Our PTA AGM was recently held. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the committee and office holders (President: Lou Berry, Secretary: Shannon Reid, Treasurer: Daphnee Riddle) for their work over the past year. 

At the AGM we welcomed some new members and Erin Gibb was elected President. Erin works at school as a learning assistant so I would encourage anyone considering joining the PTA to stop and have a chat with her. We are a small but welcoming bunch - so come and join us! 

Updates from the PTA:

• Follow the PTA facebook page to stay up to date with PTA happenings! 
• Year books will once again be for sale this year. They are $20 and can be purchased from Emma in the office. Either pop in or you are welcome to flick her an email to order one and transfer the money electronically. Our PTA kindly gifts a year book to all our Year 6 leavers. 
• If there are any business owners amongst our whānau who would be willing to sponsor an ad in the yearbook we would LOVE to hear from you. Please contact Daphnee - daph.paul@xtra.co.nz
• Dixon Banner food fundraiser: The PTA will be selling food as a fundraiser at the Dixon Banner interschool athletics day on Wednesday 20th November. If you are willing and able to help with this, please contact Erin (erin@tawhiti.school.nz)
• Moana 2 movie fundraiser: Our PTA has a unique and fun fundraiser thanks to Hawera Cinema 2. We will receive a $4.50 donation from all tickets sales to Moana 2, screening at 12.45pm on Sunday 1st Dec. Please share the word and support this fundraiser if you can! (Note: We recommend skipping the queues and purchasing tickets ahead of the day! These are purchased from the cinema just like normal)

Junior athletics will take place next Monday (18th). This will be held at school. Children should wear black shorts, their PE top, and a school sunhat. 

A selection of our senior children will be representing our school at the Dixon Banner. This will be held at the HUB on Wednesday 20th November. Our PTA will be selling food at this event. Please see the flyer below and support them if you can. 

Some general reminders:

• Our pesky little friends (head lice) have made a come back. Can you please check your child's hair and treat if necessary. If we see or notice head lice in your child's hair, we will give you a call to come pick them up and treat them. 
• If your child received a trophy last year, could you please return these to the office.
• We still have lots of children borrowing hats each day. Please talk to your child and ensure they have a school hat. These are available from the office. 
• Swimming has started so please ensure you send your child to school with their togs. 
• School finishes for the year on Wednesday 18th December. We reopen for 2025 on Monday 3rd February.  

Class Lists

At this time of year, we start to get requests and questions about class lists for next year. Creating class lists is very lengthy, important and challenging task! There are many variables we consider to ensure we have balanced and healthy classroom dynamics. 

Below I have outlined our process for class creation as I know this is always a hot topic as the end of the year approaches. I hope this information is helpful; rest assured we have a team of amazing teachers, we know your children very well, and their best interests are at the heart of any decisions we make.

Teacher Knowledge of Students

After working together for a full school year (over 1,000 hours), teachers have in-depth knowledge of students’ learning styles, academic strengths and needs, personalities, friendships, and social interactions, including possible difficulties. All of this information is taken into consideration when making placements.

Relationships and friendships

We know that students (and parents) are often nervous about starting a new year in a new classroom, so relationships centre heavily in our decision making. All of our Year 2-6 children have already filled out a form for me. I asked them who their friends are, who they work well with, if there is anyone in another class they think they could be friends with and whether there is anything else they would like me to know. This ensures that there will be familiar faces in their class.

However, we also know that it may sometimes be a disadvantage to have too many friends or even “best” friends together for another year. It can impact concentration and learning and can discourage them from broadening their social circle and skills. We believe it is important for children to make a wide range of friends and develop the skills of making new friends in the safety of our small kura before heading off from us and transitioning to the big world of high school.

Balancing Classes

It is important that each class is similarly composed. We strive to balance boys, girls, academic abilities, health concerns, behaviour issues, and students with special needs.

The number of children we have in the school also determines whether our classes our straight year levels (eg year 6) or mixed (eg year 5/6). Regardless of the make-up of each class, children are still taught at their level and to their learning goals.

Because of the many variables that go into the careful consideration of the make-up of each class, it is very difficult to accomodate requests for a specific teacher or placement with a particular friend. However, we do value your input so if you have any important information that you feel impacts your child's educational development or wellbeing please pop in and see me so we can take this into consideration. We also ask that if you are moving and your child will not be returning to Tawhiti in 2024 that you let myself, Emma or their current teacher know.

Our class lists will be drafted up before the end of this term and children will have the opportunity to meet their new class and their new teacher before the end of this year. Whānau will have the opportunity to formally meet their child's new teacher at the beginning of the new year, however, we encourage you to pop in and say hi at the end of this year.

Our Year 6 leavers prize giving will be held at the Hawera Memorial Theatre on Tuesday 17th December. Please let the extended members of your whānau know and save the date. 

This evening begins with a formal prize giving which is then followed by a disco for the Year 6 children. 

Below is an overview of the cups that are awarded and how they are selected. Please complete the following form by Wednesday 14th November if you wish to give us more details about your child's sporting endeavours to support us in the selection of sportsman/woman of the year.