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Newsletter - Term 3 Week 4
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Important Notices
Kia ora whānau, nau mai ki te pānui a te kura o Wairau Valley | Hello family, welcome to the newsletter of Wairau Valley School.
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For the next few weeks, I have the opportunity to step into the Acting Principal role for the first time while Mr Alexander is away. I’m looking forward to gaining new experiences, taking on different aspects of school leadership, and embracing the learning that comes with the role. Please do get in touch if you need anything.
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We wish Mr Alexander all the very best over in Scotland where he is representing New Zealand at the World Pipe Band Championships. This is an incredible achievement and opportunity, and we look forward to hearing all about it when he returns.
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We Filled the River Stone Jar!
Last week we celebrated a huge school-wide achievement – we filled our entire River Stone jar! When children are spotted demonstrating our RIVER values, they are given a River Stone ticket. Each ticket counts towards our school-wide total and is converted into small river stones. Every Monday, the number of stones earned across the school is counted out and added to our large River Stone jar. Last week the jar was officially FULL! Students then voted on their school-wide reward and chose some well-earned free time.
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It is fabulous to see our whole school collectively contributing towards a positive school culture where expected behaviours are explicitly taught, recognised and reinforced. Every River Stone earned is part of building a school environment where positive choices become the norm.
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There is also a little extra excitement attached to earning a River Stone! Each week, one ticket is drawn from each classroom, followed by one ticket from across the entire school. These students get to choose a hot chocolate or ice-block as recognition for demonstrating our RIVER values.
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A huge congratulations to all of our tamariki for filling the River Stone jar. Now it is empty again, and we are already working together towards filling it for the next school-wide reward!
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A Voice to Celebrate!
We are incredibly proud to share that Valentina has been selected as a soloist for the upcoming Marlborough Choir Festival at the Whitehaven Theatre! This is a wonderful achievement and a fantastic opportunity for Valentina to showcase her talent. We wish Valentina, along with all our Wairau Valley School students taking part in the festival, the very best of luck and know they will represent our school beautifully.
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Our Values Focus this Fortnight
This week we have continued to focus on our Respect value, particularly what respect looks like during playtimes and lunchtime eating.
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It has been great to see a real effort from our tamariki to remain seated for the entire lunch eating time, use respectful words and manners, and take responsibility for their rubbish. These expectations help make our break times calmer and more enjoyable for everyone.
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We have also been talking about ways we can reduce the amount of single-use plastic waste coming into our school. Where possible, we encourage students to bring food in reusable containers or lunchboxes with compartments, rather than individually wrapped items. Not only does this help keep our school tidy but it is also a simple way we can show respect for our environment.
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A Note from the Fundraising Committee
Jingo Night: The Fundraising Committee has made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming Jingo fundraiser at the Woodbourne Tavern that was scheduled later next month. This decision was not made lightly; however the committee feels it is in the best interests of everyone involved. We look forward to sharing the next fundraiser with our school community soon.
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Pets Day: Now that 1st August has rolled around, it’s time to start thinking about your entry for this year’s Wairau Valley School Pets Day!
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A reminder that lambs and calves entered in Pets Day must be born on or after 1st August. If you’re hoping to take part but are in need of a pet this year, now is a great time to have a chat with friends, family, neighbours or members of our wider community. The Fundraising Committee is really looking forward to another fantastic Pets Day, with plenty of animals and a great turnout from our school community.
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Year 4-6 Tackle Tournament
A big thank you to Stacey for taking our Year 4–6 boys along to the tackle tournament. Harry, Johnny, Jimmy, Declan and Beau represented our school, joining forces with Mayfield School to make up a team for the day.
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It was fantastic to hear such positive feedback about how well the boys represented our school. They showed great manners, positive sportsmanship and played really well together. Ka mau te wehi, boys – we are very proud of you!
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Bunnings Shed- A Big Thank You!
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Earlier this year, Bunnings Blenheim very generously donated a new shed to our school. Over the holidays, our fabulous caretaker Tony, along with community member Richard Craddock, gave up their time to build the shed and get it ready for us.
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We are incredibly grateful for the time and effort Tony and Richard put into getting the job done, and to Bunnings Blenheim for their generous donation. Support like this from local businesses and members of our community makes a real difference to our little school – thank you!
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Wairau Room Learning:
Playgroup Visit
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Last week, we were delighted to welcome our local Playgroup to Wairau Room for a special transition visit. It was a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to experience what learning is like at school while getting to know our classroom environment.
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We began by sharing a story together before heading outside for some fun team-building games. The children also enjoyed taking part in an icebreaker activity, which helped everyone learn each other's names and made our new friends feel welcome.
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Our Wairau Room students were outstanding ambassadors for our school. They showed kindness, patience, and responsibility as they looked after the younger children, played alongside them, showed them around the classroom, and included them in activities. We are incredibly proud of the care and leadership they demonstrated throughout the visit.
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It was a fantastic morning filled with smiles, laughter, and new friendships. We look forward to welcoming our Playgroup friends back again soon!
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Writing – Sharing Our Opinions
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This term, our writers have been learning how to express and support their opinions through persuasive writing. They are developing their ability to clearly state what they think, give reasons to support their ideas, and write a strong conclusion.
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Our students have enjoyed discussing a range of interesting topics, sharing their ideas respectfully, and using persuasive language to convince their readers. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they learn to explain and justify their thinking.
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Take a look at some of the fantastic opinion writing our children have produced.
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Fishtail Room Learning- Across Aotearoa
This term, the Fishtail Room has been travelling Across Aotearoa through our literacy and inquiry learning! Each week we are visiting different destinations around New Zealand, using a range of texts to develop our reading skills while discovering more about the geography, history, landmarks and unique features of our country.
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As we travel, students are building their knowledge of Aotearoa, locating destinations on maps, collecting interesting facts in their Across Aotearoa Travel Passports, and completing a range of independent literacy activities. So far, we have journeyed from the very bottom of the South Island and are steadily making our way north!
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Our classroom map is growing with each new destination, and it has been great to see the students making connections between the places we read about and their own experiences of Aotearoa.
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Congratulations, Superstars!
This fortnight, we celebrate the following superstars:
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Anam Ali: For your fantastic progress in Reading and your wonderful attitude towards learning. You come to school prepared each day, ready to learn and eager to challenge yourself. Your commitment to completing your homework and practising your learning at home shows great responsibility and determination. Your positive attitude, perseverance, and genuine keenness to learn are helping you make excellent progress.
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Mac Gerrand: Mac has effortlessly transitioned into the senior room this year, taking new learning and challenges in his stride and approaching everything with a positive, easy-going attitude. He is working hard to strengthen his communication skills so others can hear the fabulous ideas and opinions he has to share, while consistently staying focused and giving his best. Mac truly embodies our RIVER values and is a kind, thoughtful friend to everyone around him. We are so lucky to have him in our senior room!
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Jimmy Neal: Jimmy, you have already shown what it means to be an outstanding role model at WVS. From your impeccable manners and sportsmanship while representing our school at the tackle tournament, to the enthusiasm, curiosity and determination you bring to your learning, you consistently make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. You have made such a positive start to your time at WVS, and we are incredibly excited to see where your journey takes you!
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Upcoming Dates
- Harold and the Life Education Truck - Wednesday 19th August
- MOTAT Robotics Visit - Monday 31st August
- WVS In School Speech Competition - Tuesday 8th September, 2 PM
- Community Meet and Greet - Sunday 13th September, 2-4 PM
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We 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. All events that require permission can be found in Hero under the Events tab (on the left hand side of the app).
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