Week 7, Term 3 Newsletter

Are you wanting to have more control over devices and phones in your home? We keep hearing of the challenges parents are confronted with on a daily basis with their teenagers and our students at home with the use and misuse of devices. This is unchartered territory for most people, as your parents didn’t have to deal with these issues and there is not a one size solution to help, as the internet and social media platforms are evolving at an exponential rate. We now use a provider called Family Zone to protect your children while at school to limit and monitor their online interactions. A number of our teachers are about to put the services of Family Zone into their homes, so that they can effectively take back control of the family wifi and monitor all device use in the house.

This is a great tool that could take a lot of stress out of your lives. Come along and listen to this presentation on Friday 11th September in the TCC. Our start time for this event will depend on the Covid Level we are operating in at the time. Due to a number of factors, it will either be starting around 2.00pm, before the bell goes to pick up your children or just after school has finished. We hope we can confirm the time next week following the Government announcement.

Our multi-coloured mufti day held last Friday raised $786.00 towards supporting Cancer research. A huge thank you for your wonderful support!

There was lots of shovelling, wheelbarrowing and raking last Saturday when our wonderful Dad’s Army spent the morning donating their time and energy to sorting out the large rounds and woodchip from  the casuarina tree. Now the area is cleared, we can get moving on creating another creative play area in this space.

Thanks for all your hard work!!!

Expanding our Junior playground. Thank you Dad’s Army! 

We haven’t got all the money we need yet, due to COVID 19 lockdowns stopping our Pumpkin Night and now our Quiz Night but little by little we are making progress with the preparation of our areas.

We are very pleased to welcome competitors from Matangi, Tauwhare and Newstead schools to take part in our elite Cross Country Competition for the Country Cluster Schools tomorrow, involving our Year 4-6 students that finished in the top 6 in our school Cross Country.

Please click here for the Level 2 arrangements, including start times. Spectators will once again not be allowed onto our school grounds, but may watch from a distance and keep socially separated.

We are still hoping to be able to hold the Pirongia and Maungatautari School Discos on Thursday 10th September. We may of course have to pull the pin on these events depending on COVID 19 restrictions at the time, but in the meantime we encourage all our Maungatautari & Pirongia students to think about what they may want to wear. Our Disco theme is T.M.C.S – children can dress in a character or anything that starts with one of the letters of our school name . e.g. T = Teacher, M= Monster, C = Cyclist & S = SpiderMan. Please note: We can only carry on with the discos if we are in Level 1.

Tickets are available through classroom teachers – disco tickets are $5.00, which includes a bag of popcorn and pizza slices are $1.00 per slice. Payment must be made to the classroom teacher in cash.

We ask that children bring along a full water bottle, which they can refill. There will also be a stall offering treats for sale on the night, so feel free to bring some pocket money along.

Just a reminder of the times –

• Pirongia Disco is on from 5:10pm – 6:30pm

• Maungatautari Disco from 7:00pm – 8:20pm

Please mark Tuesday 22nd September, from 4.00-6.00pm on your calendar. All students will be required from 4.45-5.15pm and the Art display will be open 4.00-6.00pm.

Given the current situation in New Zealand, we are planning for this event to go ahead at Level 1. Should we still be in Level 2, alternative plans will be made.

We are looking forward to this great learning opportunity.

Kind regards,

Pirongia Teachers

Can we please have entry forms for all animals, as soon as possible to help with our Ag Day planning.

If you are new to Ag Day, then a number of resources, information leaflets and entry forms can be picked up from our school reception.

Please refer to last week’s newsletter for further details, by clicking here.

Chicks to Chickens Category:

If you are wanting to raise a chicken for Ag Day, ‘Hyline’ chicks have been sourced from Eureka Poultry Farm and can be ordered through the school office. The chicks will be approximately 7 weeks old. Each child will need to buy a minimum of 2 chicks. The cost will be $48 ($24 per chick.).

The chicks can be picked up from the TCC (no farm pick-ups) on Friday 11th September 2:15pm-2:45pm. Please bring a suitable box for transporting. Small bags of chicken growth feed will be available to buy.($5.00 per bag)

Order forms are available at the office and must be returned by Wednesday 9th September (sorry no late orders).

Animal Demo and Judges Visit days:

• Tuesday 8th September (next week) for Calves, Lambs and Goats
• Tuesday 15th September for Chickens

Judges will be giving a demonstration with animals, outside the TCC from 12:20pm, over the lunchtime break on the above dates, giving advice on how to look after the animals and prepare for Ag Day. All children with animals should attend and parents are also welcome. Children should take their lunch with them.

Free Animal Health Check Day for lambs, goats and calves:

Saturday 12th September – from 9.00-10.00am in the TCC carpark.

Cambridge Vets are kindly offering A Free Animal Health Check – free vaccinations and tail docking for lambs, calves and goats.

Trophy Return:

Can we please ask that all 2019 trophies now be returned to the school office as soon as possible.

Sponsorship:

This day could not be achieved without our sponsors and parent helpers. If you have a local business who wishes to sponsor any prizes, or are available to help out our Ag Day committee in anyway please contact:

Frances McKenzie (021 206 9451) francesmcknz@gmail.co.nz

or Rachel Algar (020 422 6711) rachelannealgar@gmail.com

Tamahere School Vege Garden Competition:

Thanks to those children who have entered our new Vege Garden Competition! A reminder that entries for this closed this week, to allow for the judging timetable to be coordinated.

Further details to clarify the judging process as follows:

• Children are to develop their Vege Gardens at home (they are not intended to be brought to school).
• Our local Tamahere Garden Club has very kindly offered to support us with the judging of the gardens.
• There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the Junior, Middle and Senior school categories.
• Judges will visit the children who have entered, at the child’s home garden, during the first week of the school holidays, beginning on Monday 5th October through to Sunday 11th October. Organisers will be in contact with parents of children who have entered to schedule a judge visit time.
• Children will be required to talk to the judges about their garden, and show them their garden diary.

Since this is our first year, judging criteria will be kept fairly open, however judges will consider children’s:

• keenness/enthusiasm and knowledge
• the amount of work put in by the child

Children should understand basic principles such as planning the garden, preparing the soil, what they have planted, watering, pest and weed management.

Vege Garden Prizes, kindly sponsored by Amber Garden Centre will be awarded during the Ag Day prizegiving on Thursday 15th October.

The Waikato District Council is inviting all Waikato District residents to contribute to the Representation Review Survey, so that the future representation arrangements, including wards and community boards, best reflect each community. Please click here to complete the Survey.