Elm Park School Newsletter - Term 3 - Week 5 - 17th August 2012

Friday 17^th August – Term 3 Week 5

Value Focus for next week: Quality / Respect

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.

This week has been a great Maths week with our Olympiads in fine mathematical form with medal performances. Well done children and teachers, good to see that Mathematics is alive and well at Elm Park School.

The Year 6 students have had a visit to Pakuranga Intermediate and a visit from Farm Cove Intermediate in preparation for Intermediate schools in 2013.

We had an exciting Netball challenge last Friday between our amazing school team and an eclectic group of teachers. Thanks to two of our parents who refereed the game and kept us on our toes. Our supporters were fantastic with their colourful banners and loud cheering!!!

Next week we have our Farm Cove Festival Choir performances over two evenings - Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 August at 7.00 pm in our Auditorium. Don’t forget to order and pay for your tickets ASAP as we don’t want you to miss out. So much work has gone into these performances. Schools involved are Wakaaranga, Sunnyhills, St Marks, Farm Cove Intermediate and of course Elm Park.

We are also hosting 80 Japanese students on Thursday 23 August. We will be welcoming these students from Hoshino Gakeun for the morning as we did last year. This is a wonderful cultural experience for our students as well as the Japanese students.

On Tuesday 28 August Elm Park is hosting the Zone Speech Finals in our Auditorium at 7.00 pm. We are looking forward to this annual event and we are always proud of our students and their efforts to participate.

Have a lovely weekend.

Trish Plowright

Principal

Looking Ahead

Parent Help Needed - Just Half An Hour - No expertise required!! We are asking for parent help to finish planting and mulching our native trees on the back playing field.  The trees are placed where they should be planted and the mulch is in piles to be distributed around and between the plants at a depth of about 10cm.  We would appreciate any help - if only an hour when it suits you or alternatively, when you come to drop off or pick up your child, why not spend half an hour together planting and mulching?  If needed we have spades and buckets for your use.  Your help will be greatly appreciated and you will be contributing to a long term vision of having a beautiful native tree grove at Elm Park School for the benefit of birds, insects and of course, our students.  Any queries please contact Monica Meikle through the school office. 

How You Can Help Your School

McCain’s School Veggie Patch Programme is still running in schools. Collect the barcodes from your frozen veggie packs and drop them in to the box outside Mrs Plowright’s office.   Would you like to see Elm Park students planting their own veggie seeds and learning about healthy eating at the same time?

Help us: barcodes=points= equipment and advice

PAPER 4 TREES UPDATE - As a result of increased paper collection from our Community we have another bin and that means more trees for us!  Please continue to keep putting the following in our green Paper 4 Trees bins which are situated by the Hall:  any recyclable paper which you normally generate at home such as empty cardboard boxes, newspapers, junk mail & flyers, egg cartons, cereal boxes, magazines, writing paper can be put into theses bins.  However paper cannot be contaminated with anything which has blood, excessive amounts of food residue (such as empty pizza boxes with food stuck to them) and of course hand towels and tissues.  These are not OK for us to recycle and need to go into your rubbish bins at home. Thank you for your support!

This Week in Review

A VISIT FROM CONSTABLE WHITE - Constable White came to our school and she taught us about safety. She measured Tylae and Kaea to see if they were tall enough to sit in the front seat of a car. They were not tall enough unless they sit on a booster seat. Only Mrs Grainger was tall enough. If we are not 148 cm tall we can be injured when the air cushion inflates in an accident. It is best to sit in the back seat. Always remember to wear your seat belt.

ELM PARK'S ORGANIC ORCHARD!  - Elm Park School would like to thank the Mount Eden Village People for their donation of 5 fruit trees to our school.  The children were very excited to help plant 3 mandarin and 2 feijoa trees and are looking forward to caring for the trees and eating the fruit.

The orchard has been initiated so that the students can learn about how fruit is grown, how to care for an orchard and of course to enjoy eating fresh, organic fruit.  If you would like to donate a fruit tree to our orchard it would be greatly appreciated, well cared for and remain a living legacy of your child's time at Elm Park School.  Please contact Monica Meikle through the office if you would like to be a part of Elm Park's School Organic Orchard.

Key Events For Your Diary

Mon 13 Aug...  Maths Week

Fri 17 Aug......  Whole School Assembly

.......................   Principal’s Morning Tea

Tue 28 Aug....   Zone Speech Final

Fri 31 Aug......   Whole School Assembly

Fri 14 Sept.....   Whole School Assembly

Thur 27 Sept..   Principal’s Awards Assembly

Fri 28 Sept.....   Term 3 Ends

Mon 15 Oct....   Term 4 Commences

Mon 22 Oct....   Labour Day – SCHOOL CLOSED

Fri 2 Nov......... Whole School Assembly

Wed 7 Nov......  Student Led Conferences Y1-3 3.30 pm

Thur 8 Nov.....  Student Led Conferences Y4-6 3.30 pm

Fri 16 Nov.......  Whole School Assembly

Fri 23 Nov.......  Principals Morning Tea

Fri 30 Nov ......  Whole School Assembly

Focus on Children

Room 23 has been focusing on the Olympic games over the last 3 weeks. From presenting keynotes on athlete nutrition, studying the history of the Olympic Games to reliving all the Golden moments from London 2012, and previous games. Here is some writing on the history for the Olympic games. '

As the countries are becoming more and more advanced, there is always one event, that happens every four years, that can bring the world together. That’s the Olympics.

