Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

Term 2 has flown by!  We have been very busy in classes learning about our local area in partnership with our local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki.  We are proud to say that our attendance has hovered around 85% this term.  Thank you for sending your children off to school.  Attendance makes such a huge difference for the children in the development of their social skills and of course has an impact on their academic achievement.  Congratulations to Abigail, Teancum, Reina, Dominique, Milo, Aurora, Sebastian, Thomas H, Ihaia, Darel, Anthony R, Tavana, Equate, Jasinta, Sophie, and Hanshika  for coming to school EVERY DAY during Term 2.  School starts at 9am and we encourage you to send your students to school by at least 8.30.  This gives them a chance to connect with friends and with their teacher before the school day starts.  When children arrive after 9am they often miss important notices and organisation for the day. 

We look forward to welcoming back Whaea Ash in Term 3 from her maternity leave with baby Jensen.  Whaea Ash will be opening Karekare where we already have a roll of 15 5 year olds lined up.  If you have a child turning 5 PLEASE pop into the office to grab an enrolment form. 

Term 3 looks equally as busy.  If you need further information on any of the events coming up please pop into the office or email me on vikkir@birdwood.school.nz

Important Dates ...
Monday 22nd July - first day of Term 3
Friday 26th July - Mihi Whakatau for all new whānau
Wednesday 31st July - Learning Conversations - meetings with teachers 9 - 5.30 (NO NORMAL CLASSES)
Thursday 1st August - Learning Conversations - 3 - 5 (Normal School Day)
Friday 9th August - Kick Start Breakfast Celebration - 8am (ALL WELCOME)
Monday 12th August - Maths Week
Friday 27th September - LAST DAY OF TERM 3

LANGUAGE WEEKS ...
Week 1 - Kiribati Language Week
Week 3 - Cook Island Language Week
Week 5 - Tongan Language Week 
Week 9 - Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Week 10 - Tuvaluan Language Week

Enjoy the holidays with your beautiful children.  Stay warm!

Mauri Ora,


Vikki Rihari
Tumuaki

During Week 2, we will be holding the second opportunity for you to meet with your child/ren's teacher. 

Here are the details:

Wednesday 31st July 2024 - from 9am - 5.30pm. (School will be closed for learning but open for learning conversations).

Thursday 1st August - from 3 - 5pm.  (This is a normal school day)

You can click on this link to make a booking:  https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/6sfa8

Or ... scan this QR code.

Important Dates ...
Monday 22nd July - first day of Term 3
Friday 26th July - Mihi Whakatau for all new whānau
Wednesday 31st July - Learning Conversations - meetings with teachers 9 - 5.30 (NO NORMAL CLASSES)
Thursday 1st August - Learning Conversations - 3 - 5 (Normal School Day)
Friday 9th August - Kick Start Breakfast Celebration - 8am (ALL WELCOME)
Monday 12th August - Maths Week
Friday 27th September - LAST DAY OF TERM 3

LANGUAGE WEEKS
Week 1 - Kiribati Language Week
Week 3 - Cook Island Language Week
Week 5 - Tongan Language Week 
Week 9 - Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Week 10 - Tuvaluan Language Week

Ten talented artists were selected from our Kura to have their Matariki artwork displayed at an exhibition at Henderson Park.
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Maddie Coop, Luci Ngan-Woo, Milo Cao, Tausala Iopu, Jasinta Tiatoa-Tapega, Tyler Witana-Swinbank, Sione Masiu, Anna Mokofisi, Palakua Herewini and Lewis Scott.
The exhibition is up for the whole of Matariki and you can vote for peoples choice. There are some beautiful pieces to see! We are very proud of our artists!! 

On the coldest, foggiest morning in June, our Birdwood community gathered together for a delicious feast of scrambled eggs, sausages, baked beans, coconut bread, fry bread - all washed down with a nice warm milo. 
Thank you to our chefs … Whaea Christina, Whaea Augustine, Whaea Dawn and Whaea Angel.  The food was awesome!
Thank you to our Birdwood staff for coming to school in the dark to serve our community.
Thank you to our families for coming to join us.

We now have regular visitors to our school library... our lovely Birdwood Kindy kids! They are visiting the Seniors three times each term for some buddy reading and Literacy activities. We are loving these visits! 

During Writing, the Seniors have been focusing on improving our planning and using different sentences styles. Over the past three weeks, we have been learning about the Matariki stars and using our writing skills to write reports. Have a read...

Tupuārangi
Tupuārangi is a star connected to lots of food from the sky. Tupuārangi symbolises birds, berries, and kai from the forest. In Matariki time, lots of kererū are harvested and preserved in their own fat. The colourful feathers from the kererū are used to make cloaks.
By Esther

Ururangi
Ururangi symbolises wind. The name means wind of the sky. Manu aute, which are kites, will be flown in Matariki. People send messages on the kites to family or friends up in the heavens.
By Ben

Tupuānuku
Tupuānuku stands for food from the ground. Tupu means to grow, and Nuku is from Papatuānuku the Earth Mother. People grow kūmara, pūhā, and carrots. When the star is bright, it means there is going to be lots of food in the New Year. 
By Mataga

Attendance matters in so many ways.  Missed days at school are missed opportunities for learning in so many ways - whether it's curriculum learning, language learning or learning routines.  Missed days at school means missed training for sports teams.  Sending your children at school promotes a sense of belonging and being connected to others socially.
There is a clear connection between good attendance and achievement.  There is a clear connection between good attendance and feeling connected.  

We notice some patterns in attendance.  Monday's and Friday's have lower attendance.  The day of the week shouldn't matter - if you need anything at all, let us know.  Birdwood School provides stationery, food, snacks, warm jackets and closed shoes.
  

We have Boys: Size 5-6, Size 7-8 and Size 9-10 
and Girls Size 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-16
Please contact the School Office if you need a pair.