Principal’s Message
Kia orana tatou katoa toa,
We have had a smorgasboard of language weeks, performing arts, soccer touch downs, whanau PATH plans Synergy sessions and reporting of our childrens learning and well-being.
Thank you for all your positive engagement as we continue to develop our vision SHARP MINDS, STRONG BODIES & GOOD HEARTS.
Term three often sees increased illness with staff and students so as the Spring weather brings brighter days please support us in achieving our goal for 60% regular attendance. The Ministry of education have put greater measures in place and in term 2 we had 38% regular attendance, which means we have a big mountain to climb. As we uplift this in prayer and supplication and remember our theme is the Law of the Harvest- We will reap what we sow -Galatians 6:7
Year 8 students are the apple of my eye this half of the year as we prime them in readiness for the transition to High School. Please contact the Whanau Educators to review their PATH plans and let us know what you need to set them up for success next year.
Meitaki maata,
Sita Selupe
Principal
The Calendar
Recent Events
SUPA SHOWCASE
Our SUPA After School Programme involves our senior students being taught about performing arts by tutors from Saintz Up Performing Arts.
The tutors passion for performing arts is evident through their willingness, patience and humbleness in helping our students learn more about Dance, Siva Samoa, Guitar and Singing. Our students come away with a greater knowledge, understanding and excitement about the performing arts.
On Monday 26th of August our Rise Up Academy students were able to show all their hard work to their family and friends at our annual SUPA Showcase at the Mangere Arts Centre. It was a great night of dancing, singing and performing and we were all so proud of our talented students. We had hip hop dancers showing their moves, guitarists who serenaded us with their playing, elegant young girls moving swiftly, powerful young men dancing strong and beautiful voices filling the air.
The tutors also presented their Award Winners for the Year.
Junior Guitar
Most Improved – Darla-May Te Rure
Best Potential – Eli Macgregor
Top Performer – Ulaiasi Peauafi
Senior Guitar
Most Improved – Renita Farani
Best Potential – Knolan Tapuosi
Top Performer – Bronze Talagi
Siva Samoa
Most Improved – Fisi-Anne Sifaheone
Best Potential – Hadassah Peauafi
Top Female Performer – Isabelle Macgregor
Top Male Performer – Leikyn Winter Satini
Hip Hop Dance
Most Improved – Karlos Moki
Best Potential – Leikyn Winter Satini
Top Performer – Mariarosa Farani
A big thank you to all the families and friends that were able to attend and support our students with their performances. Thank you also to Saintz Up for all your hard work and for choosing to partner with Rise Up Academy.
LANGUAGE WEEKS:
TONGAN LANGUAGE WEEK – ‘E tu’uloa ‘a e lea faka-Tongá ‘o ka lea’aki ‘i ‘api, siasí (lotú), mo e nofo-‘a-kāingá – The Tongan Language will be sustainable when used at home, church and in the wider community.
Mālō e lelei!
In week 5, Rise Up Academy celebrated Tongan Language Week with a vibrant array of activities and events that brought our school community together. Students and staff were able to use this opportunity to immerse themselves in Tongan culture through music, cooking and dance performances. The week kicked off with our devotion based on the fruits of the spirit – Peace. We were lucky to have Ta’u open the festivities, setting us up for the week ahead.
In the classroom, students participated in Tongan language lessons, learning common phrases and exploring Tongan food. The highlight of the week was the Tongan assembly filled with our Tongan group dances and singing followed by a lunch where everyone enjoyed delicious Tongan dishes prepared by our talented parent volunteers. The celebrations not only enriched our understanding of Tongan heritage but also strengthened the bonds within our diverse school community.
We at Rise Up are grateful to everyone who contributed to making Tongan Language Week a memorable experience, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate and learn about the rich cultures that make up our school.
Fakafeta’i pea tapuaki’i ‘e he ‘Otua
John ‘Ofanoa
COOK ISLAND LANGUAGE WEEK – ‘Ātui’ia au ki te vaka o tōku matakeinanga – connect me to the canoe of my tribe’
Kia Orana,
The Cook Islands came to South Auckland – Mangere – Rise Up Academy School this year. Our Cook Island Language Week was opened with a prayer by Teinoa -Rongo’s dad and at our whole school devotion.
