Issue No 7, 3rd August 2021 - Owairoa Primary School
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Issue No 7, 3rd August 2021
• Amelia Claassens • Xanthe Violet Matariki Manning
to our Owairoa “family”
• Jazleen Kaur • Maia Elizabeth Jean Spinks
• Alice Ouk • Karina Chopra
• Hugh Berrington • Aymaan Haider Zaidi • Fearne Charlotte Collier
• Hao Xuan Li • Idris Luka Richard Bryan Pulley • Madison Ruixi Li
• Saulo Abu-Chacra • Theo Campbell Lokerse • Ariella Jasmine Damons
• Almeida Correa • Christian Munashe Chikonyora • Kristian George Bennett
• Estella Eunyu Lee • Nathan Zhexi Li • Hritik Narwal
Ti Aho Mai Let It Shine
On Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th June, the Senior
Choir went to BBI to perform at the Music Festival.
The schools that performed were Bucklands Beach
Primary, Pigeon Mountain Primary, Mellons Bay Primary,
Macleans Primary, Bucklands Beach Intermediate and
Owairoa Primary School.
Over Term 1 and Term 2, the children learnt six songs:
four for the mass choir and two that we would perform
on our own. The mass choir songs were from Disney,
Believer, Whakaaria mai and Heal the World. Our own
two songs that we sang were Memories from Maroon 5
and Better When I’m Dancin’ by Meghan Trainor (which
also featured in the Peanuts movie).
Other notable performances were from David Wallace,
an opera singer, who sang from the Marriage of Figaro,
two trios from BBI who played violins, flute and piano
and the BBI Orchestra.
We all had a great time. The choir would like to thank
Miss Findley for her choir leadership, BBI for their
hospitality and our Owairoa Parents and Caregivers who
supported us.
We received some lovely feedback…
I had the pleasure of watching the Owairoa Choir on
Tuesday night at BBI and as usual they were fantastic,
I thought the songs and voices were one of the best
out of all the choirs. Well done to all the students and to
Miss Findley.
Junior School Sharing Assembly for Term 2
The Junior School was lucky enough to share their learning at our end
of Term Two celebration. There were Pukekos, Tuis, Maui Dolphins,
Taniwhas and Skinks – can you guess the theme? That’s right, we
were learning all about animals this term!
We were all very nervous but also excited to be on stage. The Junior
School put on their best singing voices to show our families some of the
wonderful songs we have been singing.
Well done to all the performers in Rooms 1, 4a, 8, 10 and 11, as well
as the certificate receivers, and a big ‘thank you’ to all the families for
taking time to come and share in this special event.
Rat Traps
The students in Room 8 have been designing traps to protect our native New Zealand birds. Predators such as rats,
stoats and possums take and eat the birds’ eggs.
They were lucky enough to have Emma’s Nana come in to talk about how she traps these pests. She showed the
students the many different types of traps she uses, and how each of them work. Thanks Nana!
What would lure me into a trap?
There are many things that would lure me into a trap like a present and my friend Kavish. If I were to be lured in I
would like it if I could sleep all night and day! Also, I would like worship songs, no homework, chocolate ice cream,
certificates and stickers too.
Liam Jones
Room 8, age 6
Author Visits Owairoa
A few weeks ago we saw children’s author Des
Hunt visit Owairoa to deliver a talk to the learners
in the Middle and Senior school on how to be a
successful writer. The former college Chemistry
Teacher began by comparing the modern-day
childhood to his own and highlighted how the only
constant between the two is books.
He shared his first published works, a plethora of
scientific textbooks, that became the catalyst for him wanting to offer stories related to Science that primary school
children would be interested in.
In trying to get his first fiction offering published, he faced rejection after rejection to the point where he stopped trying.
He illustrated his Eureka moment to our Owairoa students through the use of a simple fire lighter. With the
demonstration of how to manipulate the product to make a small container fly through the air, he explained how he
understood the Chemistry behind the utensil and used that to make its utilisation more exciting. It was here that he
realised if he knew how stories worked he could provide them with the spark they were missing.
Through the use of a wooden ramp, some marbles and magnets, the captivating author portrayed how conflict,
resolution and climax brought fiction tales to life. He then rounded off his presentation displaying how to build tension
and suspense through the popping of a balloon, a tangible explanation that the children clearly enjoyed.
A truly inspirational man with many literary works still in the pipeline, we look forward to reading Mr Hunt’s next
offering.
