Newsletter - Maori Hill School

Maori Hill School
Dear Parents and Caregivers
I would like to welcome everybody back
for the 2015 school year. It is lovely to
see the children settling quickly back
into school and class routines. We
would like to extend a warm welcome to
new families and children starting at
Maori Hill School for the first time. I
hope everyone enjoyed the lovely
weather over the break. The staff and I
are looking forward to another busy and
exciting year with many rich learning
activities and opportunities planned for
the children. We would like to welcome
a number of new staff this year and I
am sure that everyone will be
welcoming and supportive as they settle
into Maori Hill School.
We have had 20 new enrolments to give
a starting role of 219 children. We are
all very impressed with how well the
children have started the year in their
new classes and are looking forward to a
successful year at Maori Hill School.
Regards
Jo Selbie
Acting Principal
Welcome
A special welcome to the following new
pupils who joined Maori Hill School this
week:
 Jack Marsh
 Delilah Brown
 Theo Stebbings
 Hajun Park
 Anna Hepburn
 Ellery Taylor
 Jasper Harvey
 Joshua Chin
 Ibrahim
Mohamed
 Zoe Marsh
 Louis Brown
 Alexander
Gilchrist
 Maisy Hill
 Robert Naulls
 Indiana
Matchett
 Aria Haigh
 Angus Sawyer
 Ahmed
Mohamed
What’s on Next Week?
Monday
Tuesday
Life Education visiting
Sports forms due in
Sausage sizzle orders
before 9am
Wednesday
Life Education visiting
Thursday
Life Education visiting
Friday
Life Education visiting
School Assembly
2.30pm
Newsletter No. 1
Classroom News
Junior Syndicate: Rooms 1,2,3,8,9
All the children have made a wonderful
start to the new school year! The
teachers have planned many wonderful
activities for the children such as, an
investigation into observation in Room
9. Statistics (using tally marks) and
holiday artwork in Room 8. Statistics
gathering information on t-shirts and
creating “show me 5” rules for the class
in Room 3. Setting up routines, reading
about 'Hairy Maclairy' and looking at the
different things we know about dogs in
Room 2. In Room 1 we have been
spending time playing games
(literacy/numeracy), investigating our
learning centres and enjoying reading
about Greedy Cat.
Senior syndicate: Rooms 4,5,6,7
Welcome back everybody! We have
started the year with plenty of
enthusiasm and energy. Every morning
we have been meeting as a group to
participate in daily fitness activities
ranging from burpees to mountain
climbers! Please make sure stationery is
ready to go for Monday as all classes are
beginning their regular classroom
programmes. It is lovely to see the way
all the classes are settling in together
and developing their class rules and
expectations. We are looking forward to
a great year!
New Staff
Mrs Megan Greer (Room 7)
Miss Jocelyn Mannex (Teacher Aide)
Mrs Dianne Cawood (Teacher Aide)
Training Teachers
The following training teachers will visit
Maori Hill throughout the year.
Miss Chloe Gardener (R3)
Miss Rebecca Allnutt (R9)
Christy Flemming (R7)
Reminder
Children are encouraged to arrive at
school between 8.30am - 9.00am. Any
children arriving prior to 8.30am are to
wait outside their classroom until the
8.30 bell. A clearing bell goes after
school around 3.20pm. This is the signal
for children clear the playground and
Thursday, 5 February 2015
head home.
2015 SCHOOL TERM DATES
Term 1 - Monday 2 Feb - Thursday 2
April
Term 2 - Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Term 3 - Monday 20 July - Friday 25
September
Term 4 - Monday 12 October Wednesday 16 Dec
Office Hours
The office hours are 8.30-3.00pm. If you
need to see Mrs Ferguson please call
into the office between these times.
Thank you.
Contact Details/Medications
If you have any changes to contact
details (address, phone numbers,email)
or your child has medical conditions that
the school needs to be aware of, please
contact the school office so as we can
update their records.
Pupil Photo/School Work
If you do not give consent for your
child’s photograph or school work to be
published or displayed, please contact
the school office immediately.
Hillbillies
Welcome to a new year to all the
families associated with Hillbillies. For
all bookings and cancellations please
contact us on the Hillbillies cell phone
021 2659982 or email
hillbillies@maorihill.school.nz. Email
will be set up as from Tuesday next
week 10 Feb. Please note these will not
be checked until after 2.30pm each day.
Suzanne and Andrea work from 2.305.30pm, therefore children need to be
picked up by 5.30pm. There will be a
charge of $6.00 (which is the first hour)
if you have not contacted Hillbillies to
cancel your child’s booking when they
are booked. The Hillbillies team spent a
lot of time last year looking for children
who were booked in that parents had
forgotten to cancel. There is no time for
this. Hillbillies would appreciate your
consideration as this concerns the safety
of your child. To attend Hillbillies
children must be registered.
