Welcome to the very special learning community that is
St Matthew's Primary School.
Update July 4
Holidays
These start at the end of tomorrow and certainly the children are tired! They will enjoy the break. School starts back again on Monday July 22nd.
End of Term Prize Giving
Our normal prize giving is happening tomorrow in the church at 2pm. Please join us if you can, remember that the children sit at the front…so leave some space.
Car Parking
We are getting more and more parents and family becoming impatient when picking up their children at the end of the day. This car park is a very busy place at the end of the school day. Some things will help:
1) do not park in the middle of the driveway and wait. Go around again if there is no space for you to park.
2) do not walk your children through the carpark to get to the far side of the church or onto the street, please use our King Street gate and walk around on the footpath.
Some of our parents walk through the carpark to Waiapu Kids with their school children, then back through the carpark with their pre-schoolers as well. This makes it very hard for our other users.
3) if you are waiting in your car to back out, please be patient.
Pay Negotiations for Teachers and Principals.
Thank you for your support and patience during the industrial action for teachers and principals.
Primary principals across the country have just voted to reject the government’s offer for settlement of our negotiations. The government failed to make an offer that addresses our key issues.
We are concerned that little is being done to ensure that being a primary principal is seen as an attractive career option.
While I’m really happy that our teachers won back parity with their secondary colleagues, the same wasn’t offered to primary principals. We think that if parity with secondary is fair for teachers, then surely it’s fair for principals.
The offer also would have seen some principals in smaller schools paid less than some teachers in larger schools. It’s important that all communities are able to attract teachers into becoming principals, and that won’t happen if they can earn more as a teacher.
As a sign of our concern we have voted to withdraw the goodwill we extend to the Ministry of Education work that is additional to our day to day role running schools. I will not be participating in any form of work programme, taskforce, meeting with or reporting to the Ministry between July 8 and August 16. I will continue my professional leadership of the school during this time. There should be very little impact on the running of the school, it will mainly be with the work I do with and for the Ministry of Education.
Principals continue to hope that the government will hear us and address our issues. We are committed to continuing our campaign until they do. Personally I am grateful for the support that our parent community has shown throughout the campaign. I hope you will continue to show your support next term if it is necessary.
Tim Anderson, Principal
Keeping Ourselves Safe
During Term 3, Weeks 1-3, all the
children will be taking part in the Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS) programme.
This is a school-based personal safety programme.
They will learn:
to work out when their safety is at risk, for example walking home alone in the dark;
how to keep safe when they meet and mix with other people;
who and how to ask for help if they, or someone they know, is being abused;
to go on asking for help until someone does something to stop the abuse;
that it is important to make and follow personal, family and school safety rules.
Who teaches KOS?
Your local police education officer introduces KOS to the school staff.
Your child’s teacher will take the KOS lessons.
The police education officer may take part in some of the lessons.
If you would like to find out more about the programme, we are having a parent meeting at school (in the Staff Room) 3.15-4.00 p.m. Monday 1 July.
Read Together Programme
In Term 3 we would like you to
consider taking part in our
Read Together workshop programme. We all know how important reading is for children to succeed. One of the things that really helps children to
become good readers is support from home. The Read Together workshops will show you how best to do this.
The programme consists of three workshops and a graduation- each 1 hour and 15 minutes.
These will be held at the school on:
Thursday 1 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
Thursday 15 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
The programme does not cost you
anything but you will get a huge
benefit out of it and it will help your children become much better readers.
The workshops will finish in time for you to collect children after school. Please let us know if you need crèche facilities for pre-schoolers.
The workshops will be taught by our two Reading Recovery teachers,
Katrina Drinkwater and Nicola McCullough.
If you would like to attend the
programme please leave your name with Mike in the office (ph. 876 4958).
If you have any questions about the programme, please talk to your
classroom teacher or to Kathryn Rowe, before or after school.
Birthday Treats-
Please do not send treats to school for your child’s birthday.
Many of our children have food
restrictions, allergies, or other health
related problems. Plus, we are a sugar free school which means no sweets!
Skool Loop App
We have a school app that is up and
running. Skool Loop (yes – I hate that spelling as well!) operates with a calendar, notices, our newsletter. It even has a great absentee function as well. Just download it from your App Store and get it to search for St Matthew’s School, Hastings.
