FEBRUARY 2023 NEWSLETTER

welcome back to school 2023

Global Section

Welcome from the Acting Principal and DP

Dear Parents and Caregivers 

Tēnā koutou i ngā whānau o te kura.

Nau mai ki te ngāhurutanga rua mano tekau! Ngā mihi nunui o te tau hou.

A very warm welcome to a new school year – 2023

As this is our first newsletter of the year it is a big one with lots of information, so sorry for the novel but please do read it carefully as there is a lot to know about the first term.

Looking ahead to this year we have a strong focus on relationships and community. We look forward to a very full and varied calendar with plenty of opportunities ahead of us. We want our young people to experience a balance between academic success, positive social interactions and full involvement in sports, cultural activities and the arts. We also want them to have as much fun as they can along the way.  

As far as growth in learning is concerned, we can assure you that every student will be fully involved in the decision making about their progress including areas that require development or support from the class teacher. One thing we are very proud of here at ANI is the active role and responsibility our students take in their own learning, having the opportunity to choose the best pathway for themselves and also sharing the progress they are able to make. You’ll be amazed at what your young people are capable of as they journey through these intermediate years with us. 

The old saying “you only get out of something what you put into it” certainly epitomises the intermediate schooling years and the vital role school plays in all our lives. At ANI our teachers are well equipped to get the best out of your young person – they are highly trained with deep pedagogical content knowledge, skilled in motivating and engaging this age group and very talented in dealing with boredom, distractions and, dare we say it, mood swings that may surface on the odd occasion! 

What can you expect from this year? 

For some young people they might be in a completely new school environment with a lot of new people – classmates and teachers. What will your young person need to know? 

They will go to different classes in different rooms with different teachers at various times throughout the week;

They will be responsible for knowing their timetable, being in the right place at the right time and having the correct books and equipment with them;

They will be learning new subjects such as a languages, specialisation and science subjects;

They will have different options for sports, arts and other school activities;

The school day may be longer for them;

They will have more homework;

There could be practical changes like different transport to and from school;

They may be doing different activities before or after school, for example, we have a distance squad that runs twice a week starting at 7.30am and trainings/games for Water Polo, Basketball and Netball after school; 

They will need to listen carefully to the daily notices, so they know when and where to turn up for an activity or sign up for an event;

They will be encouraged to get involved in the many extra curricular activities that the school offers such as sporting teams, dance/drama, music, tech club, eco warriors, the school cultural festival and more;

They will be expected to attend school regularly and not be late for school;

They can expect to work hard, make progress but most of all have fun!

Who is who and who can we talk to?

The Class Teacher 

Class teachers are with the class for the whole school year and should be your first point of contact. They take the roll twice a day and read the daily notices every morning. The teacher will be the person you talk to if your child has any problems or issues they need help with. The class teacher also teaches core subjects such as reading, writing and maths (there is no cross grouping – every teacher has their own class for these very important learning areas).

Specialist teachers

The specialist teachers offer a programme that students will attend one day a week. The programme includes;

Science, Hard materials, Foods and Soft materials, Sports, Visual Arts, Dance and Drama, STEAM and Digital Technologies (coding etc). 

The specialist teachers are there to help and support your young person learn new skills in these areas and develop knowledge as some of these subjects may be new to them. Where possible the learning content will be aligned to the learning programme in the classroom  to enable students to understand that themes can be connected and integrated in different contexts not stand alone.

Team Leaders

Each team (Matai, Rimu, Totara, Kauri, and Kowhai) has a team leader who leads the team in planning, assessment, behaviour management of students, parent interactions and learning.  While they are still a classroom teacher, their job is to lead and manage the team – whether it be team meetings or team events such as EOTC, CAMP or class trips. They also deal with any matters that the classroom teacher requires support with. 

The Year 7 and Year 8 Deans 

Our Deans provide support and academic guidance to both teachers and students. The dean is a good person to talk to if you have questions or concerns about your teenager that can’t be addressed by the team leader or class teacher.

English Speakers of Other Languages Teacher (ESOL) 

Our ESOL teacher is here to support students for whom English is not their first language.  

This teacher provides the necessary support and guidance to ensure each student is making progress in their learning in an English speaking environment. The teacher develops appropriate learning approaches to meet a group or individual students’ learning needs.  Once the students have been assessed and in the first two weeks of school the teacher will then determine, using a MOE matrix, if each student meets that criteria and therefore joins the programme.

Learning Support Teachers

Our Learning Support Teachers support students with learning difficulties or special abilities.

They may be attached to each team to support a variety of students in different classes, to a group of students or sometimes they work beside specific individuals.  

