MBAS Newsletter, Term 4, Week 7, 24th November 2023

MBAS Calendar

Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all

Middle Years Update

Our Middle Years students have all presented their year’s portfolio of work to their prospective new teachers this week. The feedback from the teachers who have been listening to the children present their work has been incredible. I am so proud of the confidence children have shown to speak up in front of a small group and share their successes, their struggles and most importantly what they would like their teachers to know about them as learners. This information is insightful and helps us plan for each individual child going into next year. Please ask your child to share their presentation with you at home so that you can be as proud as we are of your child!

Next week on Monday our Year 7 & 8’s are heading out to Hot Water Beach to learn all about water safety from our incredible Surf Life Savers. We also have our annual Whangamata sports exchange on Friday.

In the following week our year 9’s head off to Waikawau for their camp. Hei Rima has a graduation evening on the 7^th of December. Then it’s the last week of school ending with our two celebration of learning ceremonies – Our Year 7 & 8’s at 11am and our Yr 9 & 10’s at 1pm and then school is out for summer!

As we reach the end of another school year, it can feel like it’s been "like a 10-month marathon for teachers, students and parents alike", don't worry, the finish line is in sight! As that finish line approaches though, we still have so much going on. If your child is feeling exhausted (which is quite normal at this time of year) here's how you can get through the next couple of weeks: 

1. Stick to Your Routine

When you’re this close to the end of the school year, there’s no reason to make big changes. As the year wears on and fatigue sets in, you’re more prone to forgetfulness. Rather than derailing your whānau, stick to the normal routines.

1. Do something special for your child

Include an encouraging note or treat in their lunchbox. Take them for a walk on the beach or an ice cream after school.

1. Make time to relax on weekends
   
   
2. Encourage your child to talk to their teacher

If your child is feeling overwhelmed by deadlines and school in general encourage them to talk to their KAURI coach or their favourite teacher.

Thank you all for the incredible support you have given your children and our kura this year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all and wish you well for the remainder of 2023.

Ngā mihi,

Jenny Bloom

Deputy Principal – Middle Years 

Positions Vacant - Teacher Aides

Mercury Bay Area School is looking for Teacher Aides to work in various roles across our kura. You would be working alongside a team of dedicated teachers and teacher aides, supporting akonga and learning programmes.

The position/positions are fixed term starting Term 1 2024 and conclude at the erd of the school year.

Please read the information for applicants and complete an application form, attach your CV and send to Karin Farrelly farrellyk@mbas.ac.nz by friday 8th December 12pm.

Trophy Return

Please make sure you return all 2022 Middle Years Trophies to the office as soon as possible. Thank You.

Room 22 - Life Cycles

Butterflies hatching and sunflowers blooming. It’s been a big day in Room 22 for life cycles!

M1 - STEM Boats

On Tuesday morning M1 created boats with our buddies as part of our floating and sinking STEM tasks - we were challenged to see how many cubes we could float on our boat. 

M2 - Service Day

On service day M2 cleaned up bark around the playgrounds  and the sand around the sandpit. Since then, many of the children have continued the sweeping and tidying up during their own playtime. Awesome citizenship!

M4 - Little Robots

M4 were lucky enough to have a visit from Jess Corkill during our Wednesday STEM day. Applying our knowledge in coding we created little robots and had a mini robot war tournament. It was a thoroughly engaging experience. Jess runs a STEM lab at the library on Thursday afternoons, check it out over the school holidays. 

TV Primary Athletics

Congratulations to our 56 Year 3-8 students who travelled over to Paeroa to attend the Thames Valley Primary Athletics Championships.  The day was spectacular as were the results and also how our children conducted themselves on the day.  Thank you to all the Parents who transported students and were so supportive during the day. Thanks also to Mr Jowsey, Jen Westrupp, Leisa McCleery and our student leader Angel Scobie who assisted with the smooth running of the day.  You can find our results here.

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Tertiary Tidbits

Are you looking for a fresh start in 2024? Career Choices Day gives you the opportunity to come onto our Hamilton City Campus, talk with academic staff, check out different subjects and industries, and find out how you can get your study journey started. We can even help get your enrolment sorted on the day.
 
There will also be campus and accommodation tours, lots of fun activities and prizes throughout the day – bring your whānau and friends; all are welcome.  

Also, if you've already decided to join us next year, this is a great chance to sort out your Student ID Card, understand your timetable, and find your way around so you're ready for your first day.

Check out the details below and click the button to register your place.
 
Date: Saturday 2 December 2023
Time: 9am-1pm
Venue: Hamilton City Campus
Parking: Free parking is available around the campus

We look forward to seeing you there.

Register HERE.

Sports Roundup

Wellbeing Whispers

Tips for Helping Young People Sleep Better

During this time getting enough sleep becomes even more vital to our wellbeing than ever. The right amount of sleep helps restore our energy, balance our emotions, and basically supports normal growth and development. Not enough sleep, and our behaviour, learning, health, and wellbeing can all suffer. You should be aiming to sleep an average of 8–10 hours each night. However, some people naturally sleep slightly less or more than these recommended hours, and during teen years it is not uncommon for our young people to need hours more – in fact it can be normal for this group to get up around midday on Saturdays as their bodies catch up!
It is not just the amount of sleep that is important but also the quality of that sleep. The tips below may be helpful.