The Calendar function is very good – it gives you the school dates and times indicated as a red dot, and aligns it with your own calendar – shown as a blue or purple dot.
Please try it and let Mr Coyle or
Mr Anderson know how it goes for you.
Guitar Lessons
Sadly, our guitar tutor, Brendan Hooper had to stop tutoring due to ill health.
We have been able to secure a new
tutor for the rest of the year. His name is Jamie Fisher and he has over 30 years experience and comes well recommended. He can be contacted on 027 2913310 or email,
fishermusic37@gmail.com
St Matthew's School 25th Anniversary
We will be celebrating this Silver Anniversary during the weekend of 14, 15 March 2020 with a dinner, thanksgiving church service and other events.
We are forming a working group to plan the event.
If you would like to help organize the event or know of sponsorship sources that may assist us please contact the school office or if you have any other ideas please see Kathryn Rowe, who is convening the SWAG or email to silver@ourplace.school.nz
Winter Uniform
Girls: it is long white socks OR stockings/tights. It is NOT leggings.
Boys: please note that the winter shorts are different (and much warmer) than the summer shorts.
A group from the BoT is currently looking at the uniform and they will be inviting comments from the community soon.
In the meantime, feel free to email me with any comments you might have : tim@ourplace.school.nz
Girls’ Winter Uniform
Year 1-6, white skivvy.
Year 7-8, white long sleeve cotton shirt.
Year 1-6, school pinafore.
Year 7-8, school skirt.
School v neck jersey or polar fleece option for non wool wearers.
White plain knee length socks or navy rib tights.
Black lace-up, velcro or t bar school shoes.
Boys’ Winter Uniform
Year 1-6, white skivvy.
Year 7-8, white long sleeve shirt.
Year 1-6, grey winter weight shorts either side strap or elastic waist.
Year 7-8, long grey trousers, (optional).
School v neck jersey or optional polar fleece for non wool wearers.
Black lace up or Velcro school shoes.
Grey school socks.
Books In Homes
Whaea Jan has put together a programme to encourage children to read with parents/caregivers/brothers and sisters each night at home. Children can select books with the above sticker attached from a new library here at school.
However, we need the books first! Do you have any books you could donate? They can be at any age level. Thank you.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club is up and running, in the Hall from 8.10 until 8.45 every morning. All pupils welcome for Weetbix and toast. We are looking for more volunteers to help us in the morning—if you had a spare hour it would be most welcome!
Term dates for 2019
They are as follows:
Term 1 4 Feb to 12 April
Term 2 29 April to 5 July
Term 3 22 July to 27 Sept
Term 4 14 Oct to 19 Dec
Your Chatterbox
Many people get the Chatterbox by email and enjoy reading it on a device. If you would this by email, please let Mr Coyle know at admin@ourplace.school.nz
If you would ONLY like an email version (and not get a paper copy) also please let Mr Coyle know at admin@ourplace.school.nz.
Picking Your Child Up
A reminder please that if you are dropping off your child to school after 9:00am, make sure they come in via the office to sign in.
It would be best if you accompany them.
If you are picking up your child
early from school or for an appointment, please do this from the office as well.
Your child will meet you in the school office.
It is not OK to just meet them in the carpark, you need to let the office know.
Waiapu Kids-Early Childhood Centre St Matthew’s Early Childhood Centre is now taking enrolment's for 2017. There are still places available for 2016. The centre is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm and they cater for children from 0-5 years. Children can attend full time or part time and it is open all year except for three weeks over Christmas. The centre is ideally situated for Mum’s and Dad’s working in the city centre. There are a few vacancies for this year available.
St Matthew's Primary School is an Anglican state integrated school, catering for students from Year 0 to 8, situated in the heart of Hastings. Since its inception in 1995 it has grown to become a small school of just over 130 pupils.
Our motto is "teach our children to use the right path, and when they are older they will remain on it" (Proverbs 22:6). We achieve this by offering high quality values and curriculum based education within a special character context.
We have an open door policy and we encourage all members of our community to be involved in educating our children.
St Matthews Primary School has students from around Hawkes Bay, as well as from around the world.
Our website is aimed at the whole community, students, parents and parish members, to make it an information site to find out what is happening in the school.
Tim Anderson (Principal)