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Today we had a taste of winter and what lies ahead.
Please remain safety conscious and ‘on alert’ as you navigate our neighbouring streets in vehicles. The number of cars will start to increase as fewer children walk, scoot or bike to school. With poor visibility, it is essential crossings points are used.
If you use the drop-off zone please do not attempt to turn right onto Normans Road when the Kea crossing is operating (30 minutes before school starts and 20 minutes from when school concludes).
With sickness levels increasing please do not send your child to school if they are unwell.
We are looking forward to the Years 4–8 Cross Country on Monday 15 May, 10.40am–12.45pm.
There will be a Coffee Cart on Circuit Street from 10.30am.
Race results will be available by clicking here.
If you are not already a user please take a look at Netsafe by clicking here. They have a useful toolkit for parents with practical ways to keep your children safe on line.
The Christchurch City Council annual School Travel Survey is now live. This 5–10 minute survey will improve understanding of school travel patterns across Christchurch. This will help with improving safety, especially for those using active transport. The survey is open to all school communities (students, parents/caregivers and one staff member per school), until 5.00pm on Wednesday 31 May. There are 10 x $50.00 supermarket vouchers up for grabs. The survey can be found by clicking here.
Next week St Andrew’s College will support Bullying Free NZ and Pink Shirt Day.
The kaupapa this year is focused on what it means to be an 'upstander'. You can read more about Pink Shirt Day and access resources about bullying by clicking here.
If you would like to donate to the Mental Health Foundation you can do so by clicking here.
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
On Monday afternoon, the two Year 3 classes enjoyed a lesson from Kathryn Jer of Clever Little Bees. During the lesson, the students were able to look at bees in an observational hive, try on bee suits, hold frames to closely examine wax, pollen, nectar, honey and propolis, as well as explore hiveware. It was a wonderful way to ignite our new Inquiry topic, ‘To Bee or Not to Bee’. We can’t wait to start learning more about these amazing insects!
On Thursday 18 May, the Preparatory School will be having an Eco Day. This came from an idea from the Year 6 students as their Term 1 Inquiry looked at plastic pollution, particularly in the ocean. The Year 6 students have been spreading awareness this week throughout the Preparatory School through posters and presentations in classes.
There will be a non-uniform/own clothes day to raise money for a New Zealand-based charity called 'Our Seas Our Future'. You can make a donation by clicking here.
Our Seas Our Future’s Mission Statement: To protect Aotearoa’s coastal and marine ecosystems through advocacy, education and environmental stewardship, ensuring that they are managing sustainability and protected for future generations.
Families are encouraged to send their children to school with a single-use plastic free lunch on the day. This means no single-use plastic packaging that is only used once and then thrown away.
Thanks for helping make change
The Year 6 Eco Team
Canterbury Eco Action Nursery and Planting Day
St Andrew’s Preparatory School has recently joined with other schools and groups in Canterbury to grow plants for regenerating native bush in areas in Canterbury.
This week the Year 8 classes have been busy learning how to grow and re-pot seedlings as part of our sustainability learning. These seedlings will be cared for in our Eco Action Nursery in the Preparatory School by our eco warriors until they are sturdy enough to be planted out next year.
Before the holidays, Year 5 students as part of their study of Kaitiakitanga, planted seeds and are excited to see the tiny seedlings emerging in their pots. These plants will be re-potted and cared for, for a year or two before being planted out in the community.
This Sunday, there is a community planting day in Atlantis Street, off Travis Road near QEII. All whānau members are invited to come along to help plant some trees and grasses to enhance our red zone spaces for a future that encourages our native birds, lizards, and insects to thrive in our city.
Mō tātou, a, mō kā uri a muri ake nei.
For us, and our children after us.
Please join us, Eco Action Nursery Trust, help our students and their communities plant 5000 native trees and plants they have grown. It is a great atmosphere with heaps of fellow student and parent enthusiasts. Please bring some drinking water, solid footwear and your favourite spade if you have one. There will be 450 spades on site, so the more the merrier!
Help our community help itself by developing this community asset that will last for generations to come. The grown forest will provide habitat and food for native birds and lizards as well as sequester carbon to help with global climate change. It's also quite fun to plant a few plants. We hope to see you there.
