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Connect Communication
13 December 2023
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The end of the year is nigh and I would like to thank you for your support over what has been a very challenging year for me. I am heading to the North Island for part of the break and will be spending time packing up our family home so it can be sold.
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We will be in contact early in January with our plans for the return to school. This will include an invitation to book a time to drop into school on Tuesday 30th January. This is to meet your child's teacher, familiarise yourself with the new spaces and get everything ready for the first day of school on Wednesday 31st January. We will also invite you to a mihi whakatau to welcome new families.
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Yesterday teams started planning for our 2024 conceptual theme around movement. There was an excited buzz in the room as ideas were explored. These included; motion, immigration, migration, transport, music, movement in art, and campaigns. It will be exciting to see where this learning heads.
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Next year we will be trialling a specialist programme when teachers are out of the class on release. A team of specialist teachers will release teams and provide lessons on science & technology, visual & performing arts.
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Teachers have been hard at work writing and finalising comments for your children. Please make sure that you log in to Hero and share these with your children. We wouldn't want them to be lost in the flurry of thinking about classes for 2024.
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All the very best for all that is ahead for your family over the break. We look forward to seeing you all in 2024
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Claire and the Ararira Team
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School Board
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The school board held its final meeting for the year last Wednesday evening. We welcomed Che Kingi to provide a Māori voice and are delighted to confirm that he will be joining the board in the new year. We also received reports on various areas of staff learning and inquiry and discussed how these would be reflected next year; we finalised our strategic plan; discussed the impact of the change in government policies; and how we maintain connection as our community grows.
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Finally, we wish everyone a happy (and sunny) holiday and look forward to seeing everyone next year.
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Ngā mihi,
Andrew McMenaminPresiding member
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Te Puna o Ararira | Ararira Springs Primary School
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If you know of families moving into the area or with preschoolers, please encourage them to fill out our online enrolment form soon as possible. This allows us to plan ahead and recruit the teachers we might need!
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IMPORTANT DATES 2023
- 13 December - Year 8 Leavers Dinner
- 14 December - Monster Music Concert, 11.30am-12.15pm (all welcome)
- 15 December - Final Hui, 9.15am in the hall
- 15 December - Last day of term (school closes 1pm)
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THT - Te Hapori Tautoko - providing opportunities to tautoko (support) and connect our school community and fundraising for school initiatives and resources.
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Second-Hand Uniforms - THT has a small selection of second-hand uniform items available for purchase. Click here to view a list of the items we currently have available. If you have uniform items to donate please contact Charlotte via charlotte.mcmenamin@ararira.school.nz
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Story by Ella, Year 4/Hikuwai 2
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The following story was inspired by Ella reading the novel The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips as part of her novel study.
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It's here. The day has finally come. We have to leave. Mum, Dad, Ollie, Harry, Charlie and I have to leave. The war practising has begun.
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I feel cold inside and narrow in my throat. I fight the lump when I try to write. Everything is packed up. It feels empty and cold. When I walk into my room there are just boxes and boxes and boxes…..
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We haven’t found anywhere to live yet but Mum says not to worry because we will find a nice, warm home to stay in. Dad keeps saying that we should go to a motel but Mum keeps refusing.
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My grandparents are staying with cousins so there is no room there. My brothers think that we should go and build a wooden hut in the outback. I say that’s a stupid idea, but i think we should go to my second cousins house.
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We will be able to stay there’s only 2 children and their mum and d a room and so do the kids. They have seven bedrooms in the house so we will all have a room + mum and dad share a room.
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I can see the soldiers marching into the practice area. Then they see a young lady walking towards them and then they rush into the bathroom, probably making sure that their uniforms were looking tidy and slicking their hair back, to impress the young lady. Heh heh heh! They look ridiculous as they walk out of the bathroom, but the young lady was not interested. So they tried again but instead of doing their ridiculous walk they walked up to her just like that, one of the soldiers took his hat off and held it against his chest while the other soldiers stood in a funny position and held their hands out towards her and they pulled silly faces. It was good fun to watch.
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I don’t know my second cousins very well, but it is our only chance of having a nice warm place to stay. I’m not sure if I will enjoy this, but if it is the only chance I will be able to get through it. We have made the decision, we are going to be staying with our second cousins. I have to get my bag’s packed up so we can go by nightfall.
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I suppose I’ll have to stop now but I’ll be quick.
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The car has just started and it is dark outside. it’s like a Milky Way but It is not.The stars are like diamonds shining down on the ground…BANG. The car has just been hit. Someone has just used a gun to shoot the car. They’re coming towards us. It's a German soldier. He has a gun in front of him. What should we do……?
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And just like that we are at the end of another year. Thank you to all those who volunteered, coached and managed. We could not have done it without you. We look forward to working with you again next year!
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Tough Kids - South New Brighton Domain
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All those who took part in the Tough Kids challenge last Wednesday had a great day and represented our school well. The course was a little different this year with no mud challenge, but there was still much fun had on the slip and slides and foam machines.
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Please keep an eye on the Sports website for all the details that you need to know about the upcoming sporting events. Our first event will be swimming early on in term 1. Reminders will be sent with a term planner for Term 1 but all dates will be on the calendar as soon as they are confirmed by the Zone organisers.
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We wish you all the best for the festive season. See you in 2024!
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Please note there is no guarantee orders placed now will be dispatched to you before the end of Term 4.
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All orders will be delivered to school in batches and distributed to the classrooms as they arrive. Any orders marked as gifts, we will put to one side and contact you when they are ready to be collected.
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School Carpark Expectations Behaviours we want to see: Park in designated car parks including on the road. Carparks have been designed and placed by qualified traffic engineers to optimize visibility for drivers. Always stick to the 10km/hr speed limit. Children come and go from school for a variety of reasons at all times of the day. Merge like a zip …
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Digital Complications and Applications What is digital addiction? Digital addiction among students in New Zealand is a growing concern in the modern era, as technology and digital devices have become an integral part of daily life. While technology offers numerous benefits, excessive and uncontrolled use can lead to addiction and negatively impact students' academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. …
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Coaching is an important part of Ararira learning for our teachers and our older ākonga. We see coaching as an opportunity to sit with a colleague or support person and in the first instance, check in. Secondly, it provides the coachee with the chance to be listened to and supported. The coachee might share an issue, concern or goal. The …
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The Importance of Attendance We all recognise that education is the pathway to the future. The key to educational success relies on being present at school. Consistent routines and mileage is a big component of learning. Neurological pathways in our brains require repetitive exposure to strengthen and cement learning and develop mastery. We also develop these neural pathways for resilience, …
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Neurodiverse Learners Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the range of neurological differences among individuals, including conditions such as autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and others. From a school's perspective, it is essential to acknowledge the diversity in the learning abilities within students and provide support which is reflective of their needs. Children who are neurodivergent can face a number of …
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Peer Mediation Ararira Springs has adopted the peer mediation programme as it fits so strongly with our values of being caring, curious and capable. Peer mediators, selected from Year 7/8 classes, undergo a period of training based on the 'Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme' prior to being on duty in the playground. Peer mediation is an approach to conflict resolution …
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