Week 7 NEWSLETTER

from the principal

Our Vision: Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future

I’ve been writing about the learning opportunities here at DPS, relating them to our vision word ‘Explore’. The learning here at DPS is rich, varied and gives children to shine in so many different ways.

Last week two of the Rātā classes had their overnight experience at Pūkaha (which was amazing), and this week they have used that as a creative spark for some poetry writing. Milly has crafted a poem using the ‘Magic Box’ framework…and it is a stunning piece! We aim to use our EOTC experiences to fill multiple roles…allowing the children to have a fun outing, linking them to local stories/places of significance, engaging with our school beliefs (we are a Green-Gold EnviroSchool, so this trip links to ideas around sustainability), and using the trips to feed academic learning. You can read the full piece here, but here is the opening:

Magic box

I will put in the box

The sweet smell of success when the bus came to a stop,

The beautifully lit cabin in the night,

The smell of fresh fruit on the table

I will put in the box

The call of the birds in the night

The tip of a kiwi’s beak

The silent tree’s swaying in the night

Today I was in Rātā to observe a buddy tutoring programme that Mr Riley has set up. Small groups come together at the start of the day, and one of them runs (tutors) the children in the group through a structured program. I witnessed the groups working on their 3 times tables…using materials (the cards you can see), then progressively removing them to challenge the learners to recall the facts automatically, then random testing of the facts. The tutors were amazing, the groups were super focussed…and the learning was powerful. All this in about 10 minutes.

There has been a steady stream of books being produced in Rimu by our youngest authors. Comic strips, non-fiction, stories, fantasy books…a real range, and often done in the children’s ‘own time’ - during play learning, and some have been taken home and worked on there. This passion for creation and for language is what should be at the heart of a writing program, and children having the chance to apply their teacher learning independently…that is the end game, and here are our youngest children doing just that. One day we may be paying for their stories at Paper Plus, but for today we can enjoy them for free…awesome mahi guys.

And lastly…last night was our Matariki Evening, and our chance to showcase our choir, our junior kapahaka, our senior kapahaka and a heap of children’s learning. Room 4 and 5 were decked out with displays of what the children have been up to at school. The evening was awesome…the weather just held off for us. Lovely to have so many people here, and engaging in all that was on offer. But…the highlight was the performances. All 3 groups put on a stunning show, but more importantly…all 3 performances were opportunities for our kids to shine. And shine they did.

Interschool Cross Country

Another year, another team from DPS sent to compete against the best of the best locally at cross country running. The weather did its part…a nice muddy course, but no rain on the day to dampen spirits. Speaking of spirits…the children showed a heap of PRIDE down there, and I was particularly impressed by them cheering each and every DPS Kid on as they finished, no matter what place they came. We had spoken beforehand about how the race is two fold…against all the other runners to try and win, but mainly against yourself…the race to beat your previous speed, your previous time. We had some great results, with nine of our tamariki qualifying for the Wellington Regional Cross Country Champs. A special congratulations to Jaxon, Felicity and Charlie who placed in the top three and were lucky enough to receive a medal, kindly donated by the Gleeson family.

Road Safety

That time of year with the wetter weather…more school drop offs in cars, and as always, parking and driver behaviour concerns.

We all know that the parking situation at school isn’t great…but it is what it is. I know ideally you’d like to park at the front of school on a wet day, but that might not always be possible. Double parking isn’t the answer. Parking across driveways isn’t the answer. Stopping in the street isn’t the answer. While not ideal…the short walk across the field to the Kummer Crescent entrance is one solution, always lots of parks there. While not ideal…the short walk across Douglas Park to Essex Street is a solution, always lots of parks there. While not ideal…the short walk down Cole Street to Pownall Street is a solution, always lots of parks there. You and/or your child might get a little wet if it is actually raining…but that is preferable to a potential car accident in front of school (we’ve had some close calls).

I'd also ask you respect the posted speed limits…despite some speed limits being rolled back, they still have not been around our school area…it is not 50km at the front of the school, or along Pownall St. We had a friendly policeman down on Pownall St this morning doing speed checks.

Key Dates

Matariki Public Holiday: Friday, 20th June
Last day of Term: Friday, 27th June

subway school lunch available friday's at dps

Writing - mrs Jolliffe's Homeclass

Kahikatea have just finished an inquiry about protecting mokomoko. The students have written letters to the prime minister and Masterton Mayor to persuade them to care for mokomoko.