Week 10, Term 3, 2023

Kia Ora, Talofa Lava and warm greetings,

Welcome to this last edition of our newsletter for Term 3. This term has been particularly eventful, with various activities and achievements taking place, all made possible through your continued support.

Social Media Awareness: We wish to reiterate the importance of our recent communication regarding social media. The digital landscape can sometimes be a challenging environment for our students, as we have observed instances of friction and confrontation stemming from online interactions. To reinforce this concern, we strongly recommend that all students stop their use of social media platforms.

You may be aware of the parental controls available on devices to help students concentrate and be safe. If not, follow these links.

Chromebooks

Windows

Mac

iPads

Music Medleys Extravaganza – last Tuesday night’s performance was nothing short of outstanding. With over 240 costume changes and an audience of over 700 attendees, it was a truly memorable evening. Our students demonstrated remarkable talent across a range of routines, each one shining brightly throughout the evening. We extend our gratitude to Miss Chilvers, Miss Hardy, and Ms Smitheram for their dedicated leadership in organising and executing this outstanding undertaking. (I know that Miss Chilvers has shared ways that families can relive the show. )

Election – on Monday 09 October, all students will have the opportunity to vote in a Kid’s Voting election. This process mirrors the General Election and we use the school results and the process to inform our learning in term 4 around the Power concept.

2023 Canterbury Westland Science Fair Results – over the weekend of September 16th & 17th, the Canterbury Westland Science Fair was held at the University of Canterbury. Congratulations to the prize winners listed below:

Bela Cameron Year 7 – Covid 19 and running

Project aim: to investigate and analyse the effects of Covid-19 infections on later running performance for runners aged 10-15 in Christchurch New Zealand.

Mansfield Health Practice- Health Aspect of a project.$50

Charlie Wilson Year 8 – Easy Catcher

Project aim: to create an efficient water collector and filter.

Lincoln University- best exhibit demonstrating the ideas of design nature. $150 and Lincoln University goodie bag.

Catherine Shao Year 8 – Duck Friendly Bread

Project aim: to invent a recipe for a digestible and nutritious bread suitable for human and duck consumption. Baking Industry Research Trust- the baking prize is awarded to the student who shows the best understanding of flour usage or bakery products in their food-related project – $50. New Zealand Institute of Food Science & technology Canterbury- for the project that best demonstrates the principles of food science, technology and engineering -$100 and trophy. Callaghan Innovation – 2nd equal – for the most innovative exhibits with commercial potential $250.

Joanne Ng Year 8- Brack Attack

Project aim: to investigate a model of desalination

1st place Year 8 Technology – $200.

World Scholars Cup – congratulations to the students who represented us so well in Wellington on Saturday at the national finals. Whilst they just missed out on a place, the team were in the hunt. Again, thanks to Miss Chilvers for giving her time over the weekend to support these students.

Ilam Road – Ilam road is significantly quieter due to the one-way system in operation. The alleyway from Ilam Road is a real pressure point, particularly after school. We have been reminding students to keep left and eyes up for Burnside Primary parents, particularly after school.

Year 8 Uniform – for the last time ever, our Year 8 students (girls) will revert to the summer uniform. Mainland Uniform still have some sizes available and we have a small number of items in the school office.

We will enforce our school sunhat policy, so please search the wardrobes or school bags for those misplaced school hats! Complementing the enforcement of sun hats, we are a SunSmart school and are lucky to have ample places for students to play in the shade at Cobham. We trust our students will make appropriate choices about their safety in the sun. We have hats available to purchase at the school office for $15.

Dental services – for details on dental services over the upcoming holiday period, please refer to this link.

We look forward to the opportunities and challenges that the next term will bring. Term 4 is always exciting and tends to be over in a blur; however, plenty for our students to enjoy. Year 8s have camps to look forward to, the Year 8 Formal, athletics, the Big Day Out and many other activities. For Year 7 students, athletics, sailing, and the Big day Out are always highlights. We wish all our students a well-deserved break and hope they return refreshed and ready for the exciting learning adventures that lie ahead. Thank you all for your continued support of our school, and we do hope the holidays go well for all families. Keep fighting the good fight, reduce screen time and support reading!!

Some upcoming dates:

First Day of Term 4 – Monday 9 October

Teacher Only Day – Monday 20 November – school is closed on this day.

Year 8 Formal – Monday 11 December

Year 8 Prizegiving – Wednesday 13 December, 7pm

Last Day of Term for Yr 8s – Wednesday 13 December, 2.50pm

Last Day of Term for Yr 7s – Thursday 14 December, 12.20pm

Ngā mihi

Eddie Norgate