Run / Walkathon

The PTA is fundraising for the purchase of sports equipment by holding a runathon / walkathon.

1.  Find some sponsors because there are some great prizes to be won.  Sponsorship can be per lap or a donation.  Try to get 10 or more sponsors ($1+ per person) by 4 May to go into the first spot prize draw.  Try to get  15 or more by 10 May to go into the second spot prize draw.

2. Runathon / walkathon day - 16 May

• Junior School  - 30 minute walk/run – 300m lap (10am start)
• Middle School – 45 minute walk/run – 400m lap course (11am start)
• Senior School – 60 minute walk/run – 500m lap course (12pm start)

3.  Collect sponsorship money and hand it in to the office by 25 May

Great prizes to be won:

• The student who raises the most money will win an iPod touch.
• Second prize – MGP scooter
• Third prize – $50 Plaza voucher.

To be eligible for major prizes sponsorship money needs to be returned to the school office by Friday 25 May.

Right Choice Reward

Follow this link to see what happened at our Right Choice Day.

Duathlon

Our eagerly awaited Duathlon finally took place after two weeks of postponements.

Congratulations to all contestants, the ones who won spot prizes and the big race winners.

Here is the result list:

5year old girls: M. Davis
5year old boys: M. Humphries
6year old girls: A. Rungarunga
6 year old boys: B. Tinsley
7 year old girls: K. Hannon
7 year old boys: J. Simpson-Smith
8 year old girls: M. Kirk
8 year old boys: H. Pritchard
9 year old girls: Z. Croton
9 year old boys: C. Mabey
10 & 11 years old girls: T. Pritchard
10 & 11 year old boys: N. Macdermid

House Points: 1st – Kereru 230pts, 2nd – Tui 208pts, 3rd – Takahe 197pts, 4th – Kakapo 168pts.

Skyscrapers at Camp

Senior classes have just had a very successful Outdoor Education experience at Camp Rangi Woods at Totara Reserve.  Although the weather was somewhat variable, students were engaged in a range of activities including outdoor cooking, fly fishing, stream crossing, epic grand slam padder tennis and cricket matches and making bush shelters.  The theme for camp was ‘Mission Survive”, which we managed with great fun and enthusiasm from all involved.

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We would like to give a huge thank you to the people who made camp possible and successful:

• the camp parents who sacrificed your work, families, energy, solitude and sleep for four days
• the PTA who reduced camp fees by funding the buses
• the teachers whose planning and organisation made the camps run so smoothly
• Mark Royds for your fly fishing and noxious animal trapping at both camps
• Brendon from the Armed Offenders Squad for bringing out your police dog and AOS equipment
• Stew from Civil Defense

 

More photos here

Duathlon Still On

If the weather deteriorates before 2pm we may cancel.

Duathlon Postponed to Thursday 8th March

Adios Cecilia, Beatriz and whanau

We were sad to say ‘adios’ to the Perez family recently.  They left their lives in Barcelona, Spain, to spend close to a year in New Zealand while Señor Perez worked at Massey University.  They immersed themselves in the New Zealand and Riverdale experience.

I asked Cecilia why they chose Palmy to live instead of the big cities like Auckland and Wellington.  She said they wanted a break from big cities because Barcelona is a giant place.  They needed to get away from all the traffic and all the people.  That is why they chose Palmy.

Cecilia says she really liked our school.  The best parts were that the playground is really big and it has grass!  They don’t have grass in their schools in Spain.  She liked the learning here, too.  I think Beatriz liked the friends she made at Riverdale.  They both always had a smile on their face.

I really want to go to Barcelona for a year, go to school there and see the Perez family.

by Grace Waterland and TC

(L to R) Beatriz, Mrs Harland and Cecilia being farewelled at Assembly

Papa Jack talks to Skyscrapers

The Senior Skyscrapers were fortunate to have Papa Jack as a guest speaker recently.  His talk was about some of the ways Maori used the bush as a source of food and medicine.  An example is the aka (or aka aka) vine, which had many uses.

1. It could be woven into a basket to catch eels.  The basket was designed so that eels could swim in, but not out of the basket.
2. It was boiled down and used as a poultice to heal cuts and grazes.
3. When applied directly to the skin, it would help to heal broken bones

Papa Jack likened the bush to a chemist shop.  Whatever was needed to heal could be found in the bush.

Part of the Senior Skyscrapers’ inquiry will be to try to research what plants can be used as food and medicine.

Duathlon Postponed: NOW! Thursday 1st March

Duathlon

The Duathlon will take place on Thursday 23 February.  Entry forms have been handed out and need to be to the office by Friday 17 February.

Duathlon Maps