Kia ora koutou,

One of the Curiosity Company’s slides around Wellness.

“Matariki ahunga mai, Matariki ahunga atu" - "Matariki of coming harvests, Matariki of ongoing bounty". It honours this time as a busy period. It is when people work together to gather and share food.

It was lovely to celebrate Matariki as a school at the end of last term, and go into the holidays where we could all spend time with whānau. A time to remember those that have past, acknowledge the present, and look ahead to the future.

It was so nice to see everyone excited to be back at school this morning, and hear all about their holidays. The teachers are I are all refreshed, and ready to go for another exciting term, especially with our production coming up!

We are excited to welcome Allie and Bessie, who will both be joining our Paemoana class this term.

Last term, as part of a North Canterbury Principal Group event, I attended a workshop with Carl Davidson from The Curiosity Company about Wellness. There were so many great points that he talked about to take away for me personally, but also as a leader, as a teacher, and to share with our staff and students, and continue our journey at Omihi around Positive Education, focusing on physical, emotional and social wellbeing. I have attached a few of the slides for you to see, and am happy to share more or discuss it with anyone that is interested.

I have added our attendance report for term 2 below. Thank you for being conscious of when your children have days off. We understand there is a lot of sickness around this time of year, and that can’t be helped, but it’s great to hear from parents that when they are booking appointments or events they try as best they can to do it outside of school time.

Our doors are always open, so if you would like to chat to the teachers or me, feel free to pop in or make an appointment for a longer time.

Ngā mihi
Maree Lucas
Tumuaki
principal@omihi.school.nz

School Notices

Glenmark Lions Quiz - Friday 11th September
There are a few slots left for teams in the quiz night. Please email Bryleigh if you would like to enter a team - office@omihi.school.nz. The Lions are also still looking for prizes for their auction. If you have any items to donate, please let Maree or Bryleigh know.

Production - Down the Rabbit Hole
Our production will be on the evening of Thursday 24th September. There will also be a matinee in the daytime, and we have a couple of local schools attending. This is also open to preschoolers to come and watch as well. We will have more details nearer the time for you. Here is a link to the script, but please be aware that as we start rehearsing there may be small adjustments to the script along the way, which you will see on this Google doc. We will keep the printed scripts at school.

3 Way Learning Conferences
These will be on Monday 27th and Wednesday 29th July after school (Bella will also have some times on Tuesday 28th). It is a time to talk to your child and their teacher about their learning. We would love to see every family attend if possible. Here is the booking form.

Red Nose Day
On Friday 31st July, it is Red Nose Day. We ask that children wear some red, and bring a gold coin donation for Cure Kids.

Grandparents or Special Person Day
On Tuesday 4th August, between 9am - 10.30am, we invite Grandparents, or another special person in your child’s life, to school. We ask that every family please bring a plate to share for morning tea.

Parent reporting session
On Tuesday 4th August we invite you to a session on the new reports. You would have received your child’s report by then, so this will be a good chance to come and ask any questions, and have a look through the report structure. It will be from 3.15pm - 4pm. Here is a sign up sheet.

Litter Free Lunches
Thank you for the support for this in Term 2. We have noticed the difference in the amount of litter around the school. We will be continuing Litter Free Lunches for the foreseeable future.

Teacher only day
It is a teacher only day on Friday 7th August. This will be our second curriculum day, focusing on the new maths curriculum.

Amuri Cantamaths
We have entered a Year 5/6 and Year 7/8 team in the Amuri Cantamaths competition on Friday 14th August. Maree will take them there on the bus, and will be in touch with the parents with more information once the teams have been organised.

North Canterbury Principals Group
A group of North Canterbury Principals will be visiting Omihi School as part of a school tour, on Tuesday 18th August. We are excited for our students to show them around.

Ski free days
In past years we have organised two ski trips a year. A few years ago the BOT made the decision to not run these anymore, but instead to offer ‘Ski free days’. This is where we have two days in the calendar available for you to take your child skiing if you wish. School will be running as usual for everyone else. The dates for this year are Friday 21st and 28th August. If you would like to organise a group to go to the same field and would like any help finding out who is going please chat to Maree, and let us know if you are going skiing.

Year 4-8 Kapahaka performance
This year’s kapahaka performance, with Greta Valley School, will be on Thursday 10th September at the Ōhoka Hall. We will be performing at approximately 10.30am. We will have more details and tickets for sale nearer the time.

