Elm Park School Newsletter - Term 2 - Week 3 - 11th May 2012

Friday 11^th May – Term 2 Week 3

Value Focus for next week: Initiative / Perseverance

From The Principal

Kia ora tatou katoa, Talofa, Malo e lelei, Bula vi naka, Kia orana Nga mihi nui ki a koutou, Namaste, Nihao, Greetings to you all.

Welcome to all the new families. We have our two new entrant classes filling up quickly.  Thank you to the families that attended our Parent Orientation morning on Wednesday. If you have any further questions regarding our school please contact the school office.

PTA (Parent Teacher Association) Members attended the meeting on Wednesday evening in the staffroom. Our new office holders are Leeyan Stephans – Chairperson, Karen Lusis – Treasurer, Karen Allen – Secretary. Many thanks go to Mrs Andrea Morrison for her hard work as the Treasurer for the past year.

Congratulations to all our Councillors for 2012

Head Boy is Connor Hiley

Head Girl is Ivana Williams

UNIFORM SALES We have a number of long sleeved light blue tops on SALE. These tops are great for winter. Please call into the Uniform shop, run by Mrs Sheree Houghton, which is open daily from 8.15 am – 9.00 am and  2.30 pm – 3.00 pm.

UNIFORM CHANGE We have added a new short sleeved shirt and are adding a long sleeved polar fleece jacket.  The rest of the uniform stays the same.

ENVIRO AWARD We are also very excited to have achieved the Silver Enviro Award and this will be presented to us at an assembly. (Date and time to be confirmed). Our staff and children have worked really hard to achieve this award. Our congratulations go to everyone involved, especially Ms Monica Meikle, for her continued enthusiasm.

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES WEEK 9 Conferences will be

Wednesday 20 June  Years 1-3

Thursday     21 June  Years 4-6

The website schoolinterviews.co.nz will be open the Friday 1 June, the Friday before Queen's Birthday. Please access and record your choice for times as soon as possible to avoid the disappointment.

Elm Park School continues to be focused on improving student achievement.  We believe that Student Led conferences will continue to promote learning and help strengthen the partnership between the learner, teacher and parent/caregiver. We received very positive feedback about these conferences last year.

What is a student led conference? - A student led conference is a meeting run by the student for parents/caregivers, entirely focused on the student’s recent learning. The meeting is facilitated by the student and follows a format that has been developed and practised before the meeting.  The major focus will be on reading, writing and mathematics at this stage, but the student will share other curriculum areas as well. The student will anaylse their strengths and reflect on the progress they have made in achieving their learning goals.

E-portfolios - If any parent has lost or can’t recall their login details for their child’s e-portfolio, please contact the school office. Email: secretary@elmpark.school.nz

Dental Screening Van - The Dental Van is on site in the back carpark for Week 3 and will be returning in Week 10.

This van replaces our old Dental clinic which is now our Art Studio run by Mrs Keryn Scott.

Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts (Article in Howick and Pakuranga Times) - Auckland artist Gregor Kregar’s exhibition opened at the Pakuranga gallery recently. He’s redefined the foyer with an architectural installation, constructed primarily of recycled timber that visitors can walk through and sit within. In the lead-up to the project going on display, Mr Kregar worked with more than 300 pupils from Elm Park Primary to explore the importance of architecture and imagination.

 Room 13 told the Howick and Pakuranga Times about their experience.

“Before we went to Gregor’s Dream Houses workshop, we looked at examples of his sculptures. We also looked at amazing houses, built of geometric shapes, in America, Canada, The Netherlands, Israel and New Zealand”.

“Gregor set to work inspiring us with Platonic and Archimedean 3D shapes. He showed us the pre-cut cardboard equilateral and isosceles triangles we were going to use. We worked in pairs to make fantastic buildings with the cardboard shapes, hot glue and tape. We thought it was one of the best things we had ever done.”

Thank you to all the parents and families that attended the Te Tuhi afternoon this week with your children. It was great to see all the hard work displayed in our local community.

“Taking time and sharing is the essence of teaching. The future of those we cherish will be a reflection of what we model today”.

