Week 4 Term 2 newsletter

Talofa lava, malo soifua

The weeks are flying by and I am so proud of our children and teachers and how hard they are working on their teacher and learning. At Weymouth we are all about offering opportunities so all children can be successful. In order for all our children to be successful we need them to come to school every day. The last 2 weeks our average has slipped to 81%. Come on everyone. We can do better than this. 

Our Kāhui Ako - Te Korowai Kākahu o Manurewa has been working on our new Achievement Challenges. I have officially completed my two terms as ‘lead principal’ and it is now time to hand over the reins. Our new ‘achievement challenges’ are exciting and definitely in line with our vision of ‘success for all’. Once we announce our new lead principal we will also share with our community our new challenges. 

I had another session with my facilitator Sepora Mauigoa who is supporting me on my Tautai o le Moana journey of professional development to ensure we are catering for the needs of our Pasifika learners and families. We start our professional development sessions with our staff on ‘Tapasā’ which is our guide for teachers to support their classroom practice. We have completed our Talanoa Ako sessions where 18 parents attended our 10 sessions in term 1 to support and equip and empower our parents with the skills, knowledge and confidence to champion their child’s future. 

Our ‘reading together’ workshops start in Week 5 and I am happy to announce we have 30 parents who want to be a part of this kaupapa. These sessions are about supporting our parents with the tools to help their children be the best readers they can. Mrs Miers and I will be running the sessions and our beautiful Weymouth Angels - Kristina and Miss B will be looking after the children so their parents can attend. 

Road Safety week has been awesome. Even though the weather was a bit tricky - our covered shaded areas meant we could go ahead. Road Safety is so important for our children. So please remember all children coming to school on bikes and scooters must wear helmets for safety. Keep talking to your children about crossing the road safely too. 

Our Rangi team headed off to MOTAT to develop their understanding of ‘technology’ as they work towards preparing a product for our Matariki Market Day. Our Maunga and Rangi team also attended a show at the Due Drop which they enjoyed. 

Finally, this week as part of my role as president of NZPPA - New Zealand Pasifika Principals I was invited to the pre-budget meeting at the beehive in Wellington. It was an honour to be invited.

Our Angel - Whaea Cheryldene
This is a blog post Akomanga 14 co-wrote together. 
First, we discussed Whaea Cheryl and recorded some key words.
Next, we worked in small groups to write our own post on whiteboards/in our books describing Whaea Cheryl. 
Finally, we collaborated together to make this post sharing all our own ideas. 

We hope you enjoy:
Whaea Cheryldene is an ‘angel’ in our class.  At other schools she might be called a teacher aide but at WPS we call them angels.  We call them angels because they are amazing helpers, caring, kind and help in the classroom but they also help outside – how amazing is that!?

Whaea Cheryldene is a helper in study support.  Study support is for Year 5/6 to help students get ready for intermediate.  It happens after school Monday to Thursday.

‘She has lots of cultures – she has Māori, Scottish, Samoan, German and Irish.’
Tony and Finn Rm 14

‘Whaea Cheryldene has three children and a husband and her husband's culture is Cook Island Māori and Tahitian.’
Moo Ken, Max, Taha and Lei Rm 14

‘She has light brown eyes and black hair. Her hair is naturally curly but she likes it straight.  She always wears it in a bun.’
Azima and Shanalia Rm 14

She has three earrings and a nose piercing, she likes to wear hoodies and looks like a rockstar.  She is the best angel because she’s in our class, she has a gentle voice, she doesn’t get mad and she’s funny.  She’s really smart and beautiful.  She has two mokopuna and they are both boys. Believe it or not she came to our school when she was Year 6, then her children came and now her mokopuna comes to our school.  She likes the moon – she says she plays a part with our moods and she loves her when she’s bright and full.  She sleeps with the curtains open.
All of Akomanga 14 together.

Do you have someone special in your life that helps you?

 

Kia ora and welcome room 3, teachers, my  family and other people around the world to my first blog.

When I got to my class last year I was nervous and shy until I met my friends and became happy. Some of my stuff that I'm learning about in class is really hard and challenging but some is easy. Some of my favourite things to share are…

My goals are to show respect and care for my classmates.

