Earn Extra Cash, receive 24% discount on your own orders

Sell Avon while the Children are at School

Avon is Flexible and Free to Join.

Phone Julie 489-0656

Number Works

NumberWorks is proud to be supporting the International Science Festival by offering 45 minute workshops aimed at parents of children learning times tables.

FREE workshop for year 3 to Year 6 on Times Tables at NumberWorks on Monday

3 July or Thursday 6 July at 7.30pm. A smorgasbord of ideas for helping children to memorize basic facts. Booking essential Ph 474 1104.

KAOS

Kids Acting on stage School Holiday Programme.

First week Monday 3^rd July- Friday7^th July

Second week Monday 10^th July – Friday 14^th July

Prices range from $90.00 -$170.00 per week.

Hours 8.00am-5.30pm

Activities include: Science Festival activities, library, Moana Pool, movies, production in the second week.

To Register Phone Liz or Tony on 4551366 or E mail – tlhayward@xtra.co.nz

Otago Nuggets Holiday programme

CHILDRENS HOLIDAY CAMP

July 11^th and 12^th July (Tuesday & Wednesday)

July 13^th and 14^th July (Thursday & Friday)

Limited Entries!

9am-3.pm Aged 8-13 years old

Forms are available at the Edgar Sport Centre and Basketball Otago's Office, which is in the Edgar Centre, Portsmouth Drive.

For any information please contacts Mohit on ph: 4564063,

021-0462694 or E-mail: basketballotago@xtra.co.nz

All Cheques should be in favour of Basketball Otago.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

On Friday at assembly, children presented work that has been completed over recent weeks or from units of work that are still in progress.

We viewed charcoal sketches of ‘heroes’ that the children in Room 1 are studying, and heard snippets of speeches that are to be delivered to classmates this week.

The children from Room 6 presented paintings they have completed after studying the work of Fredrick Hundertwasser, and children from Room 5 shared work they had completed in maths, showing activities each of them do on particular days of the week.

Much to the mirth of Room 6 children, they tricked us into settling into listening to a song that must surely be the shortest song written – two lines!

As well as having great achievements on show at assembly, it was also clear the children are enjoying their learning and having fun too!

Two visitors from Sport Otago, Deirdre Sorrell and Richard Kinley, acknowledged our achievements for the ‘Walk to School’ campaign. The children were encouraged to keep walking and do other physical activity that helps keep them healthy.

Sarah Gaffaney also announced the school’s success in the Green Ribbon Awards – a Ministry for the Environment initiative. The Minister for the Environment presents awards to individuals, groups and organizations, for outstanding work towards a clean green New Zealand. Opoho School has gained recognition for its work for the environment in the category of Young People Making a Difference. Sarah Gaffaney, Anna Fitchett, Mathew Denys ( Year 5 ) and Kelly Flett ( Year 6 ) will represent the school at the awards in Wellington on June 6^th.

‘Match the Baby Photo to the Staff member’ Competition

At assembly, Mrs Gaffaney introduced the children to a competition that the Enviro Council has launched to raise some money to put towards the cost of our paper recycling collection programme.

The goal of the competition is to match the baby photo in the display, to the school staff member. The display will be shown in each classroom and then positioned in the foyer, or outside the front entranceway on fine days. Parents, family and friends are all welcome to test their skills too. Each entry costs 10 cents and multiple entries are welcome.

( Just for your information:

Last year on a trial basis, a skip to collect paper for recycling was located at the school for the school and the community to use. It had been hoped that if these skips, placed at various school locations around the city, were well used then a free service would continue. Unfortunately the free service has been abandoned and an alternative wheelie bin service has been offered at a cost to the schools. As this cost was introduced after the budget had been determined for the 2006 year, we are working to raise a little money to help with this unexpected expense).

For those of you who think your talents are much better suited to guessing the weight of objects, the next competition is just for you!

Mrs Bayne acquired a large pumpkin from Central Otago and another competition will give people the chance to guess the weight of this giant specimen.

This is scheduled for after Queens Birthday weekend and again, each entry is 10 cents.

Gardening Report

In the school gardens we're harvesting our last crops (the cherry tomatoes are delicious, and we ate our last courgette 2 weeks ago), and preparing for winter. We have planted winter crops of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and broad beans. The liquid run-off from our worm farm and our seaweed fertiliser are used to supply nutrients for these plants. Last week we talked about why we prune trees and bushes, how to do it, and the correct tools to use, and then we pruned our raspberry and gooseberry bushes. Each lesson we prepare and eat some produce from our garden, and the potatoes we grew have been very popular, roasted whole or cut into wedges. The children continue to be wonderful, enthusiastic gardeners.

