Kia ora e te Whānau,

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tou hou Māori

Happy Matariki whānau! Matariki is a special occasion in the New Zealand calendar which marks the start of the Māori New Year. Signified by the Matariki cluster of stars reappearing in our night sky, this is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead. This year Matariki is celebrated with a public holiday which means school is closed tomorrow (Friday 24 June).

Monday 27 June is our Teacher Only Day and school is closed. As a staff we will be looking at our student data and planning for term 3. We appreciate your support.

Mrs Holly Sutton goes on Maternity Leave at the end of term 3. The teacher in Room 5 will be Mrs Naomi Rumbold. We welcome Naomi to the Ilam Team. We wish Holly and Joe all the best with the birth of their baby.

Today is the last day for any ICAS registrations. This information can be found on our website.

Finally, thank you for all your care and support of the Ilam Staff over the week regarding the passing of Mrs Frisby in Room 12. A condolences book for Nicki is set up in our office area, you are welcome to come and write a message. This book will be passed onto Nicki's whānau at the end of the term.

Have a lovely few days with your loved ones, hold them close.

Belinda Kennedy and the Ilam School Team

Please find the following information in this Update:

• Mr Dolan - Leaving assembly POSTPONED

• Board of Trustees information regarding the upcoming elections

• School Photos - Reminder

• PTA Event - Movie night Friday 1 July

• Term Dates

Leaving Assembly - postponed until term 3

Mr Dolans Leaving Assembly has been postponed. We will arrange a time that suits him in Term 3 to farewell and thank him for his leadership. Further information will be shared closer to the time.

Cards for Mr Dolan

You may like to write Mr Dolan a note or card. We have created a box that will be located outside the office door.

PLEASE NOTE: The Board of Trustees meeting - Monday 27 June is cancelled. If you would like to attend a Board meeting you are welcome to come along on Monday 15 August 6pm in the Staffroom.

Elections for the School Board will be held in September this year and we need new members.

You are invited to stand for the Ilam School Board of Trustees (BoT). The election will be held this September.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting the direction of the school and overseeing the management of personnel, property, finance and administration.

A staff trustee is elected by the school staff. The Principal is a member. The rest of the Board is made up of parent trustees, elected by the parent community — this is your opportunity to help shape our school.

You don’t need specific experience to be a valued BoT member. Your perspective and your commitment to our tamariki (children) are what our school needs most!

The Board meets twice each term. Exciting projects in the pipeline are the enhancement of school buildings and deepening the connection to our wonderfully diverse community.

One of the Ilam School values is “I Give Back”. What better way to demonstrate that value to your child than by embracing this opportunity?

Curious? Then chat with Belinda or a current member of the Board. Or why not come along to the next BoT meeting — Monday 15 August (6pm in the staffroom).

Thank you!

Please see the timeline for Triennial Elections here:

On Wednesday 6th July the children will be having their school photos taken. The photos that all children will have; individual photos and a class photo. There will also be photos taken of the House Captains, School Council, Cultural Leaders and Road Patrol.

If you have more than one child at the school and wish to have a sibling photo taken, please complete the following ‘Sibling Photo Request Form’ by Friday 1st July. If you have any difficulties in filling in the form please don't hesitate to contact the office staff.

Within a few days of the photos being taken we will be sending home a sample photo of your child (this includes sibling photos if requested) with information on how to order photos.

This event will go ahead with Mrs Frisby’s family's blessing. Mrs Frisby was all about tamariki having a great time and would not want them to miss out on such a cool event. We thank the whānau for their permission.

Please check our Parent Calendar to keep up to date with events at our school. Find the link here.

• Public Holiday Matariki - Friday 24 June - School closed

• Teacher Only Day - Monday 27 June - School closed

• PTA movie night - Friday 1 July - 5.30pm

• School photos - Wednesday 6 July

• Farewell Assembly for Mr Dolan - Friday 8 July 9.30am -: Postponed until Term 3

• Last day of Term 2 - Friday 8 July -School closes at 3pm

• Start of Term 3 - Monday 25 July

• Teachers Only Day - Friday 16 September

• Last day of Term 3 - Friday 30 September -School closes at 3pm