Another goal is to start reading chapter books.

One other goal is to learn statistics and decimals better. 

My favourite animal is the red panda because they are rare and my favourite colour is red. 

The Matariki Market is magnificent because I'm making food, dessert and drinks with Satu, James, Taha, Lei and Moo Ken. My mum is going to teach me how to make homemade brownies.

I have a lot of countries that I would like to go to but these countries are on the top of my bucket list.

Italy: I want to go to Italy because I want to try their homemade pizza from the streets. Honourable mention: New York has some good pizza too.

Iraq: Because that's my best friend's home country.

Japan: I want to go to Japan because they have beautiful nature like their pink trees and their sushi is really tasty. My favourite sushi is avocado with salmon.

Thank you for reading my first blog. See you on my next one xxx.      

Yoga  blog
We just came back from yoga. I never believed that it would feel so relaxing.  The yoga teacher’s name is Luzette and her hair is black. She is so kind and she also made us do a lot of work . We did some funny ones 😄.

We also did some relaxing poses, some made me red .   
Shanalia Singh Rm 14

In Room 14 we went to do yoga with Luzette in the hall.  We did lots of stretches.  I felt like my body was gonna break but it was okay and it was fun. We had partners, mine was AJ. There was this thing called a plank. We stretched our back and our hands were laid down flat. It felt like scissors were going to cut my body. We did a Superman stretch. So, we make superman pose then lean and put our hands in the air and then go down. 
Satu Ofakihelofa Rm 14

In the battle field there were flame’s

People were dying, What a shame

There was a lot of gore

On the plains there were people with more

A soldier was in a tank

Later his vision went blank

People in WW were covered in blood

People had fallen in the mud

A man needed ammunition but instead

He made armour out of an engine

People saw a war

Then soon there was no more

Poppies are a bright red but they can be dark

Soon a soldier heard a bird lark

Purple poppies, People have forgotten

Army corps have been rotten

Anzac 

The man fell down and started bleeding as he fell on the ground.

The man felt pain then he collapsed and fell down in the rain.

The soldier felt lonely so he prayed to his family.

The man was scared in fear because he knew there was trouble near.

The soldiers were in a fight but some soldiers died of hunger at night.

By Zaraiyah-May Rm 15

 

Ding! Dong! On Tuesday 16th May the best team in the school(obviously the Rangi Team) went on a trip called MOTAT(Museum of Transport and Technology). It is basically where it’s a Museum that has Technology from the past and Transport. As you may or may not know, MOTAT is located near the Auckland Zoo; Weymouth Primary School driving to MOTAT is a long, long drive. In my heart I was so, so excited because at the time I didn’t go to MOTAT before so I was filled with excitement. We went to MOTAT to learn more about Technology and Transportation.

As soon as the Rangi Team settled underneath the Sunshade we waited for the Bus to arrive where the pick up and drop off zone was so we could jump in and the driver could drive off. In the first Bus we had Rm 17 and Rm 19; In the second Bus we had Rm 18( The best class in the whole entire school )and Rm 20. As I hopped on the Bus the volume on the Bus was already shooting for the stars. I sat next to Alyssa so we had a quiet chat. It was a long Bus ride but my favourite part is when we went underneath the tunnel and nearly held our breath the whole way until light finally reappeared in our view. I think it took 20-30 minutes. I'm not that sure. The Bus with Rm 17 and Rm 19 went on the exhibition side first while we( Rm 18 and Rm 20) went on the Aviation side first which I’m pretty sure takes more longer to get there.

When we arrived Room 18 and Room 20 split into two lines per class and our guide Emily introduced herself. Her rules that we had to follow were,Don’t try to reach over the barriers to touch the planes( I didn’t know there were planes), no running and I think those were all the rules we had to follow. As I was walking inside I took a turn and “ WOW THIS IS SO COOL” I said to myself quietly. All I could see was tens of planes in one huge building.I was quite excited seeing what activities we would do. My bag wasn’t that heavy but it was full so instead of putting my bag on my back I put my bag where my stomach was so it felt lighter. Emily walked us to a room which was our meeting spot for Morning Tea. Emily then told us the things that we were going to do throughout the day . 

