PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
But Vaping is Safe
You might have seen the news that Australia is moving to ban vaping except for those people who are actively trying to quit cigarette smoking. This decision has been motivated by the clear view that vaping is targeting young people and is promoting itself as a safe alternative to smoking. You don’t have to look too far back to see a time when doctors, movie stars, and even the president was promoting the benefits of smoking. Do we really want our young ones to be part of the great vaping experiment?
Vaping has clearly become increasingly popular among young people in recent years, with many young people attracted to the wide range of flavours and the perception that it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes. However, the long-term health risks of vaping are still largely unknown, and there are concerns that young people who start vaping may be putting themselves at risk.
One of the main concerns about vaping is the potential for addiction. Many e-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, which is highly addictive and can lead to long-term dependence. This is especially concerning for young people, whose brains are still developing and are more susceptible to addiction. Research has shown that nicotine exposure during adolescence can have lasting effects on the brain, including changes to the way the brain processes reward and pleasure, which can increase the risk of addiction later in life.
Overall, while vaping may seem like a safer alternative to smoking, there are still many unknowns about its long-term health effects, particularly for young people. By raising awareness and providing support, we can help ensure that young people make informed choices about their health and well-being. Young people have always taken risks however this one risk that we might do well to help them avoid, certainly until we know more about the possible risks.
Kyle Brewerton
Principal/APPA President
YEAR 8 CAMPS
The Year 8 camps in 2023 were a memorable experience for all involved. The camps took place in Term 1, giving students the opportunity to explore some of New Zealand's most beautiful natural environments. Two of the camps were held at Port Waikato, while the other three took place at Hunua Falls. Both locations offered stunning scenery and ample opportunities for outdoor adventures.
Students were able to participate in a wide range of activities during their time at camp, including tramping, kayaking, raft building, mountain biking, and archery. These activities challenged students to push themselves outside of their comfort zones and develop valuable skills such as teamwork, resilience,
and problem-solving. Overall, the Year 8 school camps in 2023 were a huge success, providing students with what we hope were some unforgettable experiences and memories that they will cherish for years to come.
YEAR 7 CAMPS
Look at our amazing students taking part in the year 7 camp last term. We were all so proud of our students who faced quite a few challenges; sliding into freezing muddy water at 8.30 in the morning, steadying ourselves on 12 metre poles before you took a leap of faith and being away from the comforts of home!! The RI students showed what they were made of and we arrived back at school feeling very pleased with ourselves and very happy to be back in our own beds.
Thank you to our parents who cheered us on, helped feed us and made the camp possible!!
IN THE FOOD ROOM
Year 7 students are developing fine food preparation and cooking skills. Actively working together in small groups and communicating well, they create delicious food. With knowledge of nutrients and wise shopping skills they are learning to make healthy food choices. Some recipes introduce them to new ways of bringing more colored vegetables into their meals.
We hope your child is confidently demonstrating these skills at home!
MULTI MATERIAL NEWS
Year 8 Multi Materials students are currently completing their first specialist cycle producing a range of projects from chess pieces, carry trays, laser cut cubes and marble mazes. Students are learning to work safely on the lathe and use a variety of hand tools and power tools to create their final prototypes. Year 7 students are also making good progress in their classes as they finish off a variety of projects using their newly acquired skills.
ESOL NEWS
Welcome to the new ESOL students that have begun at Remuera Intermediate since the beginning of the year. With our borders opening up again there has been a number of new migrants moving to N.Z meaning I now have eight new emergent English learners. We meet three times a week focussing on building language to support their life at school. This term we begin with “Animals” in line with the Year 7 Unit Study “From Surviving to Thriving”.
To support your ESOL students at home the following activities may be helpful.
Students
- Read stories from “Sunshine online” Check out the non fiction ones, and the word games as well.
- Complete 20 minutes of the “STEPS programme” if your son or daughter is part of this programme.
- Watch video clips. Put the English subtitles on and reduce the speed to .75 %
- Read some completed homework out loud to another member of the family.
- Watch your favourite songs with subtitles in English.
Parents
- Encourage your child to use google translate to understand their homework tasks better.
- Have one meal time a week where only English is spoken. Make it fun!! Use gestures to help.
- Go for a walk and try to identify the English words for different things you see. (Your phone may be helpful)
- Visit the local library together to find books on topics of interest.
Our focus for our first week back at school was A.N.Z.A.C. Day - Check out the artwork students worked together to create!
PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEW
The Parent-Teacher interviews will take place during the week of 8 - 11 May. The online booking system for the Interviews will close at noon on Monday 8 May. We look forward to meeting you all next week.
Please note that the school will be finishing at 1:00 pm on Wednesday 10 May, to accommodate the Parent-Teacher Interview in the afternoon. The school buses that depart St Vincents Avenue will not be operating when school finishes at 1:00 pm. Students who use these bus services will need to arrange alternative transport to get home.
2024 ENROLMENTS
Our 2024 Enrolment will be opening on Monday 3 April. If you have a Year 6 student who will be coming to RI in 2024, 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 query regarding the enrolment process, please contact Ms Amy McGowan at enrolments@remint.school.nz
Public Open Morning
When: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Time: 8.45 am - 10.30 am
Where: Meet in the School Hall
IMPORTANT DATES
May
8 CZ Water Polo
8-11 Parent-Teacher Interviews
10 HPV for Year 8
School Finishes at 1 pm
14 Mother's Day
16 CZ Football Year 7 Girls
PTA AGM Meeting in the Staff Room (6:30 pm)
BOT Meeting in Principal's office (6:30 pm)
17 HPV Catch up for Year 8
18 CZ Football Year 8 Girls
19 Pink Shirt Day
23 CZ Football Year 8 Boys
25-26 Science Road Show
25 CZ Football Year 7 Boys
31 CZ Rugby Girls and Boys
June
2 Teacher Only Day - No School
5 King's Birthday - No School
14 Public Open Morning
ABSENCES
All absences need to be reported by 8:45 am at the latest. To report an absence please:
Use the 'Report an Absence' link in the top right corner on 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 teachers
ABSENCE TEXT NOTIFICATION
Your 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 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.
PARENT PORTAL
Parents are able to use our portal to pay for their child’s donations and fees. We encourage anyone who has not already signed up to do so. The address is https://parent.edgelearning.co.nz/
REMUERA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL APP
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