Principal's Catch Up
Shirley Bailey
We are now halfway through Term 2, and the next five weeks are shaping up to be busy.
I hope you enjoyed a fantastic long weekend with your whānau. The weather has been very kind with nice clear days which has provided lots of opportunities to get outside. I have been for a few walks along the beach and in the bush with my husband and dog, had a great weekend catching up with our daughter and friends. Long weekends are an awesome time to recharge, catch up with family and friends and it's been great to see lots of people out and about enjoying the extra day.
Last week I was extremely privileged to listen to, and help judge, most classes as they presented their speeches to their classmates. Students in Years 5-8 have put in a lot of effort to craft some fantastic persuasive speeches, and our Year 0-4 students have worked hard to memorise their chosen poems. We certainly have some talented orators, and I look forward to hearing our finalists recite their speeches and poems at this Friday's school speech competition, starting at 12 pm in Ruru. Well done to everyone for showing lots of resilience and determination to speak in front of their peers and teachers. Public speaking can be a very daunting task and I am immensely proud of the effort all our tamariki put into this year's speech and poem recitals that were held in each class.
Last week I was extremely privileged to listen to, and help judge, most classes as they presented their speeches to their classmates. Students in Years 5-8 have put in a lot of effort to craft some fantastic persuasive speeches, and our Year 0-4 students have worked hard to memorise their chosen poems. We certainly have some talented orators, and I look forward to hearing our finalists recite their speeches and poems at this Friday's school speech competition, starting at 12 pm in Ruru. Well done to everyone for showing lots of resilience and determination to speak in front of their peers and teachers. Public speaking can be a very daunting task and I am immensely proud of the effort all our tamariki put into this year's speech and poem recitals that were held in each class.
We are very fortunate to have secured two awesome judges for this Friday's competition: Mr. Craig McGregor and Shelly Riddell.
All classroom teachers have contacted the parents/caregivers of the students who have made it to the school competition and we hope many of you will join us to support your child as they present their speech in front of the school on Friday. The top 3 placing students in each category (Year 4 poem, Year 5-6, Year 7-8 persuasive speeches) will have the opportunity to represent Kuratau School at the Pinelands Speech competition at Marotiri School on Tuesday, 18th June.
This Sunday, we will be holding our annual major fundraising event, The Kuratau School ATV Side X Side Bike Ride. A massive thank you to everyone who has volunteered their time to help on this day. We could not run this event without the continued support we receive from local farming stations and our wider community. We are still short on a few parking marshals for the day. Please contact shirleyb@kuratau.school.nz if you can help with this job.
As many of you will be aware, last Thursday's scheduled School Photo Day was abruptly cancelled without prior notice. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience this caused, especially for those families that travelled up to school for the sibling photos. Once a new date has been confirmed, we will notify you.
Get ready to brush off your dancing shoes! Our Matariki Dance and Cultural Feast is fast approaching—Thursday, 27th June from 6 pm. Last year this event was a huge success, and we hope you have the date marked in your calendar for another great night. Each class will be performing their own dance, there will be some classic whole-school dance numbers to look forward to, and of course, opportunities for everyone to get up and have a wee boogie. All you need to bring is a smile, a plate of food to share, and of course, your dancing shoes!
Over the next few weeks, teachers will be working hard to prepare and write report comments for each student's Mid-Year Achievement Summary. These will be shared with whānau at the end of Week 9.
In Week 8, we will welcome Harold the Giraffe and Crispian the Life Education Educator, who will be joining us for two days. This year's program will focus on the following areas:
- Year 0-1: Friendships
- Year 2-3: Emotions and Empathy
- Year 4-5: Leadership and Peer Pressure
- Year 6-8: Qualities of a Leader
Life Education is an organisation dedicated to teaching children about the human body, relationships, health, and well-being. Their interactive mobile classrooms provide a fun and engaging environment for students to learn important life skills. We are excited to have them with us and look forward to the valuable lessons they will bring.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support and participation in our school events. Let's make the second half of Term 2 as successful and engaging as the first!
Mā te wā
Shirley Bailey & the Kuratau School Team
Mā te wā
Shirley Bailey & the Kuratau School Team