Puketapu School Newsletter

Kia kaha - do your best * Kia māia - be courageous * Kia manawanui - have a heart

There were cowboys and rock stars, dancers, singers, actors, visual art... it was a feast of Music, Arts, Dance and Drama!

Our SOMAD Celebration brought together a term of learning with a range of performances including some wonderful solo performances and unexpected stars. So many students demonstrated Kia Maia by taking on the challenge and stepping up to the front.

Thank you to our Home & School team who did an amazing job of providing food and arranging some amazing raffle prizes and to all the staff and whanau who helped prepare our stars, with costumes, props, make up and more.

We had an amazing time.

On Monday morning, a group from the New Plymouth District Council, Te Atiawa Iwi and Puketapu Hapū joined us in a ceremony to bless and officially open our Dillon Drive Entrance.

We will be naming this entrance/exit "Te Ara o Tuna - The Pathway of the Eel/Tuna". We have chosen this name because of two reason: One of the reasons is because of the Piharau is the native eel of our region and there is a whakatauki, "Manawa Piharau - Determined until the end" and describes work ethic and resilience, which links to our school values of Kia Kaha and Kia Māia. The other reason is to have a significant space to remember one of our past staff, David Tuna, hence the other meaning, The Pathway of the Tuna - David Tuna. David loved gardening, working hard and our school and now his whanau have a space at our school to remember him on special dates and occasions.

This project was a collaboration between students, staff, NPDC kaimahi, neighbours and whānau.

Planting includes an arrangement of native species (Horoeka and Titirangi) and at the street end of the pathway is a bench seat for parents waiting for their children finishing school.

Thank you to all those who have been involved in this project - it looks great!

Wow, what a day! It was great to see our students displaying our school values, Kia Kaha - Do your Best, Kia Maia - Be courageous and Kia Manawanui - Have a Heart, throughout the day. A big Thank you to everyone that helped in making this day fantastic.

Which Whanau won? Come along to our final assembly where all will be revealed!

Rimu left tabloid sports after morning tea and went off to have some water fun. Perfect on such a hot day!

Our Graduation Assembly is our last whole school gathering of the year.

At this time we celebrate the journey our Year 8s have taken with us, as they prepare for the next stage in their learning journey. We award the major trophies for achievements in Academic, Sporting, Arts, Kapa Haka, Citizenship and Values and acknowledge the parts they have played at our school.

We also acknowledge those others who are leaving the school - students and families and staff and we celebrate akonga in all levels for the ways they have displayed our school values.

We would like to invite all whanau and community to join us at Northpoint Church on Monday at 11.00am for our Graduation Assembly.

Congratulations to our Duffy Award winners. Duffy Awards are given to recognise academic achievement or improvement and progress towards learning goals.

• Tyreece Joines
• Horizon Scott

Our Duffy Awards are sponsored by First Gas.

Kia Kaha - Do your Best

• Nixon Gadsby
• Horizon Scott
• Indie Rose Smith
• Claire Asai You
  

Thursday is gonna be a CULTURAL DAY!

The Hauora team are hosting a school wide Culture Day in support of Samoa. We would like everyone to dress in the culture that best represents them to celebrate who we are and please bring a gold coin with proceeds going towards the people of Samoa!
Kia Manawanui ️️

#StandWithSamoa

On Monday we held the latest in our Staff v Students sporting challenges, this time at Touch.

Final score 6-2! Well done for showing Kia Kaha and Kia Maia Staff and Students.

..

We still have 40+ touch uniforms to come in, plus two netball dresses, two basketball singlets and one rugby jumper.

If you have one at home still, please return it this week.

Wednesday 11 Dec

• EMR Trip to Goat Island departs (Kauri 16 students)
• Totara Ranui Wheels Day

Thursday 12 Dec

• Culture Day - dress up for your culture - gold coin for Samoa
• Kowhai/Totara/Rimu Meet Your 2020 Teacher (2.00-2.40)

Friday 13 Dec

• Rimu trip to Brooklands Zoo and Pukekura Park

Week 10

Monday 16 Dec

• Final School Assembly (1100) - Northpoint Church
• Year 8 graduation dinner (6.00pm) - Northpoint Church

Tuesday 17 Dec

• School finishes @ 1200

2020

Tuesday 4 Feb

• Head Start Hui (book at https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code?code=hs8yp ) - You will need to know your child's 2020 teacher to book your hui.

Wednesday 5 February

• First day in class!

Our Head Start Hui day is for every student at school.

Each learner brings their parents/whanau along for a meeting with their teacher. This is about introductions, goal setting and getting to know each other.

We want to hear from you about your child, and hear from your child about what they want to get from the new year at school.

Bookings are made online - https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code?code=hs8yp

The event code is hs8yp and you will need to know the name of your child's teacher in 2020 (which you will find out on Thursday 12 December.)

Enter your details and choose a time that suits you.

We look forward to a great Head Start on 2020!

Happy birthday to all those who have Birthdays coming up this week:

• Roam Harvey-Smith
  
• Liam Wilson
• Reeve Hunt
• Jahzaia Waiwiri

2020 also happens to be the Govett-Brewster’s 50th anniversary. Join us in remembering the past 50 years & reimagining 50 more — there is so much to see and do, it’s a celebration and you’re all invited!

Open seven days 10am - 5pm

Closed Christmas Day

govettbrewster.com

Email: office@puketapu.school.nz
Website: www.puketapu.school.nz
Location: Dillon Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Phone: 06 755 0973