1. What's new ? Principal updates Week 4 Term 1 2015

Engaged Learning Progress 
We have almost come to the end of our fourth week back at school.  This is a good time to reflect on our progress so far.
The children in all learning hubs are starting to understand their goals and our expectations.
At the start of the year, these were the goals that were set across the school. This helps you to understand that the expectations for the juniors are quite different to the senior children. Visiting the learning hubs from the junior to the seniors, the progression of learning and expectations becomes quite clear. These are the goals that are also shared on the Teaching and Learning Site under the Learning Overview tab.

Junior Hub 1: We show love and kindness by caring for our own and others' belongings while participating fully in all activities. Junior Hub 2: We can say where we are at with our learning and what our next step is. Middle Hub: We take responsibility for our own learning by setting personal goals and working towards them. Senior Hub:  We want to learn and know how to learn. School Council and Year 8 Leaders The school council were presented with their badges this week and had their first meeting. Year 8 leadership meetings commenced with  the House Captains and Performing Arts leaders. There will be a record of our meetings on the principal's blog under the 'students as leaders' tab. Home and School News

Rachel Fowler and the Home and School parents have been working hard to plan and prepare our first fundraiser for the year - the Food Fair. Thank you to everyone who has responded positively with support and a $10 donation towards food costs etc. Donations are due in tomorrow. Please ensure that you continue to support our school volunteers. If you ever have any concerns about fundraising events and requests, please direct them to me. 
Every year, we rely on a donation of $10,000 in fundraising to contribute to the range of resources at school including art materials, library books, leadership and council badges and PE equipment. 
This means that the Home & School parents need to raise $2,500 a term. Raffles, cake stalls and other events are the only way our small team of dedicated parents can meet this target.
The junior playground alone was almost $40,000.
Tuesday 3rd March will be the Home & School Annual General Meeting. This is the perfect time to come forward and offer your support. Many hands make light work. Come along to Ruma Koru at 7.00 pm on Tuesday night and join the Home & School fundraising group.

Goal Setting Meetings
Thanks to all of you who have made an effort to meet with class teachers this week and set goals with your children for 2015. Mr Cartlidge will hold his meetings next week.

Please remember to check this news blog each week for diary dates, notices and events. We have 143 families at school now and 97% of you have access to emails. Most of our news is now digital to save on paper costs. 

Staff News
At the end of this term we will farewell Miss Clouston. She has made the decision to move back home to Central Otago. We have advertised for a new teacher to join Mrs Brookes in Junior Hub 1 and will let you know as soon as an appointment is confirmed. 

Looking forward to Walking and Wheeling week next week. You can read more about this in the notice section of this news blog below.