We got told that the time we were going to hop on the Tram was 12:00pm so that got me excited and others around me as well. While she was talking it kinda started raining lightly. We wished that the weather didn’t play up because it wouldn’t be the full experience if it rained. After she finished talking we took a short Morning Tea break so we could get our bodies fueled before starting the day. I ate a few snacks then Mrs Bali, a few other girls, and I headed to the bathroom so later on in the day we didn't need to go busting to the toilet. I actually needed to go to the toilet at the moment so I went with them. As we were walking to the bathroom we headed in the wrong direction so a MOTAT staff member helped us get back on track. We nearly got there until we heard running so we looked back and saw a whole bunch of boys in our class running like they’re in a marathon and headed right for us. We waited until they came a little closer then we entered the Female bathroom.

When we arrived back at the meeting space we waited 5 minutes or so to find out we could explore. Our class stayed together and looked at all the things around us closely. There were also touch screens where you could play a game where you could create your own Jet, Bip plane, Helicopter etc. We stopped to take a photo so I moved right to the back at this instant because who actually likes taking photos. Everytime I’m in a photo I always have a weird look on my face or pose that just looks wrong which I hate so much. I think I got in a little telling off but I wish that if you took photos and the camera goes off I just disappear in thin air. There was also a Helicopter that you could go in; you could communicate with the pilot using the thing that somewhat looked like a Walkie-talkie. I got a chance to look in there but there was a limit of 4, but I think the people in my class were too excited to see what the inside looked like so it was literally so crowded like a small swimming pool filled with 100 people. We also headed upstairs where there were 3 binoculars located in different areas, posters of pilots in New Zealand, touchable screens, also there was a button that you could hear what the sound of a aeroplane sounds like in the air; of course there was a balcony( I think that's what it’s called)so we don’t end up falling and dying. 

When we finished exploring we had to go to the Classroom to learn some things. We didn’t know exactly what we were going to learn but we were all really excited about the things we were going to learn. When we entered the classroom there were things from a long time ago scattered across each table. Emily taught us about lots of cool items on the tables and my favourite table was probably the table with the Phones. It basically showed the whole story of the invention of phones and the innovation of phones. It was pretty crazy what a phone looked like just over 100 years ago. My favourite part of this room was where there was a little piece of paper and you had to write on it with a quill. It was easy but time consuming constantly dipping your quill in ink, writing then dipping again. As we sat back on the mat it was nearly time to go on the Tram and I was filled with excitement and wanted to leave immediately and that’s what we did.

Lots of excitement later…Room 18 and 20 could get on the Tram to the other side of MOTAT. I was stoked to see what the other side was like. 5-10 minutes later we arrived and wow was it huge. It was a giant compared to the Aviation Hall. I didn’t realise how massive MOTAT was. While we walked to our other meeting area most people first recognised the letters that says ❤# MOTAT that was huge. We arrived at our meeting area and ate our lunch and went to the bathroom and had a drink to fuel our bodies once again. Room 18 decided to go to the exhibition that I think was number 4(refreshing my memory). I loved pretending to make phone calls but I was sure that the other rooms would’ve been better. The second place we went to was the Game room which has a Photobooth and a Game called PinBall. It doesn’t sound like much but it was pretty fun taking photos with a green screen behind us. 

Lastly we had 10 minutes left so we went to the Activities room which was my highlight because it was a game where you either had to press a green, yellow, or red button but there were three on the ground. It was like a reaction test and the MOTAT staff can track your scores. I say I wasn’t that bad at the game but I wasn’t an expert. That was the whole group's highlight of the day and I wish we could go back in time and play again.

25-30 minutes later we hopped onto the bus and I had a recap of all the amazing things that happened just in a day. I loved every moment of MOTAT and hopefully we can return to MOTAT very soon.

