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2012

Dear Parents

Welcome to Week 3.

This week we welcome Blake and Mitchell McKenzie from Omakau along with their parents Catherine and Benjamin into the Myross Bush School community.

Our staff get the chance over the next 2 days to hear, reflect and develop further their thinking around how the learning in our curriculum is supported and enhanced by the appropriate use of IT tools. Part of our discussion at staff meeting last night was around ensuring that whatever tool is chosen for use in a learning task, whether IT related or not, is done so for a specific reason or intention. We then reflected on

our development over the last year from our continuing involvement in this ICT cluster.

I also shared with them a short video from Michael Fullan (Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto) where he shared, firstly the strategies often used to reform schools towards improving student learning and then secondly, some key drivers that do reflect positive school change - which are: Focus on core goals; Focus on developing great teachers; Focus on teamwork; Focus on enhancing leadership; Use data productively. (This link is provided on the online newsletter if you are interested in viewing).

These are all key focuses for our own school. We want the best for every child who comes to Myross Bush School. We want to continue developing as a professional team - both with our teacher and leadership capacities. We openly discuss student learning and assessment and support each other in finding solutions to different situations. That is why days like this are important. Thank you again for your understanding and support with this afternoon for our teaching teams’ development.

RegardsTim LovelockPrincipal

Myross Bush SchoolNewsletterFind out more at www.myrossbush.school.nz

Creative kids in the sandpit one sunny lunch time have designed and built a "Sand Couch" complete with coffee table, remote and TV!!!

Kia tu Pakari From strong foundations we grow and stand tall together

Community:  Donovan Primary PTA: proudly presents a night of fun, based on the iconic TV show “It’s in the Bag”. Friday 25th May 7.30pm $10 per ticket (adults only) Supper included, no door sales. Prizes include: Computer, Freeview Decoder, Digital Camera. IPod, Scholastic Book Pack vouchers and more. Tickets available from Donovan Primary. Limited to 160 tickets. Due to the nature of some of the prizes, entry is restricted to persons over the age of 18. Inquiries to Donovan Primary 2159664.

Lost: New black Macpac puffer jacket size 8, Unfortunately not labelled. Send to office if it turns up at your place. Thank you

Pink in Paris: Join us for a Parisian themed breakfast on Saturday 21 May at 9.30am at the Elmwood Gardens. $25 per person, with $7 going to the Pink Ribbon appeal for the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation. Available till 4pm Thursday. Please phone: Tania Horton; 2304416 or 0272554416 for more details

Tap Dancing: Saturday 19th May 2012. Come along and watch local Tap Dancing. Song & Tap, Slow Tap, Speed Tap, Waltz Tap. Duos, Solos & Championship Tapping@ Repertory House,cnr Jed and Esk Street. Saturday 8.30am-7.00pmAdults-$5.00 Children-$2.00Preschoolers-FREE Programme-$2tapping.ingill@woosh.co.nz

Last Friday Rata enjoyed hearing about the groups each other belongs to. This week we are writing reports about them and will publish them in a class book. We are learning about how we have rights and responsibilities within a group and how our actions have an impact on the group.

Robson proudly showing a group he belongs to.

DAVID WHITE BUILDINGExperienced Qualified Builder of:• New Homes• Residential Extensions and Renovations• Farm Sheds etc...• Phone 0274351490 or A/H 2304984

School News:Kids for Kids Concert: The Kids for Kids concert is almost here! The 27 Y3-6 children involved have had a great time getting to know the songs and there has been a lot of practice happening at school and at home. The show is on Tuesday, 15th May, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale at the Invercargill City Council office, Cost Adult $22, child $16.On Tuesday, 15th May, we will be going by bus to the Civic Theatre from 9 am till 12.30pm for a rehearsal. For the evening performance children are required to be at the theatre by 6.45pm. The concert runs from 7.30-9.30pm. Children should wear bright coloured clothing on the night (NOT school uniforms), the brighter the better! No jackets or jerseys are to be worn on stage- it gets too hot under the lights. Parents are welcome to photograph the show, but it is not possible to video it due to copyright restrictions. Please see me if you have any questions,Thank you,Amy Polaschekamy@myrossbush.school.nz

FOR SALE:We have 4 adult tickets ($22) and 1 child ($16) for sale at the office. If you haven’t bought yours yet and would like to go please contact the office asap. These can be sold separately.

Cross Country:The annual Southern Zone cross country will be held on Friday 25th May at Woodlands AgResearch Farm 204 Woodlands - Morton Mains Road. with a postponement of Monday 28th. The first race will be at 10.45am. Children will travel to the cross country by busDistances are: 5 & 6yrs - 500m, 7 & 8 yrs - 1000m, 9yrs - 1500m, 10 & 11yrs - 2000m, 12 & 13yrs - 3000m.Ages are at the 31st Dec 2011.Food - PTA will be selling food at the venue.Further details will be sent home next week along with a return slip about travel arrangements home from the event.