Peeky Periscopes Enthral Owairoa Students
What captures the students interest more than wanting to know what
is going on behind the large white wall next to their classroom? This
term the curious Year 4 students in Room 29 with Mrs Humphreys
decided to investigate by making periscopes. What a wonderful
ISTEAM opportunity this provided!
Much learning followed, including understanding how light is
reflected, how mirrors work and carefully measuring not only
themselves, but the wall itself and the difference in both heights.
Large sheets of cardboard were used to create 3D shaped
periscopes. This involved creating nets. Understanding angles and
placing the mirrors appropriately also added to the learning.
On completion, the students tested their periscopes by peering
through the lower viewing hole and peeking at the workers working
on the building site beyond. Excitement was high, and even more so
that they had worked successfully. All the students were able to have
a turn including a special guest, Mr McIntyre, who was invited to join
in the peeking fun.
ISTEAM certainly allows our students to work collaboratively to solve
real problems in a learning focused environment and furthermore
have fun!
Hockey Field Day A Diving Success
Year 6 Students Year 5 Students
The Hockey Field Day for 2021 took place on a glorious sunny morning. The tournament was split into two categories.
The Year 5 learners attended the morning session and the Year 6 learners the afternoon session. We entered
two teams in each year group. Each team consisted of 7 players and played on a quarter of the astro turf at Lloyd
Elsmore.
The Hockey Field Day is designed to introduce learners to the game of field hockey. The day was a success, with
many of our learners having loads of fun while playing this amazing game. Our learners were a little tentative at first,
but after a team talk or two, and finally understanding that in sport it is okay to have a little controlled aggression or to
turn “beast mode” on, we started to play some impressive hockey and scored some fabulous goals!
Special thanks to Mr Basson for his great leadership of our Hockey Teams. Thanks must go out to all the parents who
helped with transport. Without their help, we would not have been able to enter 2 teams. Mellons Bay Primary must
also be thanked for running a fantastic day.
Year 2 Visit Te Tuhi
In Week 10 the Year 2 classes visited the Te Tuhi Art Gallery in Pakuranga. This was a new experience for most
learners.
Pencil drawings were completed in preceding weeks and were used for an etching activity. Each learner produced an
individual art work, which was used in a collaborative class sentence.
The theme was a celebration of all things Aotearoa, with a focus on New Zealand art. It was a unique, hands on
experience and our students enjoyed all aspects of the day.
Simeon Brown Thanks
Splish, Splash, Dash: Cross Country
On a very cold day with intermittent showers, we ran our Cross Country across at the Howick Domain. What would
cross country be without some mud and the occasional down pour? Needless to say, it was an amazing day.
The Year 4s started off the day running in the first block, followed by the Year 5s in the middle block. Each of these
year groups ran three laps around the domain, at roughly five hundred metres a lap.
The last block saw the Year 6’s having a go. Due to the interschool competition, the Year 6’s are required to do an
additional lap to make the distance two kilometres.
All our students tried their best and it was amazing to see many students turn up and participate for this event.
Many of our learners pushed themselves through the course and upon finishing, you could see the pride of their
achievement all over their faces.
Special thanks to Mr Basson for leading our Cross Country training and team organisation and to our staff and parents
who assisted with marshalling and organisation of the day.
Native NZ Animals
Dear Jacinda Ardern,
We need you to take action! The Maui Dolphin is almost extinct. We need
you to ban the fishing nets. Put out signs around the country. Kiwis are
almost extinct because of possums and stoats, also mice. The life-cycle is
going to stop soon. New Zealand birds are upset because the different
animals are stealing birds eggs. Help us! The pests are stealing our eggs. We need our eggs so
we can have our beautiful birds. We want our children to see the beautiful New Zealand birds.
Miane Brits - Year 1
What were we like as babies?
I was born in June 2 2015 on a Tuesday. My first word
was ‘car’ and I looked like my dad. I slept well and I had
no accidents. My mum chose my name. It was chosen
from the Bible and I weighed 6.05 pounds. I first learnt
to crawl at three months. My personality was clingy!
My belly button was tiny.
Caleb Wee - Year 1
Elisha Esguerra - Year 1 Ella Li - Year 1
Matariki
Ngā mihi o te tau hou Māori!
HAPPY MĀORI NEW YEAR
Nau mai ngā hua Welcome all things that have grown
Nau mai ngā pai Welcome all things that are good
Nau mai kia nui May they be plentiful and abundant
Kia hāwere ai
We have now past the shortest day, and Matariki has risen signifying the start of the Māori New Year. We know lots of
you have been celebrating Matakiri in your own way, reflecting and now looking to the future.