The Ancient Olympics started in 776 B.C. in Olympia. There were only three events, Chariot Racing, Running and Discus. The Olympic rings represent the five continents of the world that used to be. The colours of them represent the countries coming together.

The Olympic Flame was first lit in Olympia for the Olympics in 1928, and is now always lit in Olympia. As the years went by, more and more people participated in the Olympic games. That was with the exception of 1916, where it was cancelled for the World War I. It was also cancelled in 1940 and 1944 because of World War II. By now the Modern Olympics had well and truly started, with nine sports and forty-three events in the first Modern Olympics, and new sports and events being introduced every Olympics. The best people and athletes from around the world competed and represented their countries. If you came first you would get a gold medal. Second place would get a silver medal and third place would earn a bronze medal.  The Olympics continued every four years (leap year) and a chosen city would host. In 2012 London, England in hosting the Olympics. There are twenty six sports and over three hundred events. Two hundred and four countries are competing in London. One hundred and eighty five athletes are representing New Zealand.

The Olympics are known as the most worldwide sport competition. I’m going to be watching, cheering on and supporting the New Zealand team. I hope you are too. 

The Olympic Games is a world-wide sporting event that happens every 4 years to bring athletes from different countries together in competition.

The Modern Olympics started at 1896 in Athens, Greece. This was a lot smaller than the Olympics you see today, as only 241 male athletes competed in it.

During 1916, World War I was being fought so the Olympics were cancelled. And again in 1940 and 1944 because of World War II Athletes around the world compete for medals that are bronze, silver and gold. They compete to represent themselves and their country and make their fellow country members proud.

The Olympics ring’s are the symbol of the games, the colours of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red. They represent the five old continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, America and Australasia that started the Ancient Olympics Games thousands of years ago. Being an athlete is to train hard, set new goals to achieve and make your country proud by doing your personal best.

By Sunny

POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION WINNERS
Congratulations to the following students who were selected and acknowledged this week for their responsible, friendly behaviour.
Room 2	Jordan Messenger
Room 5	Sam O’Connor
Room 7	Jayden Myburgh
Room 8	Donny Aiono
Room 9	Jessica Willats-Hogan
Room 10	Aisha Bochu
Room 11	Jayden Hill
Room 12	Danika Jordaan
Room 13	Jessica Wei
Room 14	Tanuj Minhas
Room 15	Jasmine McCord
Room 16	Aleisha Mor
Room 17	Hannah Appleby
Room 18	Cindy Lin
Room 19	Nicolas Kong
Room 20	Serena Ashmore
Room 21	Chalos Barnston
Room 22	Laura Thwaites
Room 23	Helen Lam
Room 24	Jack Watchorn
Room 25	Asenla Tanuvasa
Room 26	Hajera Fayaz
Room 27	Sky Herewini
Room 28	Rajal Pratap
Room 29	Zane Harding
Room 30	Ronald Filipo
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:	Aahan Gupta
Year 2:	Joshua Murray
Year 3:	Daphne Sheffield
Year 4:	Ethan Tizzard
Year 5:	Lachlan McClintock
Year 6:	Megane Poollay

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Mt Hobson Middle School - 131 Remuera Road Ph: 523-1241 Years 7-10 Enrolling or 2013 www.mthobson.school.nz

Howick Recreation Centre Afterschool Gymnastics - Wednesday's 4.45 - 5.45 pm (less than $50 for the remainder of term 3!) The Howick Recreation Centre has opened up extra spaces for their highly popular Afterschool Gymnastics class for 5-12 year olds on Wednesdays at 4.45pm! (Children will be grouped based on age and ability). If you are interested, please contact Keryn on 534 5153 or email keryn.churches@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for more information or to register  

We also offer many popular Preschool classes. Check www.manuakuleisure.co.nz out  for more information.

Plant Sale Growing Schools in Haiti - Saturday 11th August 10.30am to 2.30pm. Mt Hobson Middle School, 131 Remuera Rd. 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. (Plants available to purchase from the school during the following week 13-17 August – just call in during school hours).

The Parenting Through Separation programme is available at Willowbank School. The programme is free to all parents who are in the process of separating or have separated. This course will be delivered by a psychologist from Triple P New Zealand Ltd.  Next session:  Aug 29/Sept 5:  7 – 9 pm. To register call Triple P New Zealand Ltd 09 579 1794.