Newsletter - 5 April 2024

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE


 

Our Behaviour is a Choice

At today's awards assembly, we shared this simple and important message with our young people. 

Choices have consequences, good and bad. As we get older, we're constantly faced with choices that shape our future and define who we are.

In short, our behaviour is all about the choices we make! Whether it's how we treat our friends, handle conflicts, or manage our time, every decision we make reflects our character.

Sometimes, we're not perfect, and that's okay. We're all navigating this journey called life, and making mistakes is part of the process. What matters most is how we learn and grow from them.

The important thing here is that we own our choices! Let's choose positivity, integrity, and empathy. Let's stand up for what's right and make a positive impact on the world around us.

Remember, every choice we make shapes our story. Let's make it one worth telling!

 

Kyle Brewerton
Principal/APPA President

 

IMPORTANT DATES

April 7  Daylight Savings Ends 
April 8-10 Year 7 GREEN Camp:                                    Rooms 11,12,13,14, 26, 27 & 28
April 10-12 Year 7 BLUE Camp:                                        Rooms 1, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 &18
April 12 Term 1 Ends 
April 29 Term 2 Starts 
May 6 CZ Futsal Boys 
May 7 Y8 HPV1 Immunisations
May 10 CZ Futsal Girls                                                     PTA Morning Tea
May 12 Mothers Day
May 15 CZ Waterpolo
May 16 CZ Rugby Girls & Boys 
May 21 CZ Football Y7 Girls                                            BOT Meeting
May 23 CZ Football Y8 Girls
May 24 Pink Shirt Day 
May 28 CZ Football Y7 Boys
May 30 CZ Football Y8 Boys 

 

FINAL YEAR 7 CAMP NOTICE

GREEN CAMP 1: Rooms 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27 & 28
Monday 8th April - Wednesday 10th April

BLUE CAMP 2: Rooms 1, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 & 18
Wednesday 10th April - Friday 12th April

Make sure those batteries are charged, and the packing is underway. Only a few more sleeps to go before we head out to our Year 7 Camp, and the excitement is building.

The long range weather forecast is looking promising, but as we know, the weather can be changeable, so remember to pack warm clothing and several pairs of socks. Nothing worse than cold wet feet!!

A reminder also that students will need to bring lunch, snacks and a drink for the first day of camp and also some home baking or a packet of biscuits to share at the morning and afternoon teas.

Buses will leave school at approximately 9.00am on the day of travel. When the students arrive at school, they can drop their bags in the hall and then head up to class for roll call.

Our happy, but tired students will return from camp around 2.15pm, and we ask that they be collected from the school hall at this time. This arrival time has been set to help avoid traffic congestion at the end of the school day, and to allow the camp students to head home before the rest of the school.

Don’t forget daylight saving changes on Sunday 7th of April with clocks going back one hour.

 

YEAR 7 BRAIN ASSEMBLY

Our Year 7’s were very lucky this term to have a visit from Dr Brittney Bonner.

Dr Bonner holds a PHD in Brain Research and is a senior teaching technician at the Faculty of Medical and Health Science at the University of Auckland. 

She joined us to talk about our brains, which linked with our term 1 unit of study “Success Starts With Me”. This unit investigates how our brains work and what we can do to ensure we are looking after ourselves and doing all that we can to set ourselves up to optimise the learning process.

Dr Bonner spoke of the importance of sleep and explained that it is when we rest our brains use this as a type of downtime to sort and store the information that we have experienced during the day and this also provides a chance to recharge and get ready for the next day

We also looked at how a good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables provides the nutrients necessary for brain development, and of course, our students were encouraged to always wear helmets when riding bikes and scooters as these help protect our very precious brains.

After the presentation, some students were able to interact with the models of brains that were on display, and it is a credit to our teachers that Dr Bonner was impressed with our student's level of knowledge in this area. 

We would like to thank Dr Bonner for joining us, sharing her knowledge of the brain and her enthusiasm for scientific research. Who knows, maybe some of our students will continue to be curious about the human body and may choose to follow in her footsteps!

GOING BACK IN TIME

Recently, an ex-RI student from 1961 (Laurence Dunn) stopped by Remuera Intermediate to visit his old school and see how it had changed over the years. He shared with us the attached photo of what the school looked like during his time here.
We found it interesting to see how the school has changed (the addition of the school hall and multiple classrooms) and what was the same (the main block and technology block).
He also shared his class photo from that year which has been added to the school library - his class that year had 45 students in it! - Mr. Alan Whitehouse


 

YEAR 8 CAMPS 

The camp was fun and full on. 

It was great to see all the kids being active, working as a team and learning to do new things. Sleeping in a large dorm can be challenging for some. At both venues, Port Waikato and Hunua Falls, we had perfect weather for racing around outside. 

At Y8 camp we absolutely rely on our parents to keep the wheels turning. So to all our parents who spent hours in the kitchen or leading an activity; thank you for your incredible support! 

