Newsletter 2, Term 1 2022

Principal’s Message

Fakaalofa lahi atu,

Hebrews 11:1 ‘Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’

Term one has been a mixed bag of chocolates at Rise UP Academy. We have welcomed new students, new whanau and new staff during the height of this Pandemic. The tenacity shown by everyone has been remarkable. It is a privilege to lead a school community which is set on ensuring our children have access to quality learning experiences and holding the line when well-being challenges have arisen. Our students are well settled into their learning programmes back onsite and we average 80%-90% attendance. Our Board of Trustees have confirmed our Charter and Annual plan for 2022- Please see the Road Map for details.Road Map 2021-2023

Our Parent partnership meetings attendance was OUTSTANDING -94% whanau attendance. Thank you for continuing to be fully engaged in your children’s learning. With the Ministry of Health guidelines shifting mandates this opens up more space for us to do some of the exciting activities we haven’t had the liberty to do yet.

Sita Selupe MNZM
Principal

The Calendar

Recent Events

CLASSROOM LEARNING

Room 5

Room 5 is working hard on learning their letter sounds and new words. We daily practise forming letters and numbers correctly. We are learning to take turns and use our kind words when talking to others. Many of our Room 5 students are nature smart and enjoy watching and touching praying mantis (stick insects) on the deck. They like working with soil, weeding our garden and planting onion seeds. We are waiting patiently for it to grow.

God bless, Mrs Ernestine Muller

Room 4

This term’s inquiry context is He iwi tahi tatou’- we are one people.
We are learning about the significance of our tangata whenua and making connections to our whenua.

Room 4 drew pictures and wrote a caption of what landmarks (whenua) were significant and meaningful to them.

Ephesians said her whenau that was significant to her was her church.
Skye drew Mangere Mountain because she could see it from her school deck; so too did many other students. Others drew the Sky Tower.

On Wednesday; the junior syndicate visited Mangere Mountain’s education centre. After their excursion with parent helpers, Emma, Rowena, Whaea Mel and Whaea Penina; Room 4 wrote a recount about their hikou up Mangere Mountain – Te Pane o Mataoho.

They brainstormed their ideas; sharing about things they saw, felt and learnt. Similes were also introduced. They will publish their recounts on Monday using Google Docs and share with their parents.

Room 4 tamariki are excited to learn more about Tāmaki Makaurau through excursions, talking to experts and using their researching skills. Watch this space !

Fa’afetai Tele Lava, Mrs Rona Faga

Room 3

Room 3 students were busy with their activity, I know who I am .They did a marvelous job enlightening us. We also have been busy writing about Mrs Govender’s dog Blossom and her encounter with the Hedgehog one night. It has been such a delight to teach in Room 3 this week!

God bless, Mrs Desi Govender

Room 2

Talofa lava Rise Up Whanau,

Praise the Lord, all 19 of our students have returned back to school feeling healthy, strong and ready to learn after being in isolation.

This month, New Zealand celebrated Seaweek which focuses on celebrating the sea and all it encompasses. Students were able to identify the importance of our sea and how we can protect it. They chose a sea animal to research then created wonderful posters to share their findings. Do you know what a Vaquita is? Here’s Aaliyah’s poster so you can learn more about it.

As we continue to focus on our devotion theme ‘I know who I am’ in writing, each student wrote an ‘I am poem.’ They used their 5 senses to describe who they are and how they view the world. Here is an example written by Onosa’i.

Some of our highlights in the past few weeks were going on our trip to Mangere Mountain and learning how to use different learning apps such as Tinkercad (pictured), Banqer and Prodigy Math. We pray for God’s continuous blessings as we draw near to the end of term 1.

Take care and stay safe, alofa atu Mrs Joyce Salu.

Room 1

Bula Vinaka,
We are almost to the end of Term 1! Week 9 was Room 1s first week back with a full class returned. Thank you parents for continuing the learning at home and sending the students back to school regularly. Since our last newsletter update Room 1 has doing a range of integrated activities with their inquiry this term. The students have learnt to synthesis during reading and reference a range of websites, books, articles to support their findings. So, to end off this months learning I would like to share with you 2 students who have shown progress with their learning in writing. Well done to Neil Yeng Tung (Y8) and Isabella Winter (Y7) – please read their published story.

