Address: 282 Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland | Telephone: (09) 520 0602
E-mail: [email protected] | web: www.victoriaave.com
Dear Parents,
I often write about the value of play and how much social learning happens when children are playing with other children. Just last week I happened on an interesting article written by an Australian psychologist, Emily Freeman and published in the Herald. It was about the benefits of playing rough and tumble games with dad (or mum or a significant male in their lives).
Play between a father and their child or children can offer a different type of play. It’s often boisterous, physical and competitive, and this all has an equally important role to play in a child’s development.
This type of play is full of excitement and challenge, and if it weren’t for the clear enjoyment of both parties, it might sometimes seem a little aggressive to an outsider. According to Freeman, this play isn’t just fun. Research has shown it’s also important for healthy child development. Play that’s active, physical and competitive has also been linked to better emotion regulation who, as a result, have an easier time making friends.
Dads have a tendency to push their kids to the limit, to set goals that are just a bit beyond their reach, and to rough-and-tumble play in a way that gets the kids worked up and, at times, frustrated. The benefits come as the child learns to handle these emotions. It is important though, that the dad doesn’t dominate but shares the winning and losing. The child has a chance to win and learns how to celebrate the win as well as learning how to handle the frustration of losing.
Freeman also states that children who regularly play rough and tumble games have less chance of being injured. Apparently, as a result of this type of play, children learn what their physical limits are and how far they can push themselves.
As well as being lots of fun, rough and tumble play teaches children how to regulate their emotions, how to safely push and extend their limits, how to assess risky situations, and how to get along well with others.
I always love it when experts tell us something all of us probably intuitively know. That the more time we spend with our children having fun, is so beneficial for them, as well as for our own wellbeing. I have to admit that I still have a wee bit of rough and tumble with my adult daughters and then we all fall about laughing!
I have quoted heavily from this article Rough and Tumble published on The Conversation website.
Financial Literacy
All classes have been focusing on financial literacy this week. We have an overview with the financial capabilities set out from year 0 to year 6. The year 0/1 classes are learning to recognise coins and notes and that these have value. They are learning about the responsibilities in borrowing and paying back and are discussing how and why people save money. At the other end of the scale, the year 6 classes are using coins and notes for transactions and calculating correct change. They are investigating ways to get value for money when spending. They are also learning how credit and interest work, especially getting good returns on savings.
Maori Language Week
It has been so great to hear children and staff using Maori in their everyday interactions, the more we hear of this, the better. Our fluent speakers of Maori have helped those of us who are less confident with words and phrases as well as helping with pronunciation.
Cross Country
The cross country went very well last Thursday and the list of place getters was published in last week’s newsletter. There was one incident that merits sharing with the community. London Ridge came third in the year 4 boys’ race. At the award ceremony, he shook hands with the other two place getters, the only child to do that. Then afterwards the boy who came first told me that he had fallen over during the race and that London had stopped to help him up. The winner went on to say that London would have won the race if he hadn’t stopped to help him.
What a tremendous example of sportsmanship and an example of one of our students doing ‘our best always’. I celebrated London’s sportsmanship at assembly last Friday so the whole school could celebrate his selflessness. Yes, it’s important to strive for the win, but sportsmanship is an incredible quality as well.
Use of Class Emails
It is very convenient having access to the email addresses of the other parents in your child’s class but just a reminder that these are only to be used for school related matters, not to tout for business.
