3 December

Dear Parents

I am sure a large number of you observed the two minute silence yesterday in remembrance of the 29 miners at Pike River. We discussed the silence yesterday and I am very proud of all the children for honouring the occasion.
I am also very proud of the children in Room 9 who put together presentations about their school camp for parents on Wednesday – very well done.
N.B. Last Day for Buses is Tuesday 14th December.

BOT - We welcome Peter Downing to the Board of Trustees.
Peter will be filling the roll of Treasurer. Many thanks.

School Accounts - Please ensure all outstanding school accounts are paid as soon as possible.
As always, please contact us if there are difficulties with these.

New Library - As some of you will have noticed, work is progressing on our new classroom. We look forward to being able to begin moving into it before the end of term.

End Of Year Procedures - As part of this term’s Inquiry Units, a number of classes will use a DVD as part of the celebration.

Book Amnesty - Next week will be the last day for children to borrow books from the school library. We are looking forward to completing a stocktake and preparing the books for our new library, next year. Sadly, there are a large number of books overdue. Could you please have a huge search and return all books, (library, reading, etc) to school as soon as possible? No questions asked.
Thank you for your support with this.

Basketball / Flipper Ball - Good luck to all the teams playing in the Basketball finals this Monday night, especially the Year 3 & 4 mixed team (sharks) who will be contesting the final.
The times are: Sharks vs Makarewa Sharks = 5.30pm
Slamdunkers vs Donovan dunkers = 4.00pm
Spurs vs St Theresa’s Magic = 6.30pm
Shooters vs St John’s Breakers = 6.00pm

Good luck also to Campbell Hosie, Jack Sievwright & Damian Mitchell who are in a flipper ball final.

Term Events
New Entrant Day 8/12 Reports Home 13/12
End of Year Mass 13/12 School Finishes 12.30 pm 15/12
School re-opens 2011 31/1

PTA
Second Hand Uniform Sale – will be held on Tuesday 9th December 2.30 pm onwards.
If you have anything you would like us to sell on your behalf and/or donate, please contact Amanda 215-7663.

Calendars – the last day to order these is Tuesday 7th Dec.

Congratulations to Laura Boniface who gained a Commended & Highly Commended in the Highland Dancing Competitions in the Sacred Heart hall last weekend. A great effort for her first appearance.

Senior School Craft Stall – Thursday 9th December 3.30pm in the Town Library.
Profits will go towards the Earthquake damage at St Pauls school in Christchurch.

Basketball Results
Shooters lost 19 - 21
Sharks won 18 - 2
Slamdunkers lost 6 - 20
Spurs won 22 - 17

Guitar Lessons – Contact Becks (03) 9730430 or 0278254984

The Shelley E Coutts Dance Academy Christmas Production featuring the “Glee Showcase” followed by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is being held at Centre Stage Theatre Sunday 12 December, 2pm and 6pm. Tickets available from Laker House of Travel, 36 Kelvin St. Adults/Seniors $18.00 Children $15.00

Calling all Dad’s – 362 Dee Street 5 – 7 pm Starts February 17 2011 – Supporting Families will be having a monthly get together every 3rd Thursday for Dads who are raising children alone, or caring for someone who is affected by mental illness or addictions. A light tea will be provided. Bring your children along. This is an
opportunity to meet others in similar situations who if this sounds like something you may be interested in, please contact 218-2100.

Room 9 Class Happenings

Here are a few of the Year 6 Recounts from Camp

Gold panning.
Wow we’re going gold panning. I’m so excited I can’t wait.
When we got to the gold panning area I was all hyped up about finding gold. I had … gold fever. First our teacher Angela showed us how to find gold in the pan and showed us how to use it and to make sure that our gold did not fall out of the pan.
When we got started we had to wash it out 10 times, you had to be very patient to do gold panning. Bad luck for me because I’m not that patient! By the time I washed out my pan 10 times some people had already found some gold, so they were on to their second pan.
Once I had done that I had to carefully tip the stones out a few at a time. I had got to the bottom of my pan and there was no gold so I started my second pan and there was still no gold. I was on my third pan and was about to give up when I heard Mr Forde say that I was the only person who had not found any gold and some people have found 2 bits of gold.
So I decided to see the expert Angela. She helped me find some gold. I was really happy that I had found some gold in the end. I discovered how hard and boring it must have been for those goldminers. By Mackenzie

The Arrowtown Butcher and Baker.
Angela, the Museum teacher, told us another story about a man who owned a bakery and butchery. He had his own recipe to his magnificent sausages. All of the Arrowtown people loved his sausages. He always had this little pipe in his mouth. Every time he was making his sausages. Little bits of his dribble second by second came down the side of his mouth and it kept coming and dropping into the sausage mixture.

One day the man was thinking about selling the butchery to another man. When the new owner made the sausages the customers didn’t think they were as good as the old owners.
So the new owner asked the old butcher what his secret recipe was so that he could put it into his sausages. When the new owner watched the old butcher, he saw that his dribble was going into the sausages. Then he realised that his secret recipe was his dribble. Zyntarah

On the first day of camp the Year 6 students went out on Mr Harrington’s jet boat. But first we need to have the right clothing for boating. So we got into our wet suits and life jackets. Let’s get to it, yea!
The first pair went on the biscuit. It looked soo... cool and soo... fast, they must fall off but they didn’t.
Then it was my turn so Sam H and I got on the double biscuit and held on tight and gave Mr Nally the thumbs up ( thumbs up means fast, thumbs down means slow) and we were off. We were talking to each other as we were riding.
Then came the first corner “Wow that is going to tip” I shouted to Sam but it didn’t. As we got to the jetty, we got off. “That was awesome!!” we all shouted.
On the way home we were all so excited, tired and ready for bed. Keegan









PTA
As advised in the last newsletter the list below is a list of the businesses who donated prizes and/or goods, services or equipment on the day of the fair. We would like to say thank you once again for your generosity and ask the school community to reciprocate the support shown when ever possible, by supporting these businesses.

Chocolate Wheel / Silent Auction Prizes
Business Names
Couplands Da Vinci’s Pizzeria Ltd
ILT H & J Smiths
Progressive Countdown Hunt Computer Service
Waikiwi Amcal Pharmacy Nichols Garden Centre
Kayes’ Bakery Sport Southland
Rodgers Yamaha Countdown
McKenzie Menswear Reflections
Reading Cinemas Super Bowl 10 Pin Bowling
Lusty’s Gemtime Jewellers Chipmunks
Outdoor World Christmas Magic
Green Acres Driving Range Seriously Good Chocolate Company
SBS Bank Road Safety Southland
Deep South Ice Cream Office Max
YMCA Alpine Farm Buildings
All-Tyres Karl Boniface Plumbing
Banbury Wholesale Clothing Company Bidvest
Webbline Agriculture Ltd BNZ
Pumps ‘n’ Udder Things Van Eeden Tulips
Pipe and Fittings BDO
Southern Cross Produce Stabicraft Marine
Insol Shading Systems Niagara Truss and Frame
Kaka Retreat Stewart island Westpac
Number Works ‘n’ Words Fonterra
Les Sheikh Hair Design Bavarian Motel
Calder Stewart Roofing Zenitec
Snap On Treasury Wines

Donated Use of Goods/Services/Equipment for use on the day.
Smilies Hogans horses
Isla Bank Butchery BNZ
Southern Light Stabicraft Marine
Ray White Real Estate McNeill Drilling