Tēnā koutou kātoa

Nau mai, haere mai

It is hard to believe we are now into the second half of the term—the time is simply racing by. And we have classrooms humming with all the learning that is going on. I really want to congratulate the students for the way they have settled into the year. It is also so heartening to see the newest children - our five-year-olds—showing confidence and ease in the school environment. Ka pai!

The Tōtara and Pohutukawa syndicate students are in the midst of auditioning for roles in the 2025 production, which will be performed in Term 3. I want to acknowledge all the students who are prepared to give this a try and demonstrate the commitment required for such an attempt for one of the limited roles.

Thanks to all the parents and whānau who made the time to attend our 'Meet The Teacher' sessions in Week 4. These are such valuable opportunities for our teachers and help set the year's learning for your child.

I am really heartened that the Ministry of Education has given real support to schools to improve student attendance. The goal for all schools is to have 80% of students attending at least 90% of the year.

We have a significant majority of students who attend more than 90%, that is an average of being at school nine days every fortnight. As of this week, 84% of GMS students are meeting this goal, which is a statistic that is encouraging, ... but we are still aiming to improve. This has not always been the case, so we want this level to be sustained to help our students learning keep going at its potential. Attending school every day possible, certainly helps this.

There is now daily reporting of absences from schools directly to the Ministry of Education. We totally understand that everyone gets sick and this means that they should not be at school. One thing we are required to do is inform families when their child has been absent for more than five days in a term. We will be starting this from this week.

Have a great week everyone.

Ka kite anō,

Mark Johnson

Principal

We have had seven new students start with us since we published the last newsletter. We send a warm welcome to:-

Jonty Lawrence, Leo Nairne, Luella Ravlich, Mia Hall, Harmony Robertson, London Kara and Jack Jarvis.

We wish every one of you all the very best for your time at Greenmeadows School.

Our roll is currently sitting at 469.

We periodically post safety messages about traffic safety.

The roads are particularly congested around our school at the start and end of the school day, especially. This congestion includes surrounding streets where many parents park (e.g. McKeefry Avenue and Grant Place), and then are used as a traffic route. We urge you to be vigilant at all times.

You can do this by:

- observing speed limits including the 30km/hr zone

- watching for children on scooters, bikes and who might be crossing driveways

- being mindful of pedestrians attempting to cross busy roads e.g. Guppy Road where there are limited opportunities

We also have vehicles parking on corners and yellow lines which interfere with the flow of traffic as well as visibility.

I urge everyone to be focused at all times to ensure everyone associated with our community is safe.

We will hold our first whānau hui for 2025 on Tuesday 25 March.

We will begin with a karakia in the staff room at 6:00 pm, followed by kai and korero. Main topic for discussion is the development of the school waharoa. All are welcome.

17th,18th,19th & 20th March - Kowhai museum visit

25th, 26th & 27th March - Totara trip to MTG

Friday 4th April – PTA School Disco

Friday 11th April - last day of term 1

Friday 9th May – PTA Walkathon fundraiser

If your child is going to be absent please let us know before 9am via the school App. There is a tab on the front screen of the school App labelled "Absentee". If we do not hear from you, truancy will be called.

If you have placed a lunch order from the school canteen and your child is absent, please cancel your order online through the Kindo App prior to 9am.

The PTA held their annual meeting last Wednesday evening. We welcomed a large number of motivated and keen new members - exciting! Plans are in place for the coming year ... we are looking at supporting the following:

- the waharoa project for the school

- a new gazebo to replace the twenty year old one we currently have.

We have also been very fortunate to have the same officer holders from 2024 elected:

Chairperson - Vanessa Whaanga

Secretary - Kellie Harkness

Treasurer - Kourtnee Bolton

These very hardworking and dedicated PTA members lead a great team.

Activities being planned:

Friday 4 April - School Disco under He Kapua from late afternoon

Friday 9 May - GMS PTA Walkathon!!! Details to follow soon.

The current edition of lucky book club closes on Friday 4th April. No late orders will be accepted. All orders need to be completed online.

Time to stock up the coffee supplies? You can choose between 250g, 500g, or 1kg sized coffee beans or plunger style grounds. The coffee is available in strong, medium, mild or decaffeinated blends.

Sales from the Greenmeadows School coffee will go towards funding sport and athletic related activities/equipment at our school. For a large 1kg bag, which sells for $52.50, the school will receive around $15.00 back.

Ordering is open so head to our purchase page to get your bag delivered tomorrow! Please EITHER scan the QR code or click on the link below to order. Orders will arrive at the school reception office and can be collected or sent home with students. Please select ‘Pick Up’ at checkout for this option. Delivery is also available via the shipping option.

Seasons for Growth is a small group programme run by Growing Through Grief. It is for tamariki

who have experienced, change, loss and grief. The educational programme aims to strengthen the

social and emotional wellbeing of children who are dealing with significant life changes such as

separation, death, moving school/home, parent in prison, illness and other changes impacting on

daily life.

We are looking at offering this programme at Greenmeadows School next term. If you would like

your child to be considered or to know more please contact Allyson Ross, Assistant Principal or

myself, Kristen Swain; Growing Through Grief Coordinator Hawkes Bay 021981271

kristen.swain@acw.org.nz

Hawke's Bay Great Rugby Expo - You're Invited!

If you're keen on rugby or just curious, join us at the Great Rugby Expo!

There are contact and non-contact options for all ages, so grab your mates and join the fun!

This event is proudly run by Hawke's Bay Rugby in conjunction with all local rugby clubs.

Check out what your local club has to offer, learn about T1 non-contact rugby, and you could even win some cool prizes!

Event details below

Hope to see you there!

P.S. A little birdy told us there may even be some Magpie and Tui players there on the day, and of course, our awesome Hawke's Bay Rugby mascot - Swoop!

Below is a link to download our school App if you haven't already.

This is how we communicate with the school community any importmant messages or reminders.

https://www.smore.com/app/reporting/out/ktaxf?u=https%3A%2F%2Fschoolappsnz.co.nz%2Finstall%2F&t=install%20link&w=w-5610919473&i=&l=l-7600403145

Email: admin@gms.school.nz
Website: http://www.gms.school.nz/
Location: Greenmeadows School 45 Osier Road, Greenmeadows, Napier, New Zealand
Phone: +64 06-844 7024
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmsnapier