Final Newsletter for 2023

Principal’s Message

Tena koutou katoa,
2023 has been a wonderful year for Rise UP. We have had many highlights during our learning journey through our focus on Pacific navigators this year. Our students continue to thrive in developing SHARP MINDS, STRONG BODIES and GOOD HEARTS! Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our school vision, mission and values: R-RESILIENCE, I-INTEGRITY, S-STEWARDSHIP, E-EXCELLENCE. Our new staff have enjoyed understanding and implementing the Rise UP way and our existing staff have flourished throughout all the new changes in our leadership team.
During our final devotions Ms Godinet asked the students to think about the best gift ever received. In their responses they shared the following statements:
“My family, my little sister, my parents and …Jesus”. It is an absolute privilege to teach our tamariki and nurture their moral character in this ever changing society.

As part of our Annual planning we have included our whanau fono responses to finalise our 2024 Theme as ‘Tiaki’ . Please take a liberty to google this if you need to and gird up to jump on board the RUA waka for some TIKA learning experiences.

We are sad to farewell to Dominica Ah-lam as she takes up a Music specialist position at Kedgley intermediate. We have locked in her parent voluntary hours for 2024 so we can still see her smiles at RUA.

Year 8 student Thomas Papali’i-Tiria gifted us with this fabulous sketch and words of gratitude.
Dear Rise UP, As you know I’m leaving this school and going to ASDAH so I drew this last drawing so you can remember me. Thank you for guiding me for high school. Merry Christmas, Thomas P.

May God bless us all over the holidays and we share the real reason for the season…
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6-7

Yours sincerely,
Sita Selupe MNZM
Tumuaki

The Calendar

Recent Events

Term 4: In the Classroom

Room 5

Room 5 students have been busy with lots of learning activities in term 4. In our Inquiry, we focused on studying three New Zealand role models Richie McCaw, Valerie Adams and Stan Walker. These great leaders inspired us to be good role models in school, our family and the community. We learned how to read fluently, recognize, form and write numbers and letters. One of the important parts of our student’s learning is playing indoor or outdoor games.  These activities expose students to social opportunities, productive brain breaks and essential life skills. Towards the end of term 4, we had 3 new students join Room 5; Jaclyn Kaur, Bryson Chang and Rocky Popata. I was so proud of my Room 5 students showing different spiritual gifts from Gods love, respect, service and encouragement towards their new friends and helping them to settle in our classroom. Our superhero Matthias enjoyed his own space to explore his favourite reading books about transport and animals. He participated well to arranging beats and building blocks which promote his cognitive flexibility, language skills, creativity and problem solving. Sadly we farewell Alana, Aria and Ezekiel as they are moving outside of Auckland. Thank you for being a part of our RUA family. We ended our 2023 school year strong and finished our race with joy. Merry Xmas Rise UP whanau.

From Mrs Leaso Partsch

Room 4

2023 has come to an end and I can say without a doubt that the growth in your learning, confidence and character has been nothing short of God’s glory and splendor.
Devotion this term; has highlighted how to Love and Respect others! Learning different memory verses and applying the devotion messages to your daily lives was a good challenge. We looked at verses that have encouraged us to finish strong for our year end events.
The Joy of the Lord is my (our) Strength!
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
Then Term 4, kicked off with Sneaker Day! We had Ruben Wiki- former Kiwis League captain/player; New Zealand role model; (which tied in perfectly with our Inquiry Context) promoting awareness and the impact Diabetes has had within our community!
You showcased our RISE up values – Resilience – Integrity- Stewardship – Excellence;
and all became famous for one day on Pacific News, Te Ao Maori and Diabetes NZ media forums!
Tino pai Room 4!
To follow was Christmas Gift day; blessed by Vero and Bachcare and our admin team The free gifts sponsored by the two organisations were amazing. It made me so proud to see you use your princess and gentleman manners and show a heart of appreciation and gratefulness.
Next; End of year Prize Giving. This required you to act responsibly and participate in this special event that celebrated the mahi your peers.
I was very proud of you all at our Prize Giving Awards. You sang like angels “O Holy Night” and applauded our Room 4 winners.
Literacy Awards: Year 2: Halo Sio Year 3: Graceson Faga
Numeracy Awards Year 2: Lincoln Henry Year 3: Tau Farani
Room 4 Class Awards
Perseverance: Ephesians Fanueli
The Arts: Christian-Ryu Talagi
Good Heart: Matthias Roache
Sharp Mind: Graceson Faga
A huge congratulations to two of our students who were nominated by all our Rise Up staff for the overall school awards.
Good Heart: Matthias Roache
Sharp Mind: Graceson Faga
Le viiga i le Atua! All Glory to God!
Our final event for the term was our Readathon! This showed your zeal to read more and to read to different members of your whanau including those loved ones overseas via Zoom! These moments shared were very special and priceless.
You “Read your way to Rainbows End”! The shrieks of nervous laughter echoed loudly throughout the theme park. A huge step of faith meant coming out of your comfort zone and blending in with all the other thrill seekers.
Thank you Room 4 and parents for your dedication, commitment and Godly attitude to supporting our learning journey together. Mrs Govender and I wish you all the best for 2024.
Have a very Merry Christman and a Prosperous 2024!
Blessings, Mrs Faga & Mrs Govender