Subway lunches
Unfortunately we no longer have anyone who can collect the Subway orders from Rangiora for us each fortnight, so the option of ordering lunches via EzLunch is no longer available.

If anyone is able to volunteer to collect the order and bring to school once per fortnight, we can look at restarting this. Please let us know if this could work for you.

Basketball
Please let Bryleigh know by 7 August if your student is interested in playing basketball at Mainpower Stadium in Terms 3 and 4. They are 10-week competitions, with no games held during the school holidays or on public holidays.

Year 5/6 - Thursday night 3x3 competition, starts 10th September. Team fee is $390+gst, split evenly between players.
Year 7/8 - Friday night 5x5 competition, starts 11th September. Team fee is $690+gst, split evenly between players.

A few slides from The Curiosity Company presentation on Wellness:

Term 2 attendance data

Community Notices

How the Teen Brain is Wired for Addiction parent workshop
Registrations are open for the Waimakariri District Councils parent talk, ‘How the Teen Brain is Wired for Addiction’.

7.00pm, Monday 27th of July at Mainpower Stadium (second week of Term 3).

Smartphones. Vaping. Gaming. Social Media. Alcohol and other drugs. Why do some young people seem drawn to unhealthy habits and addictive behaviours?

In this practical workshop you’ll learn why teens are more likely to take risks, how to spot early signs of unhealthy habits, and evidence-based way to respond confidently. You’ll leave with practical communication tools and strategies to help your teenager build healthy habits that support their wellbeing now and into adulthood.

This is a free event, but registrations are essential. Please register at: https://events.humanitix.com/teen-brain-wired-for-addiction

Kia ora koutou,

Our winning science experiment.

Last week we had our first Hurunui Science Fair. A huge thanks to Rebecca Pugh at Greta Valley School for organising it. It was such a wonderful learning opportunity, and a chance to work alongside tamariki from our district.

Thanks to Yo and Hugh who were the judges of our mini science fair. The winning teams were:

First - Ze'ev, Alex, Theo H.G, Freddie
Second - Hugo, Arlo, Harry, Emma, Theo L 
Third - Fergus, Ruby-Grace, Mackenzie, Arty - also received a Highly Commended at the Hurunui  Science fair.

We would like to inform our community that Kelly has handed in her resignation, as of the end of term 3. We are excited for Kelly to be moving onto another stage of her life, focusing more on her family, and moving to the North Island, and we are so grateful to have had Kelly as part of our Omihi whānau for the last 3 years. She has been such a fun, and dedicated team member, and our students have benefited greatly from having her as their teacher. Please see a message below from Kelly to our community.

We will be advertising the teaching role this week for a term 4 start. If we don’t find someone to start in term 4, but they could start in term 1, then we would look to get a reliever in term 4 in the meantime. We will keep you informed along the way.

Ngā mihi
Maree Lucas
Tumuaki
principal@omihi.school.nz

School Notices

Message from Kelly
This has been an incredibly difficult decision to reach. Over the last three years, this school has become more than just a workplace; it has been a community where I have grown both personally and professionally. I still remember my first week in the classroom and the warm welcome I received from the staff and families alike. Those early days set the tone for a journey that has been filled with joy, challenges, and immense fulfillment.

Teaching the students of Omihi school has been the greatest privilege of my time here. Watching them grow, not just in their academic abilities, but in their confidence and character, is something I will carry with me forever.

I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleagues. The collaborative spirit within our team and the unwavering support during busy terms and personal challenges have been the backbone of my experience. I have learned so much from the dedicated educators at this school, and I will miss our shared passion for making a difference in the lives of our tamariki.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to be part of the Omihi School whānau. I wish the school, the staff, and the students nothing but continued success and happiness in the years to come.

Principal Award winners
Congratulations to the students who have won Principal Awards so far this year - Hugh, Emma and Arty in Term 1, and Lavi, Arlo and Jack in Term 2. Lavi, Arlo and Jack will be enjoying their hot chocolate with Mrs Lucas this week.

Preschool visits
On Wednesday, we will be taking Paemoana to visit Amberley Prep School, and Bloomfields Preschool in the school bus.

