Together We Grow  – Ka Tupu Kotāhi ai Tātou

Kia ora koutou OVS Whanau and Caregivers,

Just a heads up that over the holidays we will have a variety of contractors at school – working on roofing, drainage, and evaluating the condition of our school.  We are hoping that all work will be completed before we return to school in Term 4, Week 1.  

As we head into the holidays, I would like to thank everyone for their awesome support over the past term.  Our staff, community, and BOT have been incredibly supportive of me in my new temporary role as acting principal.  I have definitely learned a lot over the past 9 weeks!  It has been such a privilege to be able to help lead our lovely valley school. 

 I hope that everyone enjoys the last week of Term 3, and has the most amazing holidays! 

Ngā mihi nui

 

Heidi Nieddu

Acting Principal

 

Dates for your calendar 

Term 3
27 September – Last Day of Term 3

Term 4
14 October – 1st Day of Term 4

24th October – Ag and flower show day

25th October – Teacher only day – new curriculum 

28 October – Labour Day (Public Holiday)

8th November – Athletics at Maungakaramea. 

27th November – Life Education and Harold arrive! 

28th November – WPS kapa haka festival

11th December – OVS Kai and Carols whole school event 

18th December – Last Day of Term 4

 

Star Spot – Celebrating Student Learning @ OVS

Every week at assembly we celebrate super OVS students, and this week’s shout out is to say a huge congratulations to our R.U.R.U award winners from last weeks assembly.

Well done to Luna and our Room 7 recipient – our amazing RURU winners from week 8. 

Koia kei a koe! – Good on you!

This week’s assembly will now take place on Monday – RURU recipients from that assembly will be celebrated in Term 4 Week 1’s newsletter. 

Real time reporting

This week, we will be posting another real time reporting update.  This time it will be handwriting.  Please take the time to make sure your Hero app is logged in and you have the notifications settings on.   Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you are having any issues.  

 

Te Wiki o Te Reo

Did you know that this week was Te wiki o te reo?  We have had an amazing week celebrating all things te reo.  The lovely Darcie and Miss Lynch made daily videos of new kupu (words) and phrases for us to be using.  These were played to classes daily to encourage use of new words and phrases.  Children have been encouraged to speak as much te reo as possible, earning special Te wiki o te reo tokens that were drawn out at assembly today.  This year,  we have also added special tokens for those children who have taught te reo to someone else.  

On Thursday, Katriona and Darcie took the whole school through the process of soap making.  All classes had a blast and everyone went home with their own taonga of soap!  NGĀ MIHI NUI Darcie and Katriona ( and helpers!)! 

We also participated in our very own Maori moment – where the whole school came together and sang Tōku Reo. It was amazing to hear everyone singing so beautifully in Te Reo.  

 

Get Ready for Book Fair Week in Term 4: Explore the Enchanted Forest. 

Step into a world of magic and wonder this Book Fair Week! At the end of  Week 1 of Term 4, the school library will transform into an Enchanted Forest, where stories come to life, and imagination knows no bounds. From captivating tales of mystical creatures to adventurous journeys through magical woods, we’ll celebrate the joy of reading with fun activities, competitions, and more! Stay tuned for more details and prepare to be enchanted by the magic of books! 

 

Ag and Flower Show Day is Approaching Fast!

The countdown is on for Ag and Flower Show Day! As the big day nears, students are hard at work preparing their entries, and parents—please keep an eye out for extra homework tasks to help them get ready. From flower arrangements to farm animals, there’s lots to do! A reminder to continue training your lambs, calves, and goats for the big event.

Do you have a spare ½ hour on Ag day to spare?  The PTA are looking for some wonderful volunteers, who can help out on the day with stalls etc. Many hands make light work! 

We are also looking for a volunteer with a quad bike and high-sided trailer to assist with quad bike rides between 10am and 1pm. If you’re able to help, please let us know. Get excited—it’s going to be a fantastic day!

 

Ngā Mihi Nui Bunnings!

A big thank you to Bunnings Warehouse for contributing to our ‘Sticks & Stones Insect Haven’  that we have designed and will be planting in the outdoor learning area outside Room 1 & 2.  The aim is to attract bees and butterflies to our learning area.  Accepting the voucher on behalf of the Junior School, is Lacey Selwyn from Room 2.

 

Spotlight on Our Young Writer: Elowyn!

This newsletter, we are excited to showcase a fantastic piece of writing by Elowyn, a creative and talented Year 6. Elowyn has wowed us with her imaginative story called The Bush Fire. We’re so proud to highlight this amazing young author. Read on to dive into Ellie’s world of imagination!

