Week 10 NEWSLETTER

Thanks everyone for the great response to our annual firewood raffle. The student winner who sold the most raffle sheets will be announced in celebration time. 

The Photography Awards is an e-learning competition, open to all primary and intermediate-aged students in the Wairarapa region. This competition allows students to be inspired, to innovate, and to create. The awards evening will provide an opportunity for students at all levels to share and celebrate their e-learning skills and talents.

The photography entry categories are;

1. Patterns Around Me

Patterns can be found everywhere and are commonly seen within shapes, colours or textures. Using patterns is a great way to draw a viewer’s eye into your picture and generally, it will be the pattern within the photograph that will become the most prominent part of it.

Patterns can be found in nature, trees, flowers, water, architecture, buildings, in a playground or out on the street. You can even set up your own patterns by being creative, for example using lego.

2. Fun in the Playground

Whether on the play equipment itself, or out on the field, playing games or even a wheels day, students can capture the fun that is had at a playground. Action shots on the swings, throwing and catching or swinging from the monkey bars, there are no limits to your students’ imaginations.

Rules

• Entries must be taken by the student.

• All entries must be a photo taken in 2025.

• Written permission must be obtained for use of personal images. e.g. portraits. This information must be held by the school.

• Image size must be at least 1 MB & be saved in jpeg file format. 

• Images can be submitted in colour or black and white.

• Images can be cropped but cannot be digitally altered in any other way.

All Parents/Caregivers of Year 6 Students who wish to enrol their child at Masterton Intermediate School for 2026 need to complete this online before the end of Term 3. Click on the link to submit your child's enrolment online https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/2909

We are currently experiencing a significant increase in illness among the students in our schools. To help keep everyone safe and well, we kindly ask that you please keep your child at home if they are unwell. Keeping sick children at home helps protect other tamariki, staff and families, and supports quicker recovery for your child. Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our kura healthy.  

If you have moved house, had a change of phone number, or any other contact details of your child/children have changed, could you please let us know at the school office by calling in to see us, phoning us on (06) 370-0189, or sending an email to office@douglaspark.school.nz   

Russell Street Exchange 

On Friday the 12th we had Russell street exchange. An exciting challenge between Russell street school and DPS to see who will take home the flag .This year it was our turn to travel to Palmy.

We all got to school at 7:45 all feeling really excited.The bus came at 8:00 and we all left. When we got there they welcomed us to their school with a powerful haka. 

After the haka I went to Rippa. The yellow Rippa team played the first game. Next, it was our turn to play. We ran onto the muddy field feeling the adrenaline rushing  through our veins.

It had started to rain and the rain drops ran down my skin. When the game was over, we had won!  We said good job to the Russell street team.

After that we went to the hall to eat some pizza. The last thing we did was the awards and the flag. We won the Ripa and netball trophy but Russell street won the rest; miniball,hockey and football. So Russell street won the flag, this time.

Ally Brienza

 Russell Street Exchange

On Friday week 9 the 12th we had our Russell Street exchange for the year 5s and 6s. 

When we arrived they welcomed us and provided us food before we started playing. Then we put our stuff in a classroom then headed off to their courts where we were going to play netball. 

Our first game was team 3 who were winning by alot and won against the russell st team with the score 10 - 3 we cheered loudly celebrating our first win.

For the next game it started raining when team 2 was playing against Russell St’s team 2 where we won our second game against russell st

Our last game was our best team, DPS Ferns ( team 1) . They played against russell st’s best team where things were really close but we won our third game 3 - 0. 

So we won all of our games for netball and celebrated our victory in the end!

Ivy Malote

Russell Street Exchange

The Russell Street exchange is something that we do against Russell street school for fun. Each year we play against each other to try and win the flag!

When we got to school we jumped onto the bus almost straight away and the bus left around 8:00. We got to Russel Street around 9:30 and to welcome us they did a powerful haka. 

For Russell street I played hockey and we all played together really well. 

When we were playing it was pretty cold and it was starting to rain but that didn't stop us from doing our best.

The first hockey game went really well and we won against Russell Street and Lilly D saved a goal! The second game played was my team. 

We lost 5-0 but we played strongly. Russell street had some skilful players too. 

The third game was awesome but Russell Street still won. After we played hockey we went to the playground and that was fun.

Finally, we got called in for lunch in the hall which was dominos. The pizza was delicious. The other sports played were miniball, rippa, netball and football.

Felicity Fisher

In the morning, the fresh spring breeze whipped across my face. As people entered the hall, they sat down on the cold floor. When I got there, the teachers had already started the roll. When the roll was finished, we stood up and chatted to each other about who we would sit next to. I asked Maggie if I could be her bus buddy. Then she replied, “yup.” 

As the bus filled up with kids, Maggie and I slowly walked in. We then sat in a seat. It was an hour drive of sitting in the seats. When we got to the school, all the year 5 and 6’s welcomed us with a haka. 

We sat down on the floor, watching all the kids sing. There were two kids at the front; a girl and a boy. They said a very long speech and then it was Levi and Charlie’s turn. Then DPS started singing our karakia. When that was finished, we all had some food/kai. And then we got kids to take specific sports to some home rooms. Then we headed off to our sports and started playing the games. 

The second game was mine. Once my game was finished,  me and Ella ran to our warm home room. When all the games finished, we had some pizza for lunch. The pizza was really yummy. We were only allowed four pieces, but I only had two.

We then returned to the bus to get back to school. My bus buddy was Maggie. Once we were back at school, we waited for our parents to turn up.

By Ella-Rose Hemi 

On Friday the Year fives and sixes went to Russell Street. We got on the bus at 8:00 and drove all the way to Palmerston North. When we got there they welcomed us with a song then two kids did a speech. Then our school gave a speech and a song. 

Then it was time for morning tea. There were cakes and sausage rolls. It was so yummy! It was like Christmas again when there’s so much on the table you don’t know what to have. Then we went to the classrooms and waited for the sports to start. 

The sports were netball, basketball, hockey, football and rugby. It started to rain but we still played. Then everyone went into the hall and there were thousands of pizzas on the tables. Then it was time to go back home!

By Sophie Ewington 

I was doing the Russell Street exchange, and when we got off at Russell Street School in Palmerston North, we walked into the hall for a haka and some kai. After that, we went into different rooms set up as camps for various sports.

Then we watched the rippa team play because our football game didn’t start until 12:30. We also watched the B and C teams play football. Sadly, they didn’t win their games, which was a shame, but that’s fine.

Then it was our turn. I was playing football in the A team. We started off 1–0, then Zane S scored a goal from halfway! After that, they scored again, and it went back and forth. In the last few minutes one of their players scored, and sadly we did not win. The final score was 3–4.

But it was a great day anyway!

By Taylor Malcolm

All school teams and draws will be posted on Hero.