Throughout the week, a number of activities occurred within the classes. Rooms 4 & 5 were treated to the Cook Island artistry talents of Pine Talagi and Teinoa with their beautiful carved boards.. Tamariki experienced screen printing; rolling vibrant purple paint onto their white t-shirts showcasing the beautiful patterns of the Cook Islands. Their t-shirts were worn at assembly for the junior performance.
Our Cook Island duos’ talents were extended to Ura Fitness with the joint effort with Tiare Talagi. This saw the swaying of hips and knocking of knees by our ākonga AND RUA teachers. This was concluded with a class dual of the fittest and bravest ura dancers. The dubious task of selecting one winner from each class was obvious from the judges’ faces.
To finish our week; ākonga showcased their coordination and culture proudly in front of their peers and whanau. The Junior school opened our assembly with their welcome song. This was followed by our beautiful Matamaki girls demonstrating their Cook Island splendor. The Cook Island group who had practiced industriously throughout the week entertained us with brilliant choreography by Pine & Teinoa sharing the story of One Foot Island or Tapuaetai; one of the 22 islands within the Aitutaki Lagoon. The island derives its name from the legend of a father and son that were spotted from a distance by a chieftain’s warriors fishing in the chief’s private lagoon.
The event everyone avoids “Around the World” was thoroughly entertaining for our whanau, teachers and tamariki. Not to mention our talented Talagi band sharing their musical gifts on the ukuleles, drums and vocals.
Our Cook Island week ended with a delectable spread by our Cook Island team and whanau. Meitaki ma’ata to our Cook Island whanau: Robati-Talagi, Turaki, Henry, Kara, Winter, Martin-Singapu, Singh-Tearoa, Matamaki, Mr Sonny for our tamariki’s chop suey and our Cook Island team.
A special thank you to our Martin whanau for the dresses made for our junior Cook Island girls and the ei katu.
A special Meitaki ma’ata to our Cook Island Team – Mrs Govender, Ms MaryEllen, Whaea Penina, Whaea Cecelia, our MC – Ms Grace and our fabulous tutors Pine & Teinoa.
Aere ra
Mrs Faga
GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Last Thursday 22nd August our girls aged between 9-11 years took part in the MOSA Soccer Tournament which consisted of 13 schools from Mangere and Otahuhu taking part. Our girls were outstanding at the tournament with all playing in their first tournament after the 1st round robin we were top of the board – YES we were in the number 1 spot according to points scored.
We were then placed into the semi-finals, unfortunately we lost 0 – 1 to Favona Primary but played for 3rd/4th place against Waterlea winning 1-0. Achieving 3rd place out 13 schools is a great accomplishment for our girls and as their coaches, we were and are extremely proud of each player.
We started training in Week 2 giving us 3 weeks of lunchtime training sessions. At our first training sessions we discovered most of our girls were very green when it came to skills, dribbling, defending or even kicking the ball straight. We even had tears during the first 2 weeks of training when a ball hit their bodies. Fortunately with great perseverance, courage and determination our girls were game ready by tournament day.
We would like to thank Rooms 1 & 2 for joining us in our training sessions when we needed students for the girls to play against – this definitely helped boost their confidence. Thank you to our whanau who came to support their girls; Farani whanau, Saga whanau, Letiu whanau, Henry whanau, Ah Lam – Tupai whanau, Polutele whanau, Charlotte our wonderful RTLB advisor, Mike Fe’ao from our RUA BOT and the hype girls; Soteria and Maria and a special thank you to Mr Setefano Farani for his added sideline coaching hehe! We do love our whanau support! We would also like to thank Mr Ofanoa for his encouragement and belief in our teams success and a special thank you to Ms Weightman who put her hand up to be the supervising teacher or we would not have been able to take part in the tournament.
Last but definitely not least a HUGE THANK YOU to our girls and their whanau for believing, encouraging and supporting your daughters and trusting us to guide and teach them a new sport. Thank you for bringing the MAFANA – the VIBES Girls!