 

The Bush Fire

Under the morning sun, Ruby and her dog Daisy walked around their little village in Butterfly Creek. The dew on the grass made her boots wet and muddy, and Daisy’s paws left marks in the mud. The autumn leaves crackled like lightning as they walked along the stony path. Suddenly, a smoky smell drifted through the whispering trees. “Come on, Daisy, we have to warn the town!” called Ruby.

Ruby flickered her eyes back and forth between the village and the fire burning like a potion in the tall, leafy forest. She ran and ran, her dark brown hair shining like gems in the sunshine. “Mum! Mum!” cried Ruby once she had reached a small, quaint cottage. The small purple, pink, and yellow flowers danced in the cool wind. Ruby bashed down the small oak door and started heading upstairs to her mum’s room. Suddenly, Daisy started barking. “Stop that!” called Ruby, who had turned around to call at Daisy, but she wasn’t there. Ruby jumped down the stairs, where Daisy waited for her with a slobbery piece of bacon in her mouth.

“Mum!” cried Ruby as she ran into the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and sat at the table. Her mum put a tall, sticky stack of pancakes in front of her. “Mum, fire, forest, danger, village!” she spat through a mouthful of pancakes. Ruby knew she wouldn’t have understood her, so she started again.  “Okay, so there is a fire…” said Ruby. “And the town is in danger,” finished her mum. Suddenly, a loud crackle came from outside, and then Ruby’s mum ran through the open door. Ruby and Daisy stood there, mouths open in silence.

All of a sudden, a loud DING came from outside, and then another, and another. Slowly, Ruby stepped outside of their little cottage and saw that the sound was coming from the bell tower! Then the final ding rang out, and Ruby’s mum came and stood in the center of the village. Slowly, people wearing their pajamas, yawning, chatting, and looking around to see why they had been woken up started looking in Ruby’s direction. “Okay, so there is a fire!” Ruby spluttered, but soon realized that no one was staring at her; they were staring behind her. Ruby’s head turned, and slowly her mouth dropped open. The brown ochre leaves had fallen from the trees and made the small crackling fire into giant orange flames!

Ruby turned around, the crackling flames still behind her. The whole town was still in disbelief, mouths open; some people even had tears in their eyes. But there were no tears in Ruby’s eyes—she knew exactly how to save the town! “Come on, Daisy!” called Ruby, but there was no response—no bark, no nothing. “Daisy!” she called again, but this time her voice was quieter and more frightened. Suddenly, a loud bark came from behind her. It was Daisy, but she was limping, whining, and had some burns on her front paws. While the fire crackled in the background, Ruby scooped up Daisy and ran towards the cottage.

She ran inside and picked up the phone. “111!” Ruby said aloud as she dialed the numbers. Ruby waited and waited for the fire people to come. Outside, everyone was throwing buckets of water at the fire, but Ruby knew that wouldn’t work. Finally, after waiting and waiting, sirens in the distance became closer and closer. Before Ruby knew it, there were three red fire trucks outside, spraying water at the fire and trying to save the town of Butterfly Creek. Ruby wanted to help, but she didn’t know how. While Ruby ate pancakes, Daisy barked and ran outside to where some kids were crying. Suddenly, Ruby had a spark like a star in her eye and knew how to help. She ran outside and comforted the kids—she even let everyone pet Daisy! Ruby knew the fire people would stop the fire, but they didn’t make anyone feel better. Finally, after five long hours of chucking water on the fire, the big orange flames gave up. Ruby was a hero and had helped save everyone.

From that day on, Ruby and Daisy always had adventures. Sometimes, they even sit by an old oak tree and watch the sunset. This is the story of Ruby Mclee and her dog Daisy, and now, if you ever visit Butterfly Creek, you will know why there is a statue of them in the village center.

 

Holiday Hula Hangout- Hosted by our very own Darcie!

For the first time ever, Mana o te Hula – The Power of Hula, a local contemporary Cook Islands and Tahitian dance group who have been performing throughout Northland since 2008, is offering a 2 day Holiday Hula Hang Out at Otaika Valley School for 20 children aged 7 – 11 years old. Details are below:

• Children will learn the fundamentals of hula and learn a dance to perform for their parents at the conclusion of the 2nd day
• They will make their own ei katu (flower headband). 
• Other activities will include: watching a movie with popcorn, playing some games, reading some stories – we have the use of the school library, playground, field.  
• Children will need to bring their own lunch.

When:

• 9 – 3pm
• October 1st and 2nd
• October 8th and 9th

Cost:

• $80 for the 2 days

Next newsletter – Term 4, Week 1.