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
It has been a very busy week at Oamaru Intermediate this week. This week we have opened up our school for over 300 visitors, future or prospective students and their whanau. I am very proud of the values our students have demonstrated during all of our Open Week tours. A big THANK YOU to all of those people who were involved, particularly our staff and students who worked very hard and stayed for extra hours for this to be successful.
We are excited to see a number of in-zone enrolments and out-of-zone applications coming in. If you know a family or friend who is interested or intends to enrol their child for 2024, then please encourage them to check out our website: www.oamaruint.school.nz regarding the enrolment process. We are also having an extra Open Day tour next Wednesday 30 August at 9am. If you wish to attend, please email: debbieh@oamaruint.school.nz. Please include your cellphone number.
With a change of season in the air, students playing fewer team sports, the discussion about high school for our Y8 students, and the end of term fast approaching, we can see our students start to become a little unsettled, tired, and less able to regulate their emotions. As adults, it is really important that we support our children as they work through this. This support comes in the way of boundaries, sleep, nutrition, and knowing what our children are up to in their downtime, especially if they are using social media platforms.
At O.I.S. we keep the expectations clear, students in routine, and follow up when students haven’t been able to uphold the values. It is really important that you keep in touch with your child’s teacher if you have any worries or concerns.
On Monday we have 45 students going skiing for the day. A huge thank you to Mr Cartlidge for making this trip happen. We also have 12 students representing the school at the North Otago Cross Country. We wish them all the best.
Next Thursday, Finn Garrett and Angus Burke are travelling to Tauranga to compete in the AIMS Tournament (Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools). Both boys will be representing the school in different swimming events. A huge thank you to their parents who have made this trip happen for their boys. Good luck and safe travels boys!
One of the highlights for many students and teachers is the Year 8 EOTC opportunities that are provided at Oamaru Intermediate School. In 2024 our Year 8 Camping Programme will take place in Term 1. Students will go on the camp in their homerooms with their home teacher leading the camp, their buddy class will also accompany them. We firmly believe that building and sustaining positive and effective relationships is the foundation of success at O.I.S. as it enables students and staff to build strong connections with their peers and each other. Students will be involved in a three-day, 2-night programme at a cost of approximately $320 per child.
One of our largest fundraisers for our EOTC is raffles. We rely heavily on your support by providing items to put in the raffles and selling the tickets. We ask that every child bring two items, one for a grocery hamper and one for a special hamper. Our special hampers are based on:
Gardening hamper
Chocolate hamper
Entertainment hamper
Last year, we were lucky enough to have a trailer load of wood donated. We would welcome any vouchers or items that you are able to donate. Class teachers will be asking for these items to come in at the end of this term.
New World
Can we please ask that no students go into New World before school in the mornings, unless you are with your child supervising them? Students need to come straight to school. If you collect a student from New World after school, please ensure that you are on time and your child isn’t left standing outside the store or in the car park. We don’t allow bus students to go to New World, Rainbow or the dairy before getting on the bus.
Scooters
At OIS we provide a scooter cage where scooters can be locked up during the day. Lately, there have been a number of scooters left at school overnight but not in the scooter shed. We don’t remove scooters from bike sheds at the end of the day so please talk to your child about making sure they leave their scooter in the lockable cage or that they take their own at the end of each day. We certainly don’t want scooters left overnight, as they could get taken.
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 the Intermediate are busy, so if your child scooters, walks or bikes, please encourage them to use a pedestrian crossing when available. Heading straight home after school with friends always helps to keep students safe. Please reinforce this message at home.
Thank you for your support!
Rebeca Meek, Principal