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06 3880130
26 Huia Street
Taihape, 4720
www.tas.school.nz
TAS Radio - 88.1FM
Principal: Richard McMillan
Lead Me to Lead My Learning
Taihape Area School
Monday 28th November, 2016 Term 4 – Newsletter Number 8
Important Dates
This Week Tuesday 29th Interviews for Maria Helhoski
Scholarship
Wednesday 30th Mufti-Day December
Thursday 1st Year 9 Big Night Out
Friday 2nd Year 7/8 Softball Tournament
(Hunterville)
Room 4 Sleepover
Last day for Scholastic
Bookclub
Saturday 3rd Christmas Parade
Next Week Friday 9th Top Town
Coming Up Tuesday 13th December Prize Giving
End of Term
Tena koutou katoa
What a year!! On so many levels 2016 has been a memorable 12 months, and the recent
earthquakes continue to create headlines. As each day passes the impact of this massive event
is magnified, with the discovery of additional damage and devastation. After initially
downplaying the effect of the quake on Wellington, evidence suggests that the Capital has
actually suffered severe damage, with a number of buildings irreparable and demolition on
one high rise started already.
New Zealand is located in an earthquake prone zone, and is unfortunately vulnerable to
earthquakes, but the impact of the recent earthquakes (Christchurch and Kaikoura) is quite
intimidating as there had only been relatively minor (and/or isolated) quakes since the Napier
Earthquake of 1931.
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Hopefully they will be done and dusted for some time as the cost, in financial and human
terms, is enormous.
Teachers are very busy at the moment completing a raft of end of year tasks, including Report
Writing, and analysing data to decide winners for Prize Giving. This is a comprehensive
undertaking, and one we take very seriously. Sometimes however there simply aren’t
sufficient prizes to go around as we have so many worthy students.
Interviews for the $10,000 Maria Helhoski Scholarship (towards University Study) are being
held tomorrow. This is a very prestigious award, and mercifully not decided by us, but by the
Kent Family (based in San Francisco) who administer the Scholarship.
There are also a number of other events and activities scheduled including Mufti-Day on
Wednesday, a Year 9 Overnight, a Room 4 Overnight, and the Annual Year 7/8 Softball
Tournament on Wednesday.
Have a great week.
Regards
Richard McMillan
PRINCIPAL
Tall Poppies The following Taihape Area School students rose above the crowd last
week as outstanding achievers, and members of our Learning
Community:
Ardijah Rewai and Leshae Hemara (Room 3) - for being positive role
models in learning and behaviour;
Katie Williams and Xavier Heeney (Room 4) - for showing
Whanaungatanga;
George Abernethy (Room 6) - for outstanding improvement in reading comprehension;
Tristan Jacobsen (Room 6) - for outstanding enthusiasm in maths;
Sarah Squires, James McCann, Athena McDonnell, and Jaylen Rewai (Year 9) - for
showing Wairuatanga, revising well and achieving the Chemistry test with Excellence;
Georgia Adams and Huhu Chambers – for Representing Wanganui in a 7’s Tournament in
Marton (U18s and U15s);
Harry Randall – for outstanding speech making @ NCEA Level 2;
Whaea Barb and her Year 7/8 Te Reo Options Group.
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The TAS School Wide Behaviour Expectations are: -
Rangatiratanga:
We are Learners
We show Rangatiratanga
Whanaungatanga:
We are Caring
We show Whanaungatanga
Wairuatanga:
We are Reflective
We show Wairuatanga
Manaakitanga:
We are Respectful
We show Manaakitanga
End of Term Could you please have a good look around your home to see if you have anything that
belongs to the School? We would appreciate the return of all School Property – including
Library Books, Junior Readers, and Uniforms etc.
Support Kaikoura - Mufti-Day
We are holding a Mufti-Day on Wednesday to raise
funds to support Kaikoura Primary School.