Sincerely your coaches;
Mrs Laura & Whaea Cecelia
GAME 1: Otahuhu Primary 1 – 0 Rise UP Academy
GAME 2: Rise UP Academy 2 – 1 Nga Iwi Primary
GAME 3: Rise UP Academy 4 – 1 Mangere Bridge Primary
GAME 4: Favona Primary 1 – 0 Rise UP Academy
GAME 5: Rise UP Academy 1 – 0 Waterlea Primary
BOYS RIPPA RUGBY TOURNAMENT
On Wednesday 7th August, we went and competed at the annual MOSA Rippa tournament. What a talented bunch of young Men!!!! We missed out on the top 4 by one try, but comfortably finished 5th out of 20+ teams. It was a great day for students who have never been or played in a tournament to not only represent RUA but to compete against the best in Mangere.
Our boys not only got to demonstrate Strong Bodies while playing, Good Hearts amongst themselves and the competition, but they showed Sharp Minds when things got tough and had to push and step out of their comfort zone. This is one for the memory books.
Thank you to all the parents and supporters that were able to come and cheer for our team. We know that as a school, whanau engagement plays a big part in the success of our student’s learning and well being.
Blessings and Thanks
Mr ‘Ofanoa and Whaea Celia
DUFFY ASSEMBLY- ‘Calling Detective Duffy’
Our Rise Up Akonga and teachers were entertained by the Duffy team. Jasiah Jenning – Duffy, Simi Kafoa – Scruffy and Holly Drew Stephens who played multiple roles.
RUA enjoyed the theatrical story of Duffy helping his cousin Crystal Kea who is a Black Fern. Her stat card had been misprinted at the factory and it was really affecting her skills and confidence. Duffy and Scruffy showcased their detective skills, engaging our Rise Up audience.
Together, using their mystery books as a helpful guide, they had to figure out who or what is behind the misprints so Crystal can get back to full form before her next game!
The setting, storyline and props amazed all who were present.
Our junior school were fascinated by the Duffy Team; their comments were recorded below:
Harlem grinned “It was funny!”
Judah smiles and says ” It was fantastic!”
Sela-Rose shouts “It has cool props and set up!”
Matthias shares; “It was magnificent, especially Scruffy!”
Fa’apulou smiles and says “The characters were fantastic!”
Agape shares “ It was like a movie and it was funny!”
Jerrikah said “ It was funny and I liked the story!”
Rocky quietly says “ My favourite part was singing the Duffy song by myself.”
A special thank you to Mainfreight who provide Duffy books throughout the year of our tamariki encouraging them to READ TO SUCCEED!
Nga mihi, Mrs Faga
PARENT PARTNERSHIP MEETING (PPM)
A huge thank you to all our whanau who attended our Parent Partnership Meetings. Rooms 1,2,3 and 4 had 60/77 of PPM meetings attendance.
With the omission of our Room 5 – 22 juniors; Mrs Partsch will have this later in the term.
Teachers look forward to catching up with the parents who were unable to attend due to various commitments. Please whanau; contact the teachers directly via messenger or Class Dojo.
We love the dual partnership and support of growing the Sharp Minds, Strong Bodies and Good Hearts of our tamariki.
Our School mission “Raising Leaders One Child at a Time. When we enrol your child, we enrol your whanau”.
Blessings, Mrs Rona Faga
FOOD SHOW – YEAR 7 & 8 TRIP
Earlier this term Mrs Selupe who heads our Food Tech class took our students on a fun tasting adventure at the ASB Showgrounds where they got to fill their tums, spend their money and experience live cooking shows.
ZERO WASTE ZONE TRIP
We kick started our Inquiry Topic: Law of the Harvest this term with an excursion to Zero Waste Zone in Henderson. Educators at the transfer station provided hands-on and engaging experience for our akonga learning about recycling and worms. This sparked curiosity and connection with nature. Our sharp minds and nature smart students delve in with excellent questioning skills. Discovering how worms break down organic waste, turning it into nutrient rich soil prepared our akonga for planting this term. They transferred their knowledge into composting – helping to look after our kura, planting seeds and the importance of recycling, reusing and reducing waste. Excursion experiences as well as classroom learning fosters an early appreciation for sustainability, teaching our akonga that their actions contribute to a healthier Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand!
