Welcome to Term 4, 2018

Spring has certainly sprung. The daffodils have bloomed, the lambs are a-gamboling in the fields, daylight saving has arrived and summer will soon be upon us.

We extend a very warm welcome to new families and children starting with us this term. We hope your time with us will be profitable in every way.

The Board has selected Ms Zara McIndoe as Principal for 2019 and beyond replacing Geoff Opie as he contemplates retirement after sixteen years at our school. Mr Marcus Hughes has also been appointed the new Deputy Principal to replace Ms McIndoe.

Term 4 is a bit of a short one this year and all too soon the "pressures" of Christmas will arise. Please remember that the best gift you can give your children is your time. There is no need to rack up large credit card accounts - your time is far more precious and worthwhile than any other gift.

The summer sports cycle is getting underway so please get the children signed up and signed in. There are many opportunities to get involved in a great variety of sports. Our swimming pool will be available soon so please support our PTA by hiring a key for the summer swimming season.
And thanks for your support of our PTA. They do a wonderful job that benefits all our OPS kids.

Parts of this message will seldom change. Please note the following:
*It would be really helpful if all articles of clothing are clearly named.
*Please keep an eye on the newsletter and our Facebook page for up and coming events. There is always something going on.
*You advantage your children's learning by reading with your children on a daily basis and by encouraging some work around basic maths facts as well.
*Viewing and sharing your child's work through the Seesaw app will greatly encourage a positive attitude to learning
*In continuing to build on our school values we will have a focus on speaking with kindness and encouragement again this term and would ask that you encourage such talk at home. We want our kids to build each other up with positive talk, talk that respects and protects.

If we accept each new day as an opportunity to do something better than the day before, to understand how to achieve a new goal or to step up to a new challenge or opportunity then our time - children teachers and families - will pretty exciting.

Our school whakatauki states, "He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata - Goodwill to others is a precious gift or treasure." We enjoy much goodwill in our school and consider it a real privilege to be a part of the Otumoetai community.

Enjoy your children.
Naumai, haere mai ki te kura Otumoetai.

Term Dates

TECT Grant 2018

The children and staff of OPS wish to thank the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust for their assistance in purchasing 145 new HP chromebooks, which allows us to have a 1-to-1 ratio of devices to students in Weka Team, and frees up more chromebooks for use in the middle school. TECT footed half of the bill, which made this purchase possible.