Week 8 NEWSLETTER

From the Principal

It is worth reflecting on the achievement of the team...well over 1000 primary schools in the country, and they can count themselves among the top 20, that is pretty unreal. Not only that, but competing well against teams from Taranaki and Auckland, our kids have done us and the Wairarapa-Bush region very proud. Sitting alongside this are the achievements of them as people. I know our community wants the best of our children as citizens, to be great people of the world...and this Rippa team showed that. Great manners, humble in victory or defeat, picking themselves up when the pressure was on, celebrating their successes, acknowledging the fails but cheering each other on. It was impressive. Each one of the team thanked me for popping down to watch on the second day...they didn't need to do that, but that's what great people do. You guys are epic and you can stand tall back among us. And as a community we can be very happy with what the school is producing in the calibre of our young people, this is what our society wants and this is what our young people are rising up to.

DPS Kid - Where our Beliefs can take us

Shaun and I were lucky last week to get to see some schools in Hamilton and Tauranga as part of our Innovation Fund project. While all the places we went to were worthwhile, I just want to take a minute to mention Rototuna Junior High. They are a Year 7-10 College, with the Senior Year 11-13 operating out of the adjacent building. The school is new, 3 years old...purpose built, amazing architecture (like our open environments, but on a massive 2 storey scale).

What I want to mention is the learning...these lucky kids are taking part in a learning experience vastly different from my own secondary school learning. The school is built upon the belief that students should be at the centre of learning, have ownership, make real-life decisions and products, work in collaborative teams and that learning is interrelated...in other words, the children have mixed learning classes. We saw PE being done with the Digital technologies class (creating digital games to get children physically active), English being taught with textiles (social messages through textiles), saw some sculptures from a Science and Art class (DNA as art), and children designing as part of Technology and Social Sciences (creating games for lunchtimes and some boys were making ethanol from food scraps to reduce the schools need for fossil fuels!). Children creating, working together, having a voice and deeply thinking about their learning.

It was our Core Beliefs in action with these teenagers. The learning was so powerful that I am still a bit speechless. This is where learning can go, this is where learning should go and this is the direction that DPS has been on for the last few years. All learning had some making involved and had a social impact outcome...learning should be good for society, not just to improve ourselves. Some images below...but they don’t really do justice. Needless to say I was super impressed and inspired!

Cool App!

Great app released just in time for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) called Kupu. Built on some amazing technology, the app allows you to take a photo of an object and it will tell you the Māori word for the object. It will even speak the word for you! It uses Google’s machine learning, where the internet is teaching the app to get smarter. Free download, worth having a go with (works on both Android and iOS devices).

https://kupu.co.nz/

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT DPS?

Enviro @ DPS

Are there any parents out there who would be able to help the Enviro Group out?

We have finished our travel POU and have got two pots of anti-graffiti paint ready, but need someone with the expertise and correct breathing gear, space, and drying facility.

If anyone can help us please contact Claire Blomgren - claireblomgren@douglaspark.school.nz

We would greatly appreciate it.

2nd hand Uniform Shop @ DPS:

We have good stock of polar fleeces at the moment. Other items are available in various sizes. Shop is open on Wednesdays 8 - 9 am and 2.15 - 3 pm

Wairarapa Schools Photography Competition

The entry categories are:

• Living Photographs
• Non-Living Photographs
• Photo Essay

Photograph Essay

Must:

• Tell a clear, compelling story, or illustrate an emotion or event
• Have a title that adds impact to the essay
• Be a large size (e.g. at least 1 MB)
• Be named using the title of the photo and the name of the photographer.

Examples of Photo Essays:

Living and Non-Living Photographs

Must:

• Be saved in jpeg file format and at least 1 MB.
• Be named using the name of the photographer.
• Be taken by the student
• Be taken in 2018

Examples of Past Entries:

All images can:

• Be in colour or black and white.
• Be cropped but they cannot be digitally altered in any other way.

DPS learners can enter as many photographs/Photography Essays as they wish and teachers will select which 10 for each age group will represent the school.

Entries close this Tuesday 18th September!!

If you need assistance with getting your images to us you can bring your camera/memory card into school, or email the photos to Miss West or Mr Harkness.

awest@douglaspark.school.nz

sharkness@douglaspark.school.nz

DPS Lunch Orders

Subway lunch available to order on Fridays. Order online or pick up an envelope from the office.

Writing

Read the awesome writing from our Rimu team!

I went to the mountain. Water went in my gloves.

By Wilbur Clarke

The grapes are delicious and juicy. Sometimes it is smooshy.

By Mason Pienaar

I am at the bush because it was hot. It was tiring because it was a long way. Phew!

By Mack Courtney

I am a funny clown. Haha. I have green hair.

Dylan Theedom

I am going to a party and I had cake.

Jasper McKay-Pickup

I am at school because there is an invisible dog.

Joe Mason

I am in the rocket ship.

Alex Sowry

I went to the bush. We hid the rocks. It was fun.

Dylan Theedom

Once upon a time it was a stormy night. The curtains burst open. I woke up and I saw a terrifying witch. She had burning red eyes.

Hayley Whitelock

I saw a venomous spider. “Ahhhhh” I said. It was terrifying. Its venom was as green as moss and as hot as lava. But we became friends. I rode him to school and then back home.

Xander Hunter

I went scuba diving in the gloomy waves. I went to the deep dark ocean. Then I saw an abandoned ship with golden treasure. The treasure had creepy red eyes in it because there were monster in it!

Jett Lee

I walked with my Mum. We walked past a cave. We went in it and we saw a monster. It grew black spikes that were sharp. We had to go home because I was terrified. The monster followed us and we had to shut the door!

Sunny Holmes

I saw a colourful rainbow. I was raining very hard but it was still a bit sunny. I watch out the window for a long time. Then I heard a noise. “Ahhhhh” I said. It was thunder and lightning?

Charlotte Monaghan

In the olden days, I went out for a walk in the forest. When I was going for the walk I heard a roaring sound. I looked out of the bushes and I saw a dinosaur. He had big gigantic eyes and colossal feet. I tried to run away but he chased me. He got me with his big claws and took me back to his home and ate me up for dinner.

Madison Watene

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