Subway
Please let us know if you are able to collect the Subway lunch orders from Rangiora for us and bring them to school fortnightly on a Wednesday next term. If we are unable to find someone new to do so, unfortunately we’ll have to stop having Subway as an option.

Thank you very much to the Allan family for having done this for so long.

Production - Down the Rabbit Hole
Our production will be on the evening of Thursday 24th September. We will be in touch this week with the cast confirmation. Here is a link to the script, but please be aware that as we start rehearsing next term there may be small adjustments to the script along the way, which you will see on this Google doc. We will keep the printed scripts at school.

3 Way Learning Conferences
These will be on Monday 27th and Wednesday 29th July after school. It is a time to talk to your child and their teacher about their learning. We will send out a booking form next term.

Red Nose Day
On Friday 31st July, it is Red Nose Day. We ask that children wear some red, and bring a gold coin donation for Cure Kids.

Grandparents or Special Person Day
On Tuesday 4th August, between 9am - 10.30am, we invite Grandparents, or another special person in your child’s life, to school. We ask that every family please bring a plate to share for morning tea.

Parent reporting session
On Tuesday 4th August we invite you to a session on the new reports. You would have received your child’s report by then, so this will be a good chance to come and ask any questions, and have a look through the report structure. It will be from 3.15pm - 4pm. We will put out a sign up sheet in term 3.

Teacher only day
It is a teacher only day on Friday 7th August. This will be our second curriculum day, focusing on the new maths curriculum.

ICAS Assessments
There is an option for your child to complete ICAS assessments in August this year. These are completely optional. Some parents like them for their child to practice tests for high school, and some like to get the results to use for high school applications. The options of assessments are here, and here are the costs. If you would like to enter your child in any of these, please email Bryleigh by the end of this term (3 July).

Community Notices

Performing Arts ‘Winter Camp’
Brought to you by Hartley School of Performing Arts

Learn different styles of dance, singing, & acting from our multi-talented tutors. Each day consists of three sessions including one each of dance, singing and acting with a lunch break and snack break (Afternoon tea provided!) 

Daily Mon 13 - Thurs 16 July, 10.30am - 4pm. Come along for one day, or as many as you like!

Several age groups available. (6-8yrs/8-10yrs/11-13yrs)  

62 Ashley Street, Rangiora Cost: $39 a day. A discount is available for bookings of all 4 days.

Contact: admin@hspa.co.nz or 021 899440 for more information or click the link below to register through HSPA’s online portal. Register with this link: https://app.thestudiodirector.com/hartleyschoolofperform/portal.sd?page=Login
More information available at our website: https://www.hspa.co.nz/bulletin-board/up-coming-events

Kia ora koutou,

We are excited for our production to be coming up in term 3. It is based on Alice in Wonderland, but we will confirm the title once we confirm the cast, as it could end up being a male lead. This week I will send a script home, and a Google form for you to fill out for each child. Please have a look at the script and talk to our child about which part they would like to play. Each child will have the opportunity for a speaking part, and some of the younger ones may speak in a group. When you fill out the form, you can put their top 3 choices of who they would like to play. We will then use this to cast the production, and may have some auditions if needed. Our aim is to have everyone assigned to a character by the end of the term so we can send the script home over the holidays for them to start reading through it.

There is also a local production in the holidays with the Hurunui Theatre Company, and Ze’ev and Lavi will be performing in this. We are so excited for them! All details of the show are in the poster below.

Ngā mihi
Maree Lucas
Tumuaki/Principal
principal@omihi.school.nz

School Notices

Glenmark Lions Quiz Night
We are the lucky recipients of the Glenmark Lions Quiz night on Friday 11th September. It is being held in the Omihi Hall, and all funds raised are going to our school to help fund new shade sails over the pool, outside Tūpari and under the pergola.

We would love to have some school teams entered. You can either email Mandy or Arni (details on the attached poster), or the school office to book your team in.

This is a one off event for us. We keep our fundraising to a minimum. We only ask parents to help with our trail ride and for prizes for the raffle in term 4. So this is one extra event for this year, and a wonderful opportunity for us to have the Lions run it for us.

They will be running an auction and raffle on the night. The Lions source some prizes, but it would be great to have some donations of prizes from our community as well. If you have anything you would like to donate, or you could source from your own suppliers, please let me know. Some suggestions are a load of wood, bags of sheep manure, vouchers, or asking your contacts - banks, fertiliser reps, accountants, consultants, etc. Please let myself or Bryleigh know if you have anything to donate by the end of this term.

