Farewell to a Legend

Farewell to a legend... πŸ‘‹πŸ½πŸ‘‹πŸ½πŸ‘‹πŸ½

We all know Mr Walker loves a good dad joke:

Why did the scarecrow win an award?

Because he was outstanding in his field!

From one job where we often find him out standing in a field, to another where he will still be out standing in a field. From Tumuaki to coach, we celebrate and farewell our principal, Ngatai Walker.

Seven and a half years ago Ngatai came to Puketapu School from Inglewood with a vision and passion for education, and in that 7Β½ years he has donned many costumes, cracked plenty of jokes and encouraged untold numbers of students and teachers.

He brought our school values of Kia Manawanui, Kia Kaha, Kia Māia, and more recently, Kia Ora into the fabric of Puketapu. We see these values embedded into the very beings of all of us at Puketapu, and we are better people for living them.

The physical spaces in the school have changed and then some colours have changed again in that time. The list of songs played at the gate in the morning and the number of high fives given are countless.

A Principal’s job is varied, from crossing duty at Mangati, to property, to strategic planning, to human resources, to contracts, to planning inspiring staff hui, and the list goes on.

Many people wouldn’t understand the scope of the mahi. It’s often unseen, but makes all the difference to the culture, strategy and direction of a school.

There is a whakatauki that says: Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead.

There have been many ups and downs through these years, big challenges faced, growth from lessons learned and joy that you spread around. It’s not easy being the person who looks to fill everyone’s buckets every day but you do it and that

inspires us all to do the same.

Every leader we have builds on the success and foundations the previous leaders have laid and Puketapu is undoubtedly a better place for the layer that Ngatai has

built and added.

We thank Mr. Walker for the leadership, energy and care he has given to Puketapu School.

We wish him well on his next adventure.

Kia Māia, Kia Manawanui, Kia Kaha, Kia Ora πŸ’š

We have made it to the end of 2023!

Please see link below for our end of year Newsletter:

https://www.smore.com/jzt2u6

Happy reading and happy holidays.

To make the week fun and go out with a BANG, our staff dressed up for the week.

Starting the week dressing like a year 8, we saw crocs, socks & scuffs, You Know & White Fox along with Hoodies, Oodies and peace signs.

We began singing our national anthem as a school, setting the tone for an incredible assembly. Our Kapa Haka Whakataetae group's performance was outstanding! πŸŽΆπŸ‘

Mr. Walker let us know that our Kai Tiaki Tama and Kai Tiaki Kotiro will be announced in Term 1 of 2024 - stay tuned for that! πŸ† Following this, we dived into our Values Awards, first with Rimu, Tōtara, Kōwhai, and then Kauri. 🌿🌟 The complete list of winners will be in our End of Year newsletter tomorrow!

A very special Values Award was presented to the Judd family for their remarkable display of our school values throughout. πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦πŸ… Tōtara Kapa Haka graced us with their beautiful waiata performances before we proudly awarded our 2023 school trophies! πŸ†πŸŽ‰ Stay tuned for the winners' list in tomorrow's newsletter!

Today was also about farewells as we bid goodbye to some incredible staff members - Nicole Perry, Jay Lane, Shaina Moratti, Elle Johns, and Principal Ngatai Walker. They were sent off with a powerful Haka! πŸŒŸπŸ‘‹

And for the big reveal... πŸ₯ Kākāpō took home the win for the Term 4 Student of the Day tickets! Congratulations! πŸŽŸοΈπŸ… Tomorrow, we'll be awarding our Student of the Day prizes at our final school get together in the quad.