Whanau Programme & Notices
IMPORTANT DATES FOR RUA
SYNERGY
Our Synergy presentation night is Wednesday 11th September at the MAC (Mangere Arts Centre) Our 5 families have been working hard to prepare for their “I know Who I am” presentation. The Museum Visit this term was very rich with children learning about the Pacific Nations and Te Ao Maori, discovering their history, relationships and resources. As our children continue to learn about their identity through our Synergy sessions, we see the fruit of their commitment; resilience, self awareness and growth. Look out for their Synergy night invitation 🙂
AWHI PARENT GROUP
In te reo Māori, awhi means to care for, embrace and cherish – to help or support others.
The purpose of the Awhi Parent Group is to create a supportive network for parents, enabling them to connect with each other, Rise Up Academy School, and external providers. This collaboration is centered on enhancing the learning and well-being of neurodiverse children ensuring they receive the necessary support and resources to thrive at school and at home.
We invite all parents of neurodiverse children to join us for our Talanoa this Wednesday 4th September, 2pm – 3.30pm lead by our Awhi Parent Leaders: Clifford Faa’aoga, Rowena Peauafi, Edward Te Rure.
Key stakeholders; Ministry of Education Psychologist Sandra Smith, Speech Language Therapist – Ina Fautua, RTLB Liaison – Charlotte Maumea, Sione Sione – CLM Advisor will be present for any questions you may have.
CELL PHONE POLICY
At Rise UP Academy, our approach to cellphones and other personal digital devices supports student engagement and achievement. Personal digital devices include cellphone’s, which we manage according to government regulations, and other devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartwatches. Devices that are part of a school-approved Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programme have separate conditions for use.
Rise UP Academy does not recommend that students bring personal digital devices to school.
Cellphone regulations
To comply with government regulations, we ensure students do not use cellphones during school hours, including break times. Parents/Caregivers can request an exemption from the school if required. We allow exemptions for students to use cellphones if they are required for:
- a specific educational purpose approved by a teacher
- health needs (e.g. to monitor insulin levels)
- disability or learning support needs
- a special circumstance approved by the principal.
If a parent or caregiver needs to contact their child during school hours, they should call the office. Students should not use smartwatches for communication during school hours.
Rules about cellphones and other personal digital devices made by the board are a school bylaw. The board consults with the school community when making or amending bylaws. We discuss school rules about personal digital devices at the beginning of the year, and throughout the year as needed.
Device requirements at school
The school promotes safe and responsible use of digital technology. Students are required to comply with our digital technology policies and procedures if devices are brought to school. See Digital Technology and Online Safety.
If students bring personal digital devices (including cellphones) to school, the following requirements apply:
- Students are not allowed to take devices on EOTC events.
- Students must turn their devices off and keep them out of sight during school hours.
- If devices are used for a learning activity, this must be approved and supervised by teaching staff.
Inappropriate use
Inappropriate use of a personal digital device may include:
- using a device when not allowed
- any sort of bullying, including online bullying
- sending or sharing inappropriate content
- taking photos or videos of other people without their permission.
Inappropriate use of a personal digital device is managed according to the relevant school policy or procedure:
- Behaviour Management
- Responding to Digital Incidents
- Surrender and Retention of Personal Digital Devices
If a student uses a personal digital device inappropriately (including using a cellphone when it is not allowed) the student must hand it to a staff member immediately when asked. If possible, the student should lock their device before handing it to staff. The device will be kept in the office and can be collected by the student at the end of the day.
***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/
UNIFORM SALES
As of next week our office will be open for uniform sales 8.30-9.15am on Thursdays only.
CAR PARK SAFETY
A gentle reminder to our whanau that the Car park is for Sir Douglas Bader Intermediate and Rise UP Staff ONLY – there are 2 car parks at the end marked for mobility card users only (must be displayed). Please use the off street parking and if you need to supervise your child walking up to the school gate then please walk them as there have been a few near misses and also SDBI car parks taken by our whanau.
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
Devotion topic: Law of the Harvest
Scripture for the week: James 5:7-10
“Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient”. .
This term’s topic is based on John 15: 16-17
“You didn’t choose me, I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other”.
Akonga and Kaiako learned about the 4 soils, sowing and reaping, the Vine and the branches, and now deep diving into the Fruit of the Spirit. As classes till the soil to get ready for planting in their Inquiry, we pray that we bear much fruit. Fruit that lasts; peace, kindness, patiences, joy, and self control.
Prayer Requests:
– Student/Staff well being and full attendance
– Funding applications
– Year 8 High Schools
– Health: Sickness
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