these relationships are the backbone of how we look after one another. It’s a great reminder that our school facilities aren't just for 'school hours' - they are community assets. Taking the time to support our local volunteers, who give so much of their own precious time to keep us safe, is a priority we will always say yes to. It was fantastic to see the pool being used for such vital mahi, and it’s a brilliant example of what happens when we prioritise collaboration and connection.
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WVS Board Meeting Summary.
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The Board met on 24 March to review progress for the year and confirm several key decisions. The 2026 budget was approved, and the Board also confirmed its position on digital devices, with smartwatches that can call or message now treated the same as cellphones and handed in during the school day. Attendance data for Term 4 was updated after a Ministry reporting error, now showing a more accurate rate of around 73%. The Board approved the removal of a dead tree by the school pool and discussed ongoing improvements across property (carpet in Wairau and Fishtail), wellbeing programmes (Zones of Regulation), and curriculum developments (required vs expected; concern around teaching of Curriculum in current form at a small, rural school). It was also noted that the Term 1 testing through NZCER yielded some good results across the school. Minutes will be available on the school website in due course.
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Ministry of Education Update.
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I have included a graphic the MOE have shared with schools so you know what is required vs what is expected from schools this year. Not really something to overly worry about, but it gives you a good indication of what mid-year reports will look like. The word on the street/buzz phrase the MOE are throwing around is 'direction of travel'. It's likely the expected stuff will become required from 2027, as that's the 'direction of travel'. Then again, the government might change in November and we'll go back to square one.
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Community Notices
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April Holiday Camps @ Curious Cove
Enrolments are now open for our April holiday camps. Check out the details and complete an enrolment on our website (www.curiouscove.org)
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Fishing Camp – Mon 6th – Wed 8th April (Ages 10 – 14 yrs). Cost $135
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Wilderness Camp – Wed 8th – Fri 10th April (Ages 11 – 14 yrs) Cost $135
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April Junior Special Camp – Mon 13th – Fri 17th April (Ages 8 – 11 yrs) Cost $225
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Curious Cove (TVCC Trust)
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Junior Table Tennis
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The Marlborough Table Tennis Association is again running junior table tennis starting Tuesday 21st April. It will run during term 2 and 3.
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4pm – 5pm, Beginners and developing players. 5pm - Two player teams competition, any gender, several grades depending on ability.
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Blenheim Indoor Sports Centre 50 Batty’s Road.
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