Principal's Message.....
Our Purpose: To prepare students to be active participants who will contribute to their community.
Tēnā koutou katoa, Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Bula vinaka
As another week draws to a close I wish to express my thanks to everyone who has supported our students in their many activities throughout the term. We value our whānau support and couldn’t give our students all the opportunities we do without your assistance. A special shout out to Mr Mitchell-Collie, Sharon Wilson and all the parents who supported our touch teams this season. Congratulations to students who represented the school at the Epro8 Challenge held at school this week. Thank you also to Mrs Garrett and Miss James who have been working with our students for this event.
At Oamaru Intermediate we talk a lot about being an IDEAL student. Last Friday we had a visit from our Community Constable, Jay Morris, who reminded us of the importance of seeking help when we need it. He discussed how snitching and/or making threats is far from okay and actually, not normal behaviour or social etiquette and, verbal or social media platforms are not okay to make threats on either. The message was that actually, those people are doing the wrong thing, and it is up to all of us to speak up. We're the ones that are doing the right thing, not them.
No matter where we are in our community, I am well aware that we are all human and can all make mistakes from time to time. As you will know some of our best lessons can come from our mistakes. One of the greatest things we can do when we make a mistake is own it and, put it right because we can’t take it back, and we can’t undo the action. A huge part of growing up is taking responsibility for our own behaviour, and understanding that we can only control our behaviour and our response to others. As parents and caregivers, we need to support them to do the right thing. If you do have anything you want to discuss regarding your child, we do encourage you to be in touch with your child’s teacher, it is important that we are all on the same page.
With the holidays just around the corner we are going to really focus on KINDNESS. While we are all getting tired and ready for a break, it is important that we stop and think about our actions and reactions. Especially take time to think about how we speak to others and the language we use.
Camp
On Tuesday we have our first Year 8 classes heading to camp. This year all of our Year 8 classrooms are going to Raincliff Camp for three days. Please make sure that your child has everything they need from the gear list and don’t forget to set the alarm to ensure you are on time for the bus. If you still have money outstanding for camp we do ask that you get this paid up before your child goes to go. All other camp fees are due by the end of the term.
Teacher Only Day
The Ministry of Education is requiring schools to take a Teacher Only Day sometime in the first two weeks of Term 2. Our Teacher Only Day will be on Monday 24th April (effectively the first day of the term). With ANZAC Day on Tuesday, this will mean that Term 2 won't start until Wednesday 26th April.
Rebecca Meek, Principal