Week 5 NEWSLETTER

From the Principal

I’m enjoying the enviro focus this term as part of the DPS Kid teaching and the messages for weeks’ 5/6 in particular. The idea that we are all responsible for the environment is the key takeaway from it all...finger pointing is easy, blame is easy, but we all have a part to play. For us here at school it is the simple things. Trying to reduce the waste coming into school and ensuring that the waste we produce goes to the right place. We compost leftover food, reuse paper, recycle anything possible, and any actual rubbish...we make sure it doesn’t end up in the wrong bins. These little actions build good habits.

Most Likely to Succeed

This trailer for a longer documentary explores a group of U.S. High Schools doing things differently. Their approach includes project-based learning, personalised mentoring and working with experts across a range of fields and is producing great results for students. It asks the questions that schools are grappling with now...that question of why? It is talking about American secondary schools, but the questions are just as valid here in Masterton. Why do we have bells? Who decides what ‘knowledge’ is the most important, or is worth learning more, what skills do children need to be equipped for the future, what is the place of formal qualifications? Challenging questions, with no real easy answer or solution. It is these questions though that DPS is tackling, attempting to make changes to the way teaching and learning looks.

Making something that wasn’t there before - a line in the trailer that relates back to our Core Belief of Creativity. Creativity is a skill that can be learnt, but it is also something that can be lost. We try to give the learners here at DPS opportunities to learn through playing, making and creating...we want an education here at school that is wider than just learning some knowledge, we want knowledge used to make and create something that wasn't there before.

Few days worth mentioning

• Queens Birthday: No school Monday next Week
• Teachers Union Meeting: School closing at 2.00pm 28th June (Thursday Week 9)

Normally we would have a half day in the last week of term, but in appreciation for your support of the Union meetings we will re-arrange that. So for this term no half day for teachers to work on progress and achievement data.

Learning Conferences - Week 10

Learning Conferences this term will be Monday and Tuesday of Week 10 (2nd/3rd July). We have taken onboard your feedback and are making some small changes to this terms reporting. The larger changes will wait until term 4, to give us some time to get things right. Big thanks to all those who gave us some feedback, overwhelmingly positive but with some next steps for us as a school to work on.

Late drop offs

What is too late, too early? Hard to define perhaps...but we agree here at DPS that 8.30am is a good time to arrive at school. Road patrols are out, so it is safe to get across busy roads. Teachers are in class, in case you need to have a chat and it leaves enough time to get ready for the day.

Kids being late have to scramble to get ready for the learning day and miss those important social opportunities with staff, other parents and friends in the morning. That chance to share about soccer practice, what baby brother did, the latest playstation game etc. These things matter because they relate to who we are, our world view, and what is important to us. Missing that opportunity to share is a shame. It can also impact on the learning day as they may miss daily notices, or important bits of info communicated to home classes at the start of the day.

Vote for Mr Blue!

Mr Blue is a real legend...both out in the community and of course here within DPS. First here in the morning, he gets the classes warm for learning, keeps our school looking amazing and is a dab hand at fixing all the little breaks, leaks and mistakes that can happen in a learning day.

The Hits Wairarapa are looking for the coolest school caretaker! The school will win $10,000 worth of gear and the caretaker will get a holiday on Stihl and The Hits radio station.

All you have to do to nominate your school and caretaker is either follow this link http://www.thehits.co.nz/win/nationwide/love-your-land-love-your-school-with-stihl-shop//

OR

Pop into STIHL SHOP Greytown in person and put a vote in the box. One lucky voter will win a prize from our compact cordless range valued at $575!

So that's 3 winners.... The school, the caretaker and a lucky voter !!

Voting runs till 11th June 2018... get everyone on board!

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT DPS?

Friday Lunch Orders

There are no Friday lunch orders until further notice.

Talofa Lava! Samoan Language Week

The theme for this year is: “Alofa atu nei. Alofa mai taeao – Kindness given. Kindness gained”.

We have had a great week learning some basic Samoan language in class (check out the videos below) and we are looking forward to the MIS Polynesian group performing in Celebration Time tomorrow.

VISION AND HEARING SCREENING PROGRAMME

I plan to visit your school on the Monday the 11^th of June at 9:30am.

I will be screening:

· ‘Retests’/Absentees from previous visits

· Children who have missed their B4 School vision and hearing check

· New immigrants

· Referrals from teachers and parents

Sindy Baker

Vision and Hearing Technician

Regional Public Health - Wairarapa

We would be so grateful if you could support one of our wonderful DPS pupils!

Lilly is our incredible little 5 year old that has cerebral palsy. At the moment she is unable to crawl or walk she currently bum shuffles to get around and play. Lilly started school this year and is really enjoying it, as Lilly is unable to walk she finds it very hard to get around at school and home. She is trying to crawl but needs a lot of help. We are raising funds to take her to Adelaide to do both a home program and an intensive therapy course which goes over 3 weeks. The home program is where they work with us the parents to teach us helpful exercises to help Lilly. The intensive therapy is more hands on it will give her a great boost in her mobility with balance and surroundings and crawling and get her to point were she can walk also just helping Lilly reach her full potential.

All donations will go directly to Timmermans Method Intensive Therapy

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/love-for-lilly

We at DPS and Lilly’s family thank you for your support from our hearts

WRITING

Short Story by Room 13

Once a candy time ago there was a person who was made out of chocolate. The king was made out of candy floss. Also the queen was made out of flavoured ice. One day the sun got to hot. The people melted but the ice queen had magic super glue. So after she glued the people together. Then she made it snow forever.

By Sharleen and Isabell W

Creek! Went the gate to the graveyard. When I stood in I wanted to turn back but the gate had closed behind me and locked. I started to walk up a stone path way I felt a cold breeze go up my spine. While I was walking the stones were jumping. When I turned around the land was falling apart. I felt my stomach lurch so I ran. Bash, I ran straight into a gravestone. It was my grandad Erics grave!.........

By Vinnie G

COMMUNITY NEWS