Week 3 Term 2

MANUKA - have made a great start to being cultural detectives around our school and our homes. Thank you for helping to find the everyday evidence of Maori culture around us. The photos and the labelled drawings have been a fantastic resource for discussion and for exploring our focus goal in our inquiry topic this term. We are also learning about what makes a group a group. We have come up with this definition "A bunch of people (or animals) who get together often and who get along together to meet a common set of goals." Our class is a group – a group of children who come to school to play and work together to meet our social and learning goals. We have been enjoying finding out the names of some animal groups - ask your child what a group of leopards is called! Certificates: Seren Carr and Makayla Koppert for fantastic spelling.

KOWHAI We had a great day on Friday finding out groups people in our class belong to. We even had a race horse come to school! Check out our blog for photos, and while you're there please help your child fill out the form on what groups they belong to. We will collate this information to make some graphs. Watch out for Q-bear and the cultural detective pack coming to your house. It's really interesting to find out how New Zealand's unique culture is reflected in our homes and communities. Please make sure you have a water bottle at school everyday. Learning is thirsty work!

RIMU have been learning about groups. We know that we all have a role in a group and a responsibility to fulfill this role so that the group is effective. We are all trying to maintain our healthy eating habits and to do this well we need something like fruit or crackers for brain food and plenty of water by having a drink bottle in the class. Thank you to all the people who have filled out our survey on the class blog we hope to make a graph with the results.Certificates Logan Thornton and Logan Phillips.

RATA Over the next few weeks we will be cultural detectives and are hunting around for signs of Maori culture in our everyday lives. The school camera will be coming home with us so that we can take photos of the evidence. We have enjoyed learning how to say the names of colours in Maori. Have a lovely week.

MIRO are very excited about our trip to Riverton on Friday. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to to investigate how early Europeans and Maori lived in our area.Over the week we have been discussing how reflection can help us organise our thoughts and feelings, and assist us to identify our next learning steps. We have been using De Bono's thinking hats as a reflection tool.Reflections on Cross Country so far... The red hat -• I feel confident that I can run 5 laps of the field in 7 minutes".Will

• I feel Cross Country practice can make you fit" HannahHave a great week.Certificates: My apologies for certificates last week. These will be handed out in assembly next week. Holly Muirhead, Ollie Polaschek

TOTARA are pleased to welcome Blake McKenzie to Team Totara, another smiley, hard working person to join the team! We are looking forward to our Field trip to Riverton this Friday as part of our Inquiry. The "Te Hikoi" exhibition looks fascinating and we can't wait to participate in the experience!Certificates: Ben McCorkindale for showing initiative and integrity all the time, you are awesome!Amber Gowers for showing great effort and thought in her reading, great work!

KAURI • Can’t wait till we stay the night at the Dunedin Museum on Monday night - Sophie• Can’t wait for the art session at the Art Gallery in the Octogan next week - Olivia• So pumped about Young Leaders... can’t wait... won’t sleep... too excited! - Ben

Thanks to everyone who has sent their forms to the office for the Young Leaders trip on Monday. We are really looking forward to the two days in Dunedin - look out for photos and videos on our school blog very soon!

We are also pleased to have some of you joining us for the trip to Riverton on Friday. Our inquiry into team work and how different cultures work together in NZ is bringing up some incredible questions and concepts for us to 'unpack.' It's an action packed term!

Assembly Duty: No Assembly this week due to the Senior School trip to Riverton.

Sports Notices:Hockey: MB Missiles v Waverly Park Won 3-1 POD Angus BurnettMB Matrix v Waihopai Draw 1-1 POD Aiden McAraMB Movers v St Theresa’s Draw 2-2 POD Olivia HortonMB Machines v Salford Lost 6-0 POD Campbell Henderson

Friends of the School:Next meeting will be held on Wed 30th May 7.30 at Buster Crabb, come for coffee and desert. All welcome. Phone or e-mail Kimberly to confirm your attendance. Ph 230 4342 or 5grays@clear.net.nz fro

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May June July

9 Wed

School finishes today 1pm

4th Mon

Queen’s Birthday

16 Mon

Term 3 begins

10 Thurs

Last day for payment for Young Leaders Conference

15th Fri

Southland Primary Schools Cross Country

14 Mon / 15 Tues

Young Leaders Conference

29 Fri

Term 2 last day

15th Tues

Kids for Kids Concert

16th Wed

Pre school parent night for parents of children starting between now and 30th April 2013.

21st Mon

BOT Meeting 7.30pm Please note change of date

25th Fri

Southern Zone Cross Country at Woodlands

(Postponement 28th May)

30th Wed

Friends of the School at Buster Crabb 7.30pm

Don’t forget... • We have 4 adult tickets and 1 child ticket for the Kids for Kids concert at the office, contact us.

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