Waitati School

By Antony Deaker Waitati

As the school is gearing up for the Bonfire and Fireworks night on
September 18 (see the notice elsewhere in the Blueskin News) our
bonfire pile has been dispersing to different parts of the playground
as the kids make huts. The hut mania has been great to watch and is a
cool example of the children's creative resourcefulness.
We had a very pleasant school community potluck dinner in August. The
response from many families and those from the wider community who
attended was that this should be the first of many. The Waitati BoT
will definitely host further potlucks and will extend the invitation
widely.
If you are interested in receiving our weekly school newsletter via
email please write to Helen at office@waitati.school.nz and she will
add you to the list. Likewise for families of children that used to
attend Waitati. Keep an eye on our website: www.waitati.school.nz, it
is updated weekly.
Heidi is working on a development plan for Waitati senior students to
ensure that the school caters for them in Years 7 & 8 and that they
are ready for high school. Term 4 will be an exciting start in this
plan as the seniors will make a film for a December 1 screening at
Hoyts Cinema.
The BoT is excited about a coming refurbishment for much of the
school. Tenders have been received to re-roof the main block.
Designers have been consulted and a new exterior colour scheme
narrowed to a range that will work with our bricks and stonework. By
the time school re-opens in 2011 we will be well into the new
developments.
Inside the classrooms, we have started ordering new furniture. The
children will have some funky new ergonomically sound and dynamic
learning spaces. Other changes are in the pipeline which, when
finalised, we will report.
With the confirmation of further funding expected soon we will start
work on building a BMX bike skills park at school. Essentially, it
will be a large pile of clay and dirt shaped to form a track, with
plenty of features to challenge and excite young riders. The track
will add much needed safe recreation options for our children in
Waitati and make more use of the school as a resource for families in
the whole community. All going well, we expect the BMX track to be
finished in October.
Finally, we want to acknowledge the successful Blueskin netball teams.
The teams were a collaboration of staff and pupils from Warrington and
Waitati Schools and all reported much fun and pride with the outcome.
The Blueskin Diamonds won their grade! And the Blueskin Jewels never
stopped trying and scored many very good goals.