Newsletter 15 2019 Kia Ora Whanau.

Having just returned from another year competing at the North Island Primary Ski Championships, I’m reflecting on the successes that we’ve had already this

year, and the breadth of success our children have achieved. With our top ski team achieving 20th place out of 154 teams, the huge commitment from our ski families came together with a great result.

As we head into term four, exciting activities like EOTC week (25th – 29th of November) and our Celebration of Learning and presentation of academic awards and

trophies (Wednesday 11th December, new time of 3pm) are springing up on the horizon. I thought it was important we celebrate other fantastic achievements our students have already achieved this year.

• Five Tournament of the Minds teams represented Parnell District School at the recent Auckland T.O.M competition. They all

did a fantastic job and our Year 7/8 Social Sciences team were crowned Auckland champions and our Year 5/6 STEM team were awarded runners-up.

• The PDS Kapa Haka Group has exceeded 70 children and they all performed amazingly well in their new uniforms at the Matariki Festival at Stonefields School. We were even

invited to open a national law conference at Sky City.

• Our School Choir has doubled in size and performed brilliantly at the Kids Sing Festival

at the Auckland Town Hall. They earned themselves a Bronze Award.

• The Year 7/8 Innovation Fair and the Year 0-3 Science Fair were fantastic examples of

innovative thinking and wonderful celebrations of children's learning.

• The school leadership academy is working hard and is constantly looking for ways to

involve students and improve our school. House challenges, 'Dragon's Den' initiatives and KIT projects are just a few of the highlights.

• Our Sustainability Squad continues to impress, with their innovative ideas to try and make our school more sustainable. The new worm farm behind the dental clinic and our

new recycle boxes are great examples of successful, collaborative projects.

• The school gymnastics programme is in full flight with training sessions two mornings a week and some fantastic individual and team results in competitions. Two of our teams qualified for the Auckland Championships by coming third in our zone.

• At least 80 children from Year 2-8 have represented our school at after-school netball or basketball competitions across terms 2 and 3. Everyone has played amazingly well and a number of teams placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their grade, including four first places!

• We've had a number of excellent individual performances at both cross country and swimming events this year. One of our runners beat the best runners from all the school in the Bay Suburbs to finish first and we also had a second and a fourth placing. The most pleasing thing was children improving their results from the year before and

representing our school with such pride. • We've had some amazing team results in different sports this year. We've had teams

come first in Ripper Rugby, Softball, Football, Basketball, and Netball competitions as

well as numerous sports teams who have placed first, second or third in their respective competitions.

• Some of the highlights to come include, Parnell's Got Talent, the Festival of Oral Language, School Athletics Day and EOTC Week.

Thank you again to all the amazing staff, parents, and students who have worked so tirelessly to achieve these results!

PARENT HELPER MORNING TEA

If you have been a parent helper this year, you are invited to our parent helper morning tea! A special presentation from our Kapa

Haka group and Choir will greet our parents and helpers as we thank them for all they do to support our students.

We look forward to seeing you on the 25th of September, at 10:30am in the school hall!

Important dates: Term 3 20/9 Assembly Room 1

23/9 Week 10

25/9 Parent Helpers Morning Tea 10:30am - Service Leaders Hosting

27/9 Te Arawa Assembly: Red Nose Day! Term 3 ends at 3pm

Important dates: Term 4 14/10 School begins 9am

18/10 Assembly Room 28

21/10 Week 2

25/10 Assembly Room 7

28/10 Labour Day

29/10 Week 3, PTA meeting 7pm

1/11 Assembly Room 30

4/11 Week 4

6/11 Whole School Athletics at Glover Park

7/11 Mufti and Sausage Sizzle

8/11 Assembly Room 25

11/11 Week 5

13/11 Athletics Save Day

15/11 Assembly Room 27

18/11 Week 6

21/11 Year 0-3 Goal setting 3-6pm

22/11 Assembly Room 26

25/11 Week 7 - EOTC week

29/11 Assembly New Entrants

2/12 Week 8

4/12 Bake Sale, New entrant transition morning

5/12 Auckland City Mission Mufti day, New entrant transition morning

6/12 Assembly: Room 24

9/12 Week 9, Year 4-8 reports available

10/12 School trip to the Parnell Baths

11/12 Celebration of Learning: Prizegiving. 3PM at the Cathedral

13/12 Aotea Assembly, School ends 1pm

Our amazing school holiday Programme is here!

Spring Dinner Thank you to Kate Berry for taking the lead in organizing the Principal’s dinner on Saturday night. A great night was had by all, and almost $30 000 was raised.

2020 planning meeting Our next PTA meeting is on the 29th of October. In this meeting we will start to look at our fundraising projects for 2020, and feedback on how the PTA have supported the school in 2019. We welcome all members of the community to our meeting at 7pm in the staffroom.

Look Sharp Discount Anyone connected to the school - staff, parents, students - are all eligible for a 10% discount -

they just need to ask for the PARNELL DISTRICT SCHOOL discount & you’re often asked who the Principal is as proof :) (That’s Chester the dood if you were unaware) Look Sharp Store, 123 Broadway, Newmarket. I am planning my Halloween already.

PTA NEWS

Gladstone Tennis Club School Holiday Programme Dates: 30th September- 4th October and 7th-11th October

Time: 9am-12noon Cost: $160 or $35 per day Enquiries and/or to enrol your child contact Martin 0221858816 or email martin@gladstonetennis.co.nz