Week 2 term 3 2023
2024 Enrolments Maeroa Intermediate
- If your child is currently enrolled, you do not need to re-enrol for 2024. They remain a student of Maeroa until they leave for another school.
- If your child is considering a class change for 2024 we will collect that information at the beginning of Term 4
Families and Whaanau of Year 6 students are invited to attend our open evening if you are considering Maeroa Intermediate as a school option for 2024. This is a drop-in evening. No appointment is required.
We have an enrolment zone with approximately 80 out-of-zone places available in 2024 for Year Seven students. Please check out the website www.maeroa.school.nz under the enrolment tab, which gives details of our school zone.
At the Open Evening on Tuesday 1st August, If you are interested in applying for any of our specialised units, there will be talks about the GATE @ 5.00 and Sports Class @ 5.30. Susan Wood, our Principal, will give the same presentation at 4 pm and 6 pm. For the remainder of the time, classrooms will be open, and there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
Enrolment packs will be delivered to local primary schools after our open evening, and they will have details about the zone and enrolment process; otherwise, you can request a pack at office@maeroa.school.nz
All enrolment applications for in- and out-of-zone must be in by Friday, 8th September, 3 pm.
All Year 7 out-of-zone applications submitted by Friday, 16 September, will likely be accepted for 2024.
Kia ora Parents, Whaanau and Caregivers,
Welcome back to term 3.
Thank you so much to all the parents/whaanau/caregivers who took the opportunity to support their child's learning by attending our student conferences last week. Our students enjoy having the opportunity to share their learning with you.
School reports will be emailed to parents this week. If you do not receive one, please phone our school office to check that we have the correct email address for your whaanau.
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” Jane D Hull, Governor of Arizona (1997 to 2003)
Last week at our school assembly, I spoke with our students about responsibility. At this stage, they are beginning to discover their independence and the importance of making good choices. Each choice we make has consequences, and we must face those consequences with integrity as we grow and mature. Taking responsibility means recognising that our actions impact ourselves and others.
We must support our young people to reflect and learn from their choices and actions. Understand that mistakes are a part of life, but how we respond and learn from those mistakes matters.
When you make a mistake, dare to admit it—avoiding the temptation to shift the blame onto others or make excuses. Acknowledge your role in the situation and take responsibility for your actions.
Apologise and make amends - if your actions have caused harm or hurt to someone else.
Learn from consequences: understand that actions have positive and negative consequences. Learn from them, adapt and make wiser choices in the future.
Taking responsibility for your actions is not always easy, but it is essential to becoming a responsible and respected individual.
Part of learning—for everyone—involves feeling uncomfortable at times. Part of loving your child responsibly means that you need to let them feel discomfort and even fail, as long as they're learning how to be accountable for their actions in the process. And try to appreciate the opportunity a crisis and its natural consequences present to your child.
We look forward to another fantastic term of learning here at Maeroa Intermediate.
We have a group of students heading off to Sports Camp in Matamata in week 3. Teams heading to the AIMS Games in Tauranga in week 8 and a group of students who are going to Japan with a group of 60 students from across intermediates in the Waikato. As well as these three events, we have numerous other sporting and academic fixtures along with our after-school activities for students across the school to be involved in.
Ngaa mihi nui
Susan Wood - Principal
Back to Basics School Camp Update
We plan on running the school camp in term four that was scheduled for Term 1 and cancelled due to the cyclone. Like almost everyone, we are now hoping for some fine weather that continues to dry our sodden land.
We have been to Karangahake Gorge to assess the site and are pleased to report the campsite has been cleared up and is fine for camping. The access to the campsite is still of concern, and we are looking at alternative options as getting a bus down the road is not an option, but we believe we can work out a feasible plan.
A newsletter will be coming home in the next couple of weeks which will give dates and ask for a commitment to attending the camp and confirm if those adults that originally volunteered to support are still available. If you make the choice not to send your child to camp, arrangements will be made for them to be supervised here at school.
Although costs have risen since the beginning of the year we will keep the cost at $40. Some families have a credit from the beginning of the year, which will be useful.
Talent Time
Our students were very excited to be starting a new round of Talent Time this week.
Last term, they were all given the opportunity to choose the options they would like to be considered for this term.
Giving children choices helps them feel like they have some power and control over what they do. It's a step in growing up. Everything isn't planned for them. Making good choices is a skill that children will use for the rest of their lives. Do they choose an option because their friend is in it, or do they be brave and choose something new? Filling in a form correctly is also a life skill students must learn.
