Kia ora koutou, 

Since our last newsletter, we’ve been keeping busy! I had a fantastic week with the Kārearea students, where I had the opportunity to ‘teach’ from the new Mathematics and English curriculum. This updated curriculum is an excellent document that provides clear and sequential learning expectations. It is certainly demanding, setting higher expectations for both our learners and teaching staff, but it’s exciting to see the depth of learning it encourages. 

We also had some fun exploring the Technology Curriculum, diving into computational thinking as we experimented with coding using micro:bits. Students used the Microsoft MakeCode programme to create and test simple code, bringing their micro:bits to life with animations, sensors, and even basic games. It was fantastic to see their problem-solving skills in action as they debugged and refined their code! 

Last week, we were treated to an incredible musical performance from MusicAl. What a great experience for our students—not only learning how to play a range of instruments but also discovering how to create instruments using simple household items. 

This week, our senior students had the chance to compete in a ki-o-rahi tournament in Taupō. A huge thank you to Mrs Pyman for organising the teams, transport, and parent helpers. Due to our roll size and available players, we often enter mixed-age teams in these tournaments. One of our teams made it to the Year 5-6 final, but unfortunately, because we had some Year 7-8 players in the team (which was unavoidable), we had to forfeit. Despite this, both teams had an awesome time and represented our school with pride. 

 
📅 Monday 17th March – Our annual school triathlon is all set to go! Check below for details on how the day will be organised.

🚴‍♂️ Friday 28th March – Our Junior Bike Skills Day will take place at school.

🐶 Final Week of Term – We welcome back the Dog Safety team from the Taupō District Council.

📢 Teacher Only Day – Monday 16th June – Please note that school will be closed for instruction on this day. See more details below.

👉 Reminder: Be sure to check out the rest of the newsletter for important updates, new information, and reminders.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Mā te wā

Shirley Bailey & the Kuratau Team

REMINDER:

Not many sleeps to go!  We will be holding our school triathlon at the Kuratau Boat Ramp on Monday 17th March. All students must arrive at school as usual, and we will travel to the event by bus, departing at approximately 9.30am. The first race will begin at approximately 10:45 am, starting with the junior classes.

NOTE:  Times are VERY approximate

We would love for whānau to join us for the day! However, for safety reasons, there will be a designated parent viewing area, separate from students. Parents will not be able to take their child until after their race—students will be released to parents by a staff member. Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping everyone safe.

Kath from Bike Taupō will provide some bikes, but if you can bring your child’s bike and helmet, it would be a great help!

If you have offered to volunteer on the course, please be at the Kuratau Boat Ramp by 10am where you will meet Mrs Pyman.  

If the weather is unsuitable for the lake event, the triathlon will be held at school (as it was in 2023).

✅ Lunch & drink
✅ Sunblock, hat, warm jumper
✅ Togs, towel, goggles (optional)
✅ Optional: Bike & helmet

For any questions, please contact Belinda Pyman at pymanb@kuratau.school.nz or call 07 386 5801.

We look forward to a fantastic day of fun and competition! 🚴🏊‍♂️🏃

Our annual ATV Bike Day is a our major fundraising event.  Without this event we would not be able to purchase items like chromebooks / ipads, playgrounds, or classroom resources.  Last year's money raised went towards our brand new playground and some much needed hall repairs. 

We will be holding our first meeting on Wednesday 19th March at 6pm, in our staffroom.  Refreshments and nibbles will be provided. 

With some families leaving at the end of 2024, we welcome any new volunteers who would like to assist with the planning and organisation of this event.  

We wish to inform you of an upcoming Teacher Only Day scheduled for Monday, 16th June 2025. On this day, our teaching staff will be offsite participating in professional development focused on the refreshed Mathematics curriculum. 
This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to enhance teaching practices and improve student learning outcomes. 

The Ministry of Education has approved two dedicated mathematics curriculum days for 2025 to support teachers as they begin to implement the new curriculum content from the start of the year. These Teacher Only Days are designed to provide educators with the necessary time and resources to effectively integrate these changes into their teaching.  NOTE:  At this stage we have scheduled 1 day for Term 2.  We may schedule the second day later in the year. 

We understand that Teacher Only Days can pose challenges for families, and we appreciate your support and understanding as we undertake this important professional learning. Please make any necessary arrangements for your children on this day, as school will be closed for instruction.

For more information from the Ministry of Education about the new 'closing for instruction' guidelines please visit this webpage. 

The University of Canterbury is delighted to offer the annual Kiwi English, Mathematics and Science competitions for Primary, Intermediate and Secondary Schools (Year 5 - Year 10).  The skills based Kiwi competitions are written by New Zealand teachers for New Zealand students and closely align with the New Zealand Curriculum.  The online competitions will be run in the last 3 weeks of Term 2 and the first week of Term 3.  The competitions take place at school under exam conditions.  Parents/caregivers will be provided with an individual student report outlining student performance.  All participating students will be awarded a certificate, and a prize will be awarded to the top student in each competition.  The cost for a student to participate is $9.90 per competition entered.

If you are interested in entering your child please download and complete the attached form and return this (along with your payment) to the Kuratau School office.  Alternatively you are welcome to pay the entry fee to:

Kuratau School Board of Trustees: 06-0471-0055454-00.  Please include your child's name and CAM as the reference. 

All Entries must be received by Friday 2nd May Thank you.

A child’s first teeth (baby teeth) are important for:

 Chewing foods
 Speech
 Saves space for the adult teeth when they come through
 Provides structure for the face
 Self esteem

Tooth decay is the second most common disease among humans.  But it is preventable by brushing, flossing and going for regular checks.  Teeth should be brushed twice a day-after breakfast and before bedtime.

When brushing teeth, brush in small circles including near the gum line.  Make sure you brush all surfaces of the teeth and brush the front and back of the teeth.

Remember to brush your tongue!

 A huge shout out to our community outdoor centre Sportinglife who generously donated 12 pairs of swimming fins to our school for our students use.  Despite the weather cooling down there were still plenty of smiles when trialling these out earlier in the week.  Thank you Sportinglife!