ORIENTEERING NEWS

The Remuera Intermediate Orienteering team demonstrated their skills at Monte Cecelia Park on Tuesday 19th March. On a difficult course, teams competed with dedication and resilience.

As a result we attained some really positive results. In particular, the Year 7 Boys B Team clinched 1st place in their grade, with the Year 7 Boys A Team securing 2nd. The Year 8 Boys A Team dominated their division, taking out 1st place by some margin. Additionally, the Year 7 Girls A Team showed strong navigation skills, earning 2nd place. As a result, these teams qualified for the Inter-zone competition in Term Two.

Individually, some R.I. students also succeeded, with Luc Ranger, Kevin Deng, Liam McIvor, Matt Chen, Joe Nobilo, Evan Swart, Ren Sugahara, Will Ranger and Finley Connor all placing first on their respective courses in their grades.- Mr Alan Whitehouse

 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ART ROOM

Year 8’s in Art are learning how to create a mixed media pod sculpture using a variety of materials inspired by our natural environment - clay, palm pods, seed pods, harakeke(flax), and tī kōuka (cabbage tree).

We will be sketching, molding and glazing clay, weaving harakeke, rolling, ti kōuka, and painting.

Cynthia Smith came in to teach and support our knowledge of tikanga and the weaving process. We learned how to correctly harvest harakeke and find ways to incorporate it into our large seed pods. As well as this, we looked at making cordage(rope) out of sweetcorn husks and tī kouka using the traditional method of mussel shells to scrape back the fibers.

We were also gifted 12 harakeke plants and have planted them in our native garden. From here we complete our ceramic pieces and put all the components together to create our sculpture. Watch this space… - Mrs Billie Sturgiss

TABLE TENNIS NEWS

AUCKLAND TABLE TENNIS DEMO

This term, our Year 7’s were treated to a jaw-dropping exhibition of Table Tennis skills at our assembly.

Ebi and his team joined us to showcase Table Tennis and to invite interested players to come along and get involved in this exciting, fast-paced sport. All levels of ability are welcome.
If you would like further information, please visit https://www.tabletennis.net.nz.

After the pros showed off their skills, the challenge was laid down for students to see who could land the shot on a target on the other side of the table. It proved a little difficult for our students, but our teachers did not disappoint. Mr Olliff from room 12 took out the honors, winning a new bat, but congratulations must also go to Mrs. Stead from room 10, who managed to also show her skill.

One other highlight of the year 7 assembly is to see which class wins the privilege of sitting on the bleachers at the next assembly, and it all came down to a game of paper, scissors rock. Mr Olliff won the bat but Mrs Stead’s class got the bleachers.

Another AMAZIBLE Year 7 assembly thanks to Auckland Table Tennis.

 According to Ebi…..”live long play ping pong!!

SCIENCE ROADSHOW

The Science Roadshow, held on March 27th and 28th, was a hit with students. The shows on states of matter and chemistry were engaging and educational, blending fun with learning. Hands-on exhibits let students dive into science themselves, exploring principles firsthand.

We hope this event sparked a new interest in science for everyone who came, taking them on an exciting journey into the world of scientific wonders.

2025 ENROLMENTS

If you have a Year 6 student who will be coming to RI in 2025, we encourage you to start the enrolment process early to ensure we are well prepared for the coming year.

You can now apply online by clicking this link. If you have query regarding the enrolment process, please contact Ms Amy McGowan at [email protected]
 

Important dates for 2024 Enrolment

In Zone/Out of Zone Applications Open Monday 8 April 2024
Open Morning Wednesday 12 June 2024, 8:45 - 10:30 am
In Zone Application Due Back Wednesday 4 September 2024
Out of Zone Application close Wednesday 4 September 2024 at 3:30 pm – no exceptions
Out of Zone Ballot Ballot to take place on Wednesday 11  September 2024

 

ABSENCES 

All absences need to be reported by 8:45 a.m. at the latest. To report an absence please:

Use the 'Report an Absence' link in the top right corner of the school website homepage http://www.remint.school.nz

Use the school app or phone the office on 09 522 9890 Option 1
Please do not email absence notifications to classroom teachers.
 

ABSENCE TEXT NOTIFICATION

our children’s safety is of paramount importance to us.  In order to ensure the safety of all our students, at 9:45 am if your child has not been marked as Present we will send out a text notification to alert you of his/her absence. 

We are aware many parents are simply very busy people and forget to notify the school so please respond with a Y and a reason for the absence/lateness.
Respond with an N if you have dropped your child at school or know that he/she was coming to school and we can investigate this promptly.

Should your mobile number change, please notify the school immediately so that we can update our records accordingly.

REMUERA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL APPS

You can download the free SchoolAppsNZ from the App Store or Google Play. It works on both Android and Apple phones. It sends important school messages and forms a big part of our school communications

Features of the App:​

  • You can subscribe to alert groups of interest to you and your child
  • You can complete the absentee form directly from the App
  • You can access the school calendar, news and events directly through the App
  • We can send out targeted alerts to everyone with the App or to specific groups