Porritt School Press
OCS-Spring Junior Newsletter
Kia ora e te whānau,
I hope you’ve all been out soaking up that glorious weekend sunshine and getting a good dose of Vitamin D! Can you believe we only have four weeks left until the Term 3 holiday break? Time is absolutely flying!
It has been "all on" here at kura, and the energy across the school is incredible! Digi Entries have officially closed, our tamariki are proudly practicing twice a week for our upcoming Haka Waiata House Competition, and students have been having a blast trying out Squash - all alongside the wonderful mahi happening in our classrooms every day! We’ve also been putting our Pause Breathe Smile techniques to great use to stay focused and grounded—be sure to check out the photo of Whaea Clare’s learning space regulating after a busy morning. And don’t forget to take a peek at the awesome robot display to see what some of our inspiring New Entrant learners aspire to be when they grow up!
As we look ahead, please take a moment to log into your child’s HERO account to review the reflections and goals set during our Student and Whānau Learning Conferences alongside your child and their kaiako.
A massive thank you to everyone for your ongoing support over the past seven weeks while winter illnesses hit our school community hard. Keeping your tamaiti home to recover when unwell has made a huge difference in stopping the spread and keeping our kura healthy and thriving!
We have so many exciting events still to come, so make sure to check out the Term 3 Key Dates below (Term 4 dates will be shared shortly). Thank you all for being such an amazing school community!
Ngā mihi,
Marsha
KŌKIRI 2027 - EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
At the end of Term 2, we hosted a whānau hui here at kura. Our hui was very well attended. It was a great chance to kōrero together! Mauri ora!
As part of the hui, we heard from tamariki in Kōkiri - our bilingual learning space, and from Whaea Leah, Whaea Sharron and Whaea Jorja, our kaiako and kaiawhina in the space, about the learning that takes place here.
Here is the opportunity for whānau members to express interest in a place for your child in Kōkiri in 2027.
We would like to hear from any interested whānau members from any part of the kura - New Entrant to Year 6.
If you'd like to express interest in Reo Rua/Bilingual learning for your child in 2027, please hit the link below and complete the survey.
We would like all Expressions of Interest to be completed by Friday 4th September
Mātāwai recently headed off to Fish & Game for our postponed trip from Term 2, and what a great two days it was! This trip is another way we continue to embed our cultural narrative here at Te Tai Whanake, as we explore our waterways, what we can find in them, and our role as kaitiaki in looking after and protecting them.
A huge thank you to Kerry, John and Davie, who shared their knowledge and expertise with our tamariki over the two days. They taught, showed, answered questions and, most importantly, gave our tamariki the opportunity to get involved and experience things for themselves.
Trips like this are invaluable. They provide a different kind of learning outside the classroom and give our tamariki opportunities to explore, wonder, ask questions and connect their learning to the real world.
A big thank you also to the whānau who came along and supported us on our trips. We really appreciate you giving your time and being part of these special learning experiences.
Earlier this term, our Ākau tamariki from Whaea Nina, Mr Ennor and Miss Woods’ classes finally got the chance to head out on their postponed Term 2 trip to Te Whare Waiaroha and Cornwall Park.
Te Whare Waiaroha is an indoor discovery centre filled with games, interactive experiences and activities for all ages. It provided an authentic and engaging way for our tamariki to deepen their learning around our kura Cultural Narrative, particularly developing their understanding of wai (water), its sources and its significance within Te Ao Māori. There was plenty of fun and excitement as tamariki explored, played and learned!
Tamariki also had the opportunity to spend time exploring the beautiful environment of Cornwall Park. They walked around the grounds, observed the different plants and trees, and kept an eye out for the birdlife. Of course, what better way to investigate how playgrounds work than through plenty of hands-on play!
Each rōpū had an awesome day out and about, with lots of learning, exploration and fun along the way. A huge ngā mihi to our wonderful whānau helpers who came along and supported us. We truly couldn’t do these trips without you!
"Cam the Man" , nicknamed after 1minute of being at school, joined us this week with his mate Taco as part of our Dream Big kaupapa. It was a great opportunity for our tamariki to hear about his journey and learn more about what it takes to follow your dreams.
A huge thank you to Cam for answering all of our tamariki’s questions. They were curious to know: Did you always dream of being a dog handler? How hard did you have to study to become a police officer? Do you have other dreams?
It was awesome to see our tamariki asking thoughtful questions and beginning to think about their own dreams, possibilities and what they might like to achieve in the future. And of course, having Taco there made the visit even more special!
What a fantastic Monday! Under perfect skies, our tamariki brought top-tier House spirit, cheering each other on and giving every race their absolute all. Ka pai to all our runners for showing true Porritt grit and teamwork!
A massive thank you Hannah Jones for the mahi that went into organising such a successful event and a shout out to our Home & School team for fueling our runners with yummy kai, and to all our whānau who came out to cheer and support. We couldn't have asked for a better day!
A special congratulations to our place getters!
Did you hear we've been having Squash lessons at kura?
This was another great opportunity for our tamariki to have a go at something new and get a taste of a different sporting option. We love creating opportunities for our tamariki to try new things.
You never know what you might enjoy until you give it a go!
Dream big!
Our school roll is growing FAST!
We'd like to be well planned for our new learners, particularly those turning five this year.
If you know of anyone that is looking to enrol their tamariki, particularly a new entrant, please get them to enrol as soon as possible, or reach out to Tori Anderson in the school office to book a school tour.
If you have already enquired to enrol, but you haven't heard back, we are currently working through our list and will be in touch soon.
We are excited to welcome you for a kōrero and to set your child up well to begin school!
