22 August 2005

A school is as strong as its community

Dear Parents,  

Since our last Primary Update a lot has been going on … it certainly isn’t a boring place!  A celebration of learning and achievement ….

The swimming programme has continued with Year 0-4 children having attended intensive swimming sessions at Jellie Park Pool.  Ideally, summer would be great for swimming lessons but bookings are so heavy now through the year that it proves difficult to get a booking at all.  The progress made by the children, in a short period of time, is very encouraging.

We had our talent quest run over the past two weeks.  It was great to see the effort made by a wide range of talented young performers … singing, dancing, playing instruments, acting … results are recorded later in our newsletter.  Congratulations to all participants and the audience for their great support.  Special thanks to parents for their support, the Primary School Council members for their organisation, the group of volunteer boys for helping so willingly, the judges who helped, including Mrs Richardson, Mr Larson and Mrs Velluppillai.  A special thank you to Mrs Lawn for all her help and organisation!

All the Primary School and part of Middle School have also had time in the Life Education van which has been on-site.  These visits have covered such topics as:  The Brain, Uniqueness, Circulation, Looking After Our Body, etc.  This is a great resource which we have available to our children.

A number of adventurous children challenged themselves by entering the University of New South Wales Australasian Schools Science and Computer Skills competition.  Great results were achieved and these are reported later in our Update.  Well done to all concerned and a special vote of thanks to one of our Gifted and Talented Programme Teachers, Mr Peter Larsen.

In amongst all these “happenings” a team of four Education Review Office (ERO) personnel have been popping in and out of classrooms, looking at what makes the school “tick”.  They have particularly focussed on literacy (reading, written language, oral language, visual language) and some aspects of numeracy (mathematics).  A report will come out in due course.

Finally, once again a special thank you to all the parents involved in helping with Friday sport … both the school-based Kiwisport and the travelling teams.  Your assistance helps ensure we can provide sound sporting programmes for the children.  Special thanks to Mr Nick Pomare and Mrs Heather Kench for their time and effort in running these sports.

I am very aware that the Primary School staff are a great team to work with … added to great kids and supportive parents this place has a lot going for it.  Keep up the prayer for the school and for the continued sense of community this place has!

John Stackhouse, Head of Primary School

IMPORTANT

 School finishing early on Thursday 22 September

On the last day of this Term Middleton Grange is hosting the New Zealand Association of Christian Schools Conference for the South Island.  Staff will be attending this on Thursday evening, Friday and part of Saturday.  To assist in organisation of this event school will close at

2:30pm on Thursday 22 September

Children will therefore need to be picked up from bus stops 45 minutes earlier than usual.

 

TALENT qUEST What a range of great talents and originality has been displayed over the past two weeks!  Finals were held and it came down to a handful of “winners”!  However, everyone won in the end … the audience loved a wide range of performances and the contestants got into the spirit of the whole thing.  Also a big congratulations and thanks to the audiences, parents, judges, school council, helpers and Mrs Lawn.  Well done to all!

 

 

 Australian Schools Competition

Congratulations to all the pupils who took part and challenged themselves! Well done to the following children in particular...

             Computer Skills                           Science

Room 1 have been working on retelling an event or story in their own words.  Here are the products of their labours … we have some budding writers already!  Well done Room 1!

One day Miss Pool told the children we are going to the fire station.  They went on a bus.   The fire fighters let the children put on their coats and helmets.  Miss Pool did pick up the hose.  One of the fire fighters turned on the tap.  Miss Pool splashed the water, that was fun.

Miss Pool’s class went to the fire station.  The children tried on the yellow jackets and the yellow helmet.  Miss Pool put water on the fire people and they got really wet and Miss Pool laughed and laughed and the kids laughed, and that is the end of the story.

One day Miss Pool said we are going to the fire station on Friday and they put on the coats and the helmets and they said you look cool in your shiny coat and your shiny yellow helmet.  The fire fighters turned on the tap and out on to the fire fighters, they got very wet but they were not angry and they laughed.  They had fun.  The children had fun all day too.

Today we are going to the fire station and Miss Pool you look very cool, said the kids.  Miss Pool put on the sparkly yellow coat and the shiny yellow helmet.  Miss Pool sprayed the firemen.

by Ashleigh, Rm 1

 

Talent Quest Results

1st  Drama (Skit) “Goldilocks …” 

  Georgina M, Jessica R, Grace M, Isla S, Jessica J (Y6)

2nd  Trumpet solo “Tequila Sunrise”  Geoffrey I (Y6)

3rd  Dance “Pump Jig”  Geoffrey F (Y3)

Other finalists:

Piano “Conquest of Paradise”  Isla S

Song “She Will Be Loved”  Hannah-Rose W

Piano “Greensleeves”  Jacqui F

Dance “Shining Star”  Charlotte R

Song “Perfect World”  Michael D

Dance “Carwash”  Samantha W, Sophie W, Jessica J

Skit “The Lord’s Prayer”  Lydia N, Felicity W

Violin “Bouree”  Shannon B

Skit “Green Marmalade to You”  Danielle H, Laura P, Sophie P, Sophie B

Skit “How to Make a Sausage”  Tarapi N, Todd C, Sam B, Lucie V, Harry VC

Dance “Do Ya Love Me”  Poppy VC, Madeline S

Song “This is What Dreams are Made Of”  Ellie J

 

"In thy light shall we see light." 
                                        Psalm 36:9

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