Kia ora e te whānau.

It's Week 3 of Term 3 and we are well and truly past the halfway mark on the year with the hundredth day of the school year being celebrated last Friday.

A big thank you to all of you who came along to our parent-teacher interviews. We really appreciated everyone coming along and catching up with their child's teacher to see how they are progressing and where their learning is heading. The sausage sizzle was a big hit on both nights, and we’re happy to keep that going next year!

Today, we had a group of senior students go down to the Harvest Rock Climbing Centre for our Term 3 Lion's Reach Award, as usual the event was both rewarding and challenging. Just a reminder that we have our school sports photos next Wednesday. 

Next week on Friday we have our school cross country. Please come along and show your support for our tamariki – they’d love to see you there! Here's the approximate starting time schedule:

Looking ahead, we've got a few important dates to mark in your diaries: Wednesday, August 13th: COPS Cross Country at Waitomo. Tuesday, August 19th: Otorohanga College Open Day for Year 7 and 8 students and Friday, August 22nd: is our Teacher Only Day.

 

Ngā mihi,

Scott Lincoln
Principal
Ōtorohanga South School

Term 3 - Mon 14th July - Fri 19th Sept

Term 4 - Mon 6th Oct - Wed 17th Dec

August
Wed 6 - BOT Nominations Close
Wed 6 - Sports Photos
Fri 8 - OSS Cross Country
Wed 13 - COPS Cross Country
Fri 22 - Teacher Only Day - Mathematics
Fri 22 - Miniball Registrations Close - See the link in this newsletter
Wed 27 - NKC Ripper Tournie (Te Kuiti)
Thur 28 - Middle Reach Awards

September
Wed 3 - Mathletics
Wed 10 - Fri 12 - Middle Syndicate Camp
Fri 19 - Pen Assembly

Our value focus for the week is Kindness.

Our school-wide values are explicitly taught in all our classrooms and across various settings. These value lessons are also supported by our school councillors sharing messages and role-playing at assemblies, as well as value reminders over the school intercom each morning during our daily notices.

 Our student councillors have developed this kindness note activity for you to enjoy at home with your children. 

We are now inviting nominations for five parent representatives to join our Board of Trustees.

This is your opportunity to help guide the future of our school – we encourage all eligible parents and caregivers to get involved.

🔗 Find out more about becoming a trustee at:
www.trustee-election.co.nz/becoming-a-trustee/
There are helpful short videos available on the site.

💬 Want to learn more in person?
Feel free to contact the school office if you’d like a one-on-one chat with Scott or a current board member.

Room 1’s Year 7 & 8 students were the first of the senior classes to get some hands on experience with life-saving skills during our St John first aid training session. From learning the all important DRSABCD plan to mastering CPR, the recovery position and handling real life scenarios like asthma attacks, allergic reactions, choking and broken bones – our tamariki were all over it!

There was serious focus, plenty of teamwork, and a few dramatic acting moments worthy of an Oscar. Before they could save any lives though… they had to conquer their first obstacle: getting the gloves on (let's just say not everyone mastered this skill 😄). 

But the good news is that Room 1 students are now feeling way more confident if an emergency ever strikes. Super proud of their enthusiasm and effort!

Please register your child here by Friday 22nd August. Please make one entry per child. You can revisit the form to make additional entries for your household. 

Midgets               Year 1 & 2    (No 5 year olds)  ………  Wednesday games

Junior                   Year 3 & 4                                  ………..   Wednesday games

Intermediate       Year 5 & 6                                  .……….  Thursday games

Senior                Year 7 & 8                                    ………..  Tuesday games

5 players are on the court at one time, however teams should have a minimum of 7 players and a max of 12 players.  

This year we must supply a referee for every 2 teams we submit into the competition.  So please consider carefully if you are able to contribute to this.  We will also be on a duty roster helping with crowd control and clean up.

