Thursday 3rd August 2023 | Term 3 Week 3 |
Kia ora e te whānau,
We hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and enjoying the winter weather! Here are a few items to let you know what’s been going on at the school over the last week…
Upper Waitaki Cross Country Successes and Further Opportunities
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Upper Waitaki Cross Country event! Your dedication and determination paid off, and we are proud of every one of you. Have a look at the article later in this newsletter for more details.
PB4L SET: Positive Behaviour for Learning
We are excited to inform you that Twizel Area School is continuing its commitment to fostering a positive and supportive learning environment through the PB4L programme (Positive Behaviour for Learning). Our facilitator, John Taylor (MoE), visited the school to perform our first ‘SET’. The SET assesses our school’s progress against programme standards and provides us with a ‘next steps’ report. We’ve thrown so much into our training and development over the last 18 months that I’m happy to report we scored 94.1% on the scale. This sets us way ahead of usual progress. Once the finalised report is sent to the school, we can share the key indicators with the community.
Employment Update
We are delighted to welcome Pip Smith ([email protected]) as a valuable addition to our Middle School team. Pip will work with us until the end of the year, contributing to our students’ growth and development across the Maths, Science and PE Curriculum Areas.
We’ve also been fortunate enough to appoint Hanna DeVries (Principal’s PA) and Amanda Feck (Relief Office Administrator), to our main office team.
We continue to actively seek another Relief Teacher Aide to join our team. This position will be crucial in supporting the staff and students when a Teacher Aide is sick, participating in training, or away for another reason. If you or someone you know is interested in this role, please email [email protected] for more information.
DMIC Training: Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities
As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance mathematics education, our primary and middle school maths staff recently underwent further DMIC training with Jayne Fitzgerald from Massey University. This training equips our teachers with the skills and knowledge to promote mathematical inquiry and critical thinking among students. The focus this time was promoting opportunities for the under-participators in the community ecosystems. We are excited to apply these strategies in the classroom throughout the term. You can watch some videos about DMIC here.
National Educational Learning Priorities (NELP) and Strategic Planning Changes
This week, I’ve had the opportunity to upskill with the National Educational Learning Priorities (NELP). They serve as a guiding framework for our future strategic planning. The MoE has also changed the way Strategic Planning will work in schools in the future. If you’re interested, you can learn more here.
Heads Up for Coming Weeks
We have an action-packed schedule ahead! Here's what's coming up:
→ Badminton Competitions: Some of our senior students will be participating in badminton competitions on Tuesday and Thursday of Week 4.
→ Netty Fests: For our Upper Primary and Middle School Netballers, get ready for Netty Fests! Years 5 and 6 on Wednesday 9th and Years 7 and 8 on Thursday 10th.
→ Skating: Weather permitting, we hope to head to Tekapo for Skating sessions. Room 13 on August 8th and Room 8 on August 10th.
That's all for now! Have a great week.
He waka eke noa,
Kate Staniford
Tumuaki | Principal
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From the Head Students
Head and Deputy Head students Monique and Emily have some reminders for the coming weeks, including a Non-Uniform Day organised by the SISS netballers. | |  |
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Students Head to Outward BoundWe are delighted that three of our senior students were able to gain scholarships made available by the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs NZ and Mackenzie District Council to attend Outward Bound Trust of New Zealand for an 8-day course. ⛵️ | |  |
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Upper Waitaki Cross CountryThis week, 85 students from Twizel Area School joined schools from Omarama, Waitaki Valley, and Duntroon to compete in the annual Upper Waitaki Cross Country. | |  |
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Meridian Power Up Community FundingThe Waitaki Community Fund provides grants for projects that support sustainable community development. Have you got a community project that needs funding? Applications are open until 24th September 2023. | |  |
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Room 4 Monochromatic ArtMonochromatic Art was such a big hit at the start of the year when there was only a small group of kids in Room 7, but now that we are bigger, we thought we would give it another go! 🎨 | |  |
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Multiplication and ArraysStudents in Room 9 have been learning about multiplication and division this week by making their own arrays, then solving and working out each other's array problems. 🧮 | |  |
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Room 8 Matariki ArtTamariki in Room 8 have been developing their artistic abilities and understanding of Matariki through impressive artwork, and their commitment to detail and quality of finished work is awe-inspiring. 🤩 | |  |
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Scholastic Book Club | Issue 5The fifth issue of the Scholastic Book Club for 2023 is now available, orders need to be placed by Friday 15th September. 📚 You can order through the Scholastic website or the Book Club Loop app, available through the App Store and Google Play Store. | |  |
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Swim Ruataniwha 2024The 2024 Meridian Swim Ruataniwha registrations are now open to people aged 16 and over. 🏊♂️ Get training and enter this exciting open-water swim event on beautiful Lake Ruataniwha! | |  |
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Nathan Wallis Online WebinarsIf you missed Nathan when he came to Twizel last year, don't worry! Five of Nathan's talks have been made available online until August 13th. Click the link to purchase. | |  |
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Happiness and Wellbeing for Pre-Teens and TeenagersHappy teenagers have warm relationships, try new things, have goals, and focus on positive things in life. Get tips to boost teenage wellbeing and happiness. | |  |
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 → Friday, 4th August | Senior Snow Club
→ Monday, 7th - Friday, 11th August | School Library Week
→ Tuesday, 8th August | Aoraki Girls' Badminton
→ Tuesday, 8th August | Room 13 Skating Trip, Tekapo Springs
→ Wednesday, 9th August | Year 5-6 NettyFest, Oamaru
→ Thursday, 10th August | Year 7-8 Netty Fest, Oamaru
→ Thursday, 10th August | Junior Snow Club
→ Thursday, 10th August | Room 8 Skating Trip, Tekapo Springs
→ Thursday, 17th August | Fairytale Non-Uniform Day - SISS Fundraiser
*All dates above are subject to change* |
 Police VetsA reminder for parent and whānau members who wish to accompany our Junior School skiing and skating trips this term. Please ensure you have a current Police vet held by the school. You can check this by contacting the school office: 03 435 0650
Snow Club 2023Weekly permission forms will be emailed to parents of Snow Club participants on Monday of each week. Forms need to be completed ASAP and payment received to confirm your child's place. Forms are also available through the Parent Web Portal and SchoolBridge App.
Please note that students who wish to participate in Snow Club must meet our expectations in terms of work, behaviour, and attendance at school. Head LiceWe have had reports of children in the Junior School with Head Lice. Please check & treat your child's hair if necessary, keeping them away from school until treatment has begun.
Click the link for more information, including treatment, from Kids Health and the Ministry of Health. | |  |
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