Week 2, Term 1, 2024 Newsletter

Kia ora e te whānau, 

Nau mai hoki mai e te whānau whanui. Welcome back to School for 2024. We have had a cracking start with awesome weather which has allowed our tamariki to reconnect with their friends, build new relationships, get outside and play and get back into the routine of school. It’s always hard after such a long break to get back into. I was lucky enough to get up to Taupō for a week of swimming and good weather. It was nice to get off the email for a bit. I hope you all had a chance to do that for yourselves too. 

We welcomed new families at our Pōwhiri last Friday. Our Pōwhiri is always such a special occasion and we had several of our tamariki taking on new leadership opportunities. I was super proud of Amaia, Amelia, Charlie, Jedidiah and Abel. Being able to hear the school recite our school karakia was a special moment as well.  A warm welcome to all our new families that have started their journey with us this term.

You’ll notice more opportunities on offer in sporting and music contexts over this year. This has come from feedback from whānau and students. We have Touch Rugby and Shuttle time Badminton starting next week along with Hoop Club the following. Last week, we had 70 new school sports tops arrive with the new branding and logo on them. We will definitely stand out from the crowd in them! Next week, a form will come out for whānau to purchase their own school sports tops and wide-brimmed hats. This a great opportunity to buy your own school sports top. We expect these will arrive by the end of the term.

Our learning focus this term is based on identity through valuing and acknowledging our cultural diversity at Dyer Street. We will look at our school vision ” Whakapiki i te mana o ngā akongā katoa” and unpack what Mana means to individuals and classes. In the second half, we will focus on the idea of “Can I see Me?” where we will use student and parent voices from a sample group of cultures to plan an action inquiry to improve our school environment so that they see themselves represented. 

On Monday, you will receive information about the Link Up Hui that we will be holding in Week 4. The purpose of these hui are to understand more about your child, how they learn, their interests and anything that you think might be worth us knowing. Our goal is for students, teachers and whānau to be on the same page with their dreams and aspirations for the year. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Finally, you’ll see a few things starting to change as we work our way through the rebranding process. We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the new logo on our Facebook site and over the term, our website will be updated as well. It’s great to be able to look back and see what we achieved in 2023 and more importantly, what we will achieve in 2024. Looking forward to another great year of learning and growth at Dyer Street School.

Ngā mihi

Lee Ewington

He tumuaki ki te kura o Dyer Street

Dyer Street School Karakia

Congratulations to the first Principal’s award recipients for 2024.

The Link Up Committee (the friendly and relaxed parent-led fun and fundraising group) is next meeting on Monday 4th March at 7:30 p.m.

All supporters of Dyer Street School are most welcome. We meet in the school library. 

To contact the committee or be added to the Facebook group please email linkupdyerstreet@gmail.com

There are already a lot of sports opportunities available for our tamariki this term:

Touch Rugby – After-school competition (Years 1 – 6)

Registrations are still open through the Skool Loop app or by contacting Kasey Ward at kaseyw@dyerstreet.school.nz . The competition begins this Thursday the 15th of February. 

Hoop Club – Before-school basketball coaching (Years 4 – 6)

You can register your child for Hoop Club with coach Terry Stallworth starting on 22nd of Feb via Skool Loop or contacting Mr E lee@dyerstreet.school.nz . Hoop Club is on Thursdays at 8 a.m. and costs $10 for 5 sessions. 

Badminton – After-school competition (Years 5-6)

Registration via Skool Loop. Games are played on Tuesday afternoons from the 27th of Feb. Contact Mr Ward with any questions kaseyw@dyerstreet.school.nz . 

Badminton – In School sessions (Years 1 – 6)

All children will be receiving badminton sessions through Shuttle Time this term. Sessions start this Tuesday the 13th of February. There is no cost to families for these sessions as the school is covering them. 

Rippa Rugby Tournament – Inter School tournament in school time (Years 3-6)

A registration form will go out on Skool Loop shortly for a Rippa Rugby Tournament on Tuesday 20th February (Week 4). All abilities and levels of experience are welcome. 

Junior Tough Guy/Gal challenge – One-off regional event in school time (Years 3-6)

More information will go out on Skool Loop soon about this event. This is a junior version of New Zealand’s biggest mud run challenge and we are hoping to enter a school team. Participating in this event will require family support on the day and have an entry fee. 

Girls Smash – Girls Cricket, after-school non-competitive sessions (Years 3-6)

Girls Smash allows for girls who are new to the game, and those existing cricketers, to enjoy cricket in a low-pressure & inclusive setting. Music is blasting through the speakers, t-shirts & playing equipment are provided, and most importantly – the cricket balls are soft, and easy to hit out of the park! Teams play a six-aside, pairs cricket format – allowing for all players to receive equal opportunity (games usually last around 45mins).

Important – Girls Smash is a Cricket Wellington initiative and is not managed by the school and will be a mix of girls from the Hutt Valley. It is free of charge and runs from Fraser Park on Mondays from 4 p.m. Interested families need to register their daughters themselves at https://play.nzc.nz/girls-smash

Newsletter Format

You may notice a change to our newsletter format this week. We are now using our website to generate our newsletter to make it easier to read, especially on mobile devices.

You can also sign up to receive the newsletter via email on our website – this is a great way for extended family and friends who want to keep up with school happenings but don’t want to use the Skool Loop app to stay connected. Visit https://www.dyerstreet.school.nz/newsletters/ and scroll down to the Newsletter Sign Up box to receive a copy of any newsletter published on our website. The website can also translate the newsletter into other languages for those who would find that helpful.

Skool Loop App

Skool Loop will continue to be the main format for newsletters, permission forms and notices. We also book Link Up hui (Parent/Teacher interviews) through Skool Loop so it is really important that all families have someone in the household who regularly checks the app. Thank you to all those who have filled in the Skool Loop survey under the Forms tab. We have had 111 responses which means we can be confident that a majority of our families are receiving important information in a timely manner. For those families who are unable to use the app please do let us know what an alternative contact method is for passing on school notices. 

Absences

Letting the office know as early as possible when your child will be absent helps our office staff by cutting down the significant time they have to spend following up with unexplained absences and stops your day being interrupted by a phone call! You can use Skool Loop, the website, text or the school landline to report an absence. 

Upcoming Events

14th February – Scholastic Book Club Orders Due

15th February – Touch Rugby competition begins

19th February – Road Patrol Training

19th February – Link Up Hui 

20th February – Rippa Rugby Tournament

21st February – Link Up Hui

22nd February – Hoop Club begins

23rd February – Whole School Assembly (2:15 p.m.)

8th March – Whole School Assembly

22nd March – Whole School Assembly

29th March – Good Friday (school closed)

1st April – Easter Monday (school closed)

2nd April – Easter Tuesday (school closed)

12th April – Whole School Assembly (2:15 p.m.)

12th April – Term finishes (3 p.m)