In order to have this sporting opportunity, parent volunteers are essential to fill coaching/scorer positions and refereeing positions.  Teams will only be registered if there is a Coach/Manager and Parent helper/scorer.  Transport to Te Kuiti is the responsibility of the parent/caregiver   NO Coach, Referee and Parent Scorer = NO TEAM

Uniform – students will wear a miniball top (provided by the school) and they must wear black shorts above the knees (this is checked by umpires).  

Practice – coaches will notify parents and students when and where practice will be held. 

Cost – $20 per player.  Payment includes uniform and WBB registration fee.  Uniforms will be issued on payment of sub.  Payments can be made to the school office or via internet banking:

Oto South BOT 01-0391-0023110-00    Please use child’s name and sport as a reference.                                      

A huge thank you to the Parsons family, who entered and won a Canter for Cancer competition - securing 10 calf covers for Ōtorohanga South School!

Canter for Cancer is a fantastic initiative that supports the Child Cancer Foundation, donating a portion of all sales to help children and families facing cancer. To date, they’ve raised an incredible $275,000 for this important cause.

We’re so grateful to the Parsons whānau for their generosity and community spirit. The calf covers will make amazing Pets Day prizes!

Ngā mihi nui!

Over the past six months, Samuel Gray, one of our very own students, has been tearing up the tracks in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as part of the Sunshine State Motocross Series.
Racing in one of the most competitive junior motocross series in Australia, Samuel has shown incredible commitment, talent, and resilience. After months of tough competition, early mornings, and countless training sessions, he wrapped up the series with an impressive fifth place overall finish, a huge achievement given the high level of riders involved.
Now, Samuel is preparing for his biggest challenge yet - representing at the Australian KTM Junior Nationals. He’ll be heading across to Adelaide at the end of September, where he’ll compete against the best young motocross riders from across the country.
Samuel’s performance is a true testament to his hard work and love for the sport. He continues to inspire others with his passion and determination, and we can’t wait to cheer him on as he takes on this exciting new opportunity!

Vision Hearing Technicians from Community and Southern Rural Health will be visiting our school.  The objective of the test is to identify previously undetected vision and hearing problems.

Which children are routinely checked?
-  Children who have not completed vision and hearing checks as part of their B4 School Check
-  Children absent from previous visit, require rescreens or follow up
-  New Immigrants
-  Year 7 student’s vision only

If there is a genuine hearing concern, parents/caregivers or teachers may request a hearing check - NB parents must consent to this.  The Vision Hearing Technician will only be able to undertake a maximum of 5 screens on any visit.  If there is a concern regarding vision, parents/caregivers are encouraged to seek advice from an optometrist.  A subsidy is available for families/whanau that have a Community Services card or High Use Health card.

What tests are carried out?
Ears
-  Audiometry (hearing test)
-  Tympanometry – middle ear function test (only carried out when hearing test is not within a normal range)
Eyes
Long distance vision tests – not a complete visual examination, but a simple screening test

The Vision Hearing Technician will:
-  Notify parents/caregivers of all test results
 -  Enter results on Ministry of Education database (Enrol)

The Vision Hearing Technician will obtain personal details from the school ie; names, date of birth.

If the technician needs to contact parents/caregivers following the visit, addresses and phone numbers will also be required.

Our Service may share this information with other health professionals involved in the children’s care.

If any parents/caregivers do not want their child to be checked, or their child is currently under specialist care for their vision or hearing please let the school know.

For more information parents/caregivers may contact a Vision Hearing Technician by phoning 07 838 3565.

As our winter sports season comes to a close, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful coaches, managers, and parent volunteers who have supported our netball and football teams this year.

Your time, energy, and encouragement have made a huge difference - from early morning practices and weekend games to cheering on the sidelines and organising gear. Our students have not only developed their skills but have also learned the value of teamwork, commitment, and fair play, thanks to your dedication.

We are so grateful for the positive impact you’ve had on our tamariki. Thank you for making this season such a success!

Going to school every day is important for all school aged tamariki (children). It helps build their confidence and social skills, and to achieve their education and life ambitions. This information provided by Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora, helps you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home and when you should contact a health professional for advice.

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