Quiz Night
The 90s theme made for some interesting costumes at last Friday’s Quiz Night! The organising team had gone to so much effort to make the hall look beautiful, have a look on our Facebook page and the photos below. It was such a fun night with the quiz, dancing, laughing and just enjoying ourselves. If you didn’t make it to this year’s quiz night, then please do not miss it next year! Huge thank you to the team who gave up their time to organise such a great event. A particular thanks to Manuka Doctor who sponsored the event and provided some great hampers of product as well as some amazing experiences to be auctioned.
Thank you to the team: Margot Kynoch, Abby Maire, Annick Larkin, Craig Hill, Kristin Williams, Shelley Cunningham, Susannah Barratt-Boyes, Roz Williamson and Victoria Arnold.
Kind Regards
Janice
Click Here to view our BLOG PAGE.
DRAMA/SPEECH LESSONS: Click here for information
MUSIC LESSONS: Click here for information on Musiqhub music lessons
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:
FOR TERM 3 2019
Click here for details on these activities.
Also:
Click here for After School and Holiday Community Based Programmes and Activities for 2019
What’s Ahead?
Please click here to view our online calendar
IMPORTANT DATES AND TIMES
School Times
School starts: 8.50am
Interval: 10.30-10.50am
Lunch: 12.30-1.25pm
School finishes: 3.00pm
Term Dates for 2019
Term 3: Monday 22 July to Friday 27 Sept 2019
Term 4: Monday 14 October to Wednesday 18 December 2019
~ Labour Day Mon 28 October ’19
Term Dates for 2020
Term 1: Tuesday 4 February to Thursday 9 April 2020
~ Waitangi Day Thursday 6 February ’20
~ Good Friday 10 April
~ Easter Monday 13 April
~ Easter Tuesday 14 April
~ ANZAC Day Monday 27 April
Term 2: Tuesday 28 April to Friday 3 July 2020
~ Queen’s Birthday Monday 1 June ’20
Term 3: Monday 20 July to Friday 25 Sept 2020
Term 4: Monday 12 October to Wednesday 16 December 2020
~ Labour Day Monday 26 October ’20
Stationery Sales
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8.30-8.45am
Uniform Shop
– half way up dragon drive in the old dental clinic
OPEN FRIDAYS only: 8.15-8.45am
Orders and payments for uniform can be made online on our website ~ Click here
Lunch Orders
1. ‘Daily Lunch and Catering’ ordered through ezlunch: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – ONLINE ORDERS ONLY
Click here for ezlunch and Subway menus.
Join ezlunch today and Place an order Sushi is available through Daily Lunch and Catering
2. Subway: ordered through ezLUNCH: – ONLINE ORDERS ONLY
Click here for ezlunch and Subway menus.
Join ezlunch today and Place an order
School Dental Service
8b Ngaio St Orakei Ph 520 0603.
The dental team will be posting letters to all new entrants to our school as required.
Remember to ‘like’ Victoria Avenue School on Facebook.
NIT NIGHT TONIGHT!!
PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK FOR NITS – a number of classes have reported nits and if your infected child is not treated then many others will be!
Here is a link from NZ Health for info and treatment.
http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/head-lice
To download the app for free on iPhone or Android click this link:
http://victoriaave.apps.school.nz/share/
- Room 1: Annabelle Judd
- Room 2: Raphael Portugal
- Room 3: Emily Swain
- Room 4: Francesca Grazioli
- Room 5: Lucas Bebbington
- Room 6: George Boyden
- Room 7: Connie Chen
- Room 8: Alice Zhang
- Room 9: Clovis Wang
- Room 10: Eliza Conley
- Room 11: Emilia Lynch
- Room 12: Cooper Yan
- Room 13: Jack Field
- Room 14: Caitlin Cooper
- Room 15: Austin Gu
- Room 16: Vita Houtman
- Room 17: Olivia Hanson
- Room 17: Finn Hambleton
- Room 18: Robbie Baker
- Room 18: Yuri Choi
- Room 19: James Peach
- Room 19: Victoria Portugal
- Room 20: Zach Williams
- Room 20: Issy Taylor
- Room 21: Thorne Thomson
- Room 21: Wendy Ye
- Room 22: Connor Binsted
- Room 14: Caitlin Cooper
Congratulations to our two teams that competed last week at NIPS (North Island Primary School Ski Champs), held at Whakapapa. Bearing in mind there are close to 500 competitors and 124 teams in this competition…….
Victoria Ave Reds (Leo Bonnici, Bella Innes, Chloe Pratt, Olivie Wignall, Flynn Wignall) came 2nd overall.
Victoria Ave Blues (Annabelle Judd, Grace Thomson, Meg Brew, Sam Mace, Brooke Griffiths) came 17th overall.
Fastest Senior Girl, Chloe Pratt, came in 6th out of 135
Fastest Senior Boy Leo Bonnici, came 12th out of 152
Fastest Junior Boy Flynn Wignall came 10th out of 93
Well done, we are proud of you!!