By Jireh Tauiliili Rm 18

Recount of Our Motat Trip
On Tuesday the 16th of May the Rangi team got a chance to go to M.O.T.A.T also known as the Museum of Transport and Technology. We were able to visit both sides of M.O.T.A.T and have lots of fun and learnt lots of things while we were there. But also to learn how things are made and what were inventions and innovations. 

When I got to school I had to sit in the hall for a bit then went to class. And waited for some other students to arrive. When they all arrived we went outside under the sunshade and waited for the buses to arrive and when they did arrive we hopped on the buses and were on our way to M.O.T.A.T

When we arrived at M.O.T.A.T we were greeted by Emily, one of MOTATs educators. When she was done talking we walked into the aviation hall. When we entered there were lots of big planes around everywhere so we all started freaking out because of all of the massive planes we encountered. We thought we were gonna stay in the Aviation hall but we walked into a big room but there was just enough space to fit Rm 18 (the best class) and RM 20.

By Viliami Folau Rm 18

Motat Trip Recount
Would you like to know what the whole Rangi team did on Tuesday? Yes, well I’ll tell you, We went to MOTAT! MOTAT stands for Museum of Transport and Technology. We went to MOTAT because our inquiry topic is technology this term. We saw how things have changed like phones, how it changed from a flip phone to iphones.

First we entered the Machine Makers area. It was so cool, “Have you ever wanted to run on the wheel hamsters run in?’’ Well they had one there, it was so awesome and kind of scary. There were also two slides, and a chair that you pull yourself up on using a pulley. 

Secondly we walked along the path to the Village. The Village had an old chapel, a little cottage which showed us what it would have looked like in the olden days. It also showed us how much houses have changed. At 11:45am we went on a tram train. It was amazing we even went over the road! It was a little scary. 

After a few minutes we arrived at the Aviation Hall. Then this lady named Emily greeted us at the entrance. Rm17 went in the room first with Emily. When they went out we went in. Emily showed us how phones changed, how cameras changed and how pens have changed. It was so cool but writing with a feather is hard! 

Sadly it was time to go, I thought it was a cool trip because I learnt so much and experienced so many new things. 

2023 PRINCIPAL AWARDS

T2 Wk 3 Friday 12 May
Rm 1 Sinai Tuhua-Walker Always thinking of others - being patient, kind and caring to everyone she meets.
YOU ARE AWESOME!
Rm 3 Seine Lagofaatasi For outstanding effort in all learning areas.  Proud of you, Seine.  You are awesome!
Rm 4 Liulangi Falatau For having the initiative to help out in the classroom all the time and giving her best in all learning areas.
Rm 5 Camron Poh For being a very kind, caring and considerate young man with an amazing singing voice to entertain us with every morning! YOU ROCK THE WORLD!!
Rm 6 Abraham Tu’atonga For gaining confidence in his Writing and Reading. Ka pai!
Rm 7 JJ Falatau For always being a helpful member of the class and striving for his best.
Rm 8 Maareni Teariki For showing determination and perseverance when learning how to ride a bike with two wheels!
Rm 9 Ranvi Kumar For striving to be better than before with her learning. Tino pai!
Rm 10 Losaline Moala For always having a fantastic attitude and trying her best in all her learning!
Rm 11 Jordan Malosi For always trying his best. You have been working so hard with your learning this term! Keep it up buddy!
Rm 12 Angelina Fotu For always trying her best in every part of her learning, and having a great attitude!
Rm 13 Eliena Rhind Tūwhitia te hopo, Mairangatia te angitū!For feeling the fear and doing it anyway! Rawe!
Rm 14 AJ Siola’a For ‘ ka ako tātou - we learn’ - returning in term 2 with an amazing commitment to his learning.
Rm 15 Logan Manesa For demonstrating leadership qualities, using his initiative and helping others. Tino pai.
Rm 16 Nivish Kumar Consistently displaying an excellent and responsible attitude to all his learning. Proud of you Nivish!
Rm 17 Chevy Nelson For believing in himself and having a positive attitude. Tino pai rawa atu Chevy!
Rm 18 Eren Reeves For her posting positive, thoughtful and helpful blog comments on other learner blogs. Thanks Eren! Ka mau te wehi!
Rm 19 Aydan Singh For always trying his best in all areas of his learning. Ka rawe!
Rm 20 Heremia Hemara For constantly prioritising his learning in the class and being a role model for other students. Well done!
Rm 23 Jayveous Unuia For showing commitment and demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning
Eco Warrior Award Mrs H and Room 5 For the huge effort they have put into using their bin system correctly to start Term 2. Ka pai team!!!
Road Patrol Award Maia Atama Rm15 For always willing to cover road patrol duties when needed.  Tau kē Maia!
Travelwise Award Amosa Turia Rm9 For always supporting Walk to School Wednesday so enthusiastically!