Have a blessed week, Ms Kui Sifaheone

Writing by Isabella Winter-Satini & Neil Yeng Tung

MANGERE MOUNTAIN VISIT

Our focus for Terms 1 and part of Term 2 is learning about our Local area- Mangere, In particular we want students to learn who we are and understand the significant connection of our local area to Tangata Whenua so they as citizens of Mangere build respectful relationships. Our visits over the two days were full of stories about the iwi that lived on the mountain in the past, how they survived and worked together as a community. Students did a hikoi up the mountain, looked over our beautiful Manukau Harbour. Students also got a taste in different workshops of how the local iwi lived through making tools, growing food, dance and weaving. It was a great couple of days. I would just like to acknowledge Bader Intermediate and Favona Primary school for the use of their school vans for both days.
Thank you to you all for your continued support and a special ‘Ka pai’ to all our parent helpers and staff for the energies you brought! Look out for our next excursion which will be early Term 2 visiting Makaurau Marae.

Enjoy reading some poems that we did in Room 1 after the excursion to our Maunga from Eden Pasene and Thomas Papali’i.
Nga mihi
Sisi Key

CAUGHT BEING GOOD CERTIFICATES

Congratulations to these awesome students who were selected by their classroom teachers last week!

Room 1 – Matutua Talagi & Harjas Singh
Room 2 – Mereana Popata & Bentley Taufa
Room 3 – Lynell Matamaki & Leikyn Winter
Room 4 – Raven Henry & Eli Macgregor
Room 5 – Lusia Duisokosoko & Fa’apulou Scott

Pictures from the Junior & Senior Mangere Mountain Trip

Thank you to our Teachers and Parent Helpers for these great pictures.

Whanau Notices

Teachers Only Day – THIS FRIDAY 8th April. Please organise care for your children on this day.

HEARTS & MINDS

Thank you to the following whanau: Evelyn & Joe Safit, Kiri Key, Ameila & Matthew Birch, Coralie Papalii, Te Pare Tira, Melissa Laulusa. Thank you for your commitment and attending the Hearts & Minds programme this term. We have loved the heart to heart sharing and getting to know you all as well. May you continue to be blessed in your parenting journey.

Hearts & Minds Testimonies

“I did know about love languages but not really to the point if you do it properly you are filling their love tank and they are able to learn. I’ve learnt heaps and it feels like it comes with a calmness to parenting”. Matthew Birch
“I’ve learnt about what tools are being used at school to teach my child. It’s really good to know as a parent what the tools are and learning about them has been interesting e.g. love language and personalities. It has helped me to think about my relationships in my family.” Evelyn Safiti

Hearts & Minds Term 2

Enrolments 2023 – If you have friends or family who would like to enrol their child in Rise UP 2023 please let them know we have our Hearts & Minds programme starting in Term 2 Wednesday 11th May.

CORRECT SCHOOL UNIFORM

It is important that our students take pride in their appearance. Please ensure your child wears the correct school uniform each day to school. Hats are compulsory in Terms 1 and 4. Hats with cords are ok but not on the junior playground. If your child does not bring a hat they will be able to play on the deck in the shaded areas but not on the field.

WATER BOTTLES ARE A MUST

Your child must bring a labelled water bottle to school. We have taps available to REFILL bottles but not to drink from to avoid any spread of COVID. We thank you for your support in helping to prevent the spread of COVID in our school community.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMME

A gentle reminder that there is NO After School Programme for the rest of Term 1. We will be posting updates on FaceBook in regards to next term. Watch This Space!

TERM 2 – After School Programme

Devotions

Whanau devotions:

Devotion topic: I Know Who I Am
Scripture for the term: Psalm 139:13-16
13. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.
15. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Scripture for the week: Psalm 139: 13-16
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.
Learning Intention: We are learning to understand our Family values
Success criteria:
I can share my family values with others
I can thank God for my family
Prayer requests:
– God’s love and protection to be upon all whanau and staff.
– Enrolment
– Well-being for all whanau and staff
– Annual Plan
– To open up the children’s hearts to God’s Word to believe that they are wonderfully and fearfully made.

Praise be to God for answered prayer