PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
We have many happy, positive, and engaged students coming to school. We also have some grumpy, tired students who are having difficulty concentrating, with short attention spans, through long hours spent at home on devices. Devices can be addictive. Most children will need your help as a loving parent to make changes to less desirable habits. Strive for a balance between screen time and social activities, physical activity, reading and other positive activities.
Here are some approaches to help reduce young people's reliance on digital devices. Many of these align with the approach we have taken here as a school.
Clear rules for device use - establish clear rules with your child. At this age, it is a good idea to include them in the decision-making on their path to adulthood. You will find they are more inclined to agree with expectations if they help establish them. This being said, you are still the parent and absolutely have the right to make the final decision.
Be consistent, and lead by example - encourage a healthy balance between screen activities and outdoor play, reading, and hobbies. Consistency is key, so enforce these boundaries consistently and lead by example.
Some suggestions;
- Have some designated time periods or days that are screen-free. As a general guide, young people should be on devices less than 2 hours a day
- No devices in bedrooms at this age
- Have agreed cut-off times to help with sleep and winding down at the end of the day. We hear from countless students about their late-night gaming and scrolling through social media which is having a very clear impact on their ability to focus and be productive at school.
Device-Free Zones: No devices at the table, in the bedroom, or when the family is talking/working together. Children need tech-free spaces where they can unwind and engage with the real world.
Encourage Physical Activities: Get your children involved with walking, bike riding, sports, dance classes, or other outdoor activities. And, they should all have jobs to help out at home.
Encourage Creativity: Children might learn to play a musical instrument, draw, paint, or write to help build their imagination and creativity.
Be Social: Encourage them to participate in social activities such as church, clubs, or community events, to play with friends or neighbours. Interacting with others develops interpersonal skills. A skill that is sadly lacking in many of our young people.
Role Model: As a parent, your actions speak louder than words. Be a positive role model by demonstrating a healthy relationship with technology. Limit your own screen time, particularly when interacting with your child. Here’s a little test…can you name your child’s teacher, their three best friends and their favourite subject at school?
Our young people still need your guidance…as much as they might say or think otherwise.
Mānawatia a Matariki
Kyle Brewerton
Principal/APPA President
IMPORTANT DATES
| JULY 2024 | |
| July 3 | Year 7 Boostrix Year 8 HPV Catch-up |
| July 4 | Term 2 Pop/Rock Bands Performance |
| July 5 | Term 2 Awards Assemblies Term 2 Ends |
| July 22 | Term 3 Begins |
| July 30 | CZ Boys Netball |
| AUGUST 2024 | |
| August 2 | Trees for Survival Planting Day William Pike Trip - Vero Wero |
| August 6 | CZ Squash |
| August 7 | Tough Guy/Gals Challenge |
| August 9 | CZ Girls Netball |
| August 14 | RI Cross Country |
| August 22 | CZ Rugby League |
| August 29 | CZ Cross Country |
BLUES RUGBY EXPERIENCES
On Thursday 13th June, 33 students were invited to attend the Blues Captain’s run at Eden Park. We were able to hand over the 50 pairs of boots that were donated by Remuera Intermediate students and their families.
The students were able to watch the Blues train for the semi-final against the Brumbies, and were then fortunate enough to meet the players and have some posters signed. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for both students and teachers.
As well as attending the training session, some students were also invited to attend the actual Blues vs Brumbies Semi-final on Friday 14th June. The students were able to stand on the field and cheer the players on as they ran onto Eden Park. The students were then able to stay and watch the rest of the game in the stands and support the Blues as they beat the Brumbies to make it into the Super Rugby Final.
A massive thank you to the Blues for inviting us to be a part of the experience, as well as to all those students and families who donated boots to help those children unable to play without them.
ENVIRO WEEK 2024 
2024 Enviro Week for RI was from the 10th to 14th of June. To honour World Environment Day, RI celebrated with an Enviro week that was organised by The Social Changency along with the support of Mr Caron and Room 15. The intention was for something to happen each day of the week.
During Enviro Week we had lots of fun and participated in many environment themed activities. By celebrating Enviro Week, we raised awareness of the critical state our environment is in, and how we must do everything we can to protect our beautiful Earth.
The smallest action can make the biggest difference. On Monday: We had a promotion for Enviro Week at the full school Assembly. It was presented by several students from The Social Changency
Tuesday: Room 15 handed out “G.O.O.S” [Good on both side] boxes to all of the syndicates, and the printers, along with bags to collect rubbish during the week for the rubbish competition.
