Tēnā koutou kātoa

Nau mai, haere mai

It is Day 1 of the year so let's get the first newsletter of 2025 underway. An especially warm welcome if you are a new family to Greenmeadows School. This year promises to be a very exciting one with plenty of unfamiliar faces at GMS, new staff joining our team, and a refreshed New Zealand Curriculum to focus on in our learning programmes.

We have a short week ahead of us of only three school days. Our school will obviously be closed on Thursday with Waitangi Day. Previous experiences have shown that attempting to open school the one day between a public holiday and a weekend, typically sees more than half the school absent. So we have decided to close on Friday for this reason.

1931 Earthquake

3rd February is a significant date for Hawkes Bay. Exactly eighty-four years ago, it was also the first day of school. At 10.47am an immensely powerful earthquake struck. The fact that most children were outside at that time for ‘ morning play’ meant that many children were spared throughout the province. However, tragically, three children died at Greenmeadows School. There is a memorial plaque in the school library commemorating them.

The brick building that housed the entire school collapsed, so a slightly different timing of the quake could have significantly increased the loss of life.

Block A (housing Teams 1 and 2) was the replacement building constructed for use by 1934 and still stands to this day.

Mihi Whakatau for New Students and Whānau

This Wednesday 5th February we will have a mihi whakatau to welcome new students and their families. The mihi whakatau will commence at 9.10am. If your whanau is new to our school or a younger sibling has enrolled this year, we wish to invite you.

If you are able to attend, you are invited to assemble in front of the main gate between 9.00am and 9.10am. The welcome will take place in the area in the hall.

Kai will follow the welcome ceremony in the staffroom, which you are warmly invited to.

We look forward to seeing you along if you are able to make it.

Enjoy the short week.

Ka kite anō,

Mark Johnson

Principal

Wednesday 5th February - Mihi Whakatau 9.10am

Thursday 6th February - Waitangi Day - school closed

Friday 7th February - school closed

Here are the ways the school sends out communications:

1. School newsletter (you are reading it now) that comes out fortnightly. The newsletter is emailed out to parent email addresses. As we have so many new families to school today we have printed a newsletter for these new whānau as a one off. A copy of the newsletter is also sent out through the 'GMS App' to mobile devices.

2. Archived newsletters are found on the school website www.gms.school.nz.

3. GMS Facebook page that has notifications and posts about various school events. This includes photos and celebrations, including things such as school assemblies.

4. The GMS ‘App’ sends out alerts and one off notices to mobile devices.

5. Individual classes and their teachers use 'Seesaw' to share information at the class level.

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 school canteen will be open again for business next Thursday 13th February. Moving forward the canteen will be open each week on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Orders are to be placed through the Kindo App. A link to the App is detailed below.

If you already have the App, please make sure you have updated your child's room number for 2025.

There have been a few changes to prices. After many years of the juicies (which are always popular) being $1, we have had to increase the price to $1.50.

Sports registrations are open today, please see the information and links under the sports tab on our school website. A notice will also be coming home today with your child.

No late registrations will be accepted.

Time to stock up the coffee supplies after the holiday break? 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 $48.50, 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.

Our worms are hungry .... Do you have any food scraps you can bring in? In particular they love vegetable greens e.g. lettuce leaves, cabbage leaves, carrot and potato peelings. Send along your food scraps in a bag, any donations would be helpful.

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