Newsletter 2 Term 3 2024

Principal’s Message

Tena koutou katoa,

Term three has been a busy one-Praise the Lord! The Inquiry and devotion topic has seen staff and students mucking in to lay their garden beds in preparation for the the ‘MARKET DAY’ on the 8th November. The children are enjoying watching their gardens grow and learning about the fruits of the spirit in amongst their Inquiry. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of all the various programmes we have at school particularly with the Language weeks and the Sports tournaments. We may be small in numbers but we are definitely large at heart and performed extremely well in the Year 5/6 girls soccer placing 3rd-woohoo! We also placed 2nd in the Year 5/6 Ki o rahi tournament, we are so proud of our tamariki and thankful to our coaches-Mrs Laura, Whaea Celia and Mr Ofanoa. From the office to the field we are blessed to have such versatile staff members at Rise UP.
As we all take time to rest and spend time with family and friends, please encourage our students to continue their reading mileage aiming for at least 20 minutes a day perhaps in the kitchen, subtitles, devotions or reading the new signs at Manawa Bay lol.
Term four will be a busy one so, take care and have a safe relaxing holiday Rise UP Whanau.
Iehova vaha loto,
Sita Selupe
Principal

Iehova vaha loto.

Sita Selupe MNZM
Tumuaki

The Calendar

Recent Events

Term 3: In the Classroom

Room 5

Room 5 class has been busy learning Structure Literacy which focuses on grapheme – phoneme knowledge. This enables students to develop spelling, writing and reading skills. I noticed the importance of Structure Literacy to my students. They practice letter sounds and apply spelling and blending sounds together as they write or read. Students enjoyed working alongside their peers in groups to practice handwriting, reading speed sounds and speed words.
In writing, we did Recount and Procedural writing. Our students understand more when they put their hands into experiments. Some of our learning experiences we did in class were learning ‘how to make Jam Sandwich’ and ‘how to make Lemonade Juice’. Through learning experiences, students have the opportunity to observe, practice and gather information. Engagement is everything which allows students to explore information, listen to instructions and follow it. I like how they are fully involved in the activity; getting the bread, using the knife to spread the jam, cutting the sandwich and taste. They understand each step and be able to record and write simple sentences in the right sequences.
Inquiry this term is a great opportunity for students to apply what they have learned in the classroom out in the field. Our Scenario is about sowing and reaping harvest. Room 5 students enjoyed planting strawberries, cucumbers and lettuce in the garden and be responsible for watering the plants. Through gardening, there were lots of conversations and stories from students about their grandparents’ garden that led to discussion of ways to grow food at home in order to save money. These aspects align with the Devotion theme where students learn the fruits of the Holy Spirit; kind, patient, joyful, peaceful and make good decisions to please the Lord. At their young ages they explored the environment with all their senses to learn how to be good farmers.
I wish all students of Room 5 a happy school holiday full of love, laughter and Joy.
God Bless.
Mrs Partsch.

Room 4

Tēnā koutou,
Another action packed term for Ruma Wha; that has involved lots of learning around our Devotion and Inquiry Context – The Law of the Harvest.
This has allowed our tamariki to get their hands dirty! Digging and planting different seedlings, using the various gardening tools and increasing their science knowledge and in time; eating and selling what they have sown, come harvest time for our Market Day in Term 4.
Our akonga are able to connect to the goodness of God’s creation-earth and what it has provided for us. A huge nga mihi to Sifa Latu – Bunnings Mt Roskill for her support! Mt Roskill Bunnings responded to assisting our school; by donating gardening essentials and numerous seedlings for our garden.
Our key memory verse for Devotion this term is from John 15: 16-17.‘I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.’ We pray our tamariki will continue to do this in the physical through their gardening skills and also the spiritual at home.
Nga mihi nui,
Mrs Faga & Mrs Govender

Room 3

Term three has been busy and enjoyable celebrating our culture groups, Samoan, Tongan and Māori languages, enjoying food and culture wear. When we celebrate each student’s culture we celebrate their identity and the language. I notice there is a strong sense of pride and dignity as they dress up and share their personal experiences around their culture.
The students have started a vegetable garden and they have been excited watching the plants grow as we care for them, ensuring they get the appropriate sunshine and are well watered. Some of the students designed a type of sprinkling system through a plastic bottle. We measured daily the growth of the seeds planted and were excited to see the seeds grow 1 cm every day.
We look forward to term 4 making our own visual arts to sell on market day. Please come and share this day with your child on November the 8th.
Enjoy your break with your child.
Blessings
Ms Bella

Room 2

Wow, we have reached the end of Term 3! The year is flying by. The theme for this term has been “The Law of the Harvest” for both our Devotion and Inquiry lessons. In Devotion we have been looking at the fruits of the spirit and you reap what you sow. The fruits of the spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. STOP and THINK and then ACT. We are trying to show more kindness to each other and use self-control to avoid bad language and actions.
Inquiry has taken “The Law of the Harvest” literally and we have planted vegetables in the planter boxes outside rooms 3, 1 and 4. Room 2 decided to only plant vegetables that had sufficient time to grow so everyone wanted to plant strawberries but they wouldn’t be ready to harvest in time. Therefore, our garden has lettuce, carrots, chives and spring onions. We added peas into the garden in the last week of term so hopefully we will have some lovely fresh vegetables for you to be able to purchase on market day. The minor subject for Inquiry has been art. The students have made canvas pictures by glueing paper serviettes and made quite the mess of themselves this in the last week by making clay pots. It does wash out but apologies for that, I didn’t think students (or the classroom) would have been so totally covered in clay. The art projects and the vegetables will be for sale next term in our Market day on Friday 8 November which is week 4 of Term 4.
In Maths we have been looking at measurement. This has included time, length, perimeter, area and volume. Multiplying numbers for area and volume has stressed the importance of knowing our times tables. In week 2, teachers had training on how to best support our students using Maths Whizz. Students all re-sat the assessment test and have been working on getting gems by correctly completing activities. Several students have received Math Whizz Certificates for
achieving 3 progressions each week for the term. They have also been receiving virtual stickers from the teacher for achieving each week.

Writing has been a mix this term starting off with Recount writing and a writing test where students had to recount something they experienced in the holidays. Our next type of writing was Procedural where it was important to be logical and describe all the steps for the activity or tasks they were writing about. Our final topic for the last 3 weeks has been Report writing where it is all about the facts. Our reading has tried to cover examples of these types of writing styles or related to Inquiry, reading stories and articles about plants, animals and information about countries for the different language weeks this term.
We have had Badminton lessons with Room 3 this term each Wednesday afternoon. Badminton players from outside the school have come in to share the techniques on how to play with the students and it has been informative and fun. We have also had 3 language weeks this term;Tongan, Cook Island and Maori which have been a lot of fun with lots of language activities , dressing up and sport competition. Students have also had tests to see if they have improved
their spelling and reading ages too. Most of the class has improved and some have already met their end of year goals.

Have a wonderful break to recharge as we will be straight into market day preparation and the last topics of the year. It will be very busy for the first half of the term getting all the content complete and then testing for end of year results and reports then getting ready for the end of year activities.

Take care, have a happy and safe holidays, see you next term.
God Bless from Heidi Weightman

Room 1

Mālō e lelei,

The end of Term 3 is near and Room 1 has had a jam packed term filled with gardening, Ki-o-Rahi, language weeks, Project Wy, Front Foot and our normal classroom learning and duties. Our inquiry topic has been ‘The Law of The Harvest’ and this has seen us dive deep into the processes of planting, composting and plant nutrition. Our class with the rest of Rise Up have put our garden beds to good use planting vegetables which they have consistently maintained. This inquiry has lent itself to our devotions where we have studied the fruit of the spirit and how we can apply this to our lives not only at school but at home too. It has also seen us take an art focus this term where we have looked at various techniques used to produce a painting ready to sell next term at our market day. A huge highlight of this Term has been being able to implement Maths Whizz in our class where students are constantly being challenged with maths progressions suitable for them and their level. Measurement has been the focus this term and has complemented Food Tech with Mrs Selupe and our gardening measurements.