Gold coin donation
Sports Teams 2017 Planning ahead we are on the lookout for enthusiastic adults who
are interested in coaching or managing one of our (many) sports
teams next Year. This is a very rewarding and enjoyable
opportunity – our Sports Teams traditionally perform at a high
level, are well behaved, and are fun to be involved with.
If interested please contact Head of Sport and PE, Jason
Fellingham, Sports Coordinator Jude Hardwidge, or the School
Office.
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Planning for 2017 Planning for 2017 is well underway. It would be hugely helpful if we knew of anyone who is
intending to enrol their children here in 2017 – or if you are shifting. This makes planning
easier. An issue we face is ensuring that classes are set up as well as possible from day one
we endeavour to avoid disruption to classes, but unknown enrolments can make this difficult
at times. The Primary School Students will find out their classrooms and teachers for 2017 in
the last week of term.
Weetbix Tryathlon The Annual Weetbix Tryathlon is to be held in Palmerston
North on Tuesday, 21st March. Last year we had a team of
participants in this amazing event for the first time.
This is very early notice in the hope that next year we will
have even more entrants from TAS. The regular price of entry
is $37, but there are team/group concession rates as well.
https://registration.tryathlon.co.nz/home/event/13
Do we Need Social Media? Check this link:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRl8EIhrQjQ
- located by Malani Little (Room 79)
Library Please return any School Readers, Textbooks and Library Books. The Library aims to
maintain an interesting and varied library collection, where resources are varied, valued and
accessible. For this to happen the Library must ensure that resources are returned.
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Students who have overdue books have been sent reminder notices and emails. The students
have been asked to return them to the library. A letter will
be sent home if the library has no response from the
student, this notice asks for the items to be returned. It
would be appreciated if parents would help their children
search for overdue resources.
If the item is not returned by Friday 2nd December the
item will be charged for against the students account.
Vitamin N Check this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKHeN5NtghM&feature=e
m-share_video_user
Raetihi Cultural Festival On Friday the Year 7/8 Options Group took part in the Annual Raetihi Cultural Festival. This
was a first for us, and our students performed with passion and considerable skill – they were
amazing!!
It has taken some time to build up a group capable of performing at this level, so well done to
the Students involved, and special congratulations to Whaea Barb Thomason, and her support
crew of Te Hinewai Smith and Opae Steedman.
Christmas Parade Once again we have a float entered in the Annual Taihape Christmas Parade. The
students involved are asked to be at School at 10.30. The Parade assembles at Memorial
Park, ready for the Parade at 12.00noon.
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Prize Giving 2016
Tuesday 13th December @ 1.00pm
Room 3 Trip to Tokaanu Hot Pools Turangi As part of our Inquiry about WATER, Room 3 set off on Friday 18th November for a visit to
Tokaanu Hot Pools, in Turangi. It was raining as we set off but the sun was shining as we
neared Turangi. On the way we saw snow on Mt Ruapehu. We saw water as a solid.
Next we followed the walk through the geothermal area at Tokaanu where we saw boiling
mud pools, and water vapour, rising from boiling hot pools. We saw water as a gas.
After our walk we went for a swim in the delightful hot pools. We saw water as a liquid.
We ended our time in Turangi with a visit to the Playpark for lunch where we reflected on
having seen water in its 3 states - solid, liquid, and gas.
Here are some thoughts from Room 3:
Nile-Khalila - “I liked the hot pools. They
were warm and cosy. I liked the snow.”
Chevvy – “I liked being a scientist. I liked
seeing the mud pools.”
Neihana - “It was fun feeding the fish in
the river.”
Louise – “I like being a scientist. I like mud
pools, snow and volcanoes.”
Micah – “I liked the hot pools.”
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TAS Behaviour
Expectation
Whanaungatanga We are tidy Kiwis. This looks like:
We care about our environment;
We place our rubbish in the bin — not throw it at the
bin;
We recycle rubbish;
We use rubbish bins in class and around the school;
We pick up rubbish when we see it even if it is not ours.
Quotes of the Week
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