On Wednesday there was a screening of six short movies promoting the protection of the environment. This was shown in a packed Media room with more than 50 students! These movies were also shared with all of the teachers.
For Thursday, we hosted a green enviro-themed mufti day and an earth cookie sale. Five bakers brought in 186 home-baked cookies for us to sell in three locations around the school and these cookies we sold were gone in just seconds.
A big shout out to Shobitha Thayalan, Ella Wang, Adwaith Sreejith, Emily-Rose Wilson, and Alen Music.
We raised a total of $1274 ($1104 from mufti and $170 from cookie sale) to give to the Aotearoa Bird Rescue charity along with giving some money back to each family that baked.
For Friday, Mr Zemke hosted the Enviro Week Quiz, and two candidates were nominated from each of the 30 classrooms at school. Questions were created for a Kahoot quiz regarding different topics related to being more environmentally conscious. The quiz was really enjoyed by everyone and even attracted an audience to watch.
In week 8 following Enviro Week, Mr Beckett presented at Monday’s Assembly to hand out prizes for the Year 7 rubbish collection competition to Room 15, and for Year 8 to Rooms 25 and 30. Room 17 was the quickest Year 7 class to finish Friday’s quiz and the same for Room 24. These winning classes were given the reward of an extra 10 minutes of lunch or morning tea.
Thank you to all the teachers and students for getting out there and helping to support Enviro Week and making it so memorable and awesome. Keep caring for our precious planet.
With love from The Social Changency and Mr Zemke
MULTI-MEDIA NEWS
Over 2024, three cycles of Year 7 Performance have taken opportunities to perform and share stories to their classmates. These performance opportunities give the students an opportunity to build their confidence and collaborate with others to share a story.
Some of these performances are pictured below:
Many of these photos show performances of groups of students presenting Māori stories as musicals.
Here is a performance of Dr Seuss - The Sneetches, where the group brought in their own costumes and created some props.
Sometimes we like to dance too.
NEWS FROM OUR DIGITECH ROOM
This week, our students are learning about Matariki through various coding activities and hands-on projects. They're using Bots and devices to learn about the significance of Matariki while improving their coding skills.
Additionally, students are using Maths and 3D modeling to map the stars in an XYZ plane, gaining a unique perspective on the Matariki star cluster.
ART EVENING 2024
Our Art evening for 2024 was sponsored by the Remuera PTA. The standard was once again incredibly high and our students were able to showcase an array of artistic talents.
* More news regarding our Trash To Fashion show will be in the next newsletter.
2025 ENROLMENTS
If you have a Year 6 student who will be coming to RI in 2025, we encourage you to start the enrolment process early to ensure we are well prepared for the coming year.
You can now apply online by clicking this link. If you have a query regarding the enrolment process, please contact Ms. Amy McGowan at enrolments@remint.school.nz
Important dates for 2024 Enrolment
In Zone Application Due Back: Wednesday 4 September 2024
Out of Zone Application close: Wednesday 4 September 2024 at 3:30 pm – no exceptions
Out of Zone Ballot Ballot to take place: Wednesday 11 September 2024
ABSENCES
All absences need to be reported by 8:45 a.m. at the latest. To report an absence please:
Use the 'Report an Absence' link in the top right corner of the school website homepage http://www.remint.school.nz
Use the school app or phone the office on 09 522 9890 Option 1
Please do not email absence notifications to classroom teacher
ABSENCE TEXT NOTIFICATION
Our children’s safety is of paramount importance to us. In order to ensure the safety of all our students, at 9:45 am if your child has not been marked as Present we will send out a text notification to alert you of his/her absence.
We are aware many parents are simply very busy people and forget to notify the school so please respond with a Y and a reason for the absence/lateness.
Respond with an N if you have dropped your child at school or know that he/she was coming to school and we can investigate this promptly.
Should your mobile number change, please notify the school immediately so that we can update our records accordingly.
REMUERA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL APPS
You can download the free SchoolAppsNZ from the App Store or Google Play. It works on both Android and Apple phones. It sends important school messages and forms a big part of our school communications.
Features of the App:
- You can subscribe to alert groups of interest to you and your child
- You can complete the absentee form directly from the App
- You can access the school calendar, news and events directly through the App
- We can send out targeted alerts to everyone with the App or to specific groups