 Anonymous

Have a great weekend.

Trish Plowright

Principal

Key Events For Your Diary

Fri 1 June......................... Principal’s Afternoon Tea

Mon 4 June...................... Queens Birthday – SCHOOL CLOSED

Mon 11 June.................... Photolife

Wed 20 June.................... Student Led Conference Y1-3

Thur 21 June.................... Student Led Conference Y4-6

Thur 28 June.................... Principals Award Assembly

Fri 29 June....................... Term 2 ends

Mon 16 July..................... Term 3 commences

Looking Ahead

EDALIVE SOFTWARE MONSTER WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE SALE - Titles from only $3!  Great for gifts and birthday presents.  

NZ curriculum-correlated educational software.  Elm Park School receives bonus EdAlive software when you order.  Leaflets were sent home last week.  Please return your orders to Ms Johnston in the Library by Monday 14 May 2012.  Please contact belinda@elmpark.school.nz if you have any questions.

This Week in Review

YEAR 4 STUDENTS MARVEL AT THE VOYAGING HISTORY AT AUCKLAND’S MARITIME MUSEUM - On Tuesday and Thursday last week the Yr 4 classes began their investigation into how people have come to Aotearoa/New Zealand over time. Here is a short summary of their experience… To set the scene we visited the Voyager Maritime Museum at the Viaduct Basin. We met our educators and then watched an animated movie that explained how a family group set out from Polynesia to explore the vast ocean to the South. They sailed on huge, intricately lashed, ocean-going waka. We learned that the families, including children, were well prepared for a long voyage because they took kumara, pigs, chickens and coconuts with them. Eventually, after surviving storms and living on dried fruit, vegetables, and the fish they caught, they arrived in the Land of the Long White Cloud. The first people had taken a huge risk and found New Zealand.  After the movie we learned how ocean-going waka were built. We had a go at trying to lash sticks together with sennet. Sennet is a fibre from the coconut husk. It was not easy to lash two sticks together! We also learned a little about Abel Jansoon Tasman and Captain Cook who also visited New Zealand and made maps for others to use back home.  Slowly, people have been inspired to make New Zealand their home. We also went on a treasure hunt for precious objects that was lots of fun. After we had finished exploring everything in the museum, we went outside to sit and sketch boats and the city skyline.  In the hot sunshine we marvelled at the boats that are built today for travelling on the ocean. We think this sign we read in the Museum has an important key idea: “The arrival of the first colonizing canoe about a thousand years ago concluded perhaps the most remarkable phase of migration in human history. The Polynesian voyagers were travelling at the limits of imagination, technology and courage.” We agree. The early voyagers were amazing explorers.  Room 13

Year 6 Auckland Museum Visit - It was an exciting day for my friend and I. Today was the day to sign up for the army. Danny and I were living with our mum. Danny was a few years younger than me; in fact he was too young to go. I promised my mum I would look after him so she reluctantly let him sign up. By Hayley Gatward.

This is the beginning of a story told through a gripping drama watched by year 6’s on a recent visit to the War Memorial Museum.  The students came face to face with some of the effects of a global conflict. (Children becoming evacuees, animals being used in warfare, food rationing and blackouts, just to name a few.) It was a great day out and a stimulating introduction to our topic on ‘globalisation / conflicts’.

Focus on Children

Room 12 drew rainbow fish because we read a big book called Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale. The book was so awesome and we loved it so we drew it for art. First we drew it with vivid and then I dyed it with rainbow colours. I left one scale for glitter. I am so proud myself because I'm a good artist.  Julius Boysen.

POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION WINNERS
Congratulations to the following students who were selected and acknowledged this week for their responsible, friendly behaviour.
Room 2	Peter Kaewkham
Room 5	Damien Hollins
Room 7	Christian Lusis
Room 8	Gabriel Linnow
Room 9	Nicholas Po
Room 10	Leilani Hoeta
Room 11	Sean To’Ofohe
Room 12	Amy Wright
Room 13	Chiquita Bolton
Room 14	Jacob Hodgetts
Room 15	Avalon Hutching
Room 16	Jerome Strachan
Room 17	Ethan Schnell
Room 18	Jordan Freeman
Room 19	Julia Fared-Chua
Room 20	Sophie Low
Room 21	Ethan Makaola
Room 22	Cindy Zhu
Room 23	Kalani Posinkovich
Room 24	Kenneth Zhou
Room 25	Grace Muldrew
Room 26	Eli Wood
Room 27	Ellie Biddick
Room 28	Iliaz Usman
Room 29	Tianna Lavemai
Room 30	Molly Busfield
PERSONAL PRESENTATION
The following students were voted as the overall winner in their year level for the most neatly presented in their uniform.
Year 1:	Zarko Jotanovic
Year 2:	Dominic Miller
Year 3:	Eden Smith
Year 4:	Liam Kernot
Year 5:	Rosalina Filipo
Year 6:	Rhea Ram

COMMUNITY NOTICES

BotanyLife Community Project 2012  - Each year, we donate an entire weekend of time to a local community organisation to help with renovation projects that they cannot afford themselves. This year, we want to help Anchorage Park Primary School with additional seating around the swimming pool, repainting the netball court, four square and hopscotch lines, building a fitness trail for fun and fitness, paving areas, new sensory and butterfly gardens, new seating in shaded areas, murals of kids artwork on the pool fence plus garden and propagation sheds to store tools and encourage horticulture learning.  The project will be undertaken by over 200 volunteers over the weekend 22/23 September 2012.

Labour is donated free but materials need to be purchased.  Our project has been selected as a finalist in the Localist’s Karma Fund. The winner is determined by public vote and receives $4,000 towards their project. To vote you need to log on to www.localist.co.nz/karma_fund_votes by Thursday 17 May.

Plant Sale – Growing Schools in Haiti – Saturday 12^th May 10.30 – 2.30 pm Mt Hobson Middle School, 131 Remuera Road.  Greatly discounted prices on a wonderful range of plants.  All Plants $1 Help us support Cite Soleil Community School in Haiti.  100% of all money raised to support children’s education in Haiti.  Come and buy some plants – there will be a range of vegetable and flower plants in punnets, potted colour and small shrubs.

The Adventure Farm Camp Specialists - www.lakewoodlodge.co.nz  JULY 2012 SCHOOL HOLIDAY ADVENTURE CAMPS Monday 2^nd – Friday 6^th July, 8 – 14 year olds Monday 9^th – Friday 13^th July, 8 – 14 year olds 5 days, 4 nights $380 Here at Lakewood Lodge, we offer a safe, caring, family atmosphere with an opportunity to experience farm life and make new friends.  We have great country cooking, 1 Horse trek & grooming **, Kayaking, Archery, 11 Metre Climbing Wall, 130m Twin Flying Foxes, Low Ropes course, Frisbee Golf, waterslide, disco, a concert, Spotlight, Burma Trail, pool & table tennis competitions, BBQs, Volleyball, games, Firepit with toasted marshmallows, pet animal interaction & excellent supervision.  Pick up from Auckland if wanted, Monday at 8.45am in our bus EXTRA $40. Phone us now with your registration - 07-826-3344 Or book on through our website www.lakewoodlodge.co.nz **Specialist Horse Camp running at the same time. OSCAR Approved. If you would like to be on our mailing list please email Jeff – jeff@lakewoodlodge.co.nz

MOTAT – Free entry to MOTAT from 1-31 May for Auckland East and West residents! Bring proof of your address to MOTAT in May and receive FREE entry for you and your family.  There are no extra charges to enjoy all of MOTAT’s exhibitions and activities!  See www.motat.org.nz for the list of eligible suburbs and terms and conditions.

ELECTRONIC WASTE FREE DROP OFF – 12 May 9am-3pm Car Park of Eastview Baptist Church, 559 Chapel Road, Botany Downs.   Drop off your unwanted electronic products / equipment.  Staff will unload everything for your convenience – large quantities require prior arrangement.  Computers, mainframe, banking equipment, circuit boards, faxes, laptop batteries, terminals, copiers, car batteries, cell phones, wiring etc. www.ewaste.org.nz or 649123@gmail.com