Obviously, everyone can not get their first choice or sometimes any of their choices due to the high number of students opting for each choice. This is also a learning opportunity for our students to know what to do when they don't get the choice they want; who do they go and see about this? Do they give another activity a go to see if they enjoy it?
Student choice inspires students to want to learn new things. It allows students to show what they know but take it further. Student choice creates an environment where students discover what they want to learn - these are some of the reasons why we offer Talent Time to our students.
Talent Time - Term 3
Culinary Fare 2023
This year saw 11 Maeroa students enter the Waikato Culinary Fare competition held at WINTEC. Several students participated in a Culinary Fare specialist class during our module time for the past term. These students learnt the art of perfecting cupcakes, creating chocolate moulds/runouts and how to make and buttercream icing. Along with this, the students also learnt a range of different piping techniques. For the competition, the students were required to design a theme-inspired cupcake to present to the judges on the last day of Term 2. Our Maeroa students did exceptionally well, with 10 receiving gold (90% and above) and one silver.
The judges noted that the standard of Maeroa students' entries was outstanding and in many cases, superior to the secondary schools' entries. A huge congratulations to all of our participants. Such outstanding results.
Katrina Banks - Food technology teacher
Culinary Fare 2023
Gully Restoration at Maeroa July 2023 Update
Our Gully Restoration Vision
An ‘outdoor classroom’ space for students.
Planting a variety of native trees.
Controlling erosion.
Creating habitats for a wide range of wildlife.
Improving the water quality of the stream.
Gully Workshops
The after-school workshops on Tuesday and Thursday have focused on tree planting and we have many students who know the steps involved in planting a tree successfully! It is always rewarding when we plant trees grown in our nursery. Most trees we purchased using a funding grant from Te Uru Rakau have also been planted. These included kauri, tawa, kahikatea, whauwhaupaku, horoeka, titoki, makomako, karo, houhere and pukatea.
Another group of students have been working in the gully during our school Talent Time options. They have been focussing on planting native grasses and ti kouka along the edge of the stream to stabilise the banks and provide shade for aquatic life.
Saturday Working Bee
We continue to have great support from students and whanau at the Saturday working bees. On 27 May, we had 14 volunteers who worked extremely hard to lay rolls of natural weed matting down the steep slopes. We planted 100 more trees and completed some potting tasks in the nursery. On 24 June, we had a team of 16 helpers. A small group started work on a new access path, and the rest tackled weeds growing in and around the trees planted a couple of years ago.
Rat Trapping
So far this year, we have trapped 15 rats. We have had 19 students involved across terms one and two, and this has been led by two of our students, Jas Yeates, in term one and Sam Cabalit in term two. We position between 7-10 boxes in various places in the gully and the potting shed. The traps are monitored daily from Monday to Thursday. This will certainly benefit the birdlife in the gully during spring nesting time. Aimee from Hamilton City Council plans to work with this dedicated group of students to extend their knowledge of rat trapping and introduce possum trapping.
Matariki Planting
This year our school focus for Matariki was tree planting in the gully. Each team had an area they prepared, planted and will continue to look after. The trees planted are the last ones purchased from the Te Uru Rakau grant, including matai, nikau, manatu, mapou, kaikomako, porokaiwhiri and rimu.
Community Support
A big thank you to Karen, one of our Rimu Street neighbours, who potted a bootload of native seedlings for our nursery.
We thank Hamilton City Council for allowing 50 of our keen Enviro Students to participate in the Arbor Day planting at Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park. Bus transport is costly, so we appreciate HCC funding this.
Thumbs up to ASB for supporting our project by allowing one of their staff members, Ricky, to be part of the KidsCan Volunteer programme. Ricky guided several groups of students to prick out trays of kawakawa, manuka and cabbage tree seedlings.
Finally, we would like to thank Craig Lamb for his generous gift of a trailer load of large specimen trees. The natives have been planted in the gully, and the exotic trees have gone around the edge of our playing fields.
If you have any suggestions or can support our Gully Restoration Project in any way, we would like to hear from you.
The next Saturday Working Bees will be on the 29 July and 26 August, 9-12pm.
“Ma mahi tahi taatou- mo te oranga o te katoa” We should work together- for the wellbeing of everyone!
Julie Yeoman
Gully Restoration
WIMS Futsal 2023
On Tuesday, 13th June, our girls' and boys' futsal teams played in the WIMS Inter Intermediate competition held at The Peak, Rototuna. This competition is traditionally fiercely competitive and asks a lot of our students when competing. Both teams played with positive sportsmanship, skill and determination. The boys' team unfortunately missed out on making the semi-finals having played Peachgrove, Tokoroa, Matamata and Rototuna.
