School Phone

439 7255

School Fax 439 0246

Dental Clinic 0800 698 3384

Web Site www.dargavilleprimary.school.nz

FROM THE PRINCIPAL SCHOOL NEWS

This is the last newsletter for 2015, as we only have a week and a half left of the school year. The senior students have a lot of activities to organise and participate in, if the weather permits, other classes, also have visits and celebrations planned. Over the last weeks of school, a lot of my time is being spent reviewing the teaching programmes, achievement and progress of individuals and groups of students. Analysis of data, time and cost, is it a benefit to students? What improvements could be made, is all taken into consideration. All of this information is used to develop our future Strategic and Operational plans which the board oversees before they are sent to the Ministry of Education. This years we have had student writing as a major area of focus. Staff have been involved in looking at how they teach and assess writing. Our school assessments, National Standards and others, have shown a slight improvement over the whole school. However in some targeted areas, student progress has accelerated, an example of this is our year 6 target group, in 2014 it was 42% below and in 2015 only 19% below and year 5 in 2014, 50% below and 2015, 33% below. We are now planning further programmes for 2016, much of the ground work has started this year and we are targeting for more gain next year. Reading results on the STAR standard test for 2015 were: Year 6-93% at or above, Year 5-88%, Year4-92%, Year 3-86%, another way to interpret these results, of 201 students tested, 13 students were below stanine 4. These results reflect our usual high standard in reading, thanks to the effort of staff and yourselves. Great stuff!

SCHOOL ATHLETICS Our athletic day, last Thursday was held in fine weather which provided an opportunity for all of our students to show off their skills. The morning programme was well supported by people watching. The Championship events had some close results. The day ended with some great sprint races and relays. Thanks to The PTA for providing the food stall and sausage sizzle and to all other helpers who supported our day. Congratulations to our champions! 8 Year Girls Champion: Joint winners Danielle Low & Hannah Ewenson Runner Up: Lilly Ewenson 8 Year Boys Champion: Jake Hutchings Runner Up: Taj Kelk 9 Year Girls Champion: Ayla Steed Runner Up: Hope Pulham Davis 9 Year Boys Champion: Ashley van der Putte Runner Up: Creedence Tawhai 10 Year Girls Champion: Anya Sinclair Runners Up: Lydia Carey, Ataleea Manning & Alyssa Kemp 10 Year Boys Champion: Luke Crichton Runner Up: Manaaki Te Tuhi 11 Year Girls Champion: Memory Simona Runners Up: Adelaide Ihaka & Harmony Covacich 11 Year Boys Champion: Kane Howells Runner Up: Ollie Comber Jake, Ashley, Anya and Kane won every event in their age groups and only 1 point separated Ayla and Hope. Well done!

Newsletter

Wednesday 2 December 2015

GOLD AWARDS Congratulations to the following students who were awarded their Gold Award at assembly, Madison Suckling, Angela Martin, Ruby Comber, Nathan Phillips, Cameron Bradley, Mischa Blaxland, Danielle Low, Luca Mark, Jarno An-drewes, Cruz Tibbits-Filimoeatu, Zion Sayer, Chanel Seddon, Fletcher Kuljish, Mathew Moetu, Jayden Mitchell, Tai Barbarich, Matariki Lomu, Taylor Pyke, Cooper Lee Gilligan, Tahlia Pumipi, Memory Simona, Lucy Fitness, Kirsty Davison, Hannah Lugtigheid, Vanessa Strong-Byers, Lu-cas Pulman, Scott Harrison, Jordan Chitty, Brooke Clarkin, Luji Awad, Sarah Morgan Roche, Ean Martinac, Kyran Suckling, Lucy Pulman, Ri-ley Flett, Paige Hurst, Bailie Schick, Layton Ta-tam, Te Timatanga Henare, Haymish Sanderson, Marin Calder, Noah Johnston, Se’Lah Kerapa, Ashdyn Lingham Connell MacKay, Luke Jackson, Paige Peterson-Smith, Carlos Pulham Davis and Antonio Tong!

WEEKLY FOCUS Managing self and values of self discipline has been our focus over this term. We will continue to remind students of what helps them to improve. We also have no tolerance of students swearing.

NORTHERN WAIROA ATHLETICS

Thursday 3 Dec (tomorrow) at Dargaville High School. A selected team of our students will be participat-ing. The students involved have been given a no-tice to take home.

YEAR 6 SOCIAL To be held on Monday 14 December in the school hall. A separate letter will be sent home soon.

DPS PRIZEGIVING Tuesday 15 December, 10.30am in the Town Hall. Parents, caregivers and friends are invited to at-tend. Please be in the hall seated for a 10:30am start. Children are to attend school as usual in the morning. They will assemble in their class-rooms and walk down. After prizegiving all chil-dren must return to school with their class. Par-ents are welcome to take their children home from school at approximately 12.30pm. Please let their teacher know if you pick them up. Bus times run as a normal school day.

LIBRARY All library books need to be returned to the library ASAP. Please check at home for any you may have missed.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Prizegiving & Last Day of School 2015-Tuesday 15 December Term 1-2016 for students Tuesday 2 February

THANKYOU DPS would like to thank Richard and Melanie Harrison for the landscape supplies they have donated to our school throughout the year.

2-12-2015 NEWSLETTER RETURN Students Name: Room:

I have read the DPS Newsletter. Parents signature: House:

The Churches of Dargaville join together to

present

CHRISTMAS

IN THE GARDENS

Saturday December 5th

6.00-8.00pm

Carol Singing, , Drinks, Items, Ice

cream,

Drinks, Sausage Sizzle

Bring all the family, a blanket to sit on

Northland District Health Board

SORE THROATS can break a heart!

Preventing Rheumatic Fever, Dargaville Medical

Centre and Orrs Unichem Pharmacy Dargaville are

offering a free sore throat swabbing programme

for children and young people aged 4-19 years

and for other eligible members of their Whanau

Kaipara Swimming lessons -Learn to swim lessons taking place at

Arapohue School -Holiday lesson in a block course eve-ry Day from the 25 Jan to the 29 Jan Followed by once a week lessons During Term 1 -Toddlers, pre-schoolers and school age, private adult lessons by arrange-ment -Please contact to register or express interest ph 0276973558

kaiparaswim-ming@gmail.com

PIANO LESSONS 2016

Please contact Berna-

dette Keoghan

439 6357

Ashlee Rakich had a very successful day, at the NW Central Day held re-cently. Here she is pictured with her calf Pepper. Ashlee won the following awards 1st leading, 1st Rearing, 1st Type, Senior Friesian Champion, Overall Friesian Champion and Overall Best Reared Calf All Breeds. Well done Ashlee!

The Star jam trust would like to thanks eve-ryone who was involved in Jump Jam .