Bedtime Routine:

• Have a regular bedtime routine: this might include having a shower, brushing your teeth, then heading to bed. Quiet activities, like reading, are good before bed. The routine is like a prompt to tell your brain it is time to start winding down.
• Have a regular bedtime and wake up time, including on the weekends (+/- 2 hours). This will make it easier to get up for school on Monday mornings!
• If you are going to bed too late, gradually change this by going to bed 30 minutes earlier and getting up 30 minutes earlier.
• Try to do any study you need to get done earlier in the afternoon/evening, not doing the complicated statistics assignment 5 minutes before trying to get to sleep.
• Avoid active games, playing outside, and screen use (eg, TV, internet, electronicgames, etc) in the hour before bedtime.

Sleeping Environment:

• Arrange a comfortable regular sleeping environment. The place where you sleep should be quiet, warm and dark.
• Try not to have any distractions within sight or hearing of the area where you sleep, including TV or any kind of computer screen.
• Turn off your phone before you go to bed so you are not tempted to keep checking. If there are people who you want to be available to in case of emergency, many phones can be set so that only messages from those people come through (check out ‘Do Not Disturb’ functions).
• Many people find different comforting smells help them to sleep eg. lavender, chamomile and vanilla – try a couple of drops on your pillow, or dab the oil on your wrist or temple. Your chemist also has a number of natural herbal sleep remedies available and can advise what is best for various age groups.
• Some phone Apps are specifically designed to support sleep and are free. Check out ‘Relax Melodies’, ‘Sleep Cycle’, ‘Recolor’, or ‘Sleep Time’.

Food:

• Try to avoid eating meals within 1 to 2 hours of going to bed.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks like energy drinks, coffee, and tea – especially in the afternoon/evening – as they can affect your sleep. Generally, caffeine after 3pm might not be a great idea for good sleep.

Keeping Active:

• Being active throughout the day can really help you to sleep well at night, and is an important part of your regular wellbeing activity.
• Research shows that time spent in bright sunlight during the day, such as being active outside, can also help.
  

Things that might affect your sleep:

• Illness can affect your sleep. If you discover that you snore a lot or stop breathing for short periods while you’re asleep, discuss this with your Doctor.
• Irregular or insufficient sleep can sometimes be called insomnia and can be a symptom of other things. Your young person is welcome to talk to one of our school Counsellors, or see the Doctor at school if this is of concern for them.

Tips for Parents:

• Lead by example – research shows that adults have a big influence on younger people in their household. Role model the behaviour that you would like your teenagers to follow. Let them see you eating well, being active, having some purposeful screen-free time and not staying up too late.
• Encourage your children to do their homework earlier in the evening if possible sothey don’t need to stay up late.
• Consider disconnecting the Wi-Fi after a certain hour each night if kids on phones into the wee hours are a battle.
• Try to keep the weekend sleep and meal times similar to the weekdays (within a couple of hours).

Nurses Notes

DENTAL CARE IS FREE TILL YOU TURN 18
YEAR NINE STUDENTS AND ANY NEW SENIOR STUDENTS AT MBAS– A REMINDER THAT
YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH LUMINO DENTIST

IMPORTANT TIPS ABOUT TEETH AND MOUTH HEALTH

•    VAPING CAUSES BAD BREATH, TOOTH DECAY AND GUM DISEASE
•    WATER IS THE BEST AND IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION AND CLARITY AND IS PREVENTATIVE AGAINST TOOTH DECAY
•    SUGARY DRINKS CAN LEAD TO TOOTH DECAY AND GUM DISEASE
•    WEAR A MOUTH GUARD FOR CONTACT SPORTS – A BROKEN TOOTH IS DAMAGED FOR LIFE

Community Notices

Fundraising Disco

Carols in the Park

En Pointe 2023 Dance Show

Super Smash Holiday Cricket

A fun filled day of cricket with your friends! Short and fast festival style games in teams!

Sign up now and come along to an action-packed holiday programme before Christmas. Whether you currently play or want to give it a go, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Just $15 for the day, which includes a FREE Northern Brave T-Shirt too!

Each day will be 9am to 3pm.

Private Tutor Wanted - For Primary Aged Student

One of our primary school whānau is looking for private tuition for their primary aged student. If you are interested please leave your contact details with our admin staff so they can contact you directly.

Youth Photo Competition

Summer Sailing - Registrations Now Open

Registering your sailor for courses is a two-step process:

1. If your child is not a junior member or family member of the club for this year 2023_2024, please click on this link to join.  Participants in the junior sailing program must be MBBC/YNZ members either via the family membership or individual junior membership. Click Here for the 2023_24 Membership Form. 

2. Once your child is a member of MBBC, click on this link to enter the pertinent details and choose the course(s).  You can choose one course in Term 4 and one or more Block Courses during the summer if you wish.  Please fill out one form per child and upon sign up you will receive an invoice to confirm your spot.  Click Here to Register for a Course.  

Thames Valley Basketball

To pre-register for Representative Trials please click on the link or copy and paste to a browser.https://forms.gle/YhzBD77typr7r7Lg6