Room 3

Term 4 has been a hype of activity from attending Mangere Beatz, where our students performed their cultural dances to having a special visitor and his crew come to our school by the name of Rueben Wiki. His team were all touched by a passionate haka performed by the senior students.
All the students were blessed with beautiful Christmas gifts donated by Vero, Kings College and Bach Care. Each child was given what they asked for. It was wonderful to watch each child open their gifts and see their faces light up. Term 4 is the festive season and brings colour, vibrancy and gift giving.
The students learnt about our New Zealand heroes such as Peter Blake, John Kirwan, Heni Te Kiri Karamu and other heroes that made a significant difference to our communities and country. Another special guest that highlighted Room 3 was our visitor, Virginia West. Virginia had suffered a terrible car accident in March and had been in a coma. A friend had contacted me asking to pray for her. The students prayed for her nearly every day this year and Virginia was miraculously healed. We sent her hand made get well cards and invited her to come visit us and share her journey, which she did. Virginia encouraged the students around prayers and belief of miracles. They were excited to hear that this was not fables but a true story of Gods restoration.
I am saddened to lose some of my students next year and wish them all well for next year.
Blessings and Merry Christmas to you and your families.
Ms Bella

Room 2

Wow, we made it to the end of the year. Term 4 has been a very busy time. The first couple of weeks we had Ki-O-Rahi and Mangere Beatz. Practices and the events on consecutive days was a challenge. The year 5/6 team were unbeaten in the Ki-O-Rahi tournament so well done to those students. The Mangere Beatz dress rehearsal was in the evening after the Ki-O-Rahi tournament and the performance was the next day so our students were very tired but still performed wonderfully at Mangere Beatz. Then the next couple of weeks were full of assessments. PM reading, GLOSS for maths, asttle tests in both descriptive writing and maths. Students completed the inquiry topic including looking at leadership qualities and motivation and how we can be inspired by iconic New Zealanders current or historic. Students presented their speeches on their chosen iconic New Zealander at the end of the term. Sneaker Friday was a new initiative and the students had a great time doing some fitness and having a healthy snack. The students were shown on TV and were able to get photos and autographs of the guests on site. Students have used pastels in art and done weaving and tissue pictures. The last couple of days in the term we made Christmas decorations (or pillows) that the students were able to take home. Have a safe and blessed holiday with whanau and friends.

God bless and see you for a wonderful 2024.
Heidi Weightman, Room 2.

Room 1

Term 4 was a busy period, brimming with learning both inside and outside the classroom. We kicked things off with our Beatz of Mangere event, witnessing our students’ hard work that we showcased at Mountain View school in week 2. The term welcomed Mr. Avi from Laid Law College, who spent five weeks with us, imparting valuable lessons. After a successful stint at Rise Up, we bid farewell to Mr. Avi as he returned to his home in Fiji. Thank you Mr Avi for your hard work in Room 1 and your service to Rise Up Academy.

Our artistic exploration continued with the talented Mr. Weightman every Tuesday, delving into the world of design in visual art. We are looking forward to seeing more Art next year with Mr Weightman. Throughout the term, financial literacy took center stage, and our writing focused on letters, proposals, and speeches. Our inquiry focus was around iconic New Zealand figures who have left a positive impact, inspiring our students to be positive role models in Aotearoa and beyond.

Connecting with a school in Japan allowed us to learn about their culture while sharing our own. The joyous readathon not only fostered a love for reading but also secured sponsorship for our whole school end-of-year trip to Rainbows End, where we created lasting memories.

To wrap up the term, our prize-giving ceremony celebrated the achievements of our students and bid farewell to our Year 8 students. Reflecting on the entirety of 2023, I extend heartfelt thanks to our whanau for the unwavering support shown to the students in Room 1 and myself. May the blessings of the season be with you all. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blessings from Ms Ah Lam

END OF YEAR PRIZEGIVING & YEAR 8 GRADUATION

What an amazing year for our students! Congratulations to those students who received Classroom awards, Top Literacy & Numeracy awards, After School awards and also the Special awards. The Special awards are awards where students are nominated by the RUA staff. From Term 1 – 4 staff are always watching and listening for outstanding students who are consistently following the Rise UP way and leadership skills inside and outside of the classroom. These recipients can be anyone from a Year 1 student through to Year 8 students. This year we saw 2 juniors receiving these special awards; Matthias Roache – Good Heart and Graceson Faga – Sharp Mind. Encourage your child/ren  who may have been inspired by the prizegiving to do their best but they must be consistent and start from term 1.

See below for our award recipients.

READ YOUR WAY TO RAINBOWS END

Our end of year celebration to Rainbows End was relished by all who attended! Our tamariki “Read their way to Rainbows End” raising funds through their Readathon. Fa’afetai lava to all our whanau who supported our literacy initiative.

At the theme park; our Rise Up students showcased their school values, princess and gentlemen manners. There was a mixture of screams, laughter and a flood of confidence brewing the South Auckland theme park. The thrilling rides were enjoyed by both tamariki and even more so by the adults.
All akonga devoured their treat from the ice cream parlour too!

Thank you to all our parent helpers and staff that took the time off to scream and laugh along with our children ; without you this could not have been possible.
Have a merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Nga mihi, Mrs Rona Faga

RUA KIDS CHRISTMAS

On Tuesday 5th December we had some very special guests come to Rise UP and bless our children with some amazing Christmas gifts. We would like to thank Deanne from Suncorp, Vanessa from Bach Care who organised the sponsors. We would also like to thank all the sponsors who jumped on board to kick start an awesome season of gift giving. This is our 2nd year of being blessed with gifts and we are truly grateful to be their ‘chosen school’. We did remind our students that Christmas isn’t only about receiving gifts but also about giving and being generous to others. There was also a lot of gratitude shared amongst our students to our amazing guests.

SNEAKER FRIDAY

On Friday 17th November our school was blessed with the opportunity to partner with the Warriors Community Trust and Diabetes NZ to promote awareness around Diabetes and the impact it has in our community. ‘Sneaker Friday’ encourages tamariki to wear their sneakers and to also promote physical well-being.
With our special guest, Rugby League Legend – Ruben Wiki, our children were inspired and encouraged to exercise and to move, make healthy food choices and to be aware of what Diabetes is.
It was a great morning of movement and exercise by both our students and staff. Our session ended with a free wrap and drink and our guests even took photos with our children and staff and they signed anything our children gave them.

It is important as a school and whanau to be aware of the impact that Diabetes has on our families and community. One of our school values is Strong Bodies, so the more we can teach and encourage our children about physical well being and healthy lifestyles now means it will benefit our children for years to come.

Here are links of media posts of RUA on Sneaker Friday:

REAL GIRLS

In Term 4 Rise UP ran a programme on Tuesday afternoons for our Year 6 girls called ‘Real Girls’. It was an in-house programme where the girls dove a little deeper into the Word, learnt about themselves and how to relate to others in order to better prepare themselves for when they are RUA Seniors.

The sessions were focused on Psalm 139:13 – 17 reminding our girls that they are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ and that they were created unique and to be comfortable and confident in their own skin. We also wove in Ephesians 6:10 – 18, about armour- giving the girls spiritual and practical tools to help them face any adversity or make the right choices in situations with their peers.

YEAR 8 CELEBRATION

Our Year 8 students are geared up to conquer the world! They put their sharp minds to work and pitched an idea to Mrs. Selupe for their end-of-year celebration at Rise Up Academy. After brainstorming among themselves, they used their persuasive writing skills to make a case to Mrs. Selupe about why they deserved a trip and where they wanted to go. Their efforts paid off with a resounding “Yes,” and they took charge of planning the entire excursion.Handling everything from budgets to emails, they even put together the day’s schedule and safety analysis program, tasks typically handled by teachers. It’s worth noting that this is quite remarkable, as we’ve never seen students take on such responsibilities before. Their determination to bring their vision to life was truly inspiring.

Once all the details were sorted and their documents were given the green light by Mrs. Selupe and Ms. Ah-Lam, they set off to Game Over in Albany. Before diving into the day’s activities, they enjoyed breakfast with Whaea Mel, Ms. Ah Lam, and Santa at the Albany Westfield Mall. Satisfied and fueled, they headed to Game Over for a day filled with go-kart racing, mini golf, laser tag, and games. The celebration trip was a fantastic success, creating cherished memories for our Year 8’s. Our hope is that as they transition to new schools in 2024, they’ll continue to apply their sharp minds to make a positive impact on the world.

Whanau Notices

SUPA END OF YEAR SHOWCASE

Thank you for your continued support for our tamariki who continue to make big moves within the performing arts sector. This year they have learnt the theory and concepts of dance and have come away with learnings of collaboration, creation, definitions and terminology used with DANCE. We applaud our SUPA tutors who continue to build on the learning and for their passion in their craft – it’s not easy to teach or learn after 3pm.

