2015 = TWO THOUSAND AND PRISTINE

What an exciting time to be 

Principal of Stanhope Road School.

The school is in a "rebranding stage" and having recently launched the school's new LOGO, it is now time to finalise the new school uniform as well.

The uniform committee is working collaboratively towards finalising the decision - there have been many extra meetings, and contacts with possible distributors for the uniform.  We have samples, and are finalising the combination of colours. When we have several agreed on samples, we will showcase them to families for input.

As well as the Logo and the Uniform changing, we will also be updating the buildings and the grounds of Stanhope Road School - there will be new colours for the buildings, and designs for the landscaping - over the next 2 years, we should see a completely NEW identity as a school - and we will look FLASH!!!! 

The School Charter Goals have been revised, and all learning and teaching systems are in full swing! 

We are blessed at SRS to be fully staffed - and ALL of our staff fit into the EXPERIENCED TEACHER category of the Registered Teachers' Criteria.

It is a great school to come to work in every day - there is always a lovely sense of "Whanau" and we are working hard to achieve our goals for good student outcomes.  

Hei konei ra,

Corinne Hansell (Principal)

WHANAU FUN NIGHT - FAMILIES TOGETHER

Rocking Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud"

Homai te pakipaki finalist

The Parent Support Group worked tirelessly to bring us another wonderful Whanau Fun Night. We had a huge turnout and families brought picnics, and relaxed together, enjoying each other and the entertainment that was organised. One thing is for sure.......there is an abundance of talent at SRS - we could have filled the stage items 3 times over.....and next year we WILL! Thank you Parent Support Group - you have worked some magic - we are thrilled!!!!

First Time Performers!

Thank You Ms Huntley 

Jaya's Indian Dance Group

Father and Daughter

Whanau Ara Mua - Family Pathway To The Future

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/102503489140804424528/albums/60838728...

Please look at our photos!

Congratulations to all the Mums who graduated on Tuesday at Waipuna Conference Centre. Our WAM group of learners, gained their qualification in Child Development and Family Learning - and have a quality reference to support their future goals of gaining employment. A fantastic night was held on Thursday with all family members - and the children read out accolades to their Mums - and how PROUD were they? Thank you to Vanya Huntley for her co-ordination of this group - and a special thanks to our Nadine (in house tutor). We would LOVE to run this programme again next year, so if you're interested in being a student for a year - please let us know!!!

HAPPY DIWALI!

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OUR SRS FAMILIES

We received this lovely message through the emails - it describes the essence of Diwali which contains some wonderful messages to all of us in terms of participating in our lives with goodness - I thought I would share these sentiments this week, given so many of our families are celebrating Diwali.

WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY DIWALI
Diwali is celebrated as the Festival of Light and Peace
Diwali’s symbols and rituals, and the reasons for celebration are innumerable. The legends connected to the festival are different for different religions.  Sun delivers light and energy on which the very existence of life depends..
LIGHT IS THE SYMBOL OF POSITIVE ENERGY THAT SIGNIFIES THE VICTORY OF:LIGHT OVER DARKNESS,KNOWLEDGE OVER IGNORANCE,GOOD OVER EVIL,AND HOPE OVER DESPAIR.
On this DIWALI- the festival of lights, Let us distribute smiles that are free but very precious and valuable. Let our positive energy strengthen our determination and belief that: Failures will lead to success and War will lead to peace.  Sorrows will lead to happiness.  Unhealthy will lead to healthiness.  Anger will lead to kindness.  Enmity will lead to friendship

WE HAVE LIFT OFF!

Term 4 is UNDER WAY!  

We are fully IMMERSED in our Science Topic: What Makes The Living World Amazing?

WE Make The Living World Amazing!

We are Observing; We are Sorting; We are Classifying;  We are Listing; We are Describing; We are Explaining; We are ..........planning lots of activities for the term and while the Seniors are getting ready for Technology and Camp, the rest of us are going to the ZOO!!! I can't WAIT!!! We would like to introduce you  to Strawberry, the Pony, who came to school this week so we could observe, classify, describe and explain - finding out more about our World.Thank you to Mrs Pavletich for organising Strawberry's visit

            

We are planning this term's Activities which includes many AMAZING events.

We would like all children to be included in the authentic learning experiences planned

PLEASE could you pay your $30.00 Activity Fees for Term 4 to the Office ASAP so we can finalise our Activities.

If you think about it............ $30.00 per term = $3 per week = 60 cents per day

We can plan much more effectively to bring the outside world to enrich children's experiences if everyone pays early.

Happy days!It has been a wonderful first week as the new Acting Principal - what a lovely school SRS is!

Corinne Hansell

My week in Samoa

Talofa Lava Stanhope from my home land - beautiful Samoa.

This week I have the privilege of working from Samoa.  I am here attending the Teuila Festival 2013 - check out the link to look at all the events.  http://www.teuilafestival.com/

We watched the opening ceremony yesterday and performances that went well into the night.

The people I have meet already.....all the SRS students that went to code will remember OZ, well he is here with Wairangi Koopu covering the PaoPao events.

I was also on the plane with Te Puke Intermediate - they are here for a cultural education trip - WOW how about that SRS....maybe something we can work towards!

WHAM - BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Nandita who has successfully completed our POSTER and TICKETS.  Also to the Media Team for getting a great article in the local newspaper - great work team.

SIVA AFI - FIRE DANCE 

Last night was the Siva Afi competition - each dancer showed off their skills and fearlessness as they performed two siva each.  At the festival people can also take lessons with local people and learn to weave, dance and put down an umu.