Hurunui Science Fair
You are welcome to come along to the Hurunui Science Fair at the Omihi Hall on Wednesday 24th June. Our top three judged Year 4-8 projects will go through to the fair alongside those from other local schools, and the Year 1-3 project will automatically go through as well. There will be a chance to look at all of the experiments, a science demonstration from Mr Stone, and a Planetarium experience. Here is the timetable of the day.

Reporting
Our reporting is going to look different this term. As the curriculum has changed, the criteria for each year level has also changed. Hero has changed the report to suit this, and we are going to be using this for the end of this term. This is what they will look like:

Year 3-8 students:

• Will each have a graph that shows where they are within the curriculum for all 3 subjects. This is starting from scratch again, so you will no longer see the data from the previous graph on the new graph, as they were in curriculum levels, and not year levels.

• Hero will populate a progress comment for reading, writing and maths for each child, that our teachers will check and adapt as needed.

• The teachers will write a general comment.

• You will be able to see ‘Next steps’ and ‘How to help at home’ in each of these three subject areas.

Year 0-2 students:

• Will have a comment for literacy (reading and writing), and maths.

• Plus a general comment.

• You will be able to see ‘Next steps’ and ‘How to help at home’ in each of these three subject areas.

The previous reports will still be on Hero and you will be able to download them as a pdf at any stage, so that data is not lost, it’s just not on the current report. We will have 3 Way Learning Conferences next term, so this will be a good chance to talk through the report if you have any questions, or feel free to contact Maree to talk through it. Here is a link to the MOE website to find out more info and see the assessment rubrics if you’re interested.

The rubrics show clearly the 5 areas - emerging, developing, consolidating, proficient, and exceeding. The expectations have changed in this new curriculum, and there is more expected of the children at each year level. Please have a look at the rubrics linked above so you can see what is expected of your child at their year level.

ICAS Assessments
There is an option for your child to complete ICAS assessments in August this year. These are completely optional. Some parents like them for their child to practice tests for high school, and some like to get the results to use for high school applications. The options of assessments are here, and here are the costs. If you would like to enter your child in any of these, please email Bryleigh by the end of this term (3 July).

Community Notices

Kia ora koutou

Welcome to Isla who has started in Paemoana this week. We are so excited to have her join our Omihi whānau.

Congratulations to all of our students who participated in the Small Schools Cross Country with Broomfield and Waipara School. They did so well, and it was lovely to see their encouragement for each other. Well done to those Year 4-8 children who then participated in the Kowai Cross Country. You can see all of the results below. Good luck to the following students who will be participating in the Canterbury Cross Country in a couple of weeks - Hugh, Harry, Alex, Hugo and Theo.

Well done to our Year 5/6 debating team (Lavi, Hugh, Stanley) who debated against Leithfield School, and to Alex who was our chairperson. They did very well for their first debate, although Leithfield were the winners on the day.

Ngā mihi
Maree Lucas
Tumuaki/Principal
principal@omihi.school.nz

School Notices

Congratulations to the following placegetters:
Small Schools Cross Country Results
Year 0/1 Girls: 1st - Delilah, 3rd - Amelia M-B
Year 2 Girls: 2nd - Alice
Year 2 Boys: 2nd - Walter
Year 3 Boys: 3rd - Arly
Year 4 Girls: 1st - Emma
Year 4 Boys: 2nd - Freddie, 3rd - Arty
Year 5 Boys: 2nd - Hugh
Year 6 Boys: 1st - Harry, 2nd - Alex
Year 8 Boys: 1st - Hugo, 2nd - Michael

Kowai Cross Country Results
Year 4 Girls: Emma - 1st
Year 4 Boys: Freddie - 1st, Arty - 2nd
Year 5 Boys: Hugh - 2nd
Year 6 Boys: Harry - 1st, Alex - 2nd
Year 8 Boys: Hugo - 1st

Preschooler morning
This term our preschooler morning is on Wednesday 3rd June. We welcome all preschoolers from 9am - 10.30am. Please bring along their morning tea and drink bottle.

Life Education
We welcome Life Education on Wednesday 10th June to work with all three classes.

