Final Newsletter 2024
December 16, 2024
Welcomes & Farewells:
Haere mai Louise Seaton
Louise will take over the role of Acting Deputy Principal whilst Amanda Scott is on maternity leave. Louise is an experienced leader and classroom teacher. Louise will start her position in Korimako/Room 7 on the 10th of March. Children will have the chance to meet Louise on Orientation Day.
Please note: Vidisha Ishver (our Senior Deputy Principal), does not have a specifically designated class for part of next year. Vidisha will be teaching in Korimako/Room 7 for the first five weeks. This enables a good transition for Louise and also allows us to remain within our staffing allowance for the year.
Farewells
We have a few farewells for part time teachers and teacher aides.
Haere rā Santi Govan – Senior Teacher aide
After 22 commendable years at MNS, Santi is moving up the coast to be with family! In my recent speech I compared Santi to the strong Pohutukawa tree, its stability, its strong roots, its bright flowers. We will miss Santi the person and her indelible impact on our school.
Haere rā Jacqueline Vermey – Reading Recovery Teacher
After many years being the school’s Reading Recovery Teacher, Jacqueline will be leaving MNS. We know there are a myriad of children who have benefitted from one to one time with Jacqueline. We wish Jacqueline all the best for her future.
Haere rā Zoe Serepisos – Teacher Aide
Zoe has supported teachers when they needed this the most over the last two years. We appreciate Zoe’s flexibility and the awesome difference she made to the children she has worked with. Zoe will be our much needed relieving teacher aide.
Haere rā Rebecca Hore – Fixed Term Teacher
Rebecca capably worked as a leadership release person for Amanda, a Friday release person for Clair and more recently took over Korimako/Room 7 whilst Amanda went on maternity leave. We thank Rebecca for her awesome work ethic, her teaching ability and her flexibility.
Haere rā Janine – Part time/Teacher
After a few years at MNS Janine is having term one to herself! Janine has capably taught in many classes including the all-important leadership release. More recently, Janine opened our new classroom and we think she’s done an awesome job. We hope to see Janine in the future.
Parent Pop-Ins – 31st January:
Friday 31st January 2025 between 1pm – 3pm. This is an opportunity to say hello to your child’s teacher/s for 2025. It’s also a good idea to drop off your child’s stationery at the same time so that’s one more job off your to-do list and it beats the first day rush!
Assemblies:
We look forward to seeing you at one of our final assemblies
Year 6 Assembly on Tuesday at 1.30pm
Final Assembly on Thursday at 10.45am
A time to count our many blessings!
Amanda Scott- Baby!
After a bit of a wait Amanda (one of our Deputy Principals) and Phil, have had a gorgeous baby girl named Isla. What a nice Christmas gift. Amanda’s parents are over from Scotland so it will be great family time! We all look forward to meeting little Isla soon.
Reminders:
Please pay your school Activity Donation if you haven’t already.
Lost Property
Please check the lost property rack that is located outside room 8, anything left after Thursday will be donated to a charity shop.
Early closing time last day of school
It has always been a tradition to close our school at 12:30pm on the final day of the school year. Children love the thought of getting away early, it’s so exciting for them! Please make arrangements to pick your child up then. A separate hard copy was sent home last week.
WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE BIGGER ‘US’:
Our children
I LOVE OUR CHILDREN. Thank you for giving us such lovely little humans ❤️
They work really hard and follow our school’s values everyday.
Our community
Resilient and Supportive: We know you have faced challenges too. Thank you for your warmth, kindness and understanding. Congratulations for helping your school to meet its goals in 2024. Our thanks pale in comparison to your incredible input.
Home & School – MNS Events Crew
Ideas People. What a great Gala the team organised! They’re smart and have savvy & creative ways to raise funds for our school. They have a strong sense of what’s good for our school. They have put in many hours to organise events. Special thanks to Nicky Mildenhall, Danielle Bhasin, Emma Gyles
And from the school: Anna Kibblewhite and Melanie Kesry.
Senior Leaders – Administration, Finance and Personnel, Curriculum
Each year brings new changes and challenges for our office leaders. My thanks to Belinda Campbell our Office Manager and Anna Kibblewhite our Office Executive for the wonderful work they do in keeping our school ticking over smoothly and for using their initiative in the myriad of situations which arise from day to day. I admire their incredible work ethic and the dedication they have to serving our parents, children and staff.
There’s never a dull moment for the senior leadership team, Vidisha Ishver, Sarah Macintosh and of course Amanda Scott. Between meeting new curriculum expectations, ensuring the smooth operations of our school, ensuring children have FUN and looking after their teams, they will need a good break to unwind, recalibrate and have time for themselves.
Teacher Aides, Caretaker
Flexible and supportive. Our teacher aides support our teachers by teaching individual children or small groups of children. They work under the guidance of our teachers and are well trained and dedicated to their groups of children.
We are lucky to have Blair Caughley our property person. He takes good care of our school; it’s not an easy task to meet the needs of all our staff. Blair is also a guardian of our gardens and forest areas.
Teachers
Committed and dedicated, teachers are here for the children and put 100% effort into their teaching day after day. We recently celebrated some fabulous improvements in our children’s achievements. A well -deserved pat on the back for all our teachers.
Board of Trustees
Our Board’s decisions are always in the best interest of the children and teachers. A Board has the unenviable task of representing the community and being an employer too! They have a strong understanding of their governance role. Thank you to all our board, special thanks to Cherida Fraser, our Chairperson.
I am indebted to you all.
Merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year to all of you.
Joyce Adam
Principal