Today we are going to watch the PaoPao races down at the wharf.  PaoPao is the name for canoes or waka ama.

GREAT PERFORMERS - EVEN BETTER CROWD!

WOW what a wonderful festival we have here in Samoa - yesterday was full-on day trying to see EVERYTHING.....we saw amazing performers and exhibitors....but what I noticed also was how amazing the crowd was....they are really really enjoying everything and I can't help but be swept up in their enthusiasm for my country and culture!

There was a very special KAVA WELCOME CEREMONY held to welcome all the paddlers from around the world - this is traditionally done in a FALE FONO, but because this was a paopao regatta, the kava came in on a paopao - it was very cool!!!  you can see the man in the photo with a coconut shell in his hand.....the cup is full of kava and he is taking it up to all the VIP to drink.

The proud Samoan Team watching the opening ceremony from the water.

They also has a celebrity race....and our friends from CODE and the MANU SAMOA great PETER FATIALOFA (known as FATS) were part of the team....their paopao capsized and OZ lost his lavalava...the whole crowd was laughing!!!!

TATAU SAMOA - in the exhibit tent, you could watch traditional hand tattooing..... some of us know this technique as "tap tap" because it is done by a very skillful continuous tapping over the needle - that is shaped like a comb with lots of sharp needles.....not by machine.  Tatau is a very important part of our culture that signifies status in our MATAI system.

Get your WHAM tattoos 

Yes - soon you can buy your own WHAM temporary tattoos.

Make sure your family gets their tickets FAST!

Hi back ROOM 14....thanks for your comments - I love hearing from you.

Thirsty Thursday - This is me and BrothaD chilling in a village sipping on fresh coconut (niu) water.  We spent a day visiting some of our families at their villages.

NOT FAR UNTIL FRIDAY......I am really looking forward to this day....I will be visiting a school for a really special event!!! 

WATER TANKS FOR SCHOOLS IN SAMOA.....

Today we visited St Josephs School to donate a water tank that will provide all the students fresh, clean water all day.  This is a project I am involved in back in NZ...called My Alofas.

This was easily the HIGHLIGHT of the whole week....the beautiful students performed for us, presented us with ula and fresh niu to drink.

In the first photo you can see the water tank in the back ground, Swiss in the middle and BrothaD and Peter Fatialofa at the front.

TOFA MY BEAUTIFUL SAMOA......

Week 5 we are alive!!!!

Magnificent Monday....

Introducing the Personal Trainers (PTs) - these group of amazing senior students are in training to help a group of junior students develop their oral language.  They are all studying their activities for the week with their little buddies....I am super excited about our BIG TALKERS PROJECT and will look forward to giving you updates.  

The branding group are hard at work designing merchandise for our big WHAM (We Have A Message) night.   Tickets go on sale next week and posters will go up around the community - all work that this group has done to brand and promote the concert.

Room 19s model artist is the infamous NZ Poet SAM HUNT..... I really like this one from Patrick Tan, it truly captures the simple but vivid style Sam is known for.

Terrific Tuesday coming next......

What a great surprise for Stanhope.....SWISS & Charlie putting on a live show at our breakfast club....XOX thank you our lovely ladies that do this every week for us.

Then SWISS hung out with us for a while....visiting classes, playing touch & basketball and signing lots of bags!!!!  

Whats happening in week 4?

Competition Time....

Had a super Sunday watching the WaRrIOrS... keep watching our fb page and tell me who else we met at the game to win the prizes.

Keep scrolling down to see the week as it happens!!!!

Monday Talented staff @ Stanhope...

Mrs Burrell a talented photographer...showing off her photo that has been published in GULF NEWS...congratulations.

Room 11 at Tu Tuhi...we get to do pretty cool stuff there!

http://www.tetuhi.org.nz/

 Creative Stories we will learn about the various ways a story can be told and why storytelling is important. We will explore our own chosen story through role play and creating our own poster. 

In the art studio will use bold colours, shape and imagery to design a poster that visually tells our story.  As a class we will become creative story telling artists.

Tuesday  - ACTION PACTT (Parent and Child Time Together)

Peter is showing off how he can use symbols to express his culture & identity.... guess where Peters parents comes from?

Teachers and Parents....learning and planning for PACTT in classes this week.....the focus this term is maths.  These parents are attending the WAM class - Level 2 in Family Literacy & Child Development...and each week they spend precious time in their children's classes, so they can better understand how to support their child's learning.

Staff vrs Students Game....YESAH staff won !!!...and WOW you can tell Ms Salesa use to play for Samoa....what a gun!!! + we had four parents playing in our team.

 

 After school down the road at Sylvia Park School is where all the action was...our Mighty Middle School Rippa Rugby Team showing off their skills against Bailey Road & Sylvia Park.... we had parents, pompoms and even half time oranges.... so kiwi!

Where are you Wednesday? ...we are ready for you!!!

BIG PLANS AHEAD.......   we are looking at the school plans as we start to discuss the modernisation of the senior school.

Teachers in their professional learning session playing with shapes & rods....learning more about RATIOS & PROPORTIONS.    Take a look at the strategy on Mr G's ipad....Impressive!

Thursday and Captain Patrick is back.........

Room 9 really enjoyed their class with Patrick today. They had a lot of fun pretending to be 'fast like a cat' and 'slow like a pig'. I also liked their group work, particularly when they made sky towers.

Neat netball skills happening on the courts with our coach.

YAY - Caught looking at our SRS blogs.....ohhh look it my blog!!!

Check out the website next week for the winners of this weeks competition!

FRIDAY already !!!!