This is the first of four plantings that will see 20,000 locally sourced, student grown, native plants and trees in the ground at 50 Atlantis Street.
Eco Action planting dates:
Read more about Eco Action Nursery Trust by clicking here.
In Terms 2 and 3, the Preparatory School Pastoral Care team is organising the following lunchtime clubs. These will be overseen by a teacher with support from our senior students and Preparatory School student leaders. Club options will change from term to term depending on interest and staff availability.
On offer in Term 2 (week 2 start) are the following:
Minecraft Club – Wednesday (Years 4–5 in Room 1, Years 6–8 in Science Room)
Preparatory School Minecraft Club will run each Wednesday lunchtime for Terms 2 and 3 in the Preparatory School Science Room. There will be laptops with Minecraft Education Edition installed and ready for students. Students in Years 4–8 all have Minecraft Education accounts that may be used. The focus for the club is to provide a safe and happy environment to create and build.
Games Club – Friday (Years 3–8)
Games Club will run on Friday lunchtimes and is a chance to come and play board games or card games with your friends. Open to students in Years 3–8 and operating in Mrs Fenton’s Religious Education room. Games Club will be run by Mrs Fenton and Mrs Pettit
Chess Club – Thursday (Years 3–8)
Chess club will run on Thursday lunchtimes. Students will have the opportunity to play against other keen chess players from across the Preparatory School. Open to students in Years 3–8 and operating in the downstairs learning hallway. Chess Club will be run by Mrs Gilray.
Art Club – Tuesday/Thursday (Years 4–8)
Art club will run Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Preparatory School Art Room. The initial focus will be on using modelling clay to design and create. Open to students in Years 4–8, Art Club will be run by Mrs Meyers. Numbers limited to 12, please choose only one day.
Stitch Club – Friday (Years 4-8)
Stitch club will run Fridays in the upstairs learning hallway. The initial focus will be on using a cross-stitch kit to complete a finished design. Open to students in Years 4–8, Cross-stitch Club will be run by Mrs Cronan. Numbers limited to 12.
To sign-up for any of these clubs, click here: https://stac.nz/PrepClubsSignup
The Secondary School Agriculture Student Committee and Fuel the Future club are running an Agrikids club for Year 3–8 students. The club will meet Wednesday lunch time in Weeks 4, 6 and 8 of Term 2 and Term 3.
The secondary students will run fun Agriculture/Horticulture based activities during this time such as making microgreen kits, learning animal anatomy and making edible soil structures. Students also have the opportunity to complete Science Badges (Years 7–10), Science Explorer Badges (Years 4–6) and Science Activity Challenge certificates (Years 3–4).
Please email Teacher in Charge, Natasha Cloughley Nortje, on NCY@stac.school.nz if you would like more information regarding the Science Awards.
Scholastic Bookclub brochures will come home with students last week. Orders for this term's Scholastic Bookclub will close on Friday 25 May. Please use the online order form or Scholastic app to place an order.
Congratulations to Chloe Wang (Year 5) who received a Gold award last weekend at the Christchurch School of Music (CSM) music festival, in the woodwind Beginner class.
Anthony Song (Year 8) became his episode (Season 4, Episode 47) champion on the TVNZ show 'Brain Busters', which aims to test the smarts and stamina of students in Years 8 and 9. He answered 9 out of 10 questions correctly in the final round “AMYGDALA” to win $297 prize money.
During the Term 1 school holidays, Alyssa Geddes (Year 8) and her Canterbury Ballet Junior Contemporary team, All Human Beings performed for the chance to be selected as competitors at PACANZ- New Zealand's National Dance Competition. The team were thrilled to have received the first nomination given at the Christchurch Competitions. The team will head to Palmerston North in October to compete against some of the strongest dance teams in New Zealand.
Frank McHarg (Year 6) and Mia McHarg (Year 8) were selected for the Canterbury 12's tennis team, playing in the National Teams Event during the holidays. Both played well in both their Singles and Doubles games contributing to the Canterbury team being placed third over-all and taking home the Bronze medal.
Kalisa Zhang (Year 8) competed at the Delta Invitational competition 2023 last weekend. Kalisa placed first for all four routines, and first overall, wining the Stage 4 trophy.