Registration forms are available from
Hillbillies, on the school website in the
enrolment pack, or at the school office.
Occasionally through the year Hillbillies
has had to close off days to casual/new
bookings due to high numbers. Any
questions please see Andrea at
Hillbillies.
Library
Welcome back to school everyone. The
stocktake was completed at the end of
last term. There was still a significant
number of books outstanding which
have now been written off. If you do
happen to find some outstanding books
in your care, could you please return
them and we can reinstate them. Many
thanks.
Waitangi Day
School will be closed tomorrow (Friday 6
February) due to Waitangi Day
celebrations. School will be open again
on Monday
Life Education
From Tuesday next week Harold and the
Life Education mobile classroom will be
visiting school. This year they will park
the mobile classroom at the main school
gate. This will use some of the parking
available on the street. Apologies for
any inconvenience this might cause.
Each class will get two visits and the
focus will be on developing healthy
relationships.
Sausage Sizzle Helpers
We are currently looking for helper’s to
assist on the Tuesday Sausage Sizzle
Roster. This involves just over an hour
during the lunch hour. If anyone is able
to assist can they please contact:
Dee Birks, c.d_birks@xtra.co.nz,
4736959 or 021552015
School Lunch Options
This year lunches that are available to
be purchased are as follows:
1. Sausage Sizzle on Tuesday. This is $2
per sausage, or if you order for the
term in advance (which we would
appreciate) it would be $1.50 per
sausage.
SAUSAGE SIZZLE
$12.00 per child for Term 1
Please fill in the slip below if you wish
your child to receive a BBQ sausage
each Tuesday.
Assembly
School assembly is held each Friday,
2.30pm in the Coronation Hall. Parents
are welcome to attend.
Name: __________________________Rm No. ___
Name: __________________________Rm No. ___
Total Paid $ _________
Please put your child’s name and room number on
the outside of an envelope with the money inside.
Please have your orders in before 9am
with the correct money.
2. Lunch Online on Fridays- Parents and
caregivers can order school lunches
using Lunch online via the Internet.
Marlow St Pie Kitchen Lunch Online
will provide your student’s food
choices fresh to the school in time
for lunch. This is available for
purchases on Fridays. Order at
www.lunchonline.co.nz and link to
Maori Hill School. A full menu is
available. Healthy and treat options
are available. You will be requested
to transfer $20 minimum to open
your account (credit card or bank
account transfer options available)
and then you are set to order from
the menu provided. Gluten free
options are available.
Sports
Notices have been handed out for
sports this Term, please return these by
Tuesday 10 February. We are unable to
accept late entries. See Mr McKenzie R5
or Lisa Wiparata R3 for further
information.
Hats
Children are required to wear a sunhat
in Terms 1 and 4. Hats are available for
purchase from the school office. Hard
brimmed $10.00, floppy $8.00.
Invoices
School invoices have been emailed out
today. Payment options are internet
payment, cheque or cash. The account
number is on the bottom of the invoice.
Road Safety
The crossing on Balmacewen Road is
supervised each morning by parents
from 8.30am and each afternoon by a
school Road Patrol Team.
Absences
If your child is going to be absent or late
please notify the office before 9am.
EZ Covers
Thank you to those families who have
ordered their EZ Covers. If you have yet
to cover your children’s books, EZ
Covers are a fast way to do it. These
reusable exercise book covers are easy
to slip on to an exercise book and can be
ordered on-line (EZCOVER.co.nz). The
process is easy and if you use the code
XFC186 the school receives 10c
rebate/cover bought. Just make sure
you nominate Maori Hill School as you
order.
Baking Roster Helpers Requested
Every Friday morning a small group of
children are selected from one class to
have a baking lesson with a volunteer
parent/grandparent or caregiver. This
works on a round robin basis and all
children receive a lesson. It takes place
in the learning centre and the children
learn a bit about cooking/baking and
take the goodies back to their class for
morning tea. Baking equipment and
most ingredients are provided and if
needed a list of recipes. You don't have
to be a Nigella or Jamie Oliver, simple is
best. Helpers are requested for one
morning only. Please contact, Adrienne
Lyall 021 1944 144 or
email adriennewootton@hotmail.com
Found
Katmandu jacket, size adults large. Grey
with blue zips. If this is yours please
collect from the school office.
PTA News
First PTA meeting for the year
is Tuesday 17 February @ 7.00pm in the
school staffroom. As always new
members are encouraged and welcome
to come along.
ROSS DOWLING MARQUET GRIFFIN
BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS
Proud to support
Maori Hill School
We provide a full range of legal services
Call 477 8046
2nd Floor, Savoy Building, 50 Princes St
PO Box 1144, Dunedin 9054
Website – www.rossdowling.co.nz
Fax – 477-6998