The language weeks; Cook Island, Tongan and Maori have been huge this term for us and a great highlight for Room 1. Through this we have been given many opportunities to lead and host in some capacity during our celebrations. Well done to our Room 1 students who have worked hard and consistently put their hands up to help out.

It has been a pleasure being the teacher of Room 1 and is something I don’t take lightly. I want to wish the Room 1 students and whanau a safe and restful holiday. Have a blessed and well earned break. Make sure students that you help around the house.

God Bless you all. See you in Term 4.
Mr ‘Ofanoa

KI O RAHI

One of the sports that our senior students have really enjoyed participating in is Ki O Rahi. This sport combines the skills of tagging, shooting, defending, running and passing. The key to this sport is TEAMWORK. We entered a Year 5 & 6 team and a Year 7 & 8 team into the annual MOSA tournament and our teams were excited and ready to face any competitor that they came up against.
Each team played 5 games in their Pool Play and played against different schools. Our Year 5 & 6 team finished undefeated in their Pool Play and advanced to the Final where they played a tough match against another school. They came away with 2nd place but we know that this was still a huge achievement.
Our Year 7 & 8 team (which was made up of a number of students who do not play sport) played against some fierce competition, but they never gave up and the teamwork that they had built through all their training showed on the day.
Our students defended the Tupu (target), ran around touching Nga Pou (the posts) and scored tries in the Te Pawero (the Blockade).
Thank you to the parents that were able to come and support our teams and also to our amazing students from Room One who came to support their classmates.
One of the highlights for myself and Mr ‘Ofanoa was the way that our students played with Good Hearts, Resilience and Determination. We are so proud of all our students that participated and we are grateful for these opportunities that allow our students to Be Active, Work Together and Learn New Skills.

TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI – Maori Language Week

This year’s theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Maori was Ake Ake Ake – A Forever Language. As a school we understand the importance of celebrating and supporting a National Language of New Zealand and committing to embracing Te Reo in our everyday school life.
Our week started with our Cultural Wear dress up – this meant that our students and staff came dressed as all the different cultures that made up who they were. This aligns with our Synergy Programmes which is all about – ‘I Know Who I Am’. It was a great reminder for our students and staff of the importance of knowing where they come from and all the different cultures that make them so unique.
Tuesday we held a school wide Quiz Afternoon. Each class had to choose three representatives and there were 10 questions that they were asked. The categories were Maori Culture, NZ General Knowledge and NZ Sports. It was a great time of learning for both students and staff and we know that everyone went away with some new found knowledge. Congratulations to Room Four who were crowned our 2024 Quiz Masters.

Wednesday was our House Colour Sports Day. We had planned a rotation of five different sports – Dodgeball, Rob the Nest, Rounders, Touch and Soccer. Each class split into their House Groups and played against each other. The rain stayed away for a while and we were able to do three rotations and then had to move inside. Our Juniors then had a turn with Poi and Rakau inside their classroom, Room Three played card games and the Seniors played Charades and Maui/Matou (Left/Right) Rakau. It was a great time of fun, laughter, competing and trying new things.

Our Assembly on Friday was a showcase of what our classes had been learning about during Te Wiki o te Reo Maori. Our focus was on the Reo, so we had waiata, mihi, korero and karakia. It was also fitting to have our Assembly led by all our Maori Students. Thank you to the whanau that came along to tautoko our students and their learning.

Our shared lunch was a BBQ, Potato Salad, Fried Bread and finished off with Fruit Salad, Pavlova and Jelly. Our students enjoyed coming to choose their own kai and there were alot of empty plates at the end. Thank you to all the whanau that helped cook or supplied kai for our lunch.

