Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka

By Rebecca Meek | Posted: Friday June 14, 2024

As another very busy week at OIS draws to an end, I would like to remind our students that we continue to work hard and embrace our IDEAL values to ensure that our students finish their term on a positive note.

On Tuesday 25 June, our kura will be celebrating Matariki as a cultural day. We would love to see as many of our community members join us for breakfast from 8.00 am to 8.30 am. Thank you to all of those who have kindly donated kai for this celebration. If you would still like to donate items please contact the school on 03 4370822.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge The Masonic Charitable Trust which supported our school this week in the purchase of a new line marker for our sports field. We really appreciate the work the Trust does in our community.

Last Friday all of our House Captains and Head Prefects headed to Dunedin for the National Young Leaders Day (NYLD). NYLD events include motivational talks from great New Zealand leaders, question times, videos, music and interactive activities. The speaking team consists of leaders in business, sport, politics, community service, science and the arts. There is a strong sense that the baton is being passed, as an older generation of leaders impart their wisdom to the emerging generation of young leaders. The message of the day develops as students are challenged, not only to reach their own personal goals but the goals of those they are leading.

We started the week with our House Choirs, this practice is a wonderful celebration of the arts and how students come together and perform as a collective. The performances are so entertaining, it certainly has been awesome to hear the sound of music ringing out on a Friday afternoon. Our House Choirs assembly is on Monday 24 June and we look forward to seeing the polished performances then.

On this note, I appreciate that the winter is upon us and the mornings are becoming a little colder. It is important that your child is here to start the day at 8.45 am which sets their day up for success. Research shows that students who are late to school fall behind academically, are generally unsettled throughout the day and are least likely to take responsibility for their learning and actions. Please prioritise your children’s learning by ensuring they are on time for school every day.

This week we have seen higher numbers of both staff and students away unwell but have managed to maintain consistency with our teaching programme however, I am also very aware that we may not always be able to continue to cover each other, which may result in students learning from home. This is something we do as a last resort and we do appreciate your ongoing support.

Please remind your child about taking care when travelling to and from school. Take the opportunity to discuss with your child about being particularly careful when crossing roads. As we know, the roads around Intermediate are particularly busy so if your child scooters, walks or bikes please encourage them to use a pedestrian crossing when available. Heading straight home after school is preferred and where possible walking, biking or riding scooters with friends always helps to keep students safe. We encourage children to do the right thing for their safety, please reinforce this message at home.

Waitaki Boys and St Kevin's Interschool Sports Week

Next week is the Annual Interschool Sports Week for our local high schools. I am aware that a number of children from our school are wanting to go and support family members. If you are intending to take your child along to watch a game, please make sure that you communicate this with your child’s class teacher. Please collect your child from the office and you sign them out on the day.

Have a wonderful, safe weekend.

Rebecca Meek, Tumuaki