Together We Grow – Ka Tupu Kotāhi ai Tatou Week 8 

Kia ora koutou OVS Whānau and Caregivers,

OVS Attendance Update – STOP PRESS …WE ARE NEARLY THERE! 
Wow what a journey we have had. Regular attendance  at OVS in term one of 2023 was  only 21%!  Regular student attendance is (90%) and so far our term 4, 2025 attendance is currently sitting at …drum roll please…
88.53%

A record high…thankyou everyone for realising every day counts and attendance really matters!

Let’s get to 90%  next week- only 1.47 % away!!!

OVS Board of Trustees 

ERO –  The OVS Board of Trustees met with ERO (Education Review Office) this week as part of the triennial review process. The review team had many positives about our kura in their feedback, and we look forward to their report which will be published in the new year.

Health Alert  – Another sand product recalled
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has issued a product recall as a precaution because it could contain asbestos:
  • MIKI Sand Art Set that was sold nationwide between July 2023 and December 2023. Product details:
    • SKU codes – 8369 and 8445
    • Barcode numbers – 9312615483699 and 9312615484450
For the latest on sand product recalls, go to the Product Safety NZ website:

Star Spot – Student Learning @ OVS

RURU Awards

Week 7: – Jnr: Sharn – Snr: Ivy & Jake
  
Week 8 – – Jnr: Eve – Snr: Mason & Kitana
Class Attendance:  ‘Ruru Rockstar’ Award
Each week at assembly we are acknowledging the class with the best attendance for the week…and they win the ‘Ruru Rockstar’ Award with over 90% attendance, this weeks winner is (drum roll please) …
Room 6 !

Just for fun: 100 Parkruns by age 10 with Ruby
Wow, what an achievement! Ruby made this impressive milestone recently, and had a great article written about her on the Parkrun website in the blog tab. When interviewed Ruby said  “I like parkrun because I see friends, family, and Coco the dog.   “I can’t wait for more milestones.  and  “Thank you to everyone who organises parkrun for us each week.”

Ruby reached an amazing 100 parkruns at only 10 years old  and received a special T-Shirt to commemorate the event. Way to go Ruby

Student Writing Spot
Emily recently made a small xmas book complete with illustrations. Check out her ‘unedited’ super xmas story with the intriguing title…
What does Santa do after Christmas? – by Emily (7yrs) 
As we all know, Santa is a very busy man during Christmas, but what does he and his elfs do when it’s over?
Because Santa lives in snow and ice 
he’ll go to the beach and roll a dice. 
Because no people visit him – wait, you know?  who?  
He might want to take a long trip to the zoo.  
Santa eats lots, especially toffee! 
but try something new and go buy some hot coffee. 
Santa and Rudolph as we all know 
may want to go swimming along the river flow. 
Gee, how quick it went! Santa now needs a rest, 
all the toys are finished – his elfs are the best!
 but there’s still one more toy…..  And that one is for you!
Whangārei zone  Athletics day – 2025
On Wednesday some of our OVS Athletics Super Stars went to Kensington to compete in the WPSSA Athletics Event.

Congratulations to Locky, Ruby, Connor, Jack, Annabelle, Jake, and Lily who all represented our school beautifully. We are very proud of you. A big thank you to Molly and Chey, who helped transport students and support them during the day.

OVS Staffing Updates for 2026
We’re pleased to share some exciting news regarding our teaching staff and class placements for the 2026 school year! We’re making these moves to ensure every student continues to receive outstanding support and the best learning experiences we can provide.
New Entrants & Year 1 Transitions
We’re thrilled to confirm a key change in our junior school team:

  • New Entrants (Room 1): We are delighted to share that Rachel Dickens will be teaching our newest students in 2026! Rachel brings her wonderful energy and expertise to our youngest learners.

  • Year 1 (Room 2): Miss Keogh will be moving up to teach our Year 1 students. This move provides fantastic continuity and familiarity for our students as they progress and consolidate their learning.

To ensure smooth and positive transitions with their new teachers, visits for our newly arriving students will be scheduled over the next three weeks. We look forward to facilitating this positive start for our juniors as we head toward 2026

Intermediate & Teaching Team Welcome
We are also excited to welcome both returning and new faces to the Ōtaika staff for 2026:
  • Welcome Back: We are thrilled to have Mrs Jensen back again in 2026! Her commitment and passion are greatly valued by our whole OVS school community.
  • Introducing Our New ‘Year 7 Teacher’: Please also give a warm welcome to Trudi Bertie, who will be joining our team. Trudi has an exciting and historic role as the inaugural teacher of Ōtaika’s very first Intermediate Years class! We are proud to embark on this new chapter of our school’s growth with Trudi leading the way.

We are also  excited about the energy, passion, and expertise this great team will bring to our school in 2026. Thank you for your continued support as we prepare for a wonderful year ahead!

Full class lists will be available to whanau in the last week of school.

Pool Keycode – Available at the End of Term 4 Cartoon little boy having fun in swimming pool

If you’d like to purchase a pool keycode for the summer, please get in touch with Jen in the office at admin@otaika.school.nz.
Your key will be valid throughout summer and until the end of Term 1, 2026.

Pool use is limited to our immediate school community, so please do not share your keycode with others.
The cost is $60, which helps cover chemical and maintenance expenses.

Once school resumes next term, the pool will be available to key holders in weekends and after 5pm on school days.

With a lovely hot summer on the way, this is a great, easy way to stay cool without the cost or hassle of having your own pool!

Kai and Carols – 9th December – 5pm.
Don’t forget to add this to your calendar. Bring your picnic dinner and help us celebrate.

   Its Raffle Time!

Our amazing PTA has been busy keeping track of all the raffle tickets sold so far — and you’re all doing an incredible job! Keep it up, everyone!

Need more tickets? No problem! Extra tickets are available from the school office.

This exciting fundraiser helps support the ongoing development of Ōtaika Valley School’s outdoor environment, creating vibrant, inspiring spaces for our tamariki to learn and play.

Tickets are just $3 each, and all money and tickets (sold or unsold) need to be returned to the school office by December 3rd.

Thank you for your fantastic support — every ticket sold helps make a real difference for our school!

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our sponsors:

Specialized Maintenance and Welding
Yovich Engineering
Keith James Joinery
Omak Meats
Bocky Boo Gelato
McFall Fuel
North Financial
Northland Civil Survey
2 Ducks Contracting
Harrisons Carpets and Flooring Whangarei
Whangārei Aquatic Centre
Bunnings Whangārei
Keith Andrews

No parking clipart cartoon style vector illustration ...Parking reminder

Please do not park in the bottom gravel carpark. This is for staff only. Thank you.

Dates

Kai and Carols                               9 Dec
Cricket Festival                              9 Dec
Beach Day                                      11 Dec
Start of Term 2026 – 4 Feb.

Term Dates

Terms Start Finish
Term 1: 4 Feb 11 April
Term 2: 28 April 27 June
Term 3: 14 July 19 Sept
term 4: 6 Oct 17 Dec
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