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) 

Our SENCO’s connect students with the necessary support and guidance to ensure they are making progress in their learning. This support may include a tailored learning programme, internal or external support, or a teacher aide. Our SENCO will develop the best learning approach to meet each student’s individual learning needs in conjunction with the classroom teacher and parents (in some cases).

Whanau Connections

Children learn best when home and school work together and we encourage parents to discuss learning activities with your young person on a regular basis. What matters most is parents showing they are interested, allowing for errors and mistakes as an opportunity to learn (try not to become learning police) and having quality family time. With busy schedules, remember it’s what you do in the time you have with them that really matters, although some students may not want you to get involved the school does encourage it.

This year, more so than any other year, is the time to support, encourage and work alongside your child as a learning partner and keep their spirits high.

We welcome parent contact and we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible, especially at the first parent evening which is Meet the Teacher on 13th February (4 -pm – 6 pm)– details enclosed in today’s newsletter. 

Police Vetting Parents for School Trips Offsite

If you are thinking of offering any parent help throughout the year, whether it is for school camp, EOTC, AIMS Games, day trips or helping any of our sports teams, we now require Police Vetting for any volunteers. This is a confidential and simple process that the school takes care of and will cover the applicant for a full 3 years. It does take time for the authorities to process, so please request a Police Vetting form from our SLT Executive Assistant, lsheweiry@ani.school.nz early in the year to avoid disappointment, as no parent help will be accepted without a police clearance.

We are all very excited about the year ahead – bring it on! 

Kia ngatahi ai te tu

E pakari ai te tuara

Together we are Strong

Shane Devery (Acting Principal) & Bryce Mills (Deputy Principal).

What do students need to bring

There are a number of things to remember to bring on the first day:

– morning tea, lunch and a drink

– sunscreen and a school hat or cap

– P.E. gear, as students might be taken out for a game

– swimming togs for a lunchtime dip or classroom activity

– a signed ICT agreement form (signed by both the students and parents)

– stationery (it can be covered if you like), pens, pencils and a digital device

– a lock for your bike or scooter if you travelled to school using this form of transport

– a smile and great attitude as that’s exactly what your teacher will be bringing!

Where do we meet on the first day?

On Tuesday 31st January all Year 7 students will start at 9am and meet in the Multi-Purpose Space. School will finish at 3pm that day for Year 7 students.

Year 8 students will have 10 minutes one-on-one interviews with their new teacher and then are free to go home.

Who is who on the staff

We are pleased to advise that the school is fully staffed with some very excited teachers. Staff have spent a large amount of time preparing for the term ahead and we are all ready for action. During the week we had two days of professional development (or training), a number of planning meetings and a day of fun with team building taking place at school.

If you’re keen to know who is who on the staff please go to our website and click on the image.  You can also click HERE for a full staff list and the staff members’ role.

 

News from the Team Leaders

On the first day of each term the team leader prepares a team newsletter telling you what they are planning for the term ahead (Year 8 Matai/Rimu, Year 7 Totara/Kauri).

In addition, the Specialist Team (Kowhai) will also send home a newsletter outlining events and activities in these specialist areas.

These are uploaded to our website at the beginning of each term.

Communication - School Apps

All day to day information, events and updates will be communicated to you through School Apps. The school newsletter (published monthly), the Fortnightly Flyer (published fortnightly) and any other notices will all be sent to you via a School Apps notification. This app can also be used to report an absence and can be downloaded by the whole family and on multiple devices.

It is important that you update which subscriptions you have on the app also – such as Year 7 or Year 8 messages, various sports, classroom-specific messages, etc. You can do this by clicking on the 3 horizontal lines in the top left-hand corner, and selecting ‘Alert Subscriptions’.

Should there be a school emergency this is how we will notify you so it is essential you have the App installed. For clear instructions on how to download please visit here.

In term 2 we hope to have a new platform ANI Connect available however in the meantime please use our existing School App.

Any problems our IT expert Mr Tinashe Biri can be contacted on tbiri@ani.school.nz

A message from the ANI Board of Trustees

A casual vacancy has occurred on the Auckland Normal Intermediate School Board for an elected parent representative. The board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection so please consider applying for this position. 

Expressions of interest can be emailed to the Presiding Member, (BOT Chair): presidingmember@ani.school.nz or the school address below.

If 10% of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held.

Request for a by-election should be sent by the 28 February 2023 to: presidingmember@ani.school.nz or the school address as follows, 

Presiding Member

ANI School Board

Poronui Street,

Mt Eden, 1024

Auckland

Student safety

As part of keeping children safe at ANI, office staff will follow up and contact parents about any unexplained absences. This happens via a text to your mobile. Please remember to use the School Apps to notify us if your son/daughter is away and also remind them it is a requirement they sign in and out at the office if they are leaving the school during the day. We take student safety very seriously and will ensure you are advised of any concerns we have around absences as quickly as possible.

