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Newsletter - Term 2 Week 2
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Principal's Notices
Welcome back to Term 2! I hope you all had a refreshing break and managed to find some of that beautiful autumn sunshine. There is always a special kind of energy that comes with the start of a new term - a mix of settled routines and the excitement of what’s ahead. It has been wonderful seeing the tamariki back in the playground, sharing stories of their holidays and diving straight back into their learning.
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Talking about sun, we have a busy term lined up full of opportunities for our students to shine. As we settle in, we are taking some time to refresh our focus on our School Vision and Values. These aren't just words on a wall for us; they are the heartbeat of how we interact, play, speak and grow together here at Wairau Valley. They are what turn us into awesome human beings when we have left school and they need to be relevant to both 2026 and to us as a community. A community consultation will happen with these once they have been refined more by the staff and Board. If you're really keen for some input, come and have a kōrero with Adam and check out our staffroom whiteboard.
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A quick piece of 'housekeeping': Please take a moment to ensure your contact details are up to date with the office. Whether it’s a new phone number or a change in emergency contacts, having the right info helps us keep everyone safe and informed. A slip of paper will be coming home today with your current details on it. If you need to change the information we currently have, write it on the piece of paper and bring it back to the office. Otherwise, no further action required!
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Winter sport starts this weekend, and I wish everyone playing a sport good luck. Even though we might not have any 'Wairau Valley branded' teams, just remember you are still representing Wairau Valley School and your whānau in any team you play for. So represent us with pride, fair play and fun!
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Parents: I know what it's like standing on the sideline watching your little darlings... I'll probably see you this season if you're on the football or netball sidelines too! A reminder though - taken from the inspiration of Gilbert Enoka (the All Blacks mental skills coach; his book Become Unstoppable is well worth the read!) - kids' sport is supposed to be fun.
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Not every touch of the ball needs to be a coachable moment, not every call made by a referee needs to be scrutinised, and not every drill or tactic needs to be questioned by anyone who isn't the coach. I take my hat off to the volunteers who coach and referee every week - make sure you thank them after the game! These people do it so the kids can have fun, and it doesn't need to be ruined by spectators on the sideline that, bar a few negative remarks and oranges when it's their turn, don't contribute to the team culture or the improvement of anyone in it.
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Sometimes the best thing to say is simply: "I loved watching you play today." On the car ride home, try these questions that Gilbert Enoka suggests will foster the love of the game, rather than the "getting it right every time":
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What was your favourite part of the game?
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What is one part of today's game you are proud of?
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What is one thing that another teammate did well?
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Upcoming/Important Dates
- Year 7/8 Technology - every second Tuesday (odd weeks).
- SCHOOL CLOSED - Maths TOD Day - Friday 29 May
- SCHOOL CLOSED - King's Birthday - Monday 1June
- Small & Rural Schools Cross Country - Friday 26 June
- School Big Day Out! - Tuesday 30 June (TBC)
- Last Day of Term 2 - Friday 3 July
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I highly recommend you sign up/subscribe to our school community calendar. Click the link here to access it. The calendar is also visible on our school website.
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Congratulations, superstars!
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A huge ka pai tō mahi | great job to the following children who showed the Wairau Valley values last term.
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Albee Bennett and Ryden Travers: Boys, we are really going to miss you at Wairau Valley School. Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu - our hope is that you thrive at Whitney Street because of your Wairau Valley beginnings. Mā te wā Ryden and Albee.
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Harry Eaton: giving things a damn good go and trying your best.
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Finny Callanan: growing confidence in counting and how well you have started school.
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...and for this week
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Finny Callanan (again!): Finny, you show a real kaitiaki vibe in our kura, ensuring that our space is nice and tidy, and that you care for the people and things around you. Ka pai tō pukumahi, e kare.
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Aria Dean: you are showing great leadership and role modelling to the rest of the kura. Keep up the hard mahi and continue being awesome.
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Alex Keane: well done on your first couple of weeks at school! You have fit in so well and it's like you have always been here.
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Gracie Howard: you are putting in such hard work with your learning both at home and at school. Ka pai e hoa!