COVID 19 - UPDATE
In her latest Bulletin to School Principals Ms Iona Holsted - Secretary for Education included some key
messaging and a timely reminder about Covid-19
A reminder of the symptoms to look for. You or your child may have one or more of the following:
• a new or worsening cough
• fever (at least 38˚C)
• shortness of breath
• a sore throat
• sneezing and runny nose
• temporary loss of smell.
Some people may present with less typical symptoms such as only:
• fever
• diarrhoea
• headache
• muscle pain
• nausea/vomiting
• confusion/irritability.
Symptoms can take up to 14 days to show after a person has been infected. The virus can be passed onto
others before they know they have it – from up to two days before symptoms develop. So the sooner you
seek advice, the quicker health authorities can respond.
A face covering helps stop droplets spreading when someone speaks, laughs, coughs or sneezes.
This includes someone who has COVID-19 but feels well or has no obvious symptoms. Face coverings
are particularly useful when physical distancing is not possible from people you don’t know, such as in
supermarkets and stores.
Face coverings are not required when at school or on school transport, however they must be worn on public
transport and domestic flights for anyone aged 12 and over.
Thank you all for continuing to play your part in keeping COVID-19 out of our community.
We will be doing the same through our regular cleaning, monitoring for signs of illness, continuing to
encourage good hygiene practices and supporting you to check in using the NZ COVID Tracer app.
‘Try’ing Hard on the Field
Throughout Term 2 and 3 our Owairoa Rugby Team is participating in the HPPA Under 45kg competition. This
heavily contested competition involves many schools from our local area and the boys and girls cherish playing
against these other teams.
The competition is split into four tournament afternoons. So far we have competed in two of them with some very
close games against strong opposition.
As usual, Owairoa played with plenty of spirit and worked tirelessly as a team. Even though results didn’t go our
way, we are building confidence for the next two tournament days which we will no doubt see some wins ahead.
It is an absolute pleasure to see our students run out onto the field happy and determined. The sportsmanship they
have shown so far this season has been outstanding and is a real testament to the Owairoa values they hold.
We are looking forward to the next two rounds of the competition… watch this space!
Owairoa Superheroes Success
We were proud that New
World Howick selected
Owairoa Primary School
as one of three local
schools for their ‘Howick
Heroes’ community
giveback campaign for
the month of June.
Our Owairoa
Superheroes advertising
poster was put on the
box allocated to our
school for the month,
and every time a
customer shopped
in-store at New World
Howick throughout June,
they had an opportunity
to decide where funds
are allocated, by placing
a token in the box
which they would like to
support.
At the end of the month, New World weighed all the tokens to determine how they would divide the $3,000 prize pool,
with Owairoa successfully gaining $1,121.27 as our share.
We were excited to receive the following message from New World Howick…
I just wanted to thank your school for being a part of our Howick Heroes initiative for June as one of three School
organisations.
I wanted to congratulate Owairoa on receiving $1121.27 from our voting token supported by the community.
It has been great being able to give back locally to the community. It’s something that Brendon Jones, our Store
Owner is passionate about.
Alex Temu
Checkout Manager, New World HowickElena Cai – Aotea House Leader
My name is Elena Cai (pronounced Tsai). I’m in Year 6 and I am the Aotea House
Leader. I love singing, dancing, acting and drawing.
The best thing about Owairoa Primary School is that every teacher puts in effort to give
the students a good education. Our Teachers are always so thoughtful and kind. I
really appreciate that my Teachers have taught me so many important things, from life
skills to education.
Owairoa is a very responsible school. They offer us a lot of opportunities, such as
music, choir, kapa haka, and that’s only some! Owairoa makes sure you always do
your house proud.
My favourite part of starting each new school year is making new friends. My advice is to always stay positive, keep
trying hard and remember our school’s key values of R.I.S.E (Respect, Integrity, Self Esteem and Excellence).
Cooper Gold –Takitimu House Leader
My name is Cooper Gold. I am 10 years old and am in Room 25. My hobbies include
playing rugby, scooter riding and snowboarding.
What I love about Owairoa is that there are nice gardens and places to hang out with
friends at lunch. I am grateful for learning how to be responsible and for developing my
skills in maths.
There are a large variety of sports offered at our school which I love. There are also
so many other opportunities of things we can participate in, like swimming, the soccer
teams, reading competitions and science. My advice to other students would be to
always get involved.
My favourite memory so far at Owairoa Primary School is getting chosen to be House Leader of Takitimu House. It’s
something I have always wanted to be, so I am pleased I was able to achieve my goal this year.
