ISSUE 10/14 4th August

The informed parents guide

Quick Guide to What’s Happening

@ Howick Intermediate

5th August SEZ Girls rugby 7th August H.I.S. School Speech Finals (1.30pm in School Hall) 12th August SEZ Boys Rugby 19th August SEZ Cross Country 21st August Japanese Visitors 2nd September SEZ Table Tennis 24th September Arts Extravaganza Evening

Please note that this term the Newsletter will be coming out every second week. If you have any notices that you would like included, please email them to newsletter@howickint.school.nz.

Space is at a premium and we may not always be able to satisfy your request.

Dear Parents / Caregivers Touching on a few important areas associated with Term 3… It is with great pride that I inform you that our kapa haka group will be performing in the Koanga Festival this year. Jasmine Clark, a Beginning Teacher at our school ,and whaea Eleanor Biddle and her whanau are assisting us in getting our group ready for the festival. Earlier this year, the kapa haka group performed at a powhiri and they were amazing. Reflections for Inquiry Cycle 2 are being put together by classroom teachers and this should reach you around the middle of the term. Please take some time to go through this report with your child as we will be reporting specifically on reading, writing and maths in relation to the National Standards. We are celebrating the talent of our children with an Arts Extravaganza Evening on the 24th of September. Whaea Eleanor and her whanau are also assisting us to make this event even more special by having a hangi on site. Please come along and share this exciting occasion with us. Miss Sarah Richardson and her team, Mr Robert Oliphant and Miss Jasmine Clark have worked extremely hard behind the scenes with students and the rest of the staff to put together a portfolio that could be entered for a Enviroschools Bronze Reflection. Finn Macksey and Hayley Lowe from the Auckland City Council Enviro-Team attended the reflection and went through the portfolio of evidence the Eco Team had compiled. Our students again did us very proud from presenting at assembly as well as providing strong arguments schoolwide with clear messages that included, being palm-oil free, drains are for water, not for waste, benefits of having green roofs and green walls, negative effects of water pollution on marine life, importance of balanced lifestyles, volunteer tree-planting, beach clean-ups, quality of water in our local streams, designing greenhouses, protecting the kauri tree, celebrating our diversity, and using solar power and saving energy. Lastly, please support the PTSA grocery raffle as best you can. Tickets will be available shortly.

Neetha Mudhan (Ms) Acting Principal

GROCERY

Classes have been allocated types of grocery items —please

support us by donating these items towards the raffle! Thanks for your

support!

Stardome visit

This year Howick Intermediate is holding another school-wide speech competition. Two people are chosen from each whanau to represent their whanau to compete against other students. It’s such a special event so we decided to add an extra question in. We interviewed the students and here is what they had to say.

1-Were you nervous when you were presenting your speech and why? 2-What’s your topic? Why did you pick it? 3-What are you going to improve on for the school wide speech competition? 4-Was making and writing the speech difficult and why? 5-Do you think you have what it takes to win and why?

6-Do you have any advice for future finalists?

Whanau Cooper Maiya-Room 6 (Year 7) Yes, because it was my first time. What’s behind food? I picked this topic because I found out over 70% of New Zealand is over weight and I want to work towards reducing this number. My hand gestures, eye contact and memorising. It wasn’t too hard because I had enough research and learnt new facts. Yes, because I feel confident enough. Don’t be nervous. Look at the wall because it helps. Martin-Room 7 (Year 8) Yes, I was really nervous speaking in front of all the people. My topic was about the Impact of technology on society. I chose it because it’s a big issue. I need to work on speaking louder and being more confident. Yes, it was hard. It took me a long time for research. I think so because it’s a great speech.

Whanau Ngata Georgia-Room 16 (Year 7) No, because I’ve had experience since Year 2 back at my primary school (Owairoa). I have chosen the topic ‘Mobile phones’ because it’s getting too addictive for people. I want to correct my posture when I am on stage. Yes, I think I could win because I am a very confident speaker. My advice is to just be yourself. Shekinah-Room16 (Year 8) No, because I am used to performing in front of crowds. I chose ‘Why breakfast is important’ because I think it’s a unique topic. I need to work on memorising my speech. Yes, it was hard because it was hard to find research. Yes, because I think I am confident enough. Always do your best.

Whanau Mansfield Emily-Room 21 (Year 7) Yes, I was nervous because I was a bit scared that the audience wasn’t going to get my humour. My topic is ‘Strange Jobs’. I chose that because I thought it would be interesting. I need to work on slowing down. I did find it hard working on some parts of the speech but it worked out in the end because I have done this before. Yes, I think I could win because I am confident and I have won in the past. Fake it till you make it. Savanah-Rm21 (Year 8) No, I wasn’t nervous because I’ve done this in the past. I chose ‘Bullying’ because it’s a huge problem. I need to work on probably more role play. It wasn’t hard making the speech because of experience. Yes, I think I could win because I have won this competition last year. Dream it, believe it, achieve it!

