Senior School Newsletter

A BIG welcome to our returning senior school students and all students that are new to the senior school.

We have LOTS going on in Term 1 so be sure to check in here every now and then to keep up with all the happenings.

Swimming has started at Leabank, so all students will need to bring their togs to school on their swim days. Swimming is an important part of the school curriculum, and with New Zealand's terrible drowning statistics we are one of the few schools left in the country who still have an operating swimming pool. Mr Hauraki has done an awesome job to keep it running for us. Thank you for your hard work, Mr Hauraki! :)  Mrs Pritchard is in our school daily for the next six weeks to provide quality swimming lessons to all Leabank students so we can be safe in the water. These lessons are compulsory and part of our Health and Physical Education Curriculum.

The swimming team has begun training for the Interschool competition later this term. We will be having a senior swimming sports day soon so watch this space for details!

Thank you to the families who have purchased their stationery already. We would like to get everyone equipped with stationery as soon as possible so we can begin using it in our classes. If there are problems purchasing the stationery please make contact with your child's class teacher directly.

Kiwican has started this week. We are sad to farewell Whaea Tamara from her role as Kiwican Leader, but happy to welcome back Matua Richard and Matua Pomare, who has returned to Leabank after being away for a year at another school. We are all looking forward to practicing and learning new social skills and values in Kiwican.

Homework is an important part of our school expectations and in the senior school students will have homework on weeknights (not weekends). This will involve practicing spelling, maths and reading every night. Sometimes there will be a worksheet or other activity to complete as well. Getting into the homework habit is easy if you set aside a particular time to do it each night. Some people like to do it as soon as they get home, others after dinner or just before bedtime. Whatever time you choose, please talk to your family about letting you have this quiet time away from everyone else so you can concentrate. .

In the senior school we are busy testing students over the next few weeks so that we can group them according to their needs. Teachers will then use this information to plan the best ways to meet the needs of all students in classes.

Parent-Teacher interviews will take place on the evening of March 16. This is a good opportunity for teachers and parents to meet together and learn more about YOU! Together we can go far!

This year is CAMP!!!! In Term 4 the senior school will be heading to Camp! We will be sending details home later this term so you can start planning for it and paying instalments if you wish. We will also be fundraising for Camp, so look out for the upcoming DISCO and other events to help us get everyone to Chosen Valley Camp.

Finally, a warm welcome to students who are new to Leabank. We are glad you are here, and we look forward to getting to know you better!

Remember: the senior school is full of opportunities for you to show your skills and commitment to your own learning. Take advantage of opportunities to join groups, get involved in the library as a Librarian, the Health Crew, Peer Mediators and all the other exciting things about being a senior school student. Get noticed for all the right reasons and you may even find yourself in the very important position of being a Young Leader!

Quote of the day: "To have a friend, you have to BE a friend".

Senior School Teachers

Mrs Crompton Rm 22

Ms Lillian  Rm 17

Mrs Parker  Rm 16

Miss Pasirio  Rm 21

Mr Ekepati  Rm 19

Mrs Hamilton   Rm 18

Mr Pritchard  Release Teacher