What a fantastic way to close the year! πŸŽŠπŸ‘‹ Stay tuned for our End of Year newsletter for the complete roundup of today's happenings. πŸŒŸπŸ“°

πŸŽ“βœ¨ Tuesday night was a special one as we celebrated the graduation of our fantastic Year 8 students! πŸŽ‰πŸ‘©β€πŸŽ“πŸ‘¨β€πŸŽ“

A huge thank you to Smokn Comrades for treating us to their incredible food - it was amazing as always! πŸ”πŸ₯—πŸ‘ We also want to express our gratitude to Cora Creative for the stunning balloon setup that added so much joy and color to the event! πŸŽˆπŸŽ‰

A heartfelt thanks to Northpoint Baptist Church - NZ for allowing us to use their venue. And let's not forget our dedicated Home and School team - your ongoing support and voluntary efforts made this night even more special. πŸ™Œ

To our Year 8 graduates, you've been an exceptional part of our school community, and we'll miss you dearly. 🌟 We're excited to see all the incredible things the future holds for each and every one of you! πŸš€πŸ“š

Congratulations once again, and best wishes on your new journey! πŸŽ“πŸŽ‰

SOMADD 2023 - What a night! πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

SOMADD 2023 was held last Friday and was an absolute blast! 🌟 Check out this short video capturing some of the incredible moments. It was an amazing feeling to see our community reunited on the school grounds after the challenges posed by COVID and weather disruptions over the last couple of years. Our tamariki were outstanding as always - huge applause to them! πŸ‘

A massive thank you goes out to our fantastic Home and School Committee for their efforts in organising raffles and ensuring there was delicious food available on the night. Home & School raised over $3500. Without a doubt, this year was one of the best yet, and it's all thanks to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.

Special recognition to our incredible teachers who worked with their classes to put together an outstanding show for all of us to enjoy. 🌟✨ Thank you for making the SOMADD concert an unforgettable experience.

After an incredible 28 years of dedication and hard work, it's time to say goodbye to a remarkable member of our Puketapu School family. Jay, who's journey began long ago as a volunteer, and over the years, Jay became a big part of our school.

Jay's commitment has been amazing. Not only has Jay witnessed but actively contributed to generations passing through Puketapu, including her own children and grandchildren.

With a soft spot and passion for the Duffy Books in Schools program, Jay's efforts ensured that countless children received the gift of reading, fostering their love for books and learning.

This year Jay got to go on Year 8 camp where she, alongside her grandson Jaxson, embraced the mud run.

Beyond Puketapu School, Jay's presence in the community has been felt, notably at the Bell Block library.

We will miss Jay's legendary pavlova during our shared staff kai!

Thank you, Jay, for 28 incredible years of service, support, and friendship. Your presence will be missed and even though you won't be in the staffroom everyday we know we will still see you around. Farewell, and here's to the new adventures that await you in this rewirement phase! πŸ“šπŸŽ“πŸ““πŸ“’

πŸ’š Todays Assembly & Te Mako Matawhero Awards πŸ’š

Rimu: Jack Dudley, Aria Marshall, Ahkira Takarei-Holswich, Jahkarta Hoeta & Lucas Stewart.

Tōtara: Likhitha Medasetti, Nicole Jupp, Preston Cooper & Ayaan Faruk.

Kōwhai: Isla Johnson, Layla Read & Damion Paora.

Kauri: Parekaiuru Tuturu o te Atiawa, Aston Chadwick & Nico Gunther.

πŸ‘πŸ½

Watch till the end and you will see some of the teachers running!

🌞 Good morning, everyone! What a beautiful start to the week with the sun shining bright β˜€οΈ

Yesterday, our teachers were back in the classroom as part of the Ministry of Education's initiative to support the implementation of Te Mātaiaho - Curriculum Refresh Training. πŸ“šπŸŽ

And today, it's all about our amazing students! Our Year 8s are off on an exciting camp adventure, creating memories and experiencing new adventures together. Meanwhile, our Year 7s are getting stuck into their EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) week, exploring, discovering, and learning beyond the classroom walls! πŸ•οΈπŸŒΏπŸ”

Here's to a week full fun, sun and laughter🌟

Address
25 Dillon Drive,
Bell Block,
New Plymouth.
4312

Main Reception
Phone 06 755-0973
Online
office@puketapu.school.nz
Β©2022 Te Kura o Puketapu
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