Brooke Griffiths in Giant Slalom

Olive Wignall in Dual Slalom

VAS Red and Blue

Leo Bonnici (Left) Dual Slalom

Annabelle Judd in Dual Slalom

Bella Innes in GS

Chloe, Olive, Bella, Grace

Flynn Wignall

Victoria Ave Reds

Team Prize Giving
Forest Project Update
We are very excited that stage one of the Forest Project including the build of the amphitheatre, boardwalk and playground/slide area is due to start in the next school holidays.
Check out the design drawings below that detail the plans for the Amphitheatre and the Slide Area that are included in stage one.
Click here for the Forest Project plan
Exclusive Opportunity to Sponsor Forest Boardwalk
An exclusive opportunity has arisen for families to help complete stage of one of the project. Families can purchase a metre of the new boardwalk for $500. There are 35 metres of the boardwalk around the amphitheatre that are available for purchase and families will be able to have the the name of their choice lasered onto the board.
If you are interested in this offer please contact Charlotte Houghton at [email protected]
PS – We also have two fabulous racing slides that we would love to have sponsored for the project. Funds saved on the slides will mean we will be able to move onto stage two of the project more quickly.
Thank you as always for all of your amazing support for our school.
The PTS
The photos below are indicative photos of what the Boardwalk and the lasered name might look like. The Forest Project actual build will be different from the picture below.
Collect Yummy Fruit Company stickers (you can find them on apples and fruit) so that Victoria Avenue School can win a share of $200,000 free DG Sport sports gear!
- Place the Yummy stickers on the sticker collection sheets and / or
- Place the cut-out Yummy labels (from fruit bags) on the cut-out label collection sheets yummyfruit.co.nz/schools/
- Return the completed (or partially completed) sheets to the Victoria Ave School office by 20 September 2019. Make sure your name and room number are on the sheet as we will give a prize to the student(s) that collect the most stickers and iceblocks to the class room with the most stickers
Yummy apples and fruit are available from New World, Pak’n Save and other participating stores. The more stickers VAS collects, the more sports gear we receive. Last year, VAS qualified for $1,900 worth of free sports gear which is an amazing effort.
Start collecting today :)
Thanks to rooms 7 and 8 for their yummy contributions to the bake sale on Friday. They made a fabulous $401 which goes towards the school’s Forest Project. Thanks also to the whole school for supporting.
Download now so you are all prepared for Go Race, more information and specific game instructions to follow!!!
- Entries are open for the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon on Sunday 9 February at Point England.
- The TRYathlon is all about giving it a TRY and is a rewarding and fun day out for you and your child.
- Participants need to be aged 7-15 years old on event day, and can complete the TRYathlon as an individual or in a team of two.
- To enter the TRYathlon visit www.tryathlon.co.nz/
- Our school has created a School Group which you can join when you enter from home. Search for Victoria Avenue Scool when prompted. By linking to our school group it will give us the chance to win some great prizes.
- The direct link to register into our school group is https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=35573&G=99591
Billy Harris, ex All White, is starting soccer classes in the school.
Billy is a vastly experienced coach, and his fun classes are great for your child’s confidence, coordination and skills.
The classes are for kids in years 2-4, and will take place on Wednesdays at lunchtime. Billy will be away early in term 4, so the classes will begin on Wednesday 30 October.
The price for the term is $70. To enrol, contact Billy at [email protected] or 0272799042.
Only the first 16 kids can be accepted.
Check out Billy’s website www.billyharris.co.nz for more information.