Thursday 22nd February | Term 1 Week 4 |
Kia ora e te whānau,
When you read this, our exhilarating Athletics Day for Year 5-13 students will soon conclude. We congratulate all our athletes for their outstanding success and enthusiastic participation. We also want to express our sincere gratitude to our organising teachers, dedicated support staff, and invaluable Caretaker for their unwavering support and hard work in making this event a resounding success.
We are thrilled to acknowledge the remarkable success of both our rowing team at the recent National Competition and the Junior Highland Dancing Team. It brings us immense pride to announce that all participants in the rowing have achieved remarkable feats by securing positions within the top eight of their respective competitions. A special round of applause is due to our exceptional coach and esteemed staff member, Sarah Henderson, whose guidance and expertise have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in our team's achievements. Furthermore, we congratulate our medallists: Kiara Thyne, Sadie Mason, Hazel Mason, Taylah Marsh, and Troy Smith. In the Oamaru Highland Dancing Competition, a small team (Murphy Turner, Georgie Gray, Sophie Lee and Summer Smith) competed last week; their success was marked by the presentation of the G and J Robinson trophy for the Novice Highland Fling (Under 14) to Summer Smith. Enormous thanks to Brooke Smith for coaching her young team. To these students - your dedication and perseverance have truly set a shining example for our school community.
Last week, our younger middle schoolers were excited as our M1 Camp unfolded with great success. From engaging activities to enriching pūrākau, our students experienced unforgettable moments filled with laughter and camaraderie. We express our gratitude to the teacher supporters and organisers whose planning and dedication to outside school activities ensured this enriching experience went ahead.
In line with our commitment to holistic student well-being, we are pleased to announce that well-being choices for our Year 7-13 students have been finalised. A diverse range of activities aligned with the Five Ways to Wellbeing are now available. From creative crafting to immersive reading sessions, vibrant Kapa Haka, nurturing gardening activities, and invigorating physical exercise, these opportunities are integral to fostering a supportive and nurturing environment across our student body. Additionally, our Primary School is diligently crafting its own program of activities. As always, we continue to encourage primary student participation in the Kapa Haka Roopu.
Looking ahead, we have an exciting Week 5. On Monday, the M2 SPCA visit goes ahead as part of their Homeroom Learning Programme. Our attention will also turn towards the SISS Rowing Competition (Secondary) and the Upper Waitaki Swimming (Primary) event on Friday.
A friendly reminder to all parents: NetSafe permission forms have been issued to all students and require parental signatures. While we are pleased to have received many forms already, if yours still awaits attention, we kindly urge you to locate it, sign it, and return it promptly.
He waka eke noa.
Kate Staniford
Tumuaki | Principal |
From the Head Students
Deputy Head Student Ella Ferguson looks at the already tight race for the House Competition and the awesome house spirit shown! | |  |
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M1 Students Enjoy Modified CampLast week M1 enjoyed their camp, with some modifications due to weather. In between rain and wind, the students had a great time at the river, walking the Hooker Valley Track, and a Karatī-inspired rock throwing competition!
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Rowing Supporters Gear AvailableTwizel Area School Rowing t-shirts and hoodies are now available for the upcoming Maadi Cup. 🚣 💚🖤
Complete the order form to get yours! | |  |
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Dissection and MicroorganismsOur Senior Science classes had an great week with new teacher Mrs Dixon, with Year 11 learning about microorganisms in food production, and Year 12 investigating the inner workings of sheep hearts. 🔬🫀 | |  |
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Rowers Bring Home MedalsSeven of our students represented Twizel Rowing Club at the NZ National Rowing Champs last week, coming home with a gold and two bronze medals! What an amazing achievement. 🥇🥉 | |  |
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Young Inspiring Explorers SummitDo you know someone in Year 7–9 who is keen to step outside their comfort zone and develop their explorer mindset on a weekend of Antarctic themed fun and learning in the Antarctic Gateway city Ōtautahi Christchurch! 🐧 | |  |
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Room 4 Ākonga Get Their First Digital ExperienceThis week, students from Room 4 had the opportunity to visit Mrs. O'Carroll in the Digi Tech Room, where they gained insights into the principles of good digital citizenship. | |  |
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Netsafe ICT AgreementPlease be reminded that all students brought home a Netsafe ICT Agreement last week, for both students and parents to review and sign. These agreements are crucial for ensuring the safe and responsible use of technology within our school community. Kindly return the signed agreements to the main office ASAP. | |  |
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Online Payments Now AvailableOnline payments for school accounts are now available through the SchoolBridge web portal and app. 💳
You can choose to pay part or full payments using your credit and debit card with no surcharge! | |  |
We thank the parents and caregivers who have already taken advantage of this amazing new feature, however there are still a lot of student accounts with outstanding balances to pay, to the tune of $4283 overall! As a small school, we have limited funds and rely on camps, EOTC trips, and items such as student stationery being paid for.
If you have any questions or queries regarding your child's school account, please email [email protected] |
M3 Get a Lesson in Pasta CookingM3 students started their 2024 cooking journey this week with a lesson on how to correctly cook pasta. Buon appetito! 🍝 🇮🇹 | |  |
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DoC Visits to Talk Animal WelfareThis term, M2 are learning about animal welfare and we were lucky enough to have Cody and Adrianne from DoC come to visit with their conservation dogs. | |  |
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Scholastic Book Club | Issue 1The first issue of the Scholastic Book Club for 2024 is now available, orders need to be placed by Friday 5th April. 📚 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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Parenting the Child in Front of YouKids behaving in ways you're not keen on?
We can mentally time travel to 'worst case scenarios' in the future OR we can calmly keep parenting in the moment. | |  |
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 → Monday, 26th February | M2 SPCA Visit
→ Friday, 1st March | Settling-in Reports Available in Portal
→ Friday, 1st March | Aoraki Senior Touch
→ Friday 1st March | Upper Waitaki Swimming, Kurow
→ Thursday, 7th March | Welcome BBQ / Consultation 4-6 pm
→ Friday, 8th March | Year 0-3 Swimming Display
→ Tuesday, 12th - Friday, 15th March | Life Education visits
*All dates above are subject to change* |
 Settling-In ReportsOn Friday, 1st March students' Settling-In Reports will be published via the Parent Portal.
Please make sure you can sign into the the web portal or SchoolBridge app; you will not be able to view your child's report without logging in. House PointsThe House Points competition is a close run thing as we head into Athletics Day! 💙💛  |
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