Newsletter Week 8 Term 3 2014

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends,

Our feelings and relationships profoundly affect learning and life effectiveness.
At Mahurangi Christian School, we take this seriously. Through natural and planned conversations with children, through group discussions, through our Devotions times and through a new curriculum we are going to trial in the senior class in a couple of weeks, we are providing a learning environment to develop:
1. Self-awareness: Learning Conversations with teachers help learners to know themselves, their strengths, their challenges. Children learn to notice their feelings and make positive choices.
2. Self-management: Learning Goals focus children to set and monitor their own progress towards personal and academic goals, and to ‘own their learning’ and their personal growth.
3. Social awareness: Our learners are encouraged to take the perspective of and empathise with others.
4. Relationship skills: In a small school, children learn to cooperate and collaborate with people who are different from them
5. Community-building skills: At Mahurangi Christian School we are creating a school community that is caring, supportive, and responsive to student’s emotional, social and spiritual needs.

It is not always easy for us as children, teachers and parents as we seek to ‘grow up’ ourselves and to gradually become better at ‘living life to the full as agents of God’s love’, but we are committed to that process in this school community.

I look forward to sharing more about specific ways we are working with your children to help them grow in emotional, social and spiritual awareness.

Helen Pearson

Parent-Teacher-Learner Conferences

On Monday 22 September 2014, we are having Three Way Conferences with Parents, Teachers and Learners. We would like to meet with all parents to discuss their children's progress, and to work together on the Learning Goals for Term 4. 

School will finish at 1.30pm to enable appointments to be made. Please complete the form here. If you would like to speak with the teacher on your own as well as with your child, please indicate in the form or on the hardcopy slip sent home with your child.

Appointments can be made between 1.30 and 6.30.

Appointment times are given on a first come first served basis. Please make sure you have indicated what time suits you for an interview before Monday 15^th September.

There will be no bus in the afternoon because school finishes at 1.30.

Library Working Bee - Change of Date

A small job for many but a large job for a few. Let’s make it a small job.

Due to a hockey tournament we are changing the date for our Library Working Bee. The new date is 20 Sept 9.00 – 11.00.

Please join us on Sat Sep 20, 2014 9.00 – 11.00. Let us know you are able to help by filling in this  form.

Graham Braddock Art Workshop and Drawing Class

On the first day of term 4 we are privileged to have Graham Braddock conducting a workshop for our students and drawing classes for adults and older students. All details are on the notice sent home today.

Please complete this online approval form or send back the hardcopy slip and the money by Monday 22^nd September.

School Photos

Our school photos will be taken by Photolife on the first Tuesday of Term 4.  Photos are prepaid. Notices and envelopes will be sent home by the end of next week.

Friday Assembly

Room 3 will host assembly this week. Please come if your child is in Room 3.

Assemblies are at 9.10 every Friday unless notified. We love to have parents and friends of the school join us for assembly and stay for a chat and morning tea afterwards.

Onboard Skate

At the end of last term we had to postpone our session with Onboard Skate due to the inclement weather so we are pleased they will be with us for the last Wheels Day of the term (Friday 26 Sept) to provide skateboards and instruction.

 The cost is $2 per child to defray expenses and if you paid last term this will be carried over. If you are unsure if you have already paid please check with your classroom teacher.  

Zoo Trip

Our cancelled zoo trip has been scheduled for Tuesday 25^th November. Something for the children to look forward to.

Our Uniform/Dress

Generally the uniforms are looking great!  Students are expected and encouraged to take a pride in their general appearance. Please ensure that children are not wearing non-uniform sweatshirts or shoes.

The uniform is available from the school office. Second hand uniform items may also be available from the office.

Ear studs are the only items of jewellery permitted at school.

The consequences of breaching the dress code are determined by the situation and may include a warning, a letter home, or a Red Card.

Prepare for Hats

From the beginning of term four we will be implementing our health and safety policy concerning sunhats.

 This states: “require students to wear hats which protect the face, neck and ears, whenever they are outside and involved in school activities. Students at school without a hat must remain in an allocated shaded area or inside at break times. Hats must be broad-brimmed (min 7.5cm), or legionnaire/bucket hats (min 6cm brim, deep crown). These hats provide significant protection to the eyes”.

Sunhats will be available from the uniform shop from the beginning of term 4.

Board Meetings

These are the dates for the Board Meetings for the rest of the year.

You are always welcome to attend they are held at 7.30 in the staffroom.