The girls made it through to the semi-finals, having played Peachgrove, Tokoroa, Morrinsville, and Berkley in pool play. They then faced Berkley in the semi-finals before finally playing Peachgrove for 3rd and 4th. It was a tense match, considering the girls had beaten Peachgrove 1 nil in pool play, and for periods of time, the scores were even before the girls pulled away and won the match, earning 3rd place.
Congratulations to both teams for their efforts, dedication and perseverance. This was a great opportunity for the students to experience a high skill level in preparation for the upcoming AIMS tournament in September.
A massive thank you to Jonelle and Glenn for your continued coaching and development of football/futsal skills for our students. And as always, thank you so much to the parents who provided transport and whaanau who came during the day to provide support and encouragement. It does make all the difference for our players.
WIMS Futsal 2023
Koru Badges
Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded their Koru badges over the last few weeks.
Bronze Badge: Jorja Macdonald, Shayla Martin, John Ngatai, Lakai Smith, Arnia Herbert, Melissa Fruean, Yashvinder Singh, Zander Johansen, Xarles Roldan, Asliyah Bisschops, Megan Tawera, Connor Hodges, Savanna Botha, Joshua Andrews, Ryder Shilling, Stanley Murray, Yahya Hassan, Zhane De Villiers, Chelsea Hattingh, Mila Orton, Emma Chalkley, Abdullah Tariq, Mila Faithet, Keira Wright-St Clair, Tanisha Yerupalli, Dillon McLeod, Ayesha Bombales, Prince Tomar, Tyrone Jonson, Christy Chander, Chloe Allott, Akisha Alcon, Ekkam Khaira,Reid Bridge, Daniel Kelly, Jayden Burt, Madden Keen-Laird, Dallas Edmonds, Daniel Elisassi, Jayden Ridgway, Aiden Moyes.
Silver Badge: Jakob Greig-Dickie, Emily Taylor-Lamb, Dayo Temitope, Zander Johansen, Khloe Woodward, Dallas Godsiff Moulden, Nina Mayo, Chelsea Hattingh, Junior Mulipola, Kael Whangapiritia, Mila Faithet, Suhanee Prasad, Teerthaa Bhaskararajhan, Mason Ratcliffe, Tupou Funaki, Joshua Stevens, Shakiya Parker.
Gold Badge: Jap Jot Johal, Rylee George, Tayla Gibbons, Ethan Hobson, Hudson Hawkes, Evie Annabell, Lucy Winter, Siri Combs, Watai Sakai, Sasha Hands, Jacob Greig-Dickie.
Platinum: Liam Saxton, Rylee George, Jessica Chander.
Star: Rebekah Smith
Super Star: Eva Wilson, Ruby McCluskie.
Reminders:
Mobile phones: A reminder that all mobile phones brought to school by students are to be handed in, in the morning. These are stored in individually named bags and bought to the school office for safekeeping. If a student chooses not to follow the expectations around mobile phones at our school, their phone may be confiscated, and a parent will need to collect it from the school office. None of our students need their phones during school time. If they need to use the phone for an emergency, then they can come to the school office and use the school phone. It is reassuring to see that mobile phones have now been officially banned in schools in every state in Australia except Queensland.
School Uniform: Students should wear plain black shoes with no different coloured branding on the soles or sides. Black Roman sandals may also be worn in winter if students choose to—no socks with sandals or socks and Crocs. We have some sizes of (new)shoes available for students at our school office that we are happy to give to students needing them.
Trackpants - (may be worn in terms 2 & 3) must be black or dark navy with no logos or writing. Next year official school track pants will be available from the uniform shop as part of our regulation uniform.
Please ensure your child also wears the correct school uniform to and from school. We have some sweatshirts available to borrow and a few jackets if your child needs one to keep warm on these cold days we are experiencing.
Jewellery at school - a reminder that students can wear one pair of small studs in the ears, a wristwatch, and a taonga necklace of cultural/religious significance.
Upcoming Events
Hamilton Air Cadets - an opportunity for students
The Hamilton Air Cadets is a youth organisation for 13-14 year olds or year 9 students, we are a military based organisation and teach topics such as
- Aviation training which is also our primary focus
- Firearms training
- Bush craft training
- Leadership
- And many more
If you are interested in what you could do with us then consider joining us, there will be a recruiting information evening on Wednesday the 9th August at Te Kowhai Airfield, 172 Limmer Rd. The presentation will explain everything you need to know, it starts at 6:50pm and will last roughly 30 minutes; feel free to arrive any time from 6:20 pm. I look forward to seeing you!
Hamilton Air Cadets
