Principal's message
As another very busy week at OIS draws to an end, it is hard to believe we are nearly at the middle of the school year and the end of Term 2. I want to remind our students that we continue to work hard and embrace our IDEAL values to ensure that our students finish their term on a positive note.
Today, we had 40 students participate in the 3x3 basketball competition at the Network Waitaki Event Centre — a huge thank you to all our parents who stepped up to coach/manage teams.
Learning Conversations
Parent-teacher Learning Conversations are on Thursday, 4 June. Your attendance is valued and supports your child's education and success at O.I.S. These 15-minute conversations strengthen the home-school connection, which is key to student progress. All students should attend the Learning Conversations with their whanau and teacher. Thank you for enabling your child to learn from home on this day to support these important discussions.
To make things easy for parents and the school office, we have an online booking system for you to book at a suitable time. BOOKINGS OPEN FRIDAY, 15 MAY AT 1:00 pm.
The event code is: 7bkxz
Absences
We've seen a significant increase in student absences due to colds, gastro, COVID, and influenza this week. While we understand the pressure of caring for sick children, unwell students must stay home to prevent further spread and protect the health of everyone, including the staff.
Road safety
Please talk to your child about road safety, especially around the busy roads near school. If they scooter, walk, or bike, remind them to use pedestrian crossings. Encourage them to go straight home after school and, if possible, travel with friends for added safety. Reinforce the importance of making safe choices.
Farewell Miss Johnston
We have some staffing news to share as we prepare for the coming months. We will be farewelling Miss Hannah Johnston at the end of the term as she leaves us to head overseas, starting in Australia. Hannah has been a wonderful part of our team and classroom community, and we are deeply grateful for her dedication and positive spirit during her time at OIS. We are excited to welcome Mr Nigel Ryburn to the team, who will be starting at the beginning of next term. Nigel joins us with a strong focus on building positive relationships and a great love for the outdoors and sports; he will be working with Miss Johnston before the term ends to ensure a smooth transition for the students in Room 14.
Polar Fleece
With a cold snap approaching, it is a timely reminder that students who have a blue polar fleece are welcome to wear a jacket over top outside on the way to school or at break times.
Sports
Accounts have been issued to students with overdue sports fees. If you require a payment plan or any other assistance, please contact us; we want to ensure all students remain eligible to participate and play.
After school
For the safety of our students and out of respect for our community, we are asking for your support regarding student conduct after school hours. We have observed some students lingering near New World, Pembroke School, and The Network Waitaki Event Centre, still in their school uniforms, well after dark. Please can you have a talk to your child about making sure that they come home at a safe and reasonable time.
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Rebecca Meek
Tumuaki, Oamaru Intermediate School