Kia ora koutou Motumaoho Whanau and Caregivers,

Learning is a progressive activity; lessons build on what has been taught the day before. Catching up on missed learning opportunities is not always possible and children who are not attending regularly do not get the same opportunity to practise learning activities as their peers and we all know that regular practice helps us to learn a new skill - as in sport or music.

Regular participation in daily classroom activities plays a significant role in a student’s success and helps them build friendships and confidence at school. It may seem as though having the odd day off here and there does not matter but over time it builds up. 

The chart attached to this article gives an overview of how important regular attendance really is.

We do know that getting your child to school every day is not always easy. We are here to help. If you are having a struggle with regular attendance please chat to your child's classroom teacher or contact Tina, principal@motumaoho.school.nz.

This is a friendly reminder to all parents and caregivers to ensure that students are:

Remember to come into the office to do so on the device at the office. Students cannot sign themselves in or out.  

Thank you to those who are already doing so. It is greatly appreciated. 

Lunar New Year celebrations started in countries like China, Vietnam and South Korea on January 29th and are celebrated for up to two weeks. In Ruma Tūi we celebrated by creating artwork and finding out which animal our birth year represents. This year is the Year of the Snake and people born in the Year of the Snake are believed to be insightful, graceful and resourceful. 

It has been a busy start to the year here in Room Piwakawaka, we have been having a great time swimming almost everyday, practicing water safety skills and getting more comfortable being underwater. 

This term we are lucky to be able to enjoy music and dance classes each week and the students have been learning all about using different instruments (including their bodies) and rhythm. 

All of the students have had a great start to the year, adjusting to a new teacher and new routines while working hard on their learning. We are all looking forward to the exciting things to come and all of the growth to be made. 

Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap were the focus of our learning last week. Tamariki learned that:

Over the last 3 weeks we have been working together to build rapport and understand our school values in a meaningful way.  Te Tiriti o Waitangi celebrations have given us the opportunity to develop our own class treaty which we have all signed.  

Swimming has seen us focus on water safety skills such as entering the water safely, unassisted floating and developing confidence in the water.  In class we are working hard on our handwriting, constructing amazing sentences and explaining maths strategies.  We love using our new stationery and are working hard to set up our books correctly.

On another note, Team Tui have been amazed with the crown pumpkin we planted last year which is growing beyond belief!  
2025 will be an exciting and interesting year. 

Our students were very excited to meet Ruth and Joshua at our assembly on Friday. Many students indicated an interest in learning to play an instrument. Remember that the lessons will be right here at school, during school time, so no rushing around after school to transport your child. 

This coming Friday there will be a have-a-go session on the deck. Musiqhub will bring their instruments to allow you and your child to decide together on the best instrument. We are looking forward to seeing you there. 

When: Friday, 28 February

Time: From 8 am 

Where: Deck

Who: Parents and Students who are interested in signing up for music lessons provided by MusiqHub

Thank you for collecting Yummy stickers!! The equipment from the Yummy Apple Company has arrived. Thank you so much everyone, this is amazing for our Tamariki!

Ask your friends, family, and neighbours to collect the Yummy Fruit Stickers to help Motumaoho  School. Shop at New World, Pak 'n' Save, or participating Four Square stores. Purchase Yummy apples, either bags with cut-out labels or individual apples with Yummy stickers. One cut-out label is worth 10 Yummy stickers! Place the Yummy stickers on sticker collection sheets and bring them to school. Our Yummy stickers will then be converted into a winning share of the $200,000 sports prize pool from DG Sport. 

*Newsflash: There is now an addition to the Yummy family - Hailstone Hero apple bags. A wild spring storm hit the Hawkes Bay, damaging a significant amount of the apple crop with hail. Although these look funny, they still taste yummy. The official cut-out is not on these bags, but you can collect the round bar-code sticker as 10 points. These are Yummy apples but branded Hailstone Heroes and available in both New World and Pak 'n' Saves. 

Sticker collection sheets - you can print them from the Yummy Fruit website: https://www.yummyfruit.co.nz/schools/ So let’s get munching!

Ruma Pīwakawaka - Peighton and Qiyana

Ruma Tūi - Ashton and Waiparemoa

Caught being Good: Maya and Dylan

If your child is turning five in the next six (6) months, please ensure you enrol them as soon as possible. If you know of any families looking to enrol their child/ren, please provide them with our contact details.

Please collect enrolment packs from the office, or email office@motumaoho.school.nz. We also have our enrolment details on our school website. Click here for online enrolments.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Whooping cough is a highly infectious disease that is spread by coughing and sneezing. There has been an increasing number of whooping cough cases in New Zealand. This is highly contagious, and can be very serious for babies and children. Immunisation provides the best protection against whooping cough. This immunisation is free for children under
18, pregnant people and adults from 45 and 65 years old. Staff are encouraged to stay up to date with their immunisations, especially anyone who is pregnant.

Head Lice

A reminder to keep checking your child's hair for Head Lice and treat as necessary if your child has them. 
Head Lice are spread through direct contact. They cannot hop, jump, swim, or fly. School students spend a lot of time in close contact with each other, and lice move from one head to the next. They can also temporarily live on combs, hairbrushes, hats, hair ties, as well as cushions and soft furniture. Getting lice has nothing to do with hygiene – you could be washing your child’s hair every night, and they can still get lice.

Tying up your child's long hair can help prevent from spreading.