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Lilly Christian: Lilly, you are trying so hard with your learning and your hard work is paying off. Great stuff.
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I promise whānau, we will develop a system so you are notified in advance of your child getting a certificate. One thing at a time! 😅
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Speaking of congratulations, it's a pretty neat feeling when the kids bring one of these back from Technology. Way to represent Wairau Valley School on a regional scale with pride!
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A birdie also told me that Kobe did particularly well over the long weekend at his U12 Rugby 7's Tournament in Hanmer Springs, with his team winning the competition. Well done Kobe and the Pelorus/Renwick Mudjacks.
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Y4/5 Stand Proud at Rippa
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Well done to the WVS Rippa Team who participated in the competitive event at the Marlborough Rippa Tournament in the last week of Term 1. It's a pretty big feat playing in the competitive event and by all accounts, we did pretty well considering the other teams who were in that grade. A special shout-out to Kobe, one of our Y8 PALs for helping coach the team on the day. These are the opportunities only a wee school like ours can provide and I've heard you were the best role model our Y4/5's could have!
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Ministry Maths at Home Resource
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The Ministry of Education has released a fantastic new resource for students in Year 3-8 to practice their Maths at home. It is very easy to follow, simply click on the link found below, click the year level, click the area of Maths you want to practice and then different Maths questions will come up. This is a free resource and aligns with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. Website: https://nzc-maths-practice.nz/
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Lunchtime Eating
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It's pretty well known that you design the environment you want. After a few uneaten lunches and to cure the ants in some pants (probably actual ants too), we have moved the tamariki to sitting at the picnic tables to eat their lunch, rather than sitting under the trees.
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It's hard to describe the immediate impact in a few words - you had to be there to feel it I guess. Needless to say it has hugely improved the behaviour of the children while eating, and kids are actually INTERACTING while eating, rather than just...let's be honest...throwing food and stones out of the playground at each other. It's such a pleasant vibe - one I explained I want to continue because, this is the feeling of great!
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Every Day Matters!
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Below, you will find the provisional data for Term 1 attendance. A bit of work to do still as less than two-thirds of our students are attending school regularly. We know this will get worse in Term 2 as illness creeps in. I'm also concerned about any implications for our whānau with the increased cost of fuel. If getting to and from school is an issue in regards to fuel, please come and have a conversation with us. We have been assured at this stage, the school bus will continue to run as normal.
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In relation to illness, HealthNZ provide advice on knowing if your child is well enough to go to school.
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I have also included our Attendance Management Plan as a reminder here.
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I Spy Autumn Poems
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While Mr A was in Wairau, we wrote some I Spy Autumn poems. Taking our senses outside, we observed, listened, felt and smelt what Autumn was bringing our way. Below is what the kids wrote, with a little help illustrating our poems from Gemini!
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Shout out incoming!
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A big shout out to our friends at Bocky Boo Gelato in town for donating some vouchers towards our Easter raffle. If you haven't checked them out yet, you are certainly missing out!
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Ikura | Period Products in School
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We have a supply of pads and tampons to give away to our whānau. If you, or any family members (sisters, aunties, mums, or daughters), could use these, please visit the office.
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If you would like more information on the Ikura scheme, information can be found here.
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Every Term, our community have the opportunity to review our policies and procedures on SchoolDocs. This term, we are reviewing the following policies:
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- Daily School Bus
- School Swimming Pool
- Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC)
- EOTC Governance Roles and Responsibilities
- EOTC Risk Assessment and Management
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Feel free to have your say here. Before panic sets in, no - this isn't about reviewing school bus routes - that's the MOE's job.
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School Lunch Feedback
Everyone is encouraged to provide feedback on the School Lunches that are provided by The School Lunch Collective. This is a great conversation starter at home (How was school lunch today? What did you have for school lunch today?) and might lead into some inspiration for meal ideas at home. If you or your tamariki | children have any feedback about the school lunches, email us and we can pass it on. We have found with the changes to how we eat (reference above), kids are eating more of the school lunches.
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As a side note - if any whānau would like some Weetbix at home for breakfasts etc., please also just email us or pop in and we can send some home. We have heaps, so don't be shy!
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