School Website Shop

In addition to payments being made through the parent portal, we also have an online shop on the website front page. Here you can pay for uniform items and stationery. You can also book and pay for after school classes via the website. (Go to this link and scroll down until you see the image below):

Hi Parents,

Student Leadership

Head Students:

Poppy McGill, Nakshatra Singh, Abdullah Shah and Oliver Jones

House Leaders:

Luci Sparling, Gemma Fisher, Luke Fulcher, Amal Krishnan, Sanskriti Rai, Uluru Oike, Rory Davies and Lucia Taylor

Sustainability:

Kasia Madconald, Sameeha Saheb and Jasmine Ruslim

Arts Leaders:

Jasper Ha, Isabella Li, Ava Srinivasan, Luana Robelledo Thomas, Chahak Uppadhyay and Lola DeGrut

Sports Captain:

Kate O’ Brien, Violet Young, Olive Hunter, Harrison Crowe, Ashley Oxenham and Takumi Limbrick

Cultural Leaders:

Jules-Estelle Lafo’ou, Kaviyayalini Guru Perumal, Arielle Maiava, Paula Tuivailala, Sahana Raghuraman and Chance Flux Ton

AV & Digital Leaders

Jarvis Mitchell, Kyle Bai, Harvick Singh, Rory Lucas,  Joshua Murphy and Ary Khatri

Sports - Waterpolo

For those students who are thinking about playing Water Polo this year, a letter will be distributed to everyone who is interested in the first week as we have our first training scheduled for Tuesday 7 February at EGG’s.  

We are wanting to start early not only to get in training but also to meet the coaches and use these training sessions to select our teams rather than having a one-off trial. This approach will give everyone an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent and ensure the coaches and selectors are confident with the teams moving forward.  

Email Mr Rice if your child was unable to receive a letter on xrice@ani.school.nz 

PTA News

The PTA will have their first meeting on Monday 13th February at 6pm. They are an active and awesome group that supports the school in a number of ways from helping out at events to hosting parent information evenings and the odd bit of fundraising. This is also an opportunity to get to know our fantastic teachers, support staff and our amazing senior leadership team, as they will often attend meetings.

They would love for you to join their team and if you cannot commit to attending the 5 – 6 meetings per year, then there is the option of signing up just as a helper at one or more of the various events which would be a wonderful way to contribute to a group that puts supporting our students needs, as a top priority, by providing resources that ministry funding does not cover.

Please contact Julie Rope the Chair if you’re keen to be involved. Email: pta@ani.school.nz

Counsellor Spot

Robyn Stead (Educational Psychologist)

Tēnā koutou katoa,  As an educational psychologist my focus is on supporting young people with their education. I have special interests in behaviour and in literacy learning. My background is in teaching and I have a long-standing relationship with ANI as my children were students here. I’m looking forward to another wonderful year working with the team. 

A school counsellor is likely to be available before the end of term 1.

Exciting Events

MEET THE TEACHER EVENING AND PICNIC ON THE FIELD – MONDAY 13th FEBRUARY, 4.00 – 6.00pm

On Monday 13th February, come along to school and meet your child’s teacher in their classroom from 4.00-4.30pm and then enjoy a picnic and games on the field until 6.00pm.  There will be sausages, drinks and pizza for sale – all $2, or you can bring along your own picnic food. We will have lots of sports equipment out for families to use and all the class teachers will be circulating. We will also have tours through our new buildings on the same night.  It will be a fun night for all. 

2023 Term Dates

Term 1: 31 January – 6 April

Term 2: 24 April – 30 June

Term 3: 17 July – 22 September

Term 4: 9 Oct – 15 December 

Upcoming Events for Term 1, 2023

Please subscribe to the ANI school App as information will also be updated regularly via this online platform as will the smaller Fortnightly newsletter.

Event

Date

School starts for Y7s

9am – 3pm Tuesday 31 January

Y8 One-on-one interview

Between 9am – 3pm Tuesday 31 January, Y8 students will have one-on-one interviews with their classroom teachers

School resumes for Y7 and Y8 students

9am – 3pm Wednesday 1 February

For subsequent days, school will start at 8.45am for all students with the exception of Wednesdays when there is a late start at 9am

Super Bowl

Friday 3 February

Waitangi Day – SCHOOL CLOSED

Monday 6 February

ANI School Picnic

Monday 13 February  4.00 – 6.00pm 

PTA AGM

THE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO: Monday 20 February  6.00 – 7.00pm 

ANI Maori Whanau Hui

Thursday 16 February 4.00 – 6.00pm 

School photographs: Classes & Portraits

Wednesday 22 February

BOT Meeting

THE DATE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO: Wednesday 1 MARCH  6.00pm 

