Wairau Valley School
Newsletter Week 6, Term 2, 2025
From the Acting Principal
Dear parents/caregivers and families,
It has been wonderful to see our learners exploring their capabilities on their bikes. Values, and skills of resilience, tolerance and supporting others are all in evidence. Some of our older students think riding the track should be all their own way, so that concept of power-with, not power-over is one we are exploring with a few of them.
Some strong leadership skills are also being evidenced but there are also those who need to be more aware of differences in capability and develop an understanding of appreciative inquiry, where they focus on what is good, rather than what is wrong, with some of our riders. It is a work in progress.
Well done our Year 4-6 Rippa team. I was told you played with real heart and won 3 of your games. Our Year 7 referees Ben and Kobe also did a fabulous job on the day.
Last week I reviewed with the staff the changed bell times and eating lunch together at 1pm. There was general consensus that this is working and that students are more settled in the afternoon learning time. The school lunches are another story. Many of the kids say they are not nice. They even brought me a petition to have a fortnightly sausage sizzle instead of school lunches. Next week, I will survey parents and find out what you think, but I will also inquire from the Ministry to see if there are other options, for those that rely on getting a school lunch. I will get back to you as soon as I have some positive suggestions moving forward.
Teachers have just collated for me the overall teacher judgments (OTJ) for all children. The OTJ is informed by in-class observations, pre and post tests, marked work and discussions about work. In other words, teachers triangulate both summative and formative data to make an overall assessment of where children sit against the expected curriculum levels.
The easiest way to explain this, is that each Curriculum level covers 2 years of learning, and in each 2 year level there are 3 stages of development. In year 1,3,5,7 children can be in the beginning through to proficient stage by the end of a year. But in years 2,4,6,8 they need to be at the end of the advanced part of the level, in readiness for the next level the following year. The diagram below provides a visual representation.
Currently the government is working to develop new assessment tools and ways of reporting. But as I explained to the Board, until these are fully rolled out, tested for validity and robust process, we will stay using the tools we have. In saying that, the teachers are starting to use the structured literacy testing framework DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), which is a literacy assessment tool for Years 1 to 9 learners, and are finding the data very informative.
A reminder that there is no assembly this week as we are all travelling to Tua Marina for the rural schools cross country event. Place getters in this event represent us at the Marlborough cross country later this term.
A warm welcome to our new family, the Todds. I hope you are being made to feel most welcome. On another note it was very sad to see 3 of our families recently move to other parts of New Zealand. Hopefully our school house will attract another family. Put your feelers out everyone.
This term is a 9 week term so it does feel like a rather crowded calendar, but from my perspective it is better to be active and busy and engaged in learning opportunities. Tuesday this week was the last day of Kiwican staff working for us at Wairau valley School, and the 13th June is their last day in Marlborough. Thank you to the Kiwican staff, we really appreciated your work.
We are hoping Karen O’Donnell is well enough to visit us this Thursday.
Please check the calendar in this newsletter which covers the next 2 weeks. Any worries or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch. My phone number is 0274926060.
Kindest regards
Dr. Anne Malcolm
Acting Principal
Emergency Drills- FIRE /EARTHQUAKE/LOCKDOWN
Tuesday this week we held an earthquake drill for the whole school - stop/drop/cover/hold.
Over the next 2 weeks we will have a fire drill and lockdown drill practice. We are required to do a fire drill each term and other drills 6 monthly.
Classroom Curriculum News
The Wairau Room
In the Wairau room there has been lots of work going on to build core literacy skills. Fractions in maths are being explored. The class Science inquiry and writing is all about how to reuse, recycle and reconsider how to take care of rubbish.
The art work, the talk, and the writing, is coming along nicely. Learners are proud of their work. We are also doing lots of running to get ready for the cross country event this Friday.
Every 2nd Friday, the class has been working on building balancing skills with the Marlborough Ninja Lines programme.
Below are some photos of the Wairau Room Art and Science work. A whole class poster and 2 pieces of our world art by Harry and Johnny are displayed in the foyer, so do pop in and have a look.
Fishtail Room
Daily practising with basic facts is starting to pay off. Much better recall is evidenced in the speed of response. The focus on building spelling awareness is also supporting writing, but it will take time to embed. Maths regrouping, fractions, and understanding percentages have been the recent focus. Reading chapter books for their novel study is challenging for some, but getting into a reading habit and learning to get lost, engrossed in a story, is a reader and teachers’ vision for every student. Our writing that we are doing, is embedded into our Science topic, with explanatory report writing based on individual inquiry.
Some great art pieces from Fishtail students are now displayed in the foyer.
Calendar for the next 2 weeks
Friday 6th June - The whole school will go to Cross Country at Tua Marina School- leaving at 11.30 am from school. There will be one bus only in the afternoon, as we will be back at 2.50 pm. Parents/whanau are welcome to meet us there, please see a teacher if you are taking a child home from the event. Students need warm clothes, running shoes, a drink bottle and snacks. Our school lunches are being delivered to Tua Marina School. They tell us it is macaroni cheese.
Saturday 7th June- Netball 10.45 am on Court 11 - vs Waikawa.
Tuesday 10th June- Year 7 & 8 go to Tech at Bohally and the rest of the school is going to the pools, a park and visiting the Falcon Trust. We are all travelling on the bus. The children all need their own packed lunch and drink bottle that day. No gumboots please. They need to all wear shoes and bring a jacket.
Friday 13th June - Acting Principal assembly 2.15 pm in the Chalice Room.
Monday 16th June- NO SCHOOL - This is teacher only day, for most of the schools in Marlborough. This day is being run at Fairhall School where teachers will work with Ministry trainers to learn about the government’s new Maths Curriculum, the Maths assessments being developed, and to unpack the teaching requirements that all teachers are expected to know.
Date change- We have moved the Parents Come and Share Learning Session which was scheduled for 12th June 2pm, to 2.45 pm - 5.30 pm on our Matariki Disco night 26th June.
School Facebook Page
A reminder that our Wairau Valley School Facebook page is used to show our learner’s work and all the activities they are engaged in. This is open only to our learner’s families.
Link to a Booklet from the Public Health Nurse
A recently prepared public health nurse pamphlet to help parents talk to children if they are upset and need to self- regulate.
KIWICAN
Our very last Kiwican lesson was held this week on Tuesday. Thank you Fili and Isla and all of the wonderful Kiwican Team!
FOR RENT
For families of children coming to Wairau Valley School
Bridge Valley Holiday Programme
Hey kids! We have some fun coming up these school holidays at Bridge Valley. From 7th-11th July, we are hosting day camps with a Virtual Reality theme! These camps are for ages 7-13, and include the following:
- Bus ride to and from camp each day (stops from Nelson to Brightwater)
- A tasty lunch and snacks
- $2 canteen each day
- Activities such as rock climbing, archery, mini golf, luge, kayaking, and more.
- Virtual Reality themed outdoor games
Check out our website to register or to find out more.
(03) 541 8465
IMPORTANT DATES
Calender
Cross Country - 6 June
Karearea (Falcon) Trust visit - 10 June
TEACHER ONLY DAY - 16 June
St John in Schools - 19 June
Matariki Holiday - 20 June
Parent Visits to Class - 26 June
School Disco - 26 June
Last Day of Term 2 - 27 June
First Day of Term 3 - 14 July
Reminders
Please remember to call or message the school office if your child is sick.
Students are welcome to arrive at school from 8.15 am.
Please inform the school if you are removing your child from class early.