28 July 2017

Year 6 Team Newsletter - Term 3 2017

Welcome back to Term 3 - this term we are preparing for another busy term, packed full of activities and events.

Intermediate Applications

The local intermediate schools have advised us that all students should be enrolled in their local intermediates by Wednesday 30th August.  This includes both in-zone and out-of-zone students for all schools.  Application packs for Farm Cove Intermediate have already been distributed and there are spare copies available from Room 20.  Applications for Pakuranga Intermediate will be coming to our school soon (you can also collect from Pakuranga Intermediate).  However if you intend to enrol your child at Somerville Intermediate, Bucklands Beach Intermediate or Howick Intermediate, you will need to collect an enrolment pack directly from their school office.

The ballot for out-of-zone enrolments for Farm Cove will take place on Wednesday 6th September.  It is recommended that if you are applying for out-of-zone enrolments, that you apply to multiple intermediates so that if you do not get accepted into your first choice you have an alternative.  It may also mean that you are accepted into more than one Intermediate and will have a choice about where to attend.

Uniform

Elm Park School is a uniformed school.  This term we are making a big push to bring up the standard of uniform being worn by our students.  Part of our new values is “to show Responsibility by wearing our uniform with pride”.

Girls are to wear short white ankle socks or navy tights.

• Not knee high socks or short dark socks.

Boys are to wear long navy socks (with or without the light blue stripe)

• Not white socks, not short socks
• Socks are to be worn pulled up

Shoes must be black only - no other colours should be visible

• Leather or imitation leather shoes are preferable so students’ feet don’t get too wet
• No boots or heels
• See example photos below

Any undershirts must not be visible from underneath school uniform shirts

• No long-sleeved undershirts

Elm Park School jumpers

• Some students wear non-uniform jackets to school to keep them warm and dry, however these are not to be worn once at school

Sports uniforms are a requirement in Year 6

• Students are required to wear their correct sports uniform for PE and sports practices/events
• Sports uniforms should NOT be worn to and from school (unless instructed by the sport co-ordinator for specified events outside of school)

If your child is unable to wear the correct uniform, please send a note to your child’s classroom teacher and your child will be issued with a uniform pass for the day.  We thank you in advance for your support with this.

Focus for Learning

This term we continue our learning about Celebrations.  The Year 6 team is looking at this topic through a performance arts lens - drama, dance and song.  We are also working on producing art pieces to contribute to the School Art Exhibition early in Term 4.  Classes are continuing to identify gaps and consolidate learning in Reading, Maths and Writing.

Activity Payments

Activity payments are $100 for the school year and cover expenses such as:

• Student Google Drive and Teacher Dashboard (for monitoring students)
• Mathletics
• Reading Eggs
• Sunshine Online
• School Trips
• School Visitors and Events
• Aquatics
• Classroom Resources
• Whole school inquiry activity about ‘Celebrations’ connected to our 50th Jubilee

The Year 6 team also incurs significant expenses with the students’ graduation and end of year events.  As a team we have already fundraised for the whole of term 1 to offset these amounts however it is impossible for us to provide these activities for our students without your support.  Please arrange to make payments towards this if you have not already.  You can pay directly into Kindo https://www.elmpark.school.nz/kindo-shop/  , come into the school office and use eftpos, or send money in a marked envelope to your child’s class teacher.

Lines of Communication:

If you have any concerns or queries about any issue, please make an appointment to speak to your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance as soon as possible. If you feel the issue still needs discussion please make an appointment to discuss your concerns with the Team Leader (Anna Graham). Further discussion, if required, proceeds to the Head of the Yr 5-6 Team, Dave Borcher and, if necessary, the Principal, Mrs Plowright. Confidentiality, and correct lines of communication are of the utmost importance to us and we value your co-operation in using this communication channel.

Important Dates

Week 2                All Week                Scholastic Book Fair

Tue        1 Aug                English ICAS Exam

                Thu        3 Aug                Student Led Conferences

Week 4                All Week                Elm Park School Maths Week

                Wed        16 Aug                Visit to Pakuranga Intermediate

                Thu        17 Aug                Year 6 Maths Olympiad

Week 5                Thu        24 Aug                Hoshino Gakuen (Japanese School) Visit

                Fri        25 Aug                Mufti Day supporting Daffodil Day

Week 6                Thu        31 Aug                Elm Park Y5/6 Speech Finals

                Fri        1 Sep                Elm Park Cross Country Race

                Sat        2 Sep                Koanga Festival

Week 8                All Week                Te Reo Maori Week

                Tue        12 Sep                HPPA Cross Country Event

                Tue        12 Sep                HPPA Zone Speech Finals

Week 10        Tue        26 Sep                Mathex Competition

Fri        29 Sep                Term 3 ends 3pm

As always we encourage you to support your students by attending these events.  More information about these events will be sent home closer to the time.

We look forward to seeing you all next week at our Student Led Conferences.

Kind regards

Anna Graham (Team Leader), Kathy Pittaway and Paul Park