OPS – The Heart of the Community Community Newsletter – Term 3 Week 10 Monday 24 September 2018
Last week was HUGE So in this newsletter we thought we’d give you just a little taste of some of the action of life at OPS Week 9 Term 3 We have so much to be thankful for here at OPS. Next term we have Dan the Puppet Man and the Road Safety team. The OPS Book Fair is going to be in Week 2 so save up your $ over the school holidays for some lovely books. Dress up day will be Friday 26 October and the Halloween Disco is set for 31 October – get your costumes ready. Have you registered for the Omokoroa Coastal Challenge? – this fun family event gets bigger and better every year. Visit runrunrun.co.nz to enter. This Friday is House colour day – dress in your house colour and if you’d like, please bring a gold coin donation to support Lucy Drake. Kaimai Rangiwaea Matakana Motuhoa
Well Done to our speech finalists who represented OPS last Tuesday and Thursday nights.
Dhansheel and Jack Year 6 and Year 5 Speech finalists
Dhansheel Highly Commended
Akonga O Te Wiki Student of the Week Maia Groucott
For awesome self-management and trying her best in all activities
All OPS students are required to wear cycle helmets when riding their bikes, skateboards or scooters. Any students found not wearing a helmet will not be allowed to ride their bike, skateboard or scooter to our school. For stepping up to the soloist challenge performing Students usingand scooters and well.
and when on your scooter or skateboard !
skateboards on school grounds must be wearing a helmet. Please check that your child is wearing their helmet at all times.
Last week our OP Wild About NZ team visited Cooney Reserve. On the way we were trying to spot rare and native NZ birds. When we were at the beach we saw a flock of Godwits and some Oyster Catchers. Godwits are birds that come from the Arctic to Omokoroa to have chicks. Oyster Catchers have beaks that are especially made for opening oysters. When we walked back we also spotted a Kingfisher and a Gull. We didn’t take the short way back to school because we wanted to observe more birds. If you want to go to Cooney reserve to see the Godwits you should do this before they leave at the end of summer.
Article written by Seb Hull R7 OP WANZ Group
We sure are making great creative use of our new iPads. During Discovery time on Friday Marama set up a ‘How to Draw’ station for everyone to have a go. Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 Math Problem Solving Teams who competed last Wednesday night against 14 other teams..
Y7 Taesha, Cahaya and Tess 2= in Year 7 comp.
HAVE YOU HEARD??? Our awesome PTA team raised approx. $8,000 at the QUIZ Evening. Huge thanks to all parents and staff who supported this event. Especially those who organised and helped out on the night. Congratulations to the Double D’s - winners of the Quiz
Y8 Andre, Elias and George – 3rd in Year 8 comp and overall.
Our OPS Rock Band the OPeratorS performed at the Kids Rock Festival held at Selwyn Ridge School last week. On drums – Liam, base guitar- Samuel, Lead guitar Elias, electric guitar – Tom, Acoustic guitar – Tess, keyboard – Taesha and vocals – George, Anya and Holly. We were really proud of the way they rocked the house down especially with their cover of Time by Imagine Dragons. Thanks to Mr. Hall and Michael Homersham for training the band.
Please see attached notice for upcoming Parenting for Achievement Workshop – Monday 29 October – Week 3 Term 4.
Our year 7 and 8 speech comp representatives. Congratulations to Bella who achieved highly commended and Jason who gained third place.
We need 20 to go ahead with this worthwhile workshop. Please register your interest by completing the form
Today we have had volunteers from the Omokoroa Tennis Club members come in and spend time with each class honing our tennis skills.
Thanks to the following coaches and managers who supported our 29 AIMS games competitors – Football - Tim Maurice coaching, Malcolm Cartwright refereeing. Netball Sarah Aldridge coaching , Jo Palmer managing, Indoor Bowling – Garry Giles coaching, Mel Guilford managing and Slalom/Multisport supporting parents Patemans, Drakes and Swifts.
EXCITING NEWS - Work on the Western Ave Play space is about to start!!!! Construction commences of new playground at Western Ave Reserve from September 25. All users of Western Ave Reserve please be aware of machinery and construction operating in the area over next couple of months (fencing and warning signs will be in place).
Keeping Ourselves Safe – wise words shared from the Principal of Tauriko School Along with the incident we reported last week recently there have been a few other reported incidents in Tauranga of strangers approaching children and trying to get the children to go with them. The Police are investigating these incidents that have occurred in the Matua, Pillans Point, Otumoetai and Greerton areas. It is a timely reminder to us as adults to have discussions with our children around what to do if they are approached by someone that they don't know. Stressing the fact that this is rare and that we are safe if we have strategies to know what to do in cases to keep ourselves safe will support children to feel secure and empowered to know what to do rather than frightened. Discussions around the kinds of stories strangers may tell are useful. It is also wise to tell children that just because the person is older than them or an adult they do not have to follow their instructions. Most of our children travel by car or bus, or are met by parents at the bus stop. If they are walking home from the bus stop having a buddy with them is important and so are conversations about the route home, safe places to stop along the way if they are worried and the importance of telling you their parents and teachers if an incident like this happens. Helpful website links are: https://www.safety4kids.com.au/safetyzone/stranger-danger https://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/…/dealing-withstranger-dan…/ https://www.kidsmartz.org/strangerdanger
To our awesome staff for a great term – it’s been full of wonderful learning and extra-curricular activities.
To all parents who were able to help us out with transport and supervising teams at the Year 5/6 Winter Sports Day last Monday. Here at OPS we hosted the netball. There was basketball at Pahoia, Hockey and Football at Omokoroa and rugby at Te Puna.
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