Our day ended with Maorioke – each class had chosen a New Zealand song to sing and perform in front of the school, our judges were looking at the energy of the performance, participation and charisma. It was a great way to finish our week with singing, cheering and fun.

As a school we want to continue to use Te Reo everyday, both in the classroom and around the school and we are encouraged by the way that the students and staff are embracing one of our National Languages.

Whanau Programme & Notices

A BATTLE BETWEEN CLASSES – TERM 4 ATTENDANCE COMPETITION

Over the next couple of years the Ministry of Education are putting a HUGE FOCUS on attendance. They are collecting data and are keeping a close eye on students attendance and punctuality or when they leave school early. There is an expectation that at least 70% of our students should be attending 90% of school. So to make it a bit more fun, at RUA we will be running an Attendance competition within the school – class vs class and the class with the best attendance – being on time and not leaving early will win an end of term Pizza Party. Parents that means you don’t need to buy anything for their end of year shared lunch as it will be provided for the winning classroom.

IMPORTANT AFTERSCHOOL NOTICE – MONDAYS ONLY

Tena koutou katoa,
We are grateful for all your efforts to ensure your child’s attendance to our after school programmes. Below is our overview of Term 4 and please take note of the changes. THERE IS NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMME ON TUESDAYS FOR TERM 4. Culture & Heritage classes will resume next year in Term 1.
We do still have Saintz UP Performing ARTS (SUPA) continuing on Mondays starting Monday 21st October (Week 2 of Term 4).
Fakaaue Lahi

SYNERGY

The Synergy “I know Who I am” presentation night was a vibrant display of culture, heritage, and family unity. 5 Whanau came together to showcase “who they are” through digital media presentations, speeches and dance. Each student presented with confidence on stage, showcasing what they’ve learnt in the 7 sessions of the Synergy Programme.
We would like to congratulate the following whanau:

Yeng-Tung Karaitiana Whanau (Norton)
Titimanu Whanau (Akapei)
Sofele Whanau (Kioko)
Roache Whanau (Matthias)
Te Rure Whanau (Darla-May)

The spirit of excellence was palpable as each child presented with confidence about their family values, personality style, love language, gifts and talents and culture. Thank you whanau for your commitment and whanau engagement.

AWHI PARENT GROUP

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.
Our Awhi Parent Leaders: Rowena Peauafi, Edward Te Rure and Clifford Faa’aoga work alongside Senco and stakeholders to provide opportunities for parents to connect and find support with neurodivergent, health and medical learners. All parents who would like this support are invited to our next hui in Term 4 (date TBC). Key stakeholders; Ministry of Education Psychologist Sandra Smith, Speech Language Therapist – Ina Fautua, RTLB Liaison – Charlotte Maumea, Sione Sione – CLM Advisor.

CELLPHONE 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. If you wish to purchase uniforms in the school holidays the office will be open: Monday 30th & Tuesday 1st from 11.00am – 1.00pm and then from Thursday 10th – Friday 11th, 11.00am – 1.00pm.

Shirts: $43.00 & Jerseys: sizes 6-16 $48.00, sizes S-L $52.00

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

This term’s topic of Law of the Harvest has tied in nicely with Inquiry; where akonga
have been learning to prep the soil, plant seeds, take care of crops and produce a
harvest. Week 1 of Term 3 Devotions started with the 4 soils, then sowing and reaping,
week 3 and 4 – the vine and the branches and weeks 5 to 9 akonga and staff have been
learning to produce the fruit of the spirit: peace, patience, joy and self control.
This week’s topic Ms Laura taught us what a harvest was in God’s eyes and how we are
chosen by God to be workers in the fields.
Week 10 memory verse: Luke 10:2
The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of
the harvest, to send more workers into the fields.
The Law of the Harvest we hold closely to our hearts as we continue to plough the fields
ensuring our akonga have good hearts and our leaving students are ready for their next
school knowing that Jesus is their Lord and Saviour.

Praise be to God for answered prayer