Road Safety
Concern over road
safety at primary
amplifies
By Zoe Garden June 21, 2021
Road safety concerns for Owairoa
Primary School have increased
exponentially in the past week.
On Thursday June 3 concerned parent
Ruth McLaren sent an email to the
school with “concerns regarding road
safety and the behaviour of parents on
Nelson Street”.
She has noticed an “increasing level of
bad behaviour”.
The school and parents are very concerned with road safety crossing.
Times photo by Wayne Martin.“Yesterday was the worst I have experienced,” McLaren wrote. She was working on road patrol. One of the 10-year-old callers was “doing her job” when she was subjected to “parents yelling at her from the road side to ‘get the signs out’ and parents “swearing and banging their steering wheels” because the signs were out. “School is supposed to be a happy and secure place for children,” McLaren said. “We are placing our children in a position where they are being verbally abused.” Her second issue is centred on the illegal actions of parents dropping their children at school and road safety. According to McLaren, parents consistently do three point turns, stop on the yellow lines and allow their children to exit the car in the middle of the road. “Road Patrollers can’t put their signs out when parents do this,” she said. Owairoa Primary and other parents share her concern. School Board of Trustees representative Emma Nasimi told the Times this issue has been ongoing. “We’ve received complaints from parents and volunteer parents,” Nasimi said. “It’s escalated over the past few months.” They feel it is an ongoing issue that many local schools face. On June 15 board members discussed the issue and possible solutions. “We wish to educate parents and the general public on road safety,” Nasimi said. One way they are doing this is through Owairoa Primary’s Newsletter. An information pamphlet written by one of the school’s parents was included in the most recent one. It contains critical rules for being a considerate motorist and reducing verbal abuse: “You must use the crossing. Yellow lines are not for stopping on. Making quick three point turns in driveways near the crossings are dangerous. When your child is exiting the vehicle, ensure they do so on the footpath. Please refrain from parking in or over residential driveways. The Year 6 students and helpers on the crossing area are volunteers. Please be kind.” Some interesting community discussion followed online, with some screenshots below..
ONLINE
Extravaganza!
AUCTION
Owairoa Primary School PTA presents:
Online Auction Extravaganza!
Taking place at the end of Term 3, our PTA Online Auction will allow you to bid on some amazing
items and experiences. All funds raised will go towards building a new senior playground. This is our
major fundraiser for 2021 in lieu of our Gala, so let’s make it the biggest and best yet!
We are still looking for sponsors (families or businesses) who are able to support the school by
donating new goods, services or vouchers to be auctioned off. If you can contribute, please contact
us at pta@owairoa.school.nz
Thank you to the following businesses who have already offered their sponsorship. Your support is
very much appreciated.Constructive Comments
Our two major Capital Works Projects are progressing well and we are pleased to report that the bridge and
remediation of the two storey block is nearly complete. Students in the top four classes of the building have returned
to their home rooms and are enjoying the refurbished surroundings.
The progress on the new 18 classroom block has been exciting as we watch it rising into the air and hopefully it will
be completed and delivered on time for us to use the new facility in February of 2022.
A viewing window is in place in the security fence and you are welcome to go and view the progress being made.
August
16th ~ 20th Book Week
24th Board of Trustees
Meeting 7.00pm
y
26th PTA Gold Coin Mufti Da
PTA Meeting 7.3 0p m
31st
September
1st 2nd Year 5/6 Evening with
the Stars
3rd PTA Sausage Sizzle
October
1st End of Term 3
18th Start of Term 4
With kind regards
from your “family”
Alan McIntyre
PRINCIPALBEFORE SCHOOL CARE: 7.00AM - 8.30AM
AFTER SCHOOL CARE: 3.00PM - 6.00PM
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: 7.30AM - 6.00PM
ENROL VIA OUR WEBSITE OR POP INTO THE PROGRAMME,
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUERIES
CALL OUR OFFICE: 09 530 9020 OR THE PROGRAMME: 021 837 051
Special Cakes for Special Occasions
Call
Now
274 7744 /thegateauhouse
www.gateauhouse.co.nz
HOWICK & ST HELIERS ACADEMY OF JUDO
TEACHING DISCIPLINE,
CONTROL AND CONFIDENCE
THROUGH JUDO
B.D.S., M.D.S.(OTAGO).
Specialist Orthodontics for Children and Adults Contact Lester Harris
4 Bleakhouse Rd, Howick, Auckland 2014 021583654
W: www.derekbarwoodorthodontist.co.nz office@howickjudo.com
P: (09) 535 4311 | E: reception@dbo.co.nz www.howickjudo.com
100 Picton Street, Howick
Ph 534 5565
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