Whanau Fono

Our fono was co-hosted by our SLT and BLC team; sparking informative discussions with our 25 whanau who were represented on the night.

The focus was to inform, consult and review our Health statement with whanau. This statement shapes the holistic and positive direction of our Health and Physical Education programmes.

Rise Up is committed to delivering the best Health and Physical Education programmes that comply with Curriculum guidelines and legislation.

The strong views and opinions voiced by our whanau; has provided great input into our Curriculum planning and Annual Goals for 2024.

Rise Up welcomes our new vibrant KTM – Komiti Tupe Mai: who is led by Albert Scott and the Komiti members; Misty Tapara, David Fanueli, Sarah Pula-Olo, Justin Ah Loe and Berth Aue.

Fa’afetai lava for your participation and genuine talanoa of how we can better grow the Sharp Minds, Strong Bodies and Good Hearts of our Rise Up learners.

Have a merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

HEARTS & MINDS

How can I help my child to succeed?

We know that learning starts in the home, so with our 2024 Hearts and Minds Calendar you will have helpful reminders and tips about understanding your child and how YOU can help your child to grow, to feel loved and expand their thinking.

Our calendars are only $30.00 and are available by emailing [email protected] or texting 022 461 0144 with your name, address and contact phone number.
Payments to be made Online at
Rise UP Trust
02-0216-0028088-00
Please put your name as the reference and once payment has been received then your calendar will be delivered.

Start 2024 being equipped for your child’s year of new learning!

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMME

Thank you parents for your commitment to the After School Programme. We are grateful for this opportunity that we have for our children to nurture their gifts and talents.
It’s been a great year ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Thank you to our whanau who are also our tutors for the Culture & Heritage – Language Classes. We appreciate you Fotui Malelei, Sarah Pula, Teingoa Turaki, Aunty Tala Ikihele & Ms Taufelila, your amazing mahi with our tamariki have been evident in the homes of our whanau. Malo lava le onosa’i. We hope to have a Maori tutor next year. Please let us know if you are interested or have a family member who is fluent in Te Reo and able to commit to our programme every Tuesday 3pm-4.30pm.

Enjoy FAMILY TIME with your whanau. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

GOOD TO GO VOLUNTEER ARM

A huge THANK YOU to all our whanau volunteers who went on the Rainbows End trip with our tamariki and to our whanau who donate resources to our school in lieu of volunteer hours. A special mention to our ex Rise UP students and staff family who volunteer every year for our RUA Events when they are on school holidays; Maria York, Abigail Leulua’i-Alo, Kianne Sifaheone, Soteria, Gabriel, Michael and Gideon Fe’ao. Praying that God will extend His favour and blessing over all our volunteers during this holiday season, thank you again for your support of our school.

Pictured are some of our ex-RUA student volunteers.

ENROLMENTS

For our whanau who have children turning five next year please complete an enrolment form. We have spaces available for next year’s enrolment, so please let your whanau know. Please fill in an online form from our website https://www.riseupacademy.school.nz/

SMALL BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL

PROV-TECH Automotive  

If your car needs some work done or a service please check out http://provtechauto.com

275KAI 

Mary and her whanau make the heartiest burgers and delicious meals like; surf n turf, ribs etc found here too! 60 Vine Street Mangere. https://www.facebook.com/275KAI

MAMAS MEDALS

She and her team create the most stunning pieces and are available to order. You’ll be the talk of the town when you wear one of her numbers. https://www.facebook.com/mamasmedals

*Whanau if you own a small business that you would like us to post up on our newsletters please email [email protected] 

Devotions

Whanau devotions:

Devotion topic Week 10: Gift Giving
Scripture for the week:
Romans 12:6-9 “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well”. so if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them”

Learning Intention: We are learning to:
Receive gifts with a grateful heart
Gift others and God with our obedience, service and worship
Success criteria:
Saying thank you with a smile/hug
Use our gifts and talents from God to serve and bless others
Worship God by reading our Bible and praying everyday

Prayer requests:
Devotion Overview for 2024
Protection and joy over all our whanau during the holiday break

It is a season of giving and receiving, our children are so blessed to have Christmas gifts with joy and gladness.
In class Devotions our children practice their faith by praying for others. Room 3 has had the opportunity to pray for Virginia West (a friend of Ms Bella), who was in a terrible car accident in March. She was hospitalized in ICU for a few months. The children have been praying for her since March and wrote letters to her. This week they were able to see the healing hand of God over Virginia who came into school to meet them. What a testimony in the power of prayer!

Over the holidays we encourage our tamariki to bless and serve others with their God given gifts and talents and continue to pray every day even for strangers!

Blessings,
Rhonadean

Praise be to God for answered prayer