23 rd September

28 October

9 December

Before and After School Supervision

We appreciate parents' efforts in getting students to school at a good time in the morning. Arriving late is disruptive for the child, and for the class and teacher. Arriving between 8:35 and 8:50 gives the student plenty of time to catch up with friends, hang up their school bag, hand in any notices, and be in class ready to start at 8:55.

Note: For your child's safety, please make sure that they arrive at school after 8:30 and have left the school grounds by 3:15 pm. We cannot guarantee supervision at school outside those times.

Advance Notice – Camp is coming

Early next year we will be going to camp. Last year’s family camp was so successful that once again families will have the opportunity to join with us.

We are well aware that camp early in the year can create a financial burden. If you would like to put aside a little a week from now on we are hoping the burden will be eased. If you would like to set up an automatic payment to the school the ac no is 123105 0014453 00 and please use the reference “camp”.

Yummy Apple Stickers

Thank you our great team of sticker collectors.

We collect the stickers or labels off the bags from Yummy Apples each year. At the end of Term Three these sticker collections are sent to the company and we receive sports gear as a reward.

Last year we received $237 worth of sportsgear and this year we are hoping for more as some collectors have wisely continued to collect year round.

If you have been collecting stickers for us please hand the sheets, whether full or partial, into the office by Friday 19^th September so we can send them off by the end of the term. If you need sticker collection sheets please ask at the office

Friday Lunches are back!
MCS Parent Group will provide a selection of Pies (Butter Chicken, Mince and Cheese, Apple), Pizzas, Sausage Rolls and Moosies (Chocolate, Strawberry and Lime).

Order forms will be sent home today. Please return order forms and payment in a sealed envelope to your child's teacher before School Assembly on Friday.

What do you think of ERO’s parent booklets?

The Education Review Office (ERO) publishes a series of five booklets for parents and caregivers.

We want to find out how useful the information is to parents, how the booklets can be improved, and if parents would prefer to receive the information in a different way.

 We’re starting with a survey of How is my child doing? To take part in the survey go to www.ero.govt.nz – Featured Publications. The survey runs until the end of September and only takes a few minutes to complete.

Meanwhile if you would like a copy of one of the booklets email  info@ero.govt.nz

Upcoming Events:             

9 Sept                                     Relationship Evening (Yr 7)

10 Sept                                   Relationship Evening (Yr 8)

10 Sept                                   Touch/Netball

16 Sept                                   Relationship Evening (Yr 7)

16 Sept                                   Interschool Hockey

18 Sept                                   Ripper Rugby

20 Sept                                   Library Working Bee

22 Sept                                   3 way conferences

23 Sept                                   Interschool Speeches

                                              Board of Trustees Meeting

26 Sept                                   Onboard Skate

   End of Term Three

13 Oct                                     Beginning of Term Four

14 Oct                                     Photolife – School Photos

 

Community Notices

Prince & Princess Ball at The Beehive Childcare Centre

Fundraiser for playground upgrade

Where: The Beehive Childcare Centre

When: Friday 19th Sept, 5.30pm-7.30pm

Cost: Tickets $10 per family pre-sale / $12 door sale

Contact: Ph 425-4305 for more details.

Come and join us for a fun family night out !!!!!!!

Holiday Programme “Mission Rescue”

Theme     Spies

Who        Years 1-6

Where     Mahurangi Presbyterian

When       Monday  Sept 29-Friday Oct 3, from  9.15-12.30

Pre-enrolments are  preferable. Suggested donation is $2 per day per child. Forms and  more  information  available from Ann Cates  at ann.cates@roke.co.nz or phone  425 0966.

Mahurangi Mixed Junior Touch Module

 Get your team together for touch starting Thu 16 Oct 14.  Mixed Year 1/2, Year 3/4, Year 5/6, Year 7/8. Boys Year 7/8 & Girls Year 7/8 (if enough teams enter).

Team registration day Thu 11 Sep 3:30pm - 5:30pm at the Mahurangi Rugby Club Rooms.  For more details go to www.mahurangirugbyclub.co.nz

Trivia Night – 70’s theme

Annual Snells Beach Kindergarten Fundraiser.

12 September 7.30pm

Phone 09 425 6330

Warkworth Athletics:
Wednesdays 5.00 - 8.00pm, 15th October - 25th March, with the Xmas break from 17th December - 11 February.
Registration: 17th and 24th September 5.00-6.00pm at Shoesmith Domain.
Contact: Brett Illingworth 4259148, Mark Illingworth 4259183, Donna Wech 4225290