Week 10 NEWSLETTER

from the principal

Mānawatia a Matariki

Wow, such an awesome evening last night, and such an awesome turnout from our school community! The hall was completely maxed out…and with good reason, the performances were stellar. The night started with our choir giving a beautiful performance and they really set the scene. The weekly kapahaka tutoring for Kōwhai, Rātā and Kahikatea really showed…and both the junior and senior ropu were a spectacle to see. We were also treated to a real show from MIS…with two hip-hop performances, and their finale was their Poly Group. They nearly lifted the roof, their energy, enthusiasm and talent were pretty amazing to watch. In between all this we were able to get outside into the night…the weather came to the party as well and we had a clear night. People were star gazing, roasting marshmallows, weaving, eating boil-up, playing games, listening to stories…but the thing that struck me the most, and what I enjoyed the most…people were connecting with whānau and each other. A splendid time for all. Massive thanks to Kiri Eagle for putting it all together, and to all the staff, parent helpers and community members who have put the time into what we saw last night.

Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future

Tomorrow our kids get to put the ‘Better Future’ part of our Vision into action with our Service Day. As I mentioned last week, in whānau class time (each Friday) we spend time thinking about citizenship, service, and what makes a great person who gives back. All this learning leads into tomorrow…where the children will be doing things to recognise others, thank others, or improve things for others. Marvellous lessons and mindsets to be learned at such a young age…and while one person might not be able to change the world ‘Together We’ can work collectively to improve things for those around us.

Board of Trustees Election

Speaking of service, you have an upcoming opportunity to give back to the school with the Board of Trustees nominations and elections not too far away. Soon we will be calling for nominations for becoming a Parent Trustee on the Board. We will have 3 positions to be filled, and if elected it is for a 3 year term. Working on the Board is a rewarding task…you get the big picture of where the school is headed, you get to see how we are going with our Vision and dreams…and you get to allocate our resources to make this come to life. We meet as a Board twice a term (3 times in Term 4) and our meetings last between an hour and an hour and a half. While there is a bit of mahi to prep for each of these meetings, it isn’t a heap of work. The biggest job is having the discussions at the meeting about what is best for the school, and for the kids who come in each day through our gates.

WRiting - Josh fielding's homeclass

Over the last few weeks Room 15 has been learning to use adjectives (describing words) in their writing to help their readers visualise a picture in their mind. Here are some descriptions and diamante poems written by authors in Room 15…

Star

Hot Bright

Shooting Floating Jumping

White Gold

Sun

Poem by Gregory C.

Matariki

Big Gold

Shimmering Shining Glowing

Beautiful Blue

Stars

Poem by Rivva K.

Gurgle, gurgle… “Oh that’s just my monster”. He looks slimy all over his body but he is just drooling. He is cheeky, and he slimed me once. He has sharp horns and has eleven tiny eyes.

Author Maisy H.

I saw a toucan high up a tree. It had a colourful beak, loud call, and a soft tummy.

Author Willow B.

This is my panda. He is really fluffy. Also, he has a really snotty nose. His body is black and white. He loves eating crunchy bamboo. He is cute!

Author Lily M.

Crash! Bang! Thump! I saw a monster outside. I screamed “aaaaahhh!” The monster had big, green, silky smooth horns. Its eyes were bumpy, slimy, and multi-coloured. Its fur was prickly and very sharp to touch. There were lots of stripes on his fur. Suddenly I heard a low voice say… “My name is Mister Multi-coloured eyes, what’s yours?”

Author Thea C.

The wolf is a feisty beast. The wolf hides and spies on its prey. When it is the right time, it jumps out! Then it rips its prey open. Its body feels soft. It loudly howls and growls. It looks ferocious because of its skinny pointy legs and sharp white fangs.

Author Levi H.

I saw a kea and it had fiery red wings. It was colourful and made a loud flapping sound. The beak was sharp, short, and hairy. Its body was skinny, feathers were soft, and its eyes were black.

Author Harlem T.

Harry Mc Farr has a clunker car. It had a smokey engine. It had a rusty dusty door. It had loud squeaky wheels.

Author Keith V.

What's on at DPS?

Term 3 Sports - Miniball

Next term, hockey and netball continue.

We also offer Miniball for Year 3-6 students in Term 3. Most teams will play on Wednesdays but our top Year 5/6 will likely play on Mondays.

WHEN Wednesdays after school. The games will be from 3.30pm onwards.

Season dates: Wednesday 17th August - Wednesday 28th September

WHERE YMCA Masterton

COST $15

REQUIRED Players wear their DPS sports uniform and suitable sneakers for running in.

Please use this link to sign up and pay the fee to the office by Tuesday 5th July.

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