Anna Fitchett.

Telecom Points System

The Telecom School Connection programme is a great way to help our school fundraising efforts. For each national or international call you make, Telecom donates 5% ( excluding GST ) of the value of your call to our school.

The value is determined in points and we are able to use the points to pay our expenses such as telephone rental or for particular electronic equipment. Family and friends can also sponsor our school by nominating Opoho School on a sponsor registration form ( each telecom customer can only nominate one school to be sponsored ). Encourage grandparents or friends who may not have children of school age, to support Opoho School. Registration forms are available from the office or you can register on-line at www.telecom.co.nz/schoolconnection

Absences

If your child is going to be absent from school, please notify the office manager. If the telephone is unanswered please leave a message on the answer phone.

Alternatively, if you wish to leave an email message about an absence, this can be done before 9 a.m. at opohoschool@xtra.co.nz

Activity Donations

If you are paying your child’s activity donation term by term, and need to do this for this term, we welcome your payment.

Safety Policies and Procedures

Our safety practices are always under review. At a recent board meeting, the trustees recommended that procedures be developed to manage cell-phones in our school environment.

The following procedures related to the management of cell-phones owned by children have been implemented immediately and will be published in the 2007 Information Booklet.

Cell-phones brought to school by children are signed in to the office before 9 a.m. and signed out at, or after 3 p.m.

When a child needs to use a telephone during the school day, the landline is available for him / her to use.

We expect children to arrange social, after school visits from home, preferably the previous day.

The pedestrian crossing on Signal Hill Road is patrolled by two Year 6 wardens between 3 p.m. and 3.15 p.m and an adult supervises during this time. There is no formal roster to provide supervision during the time children are arriving at school prior to 9 a.m. We are mindful that traffic density and the speed of traffic seems to be increasing so we are considering providing supervision at the crossing before school. If you are willing to supervise the crossing between 8.30 and 9 a.m. either regularly or occasionally, please contact the school office.

Health Issues

Some children in the school are also being treated for threadworms. Just as it is with head-lice, preventative treatment is not recommended, so if your child has been irritable, out-of-sorts, has an increased appetite or been grinding his / her teeth during sleep, it would pay to check for threadworms. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all, and the above symptoms are not exclusively linked to threadworms… ( SORRY!!!!!!!! ).

Ice and Snow

Remember, in the event of snow and icy conditions:

Sometimes decisions are influenced by whether sufficient staff can get to school safely. Sometimes a decision is made for all schools in the first instance, and then the Opoho School Board of Trustees is required to make a decision for our school if conditions around the city are variable.

Thank you for the feedback about the mid-year report and interview process. You have given us some useful insights and we will work to continually improve the process. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to visit their child’s classroom as often as possible and get him / her to show and discuss aspects of their work. Such occasions are a great way to be involved and informed about achievements and progress, and also see work by others in the school.

Profile of a Staff Member – Chris Rout

Chris Rout teaches in our Year 5 & 6 class in Room 1. Sarah Gaffaney and Chris job-share a teaching position at our school for this year. Chris begins her teaching time at 11.30 when it is maths time and teaches the topic work, physical education, and the arts during the afternoons. Chris has more recently worked at Kaikoria School and St Clair School. She and Sarah both taught at St Clair at the same time for awhile.

Chris is a dance teacher and has a very full schedule a teaching outside the times she teaches at Opoho. She was a representative basketball player so I am sure the miniball players and coach will be hoping for a few tips from her.

Chris and her husband Neil have two adult children, Felicity and Gemma. Chris’ interests include dance and sport.

Only run your dishwasher when it is full to save water.

The Otago Art Society is running its popular "Youth Art Awards"

1^st – 6^thAugust sponsored by Art Zone. Details of when work is to be brought to the gallery and opening times for the exhibition will be sent later. Any enquires phone

Brenda Nyhof 486 2204 or Lois Lawn 4534448

Tickets for the Otago Nuggets' home game on Sunday 4 June against Manawatu at the Edgar Centre at 5pm. Tickets are being sold at normal prices ($12 for adults, $5 for school-aged children, and $30 for a family of four), with the Team earning a commission. It's a great way to help the kids and offers the added convenience of not having to queue in line for tickets. Please contact Sharon Adler at 139 Blacks Rd. by Thurs am at the latest.