Y7 Attitude Assembly

Monday 27 February 11.30 – 12.30pm 

Y8 Camp 1  

(Rimu Team: 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 & 16)

Tuesday 28 February – 3 March

Y8 Camp 2

(Matai team: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7)

Monday 6 March – Friday 10 March

Y7 Goal Setting Interviews

Monday 20 March 1.00 – 7.00pm 

Y7 Goal Setting Interviews

Tuesday 21 March 3.00 – 5.00pm 

School Social

Thursday 23 March 6.00 – 8.00pm 

Y7 Totara Team EOTC

Monday 27 March – Thursday 30 March 

BOT Meeting

Wednesday 29 March 6.00pm 

End of Term Prizegiving

Friday 31 March 10.15am – 12.30pm 

Y7 Kauri Team EOTC

Monday 3 AprilThursday 6 April

HPV1 Y8 students

Tuesday 4 April

Term 1 Ends

Thursday 6 April 2pm

Korean and Chinese Summary

In every newsletter and Friday Flyer we will add a short Korean and Chinese translation to assist families where English is not their first language. 

Please see below a summary in Korean:

새 학년을 시작하는 첫번째 학교 뉴스레터입니다

개학 첫날에 7학년 학교 준비물

– 모닝 티, 점심 및 음료

– 자외선 차단제와 학교 모자

– 서명된 ICT 동의서(학생과 학부모 모두 서명)

– 문구류

– 자전거나 스쿠터를 이용하여 통학하는 경우 자물쇠

– 미소와 훌륭한 태도

학생 안전ANI에서 아이들을 안전하게 보호하기 위한 일환으로 보고되지 않은 결석에 대해 후속 조치를 취하고 부모에게 연락할 것입니다. 이것은 모바일에 문자를 통해 발생합니다. 학교 앱을 사용하여 귀하의 자녀가 결석을 하는경우 저희에게 알리고 조퇴를 하는 경우 리셉션에서 로그인 및 로그아웃하는 것이 요구 사항임을 상기시켜 주십시오. 우리는 학생의 안전을 매우 중요하게 여기며 결석에 대한 우려 사항을 가능한 한 빨리 알려드릴 것입니다.
슈퍼볼 – 2월 3일 금요일7학년 학급이 8학년 학급과 친구가 되고 혼성 팀이 하루 종일 여러 가지 재미있는 활동과 게임에 참여하는 전체 학교 행사입니다. 서로를 알아가고, 스포츠 활동에 참여하고, 동시에 많은 즐거움을 누릴 수 있는 좋은 방법입니다. 학생들은 이날은 체육복을 입고 등교할 수 있습니다. 또한 모자, 스포티한 신발, 음료수 및 자외선 차단제를 가져오십시오. 자세한 내용은 2월 2일 목요일에 학급 교사가 학생들에게 제공할 것입니다.
교사와의 만남2월 13일 월요일, 오후 4시 – 6시학교에 오셔서 자녀의 담임 선생님을 만나고 운동장에서 피크닉과 게임을 즐기십시오. 모두에게 즐거운 밤이 될 것입니다.

Please see below a summary in Chinese:

亲爱的家长们

欢迎大家来到2023新学年。新学年我们的孩子们将得到很多学习和成长的机会,保持学习,社交,体育和文艺各方面的进步。努力学习,进步并享受乐趣。同学们积极投入制定和分享学习计划,以达到更好的学习效果。

七年级:1月31日星期二9点开学,3点放学

八年级:1月31日星期二在教室跟家长, 老师见面。家长们请在网上预约时间。

同学们新学年需知:

熟悉教室,同学和老师

时间日程安排:熟悉自己的时间表

课目及选课:语言,科学,技术课, 体育,艺术及其他活动

课外活动:跑步,水球,篮球,无挡板篮球。

每日告示:认真听告示,清楚什么时候和地点去注册或参加什么活动

额外课目:学校鼓励同学们积极参加各项额外课程,如体育队,跳舞,音乐,技术俱乐部,文化节活动等

学玍们准时上学,不要迟到。注意安全。完成家庭作业

警方审查:所有在学校帮忙的家长都需要通过警方审查。过程简单,保密,三年有效。需要的家长请电邮 lsheweiry@ani.school.nz

Community News

MG Mystics

The 2023 ANZ Premiership is nearly here and the MG Mystics will be opening the season against the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in their FIRST home game of the season!

There will be a food truck/night market in the carpark from 5pm along with loads of entertainment for the whole family – including a Kids Zone, so grab your tickets now and head along early to enjoy the market atmosphere and help the MG Mystics start their season in style.

Tickets available linked here 


Market begins: 5pm
Doors Open: 6pm
Game Begins: 7pm

FACEBOOK

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https://www.facebook.com/ANormalSchool