Term 4 Updates 20.10.22

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to Term 4! A special welcome to new families who have begun their association with Ilam this term. It is lovely to see your children back from their holidays looking refreshed after their break.

There are several great trips, sporting events and learning opportunities planned for this term. One we are very excited about is our first ever Ilam Connect. We have planned an open afternoon on Thursday 24 November from 2 - 4 pm. During this time we will share learning and kai. Further details will follow in our Ilam Updates and Class Newsletters. We are excited to connect with you!

This is a reminder that Term 4 sees hats needing to be worn as part of the school uniform. If children forget their hats or have misplaced them they will be required to play in a shady area of the grounds until they have been reunited with their hat. Please ensure that hats are named so they are easily identifiable.

As part of our Whānau Time across the school, we learnt a dance. We spent time together practising, connecting and generally having fun. You can watch it here. Enjoy!

Have a lovely long weekend. A reminder - we are CLOSED on Monday as we celebrate Labour Day.

Ngā mihi nui

Belinda Kennedy and the Ilam School Team

Please find the following information in this Update:

• Board of Trustees Election Information

• Class Placements 2023

• Term Dates 2023

• Pull out programmes at Ilam

• Term 4 Mihi Whakatau

• Learn English for the New Zealand School System

• PTA Calendar Art and Mugs - LAST CHANCE TO BUY!

• Weetbix TRYathlon

• Community notices

• Term Dates

Thank you to all the candidates who stood in our 2022 School Board election. We were in the privileged position of having ten excellent candidates running in a tight race for five positions.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the election.

Declaration of Result:

Parent representative candidates (5 vacancies)

Elsamari Botha

Phil Steventon

Jimmy Chen

Brigit Baker

Lily Li

Stuart Fleming

Peter MacGibbon

Kate Miyazaki

Stu Richards

Mark Teesdale

There being 10 candidates and 5 vacancies, I hereby declare the following duly elected:

Elsamari Botha, Jimmy Chen, Kate Miyazaki, Brigit Baker and Stuart Fleming.

Co-opted Members

Liz Martyn and Sean Barnes

Staff representative candidate (1 vacancy)

Charlotte McMurtrie

There being only 1 candidate and 1 vacancy, I hereby declare the following duly elected:

Charlotte McMurtrie

We thank you for your understanding and support throughout this election process and acknowledge that there were frustrations with the Returning Officer we appointed. In future, we will seek a different company to support us.

We thank the outgoing School Board for their efforts and all their work over the years. Their energy and dedication were greatly appreciated. We welcome the new Board members and look forward to working with them over the next 3 years.

The process of organising classes for the 2023 academic year will begin at the start of Term 4. If you know your family is going to be leaving Ilam at the end of the year, or beforehand, it would be most helpful for our planning, to know this information.

Our classroom make-up across the school in 2023 will be similar to this year, with Year 1 classes, Year 2 classes, Year 3 & 4 classes and Year 5 & 6 classes. As you will appreciate, class placement organisation is a complex process in determining the most appropriate groupings for children with whom they will learn for the following year. Children’s academic and social needs are taken into account when being placed. As educational professionals, the staff know your children very well when considering placements for 2023 classes, however, if there are any extraordinary circumstances that you believe we are not aware of, and which may need to be considered when determining class placements, please put these in writing to me, or e-mail (admin@ilam.school.nz) by Friday, 21 October.

Next year we will begin our school year with Knowing our Learners conferences. These conferences will replace the Mid-Term 1 conferences we have traditionally held in week five or six of Term 1. The aim of these conferences is to ensure that parents and teachers can share and learn about your child as we head into Term 1, and set goals for the upcoming school year. We think it is important to connect with whānau early, provide time for tamariki to explore their classrooms and know things like where to hang up their school bag prior to the school term beginning.

We understand that these dates will not accommodate everyone and have tried to align them with other schools in our area while considering parents' and families' needs. Further information will be provided later in Term 4 regarding how to book the conferences and the times they will be held.

We are fortunate to offer our tamariki creative writing classes run by Kerrin Sharpe and science extension classes run by Dr. William Joyce. At the end of each term, forms are offered to students who are interested and with teacher and parent approval, children begin the programme the following term.

Usually, times can be coordinated, however, on rare occasions, our timetables may not allow for classes to take place. Unfortunately, this has been the case in Term 4 and therefore creative writing classes are not available. We look forward to having Kerrin back in Term 1 of 2023.

Welcome to New Whānau and tamariki,

As a school, we will be formally welcoming our new learners and their whānau joining the Ilam School Team. At the Mihi Whakatau, any new tamariki and their whānau who have joined us from the 18th August 2022 up to 21st of October will be welcomed.

Our new families will collect their child/children from their classes, then meet in the wharepukapuka (library) at 9.45 am.

Following both Mihi Whakatau, we invite families to stay and enjoy some refreshments in the hall.

We also extend this invite to all whānau who are already connected with Te Kura o Waiutuutu Ilam School.

Any questions or queries please contact teresa.johnston@ilam.school.nz

Kirkwood Intermediate - Year 7 Enrolments for 2023 – more places available

The Kirkwood Board of Trustees has determined there are a further 20 out of zone enrolment places available for enrolment in Year 7 in 2023.

Enrolment applications are required to be in by Friday 18 November. If the number of out-of-zone applications exceeds the number of places available, students will be selected by ballot. If a ballot for out-of-zone places is required, it will be held on Tuesday 22 November 2022. Parents will be informed of the outcome of the ballot within three working days of the ballot being held.

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

• Senior Cycle Safety 19 - 20 October, 25 - 28 October

• Labour Day Monday 24 October - School closed

• Middle Classes to the Groynes Wednesday 26 October

• Middle/Senior Athletics Tuesday 1 November, postponement day Friday 4 November

• Chch School Music Festival Rehearsal & Performance Night Wednesday 2 November

• Ilam School Board of Trustees Meeting Monday 7 November 6.00pm School Staffroom

• PTA Meeting Tuesday 8 November 7.30 pm School Staffroom

• Canterbury Anniversary Day Friday 11 November - School closed

• Teacher Only Day Monday 14 November - School closed

• Ilam School Connect Thursday 24 November 2-4 pm -information to come

• Senior Beach Education 28-29 November

• Senior Day Camp 5-6 December

• Student Learning Conferences 7-8 December

• Year 6 Leavers Night Tuesday 13 December

• Last day of Term 4 - Thursday 15 December