Jumping June
This term, we are excited to be taking part in Jumping June, a fun nationwide skipping challenge supporting the Heart Foundation. Jumping June is all about getting active, building confidence, and encouraging students to give things a go while helping support heart health across New Zealand. This will be a part of our daily fitness for the rest of the term.

If they would like to, students can create their own online fundraising profile through our school’s official Jumping June event page with support from whānau. Our schools event page is: https://www.jumpingjune.org.nz/event/omihi-school.
Direct student registration link: https://www.jumpingjune.org.nz/register/omihi-school/defaultregistrationform. Code: omihischool

Once registered, students can safely share their personal fundraising link with friends and family to help support their fundraising efforts. There is no pressure to get donations, it is simply a bonus if you would like to. Every donation helps support the Heart Foundation’s important work, including heart health education, research, and programmes that support Kiwi families and communities.

Reporting
Our reporting is going to look different this term. As the curriculum has changed, the criteria for each year level has also changed. Hero has changed the report to suit this, and we are going to be using this for the end of this term. This is what they will look like:

Year 3-8 students…
* Will each have a graph that shows where they are within the curriculum for all 3 subjects. This is starting from scratch again, so you will no longer see the data from the previous graph on the new graph, as they were in curriculum levels, and not year levels.
* Hero will populate a progress comment for reading, writing and maths for each child, that our teachers will check and adapt as needed.
* The teachers will write a general comment.
* You will be able to see ‘Next steps’ and ‘How to help at home’ in each of these three subject areas.

Year 0-2 students
* Will have a comment for literacy (reading and writing), and maths.
* Plus a general comment.
* You will be able to see ‘Next steps’ and ‘How to help at home’ in each of these three subject areas.

The previous reports will still be on Hero and you will be able to download them as a pdf at any stage, so that data is not lost, it’s just not on the current report. We will have 3 Way Learning Conferences next term, so this will be a good chance to talk through the report if you have any questions, or feel free to contact Maree to talk through it. Here is a link to the MOE website to find out more info and see the assessment rubrics if you’re interested.

The rubrics show clearly the 5 areas - emerging, developing, consolidating, proficient, and exceeding. The expectations have changed in this new curriculum, and there is more expected of the children at each year level. Please have a look at the rubrics linked above so you can see what is expected of your child at their year level.

Hurunui Youth Yr 7/8 Connect programme,
Our Year 7/8 students will be taking part in the Hurunui Youth Yr 7/8 Connect programme, supporting students as they transition to high school. The programme helps students build confidence and key skills through activities on timetables, subject choices, school life, and navigating high school. It is also a chance to connect with youth leaders and other students across Hurunui.

This is a free programme, and it is being run at the Omihi Hall between 10am - 2pm on Thursday 2nd July. Session 1 is focused on ‘A Day in the Life of a High School Student’. Students will hear from youth leaders from local high schools, explore how different schools work, learn about timetables and subjects, and take part in a fun and engaging activities and games. They will also learn about support people available at high school (e.g. deans, counsellors, school nurses).

National Young Leaders Day
On Tuesday 9th June, Maree will be taking the year 8 students, plus Noah and Arlo to the National Young Leaders day at the Town Hall.

NZ Playhouse Theatre
On Friday 12th June, the whole school will be going to the Omihi Hall to watch ‘Puss in Gumboots’.

Sexuality Education
For the last three weeks of this term the teachers will be teaching Sexuality Education. Mrs Stackhouse will teach all Year 0-2, Miss C Year 3-4, and Miss Fletcher will take Year 5/6 and Year 7/8 separately. We will be using some of ‘Navigating the Journey’, and ensuring we align with the curriculum, which you can see on the MOE parent portal. Our teachers know our students well, so they will be carefully reading through the planning and ensuring it is appropriate before teaching. Please have a look at the programme so you know what your children will be talking about, and how you can follow up at home. If you would like to talk to your child’s teacher or clarify anything prior to the lessons, please get in touch with them directly. If you would like to talk to Maree about any of the programmes, please email her to make a time.

ICAS Assessments
There is an option for your child to complete ICAS assessments in August this year. These are completely optional. Some parents like them for their child to practise tests for high school, and some like to get the results to use for applications for high school. The options of assessments are here, and here are the costs. If you would like to enter your child in any of these, please email Bryleigh by the end of this term (3 July).

Community Notices