T2 Wk 4 Friday 19 May 2023
Rm 1 Kingston Rere For taking ownership of his learning using his 'First and Then board'. Ka pai Kingston!
Rm 3 Eshaan Jitendra Goundar For always striving for the best in Reading, Writing & Maths.
Rm 4 Alayah Wilson For gaining confidence in her writing and trying her best.
Rm 5 Cherubim-East Sadler Haika For being a superstar role model when learning how to cross the road safely
Rm 6 Roman Vimahi For gaining confidence with his Writing and showing a positive attitude towards his learning.
Rm 7 Vova Shlykahtin For being proactive with asking questions to clarify his understanding during guided reading.
Ka Pai Vova!
Rm 8 Soape Folau For always helping others with a smile.
Rm 9 Jayden Kamo-Tonga For gaining confidence to attempt all his learning tasks independently. Ka pai!
Rm 10 Biahnka Vaki For working hard everyday at her reading!  
Rm 11 Ale Marsh-Witanga For gaining confidence with his Writing. Ale is always ready and willing to try his best.
Ka Pai Ale!
Rm 12 Sarkis Start For making a real effort this week to get better at showing “Ka tiaki tātou - We care”
Rm 13 A.J Fainu Tekeu For displaying the Weymouth way all the time.
Rm 14 Norah Le Vaela’a-George For showing ‘whāia te iti kahurangi - strive for the best’ every day and her kind attitude towards others, ka rawe Norah Le!
Rm 15 Jamisyn Joe For demonstrating ‘whāia te iti kahurangi ‘ strive for the best’ in his learning tasks. Tau kē Jamisyn!
Rm 16 'Ana Mafua Exhibiting a consistently responsible and enthusiastic approach to all tasks that she has experienced this term. You rock Ana!
Rm 17 Micah Hicks For striving for the best with his learning. Tino pai!
Rm 18 Daezzel Walker For always showing the Weymouth Way and being empathetic towards others.
Rm 19 Aradhya Maharaj For her positive attitude towards her learning and striving for the best!
Rm 20 Mitihana Faaniniva For being responsible for her own learning and encouraging her friends in the classroom.
Rm 23 Izaiah Hema For demonstrating excellence in digital technologies and for successfully creating your first
blog post. Miharo!
Eco Warrior Award Samantha Augustine For always being so prompt to meetings. Ka rawe Samantha!
Road Patrol Award Memory Williams Rm23 For always filling in, when others are away.  Thank you so much Memory!
Travelwise Award Julius Mitchell Rm20 For demonstrating safe cycling on the way to school! Great work Julius!

MAY
22 May - Eco Warriors and Whaea Deirdre to Zero Waste Zone
29 May to 2 June - Samoan Language Week
31 May - Reading Together Workshop - parents (6.00 to 7.00pm)

JUNE
2 June - Te Awa Team to Motat Trip
5 June - Kings Birthday (School Closed) 
7 June - Reading Together Workshop - parents (6.00 to 7.00pm)
14 June - Reading Together Workshop - parents (6.00 to 7.00pm)
16 June - Tuakana/Teina Day
19 June - Tuakana/Teina Day
20 June - BOT meeting (6pm)
27 June - Matariki Market Day & Sharing of Learning Day with whānau
28 June - Reading Together Workshop - parents (6.00 to 7.00pm)
30 June - END OF TERM 2 (School finishes at 2pm)

JULY
17 July - TERM 3 begins (Pōwhiri 10.30am)