By Sophia Laurenson and Nuoya Huang Room 20

From the 21st until the 27th of July Howick Intermediate School celebrated Maori Language Week. This week was all about celebrating Te Reo Maori and learning to use more Maori phrases in our everyday lives. The theme was ‘Te Kupu O te Wiki’ and this means, ‘the word of the week’. Room 20 celebrated Maori Language week by: -Typing text messages in Maori -Brainstorming Maori words and recording the English word underneath -Writing the Maori date alongside the English date… ….and much more. We were also lucky enough to have Mrs Noble to set up a special display in the library, and these resources helped us to learn more about the Maori language and the Maori culture.

Whanau Cooper

Room 6– Ian Wood & Caitlin Kerfoot

Whanau Ngata Room 14– Ebony Rangi & Taylor Woodhead

Room 16-Mark Murti & Amy Kim

Room 17-Naashia Schroedder

Whanau Mansfield Room 18– Antony Cross & Johnny Nyugen

Room 19– Leesa Johnson & Alex Matthews

Room 20-Graeme Macmillan & Jaydyn Ru

Room 21– Andre Lao & Savanah Konia

Specialist Awards Food Technology -The Native Bird Groups

(Room15)

Soft Materials-Matthew Heather (Room15)

by Nishita Sahay Room 20

If you have not already brought in your grocery item to school, then this is just a reminder that

these need to be brought in as soon as possible. All classes were assigned an item earlier in the year, so please make sure that you do so soon.

Well done to Room 19 as they are the first class

to have brought all their grocery items to school.

TV One Tue 5 August 9.30pm

Don’t miss the second programme in Nigel Latta’s new serious on social issues in New Zealand. What is really happening in our schools and what is NCEA all about. The self-styled parenting guru says our children's education is in good hands. He says we keep hearing the education system is in crisis and that he went into the classroom sceptical about NCEA but was pleasantly surprised. The education system is much better than when he was at school, he thinks.

Latta, who hated school because it was dull, spent time in two schools in Auckland, wandering around

thinking, "this is really fun".

"There's all this constant blathering on about a crisis in education.

"Actually, we have a really good education system; it has stacked up pretty well internationally.”

"The way we teach kids is way better. It's more based on evidence and research about the things that

actually help children to learn."

In the programme, Latta heads to Pakuranga College, where he sits in on classes in English, maths, science

and product and design technology. He also has a go at PE, dance class and panel beating.

Tablets and technology are everywhere and one of the messages is that parents who are worried can relax

because NCEA teaches students how to learn and inquire rather than just store knowledge.

NZ Hearld 20 July 2014

Libraries

remain the centre of most communities and are

more than just books. They are community hubs,

filled with activities, meetings, education and

much more.

For example, Howick has four libraries within its

ward:

Howick Library, Highland Park Library, Botany

Library and Pakuranga Library.

Go to http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz for

locations and hours.

School Donations are welcome now.

You can claim a rebate with the IRD. The

necessary form can be downloaded by

clicking this link:

http://www.ird.govt.nz/forms-guides/keyword/rebates/

ir526-form-claim-rebate.html

Your donation entitles you to a free year book at the end of the year.

Visit us on facebook, Howick Intermediate

and “Like” our page to keep in touch with what is going on

around the school and our local community.

Raewyn Forrest Registered Nurse

Promoting good nutrition for children in their early years can help prevent potential health-damaging effects later in their lives. The obesity rate for children aged 5 – 14 years is 11% in 2011/2012. One in five children aged 2-14 years has had a fizzy drink three or more times in the past week. Children who are obese in childhood are more likely to go on to be obese in adulthood. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. 1.Maintain a healthy body weight by eating well and by daily physical activity. 2. Eat well by including a variety of nutritious foods from each of the four major food groups each day. -Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. -Eat plenty of breads and cereals, preferably wholegrain. -Have milk and milk products in your diet, preferably reduced or low-fat options. -Include lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or alternatives. 3. Prepare foods or choose pre-prepared foods, drinks and snacks: -With minimal added fat, especially saturated fat that are low in salt; if using salt. -Choose iodised salt with little added sugar. -Limit your intake of high-sugar foods. 4. Drink plenty of liquids each day, especially water. 5. If choosing to drink alcohol, limit your intake. 6. Purchase, prepare, cook and store food to ensure food safety. Some useful websites: Heart Foundation; Food and Nutrition Guidelines/Ministry of Health; 5aday.co.nz; www.fridge.co.nz

Well done to Room 6 for having the highest number

of Red Cards this week!

Over the years, Howick intermediate has been welcoming many International Students from different countries such as Japan and Korea. This year we’ve been lucky enough to meet Anna, from South Korea and Karin, from Japan. They have been attending Howick Intermediate for the last 6 months and are looking forward to the rest of their time here. They both arrived in New Zealand in January and have visited Hamilton and Rotorua. They both speak excellent English and have been practicing from a young age. They really enjoy speaking to all the students and teachers, and they love seeing all the wild life and nature that’s around us. They both look forward to visiting more areas in New Zealand such as the South Island and the capital of New Zealand. Some of their favourite foods from New Zealand are the famous fish and chips, and a variety of fresh produce and meats. They look forward to visiting New Zealand

again in the future and they definitely won’t

forget their memorable trip to New Zealand.

by Kimberly Permessur Room 6