COMING EVENTS

Wednesday 9 March ‘Forging Identity’ Eurythmy Performance

Thursday 10 March School Harvest Festival

14-18 March Dental Van Class 1-7

Thursday 17 March Kindy Harvest Festival

Friday 18 March Teacher Wānanga High School finish 12.45 Lower School/Kindy 2pm

Tuesday 22 March Community Meeting

Friday 25 March Good Friday

FRIDAY FLYER 4 March 2016 Newsletter 5

WANTED: STEAM IRONS TO BORROW

There will be a performance of eurythmy at Michael Park School

on 9th March. The eurythmy ensemble is NZ-based and presented

this programme last July at the Kolisko conference.

They would like the loan of two good-quality steam irons on 8th

and 9th March, if anyone has an iron to spare. If you can help,

please phone me, Eileen on 021 1252106 or see me at

school. Thank you.

ATHLETICS DAY RESULTS

Congratulations to Kowhai (Kauri 2nd, Rimu 3rd and 4th Totara)

who were the eventual winners in the annual House athletics day

held at Pakuranga club.

The day was a huge success with many notable performances

and contributions from the community.

We look forward to continuing on with the momentum that

the House competition has created in different contexts

throughout the year.

ORCHESTRA

Orchestra begins Wednesday 9th March at 3pm until 3.45 in the

auditorium. Enquiries to Amanda Lawrence

amandal@michaelpark.school.nz

DENTAL VAN FOR LOWER SCHOOL

The DHB Dental Van will be here from the 14th to 18th March. They

will see students from Class 1 to Class 7.

FRIDAY 18TH MARCH

Friday 18th March is a normal school day for the Kindergartens and Classes 1-7

High School will finish at 12.45pm and have the afternoon as a study afternoon.

Friday 18th March, the staff will be holding a wānanga from 1:30pm -7pm at school where they will deepen their perspectives around how to work meaningfully together with the Ka Hikitia goals in this year’s annual plan, as well as offering a chance to do a little more work around the Treaty of Waitangi policy review. The wānanga programme will also include a number of workshops and quest speakers.

Kindergartens and Lower School will finish at the usual time of 2pm, with an extended lunch break until 1.45pm. Admin Staff and Senior students will oversee the cleanup and conclusion to the week for Classes 1-7.

Kindergarten parents are requested to please pick up their child on time so that staff are able to attend the wānanga as soon as possible.

Ngā mihi Desmond Pemerika

ORGANIC COTTON BOOK BAGS

One of our parents came across these organic cotton book bags

(after having yet another cheap plastic one fall apart) that can be

decorated with fabric markers and are nice and sturdy.

www.changetogreen.co.nz

RSST & MPS INVOICES

By now you should have received your invoices in the post from

the Rudolf Steiner Schools Trust and Michael Park School.

Please advise if you have not received them in the mail and

confirm your address to:

christinef@michaelpark.school.nz and/or

raewynw@michaelpark.school.nz

Monthly MPS statements will be emailed at the beginning of

every month.

Please contact Raewyn on 5258995 or email if you did not receive

an invoice for your children via email.

A reminder to contact reception for any changes to your contact

details.

BABYSITTING

One of our fabulous Teacher Aides is available weekdays after

school and during the holidays for afterschool care/babysitting.

Ideally long-term / permanent arrangements.

Contact Elaine on curren.curren111@gmail.com

HARVEST FESTIVAL 2016

The silver rain, the shining sun, The fields where scarlet poppies run, And all the ripples of the wheat Are in the bread that I do eat. So when I sit for every meal And say a grace I always feel, That I am eating rain and sun And fields where scarlet poppies run.

This is the verse the classes 1 – 5 will be saying at our Harvest Festival Thursday, the 10th of March.

Harvest is in lots of cultures a time to celebrate with music, games and of course food.

The Harvest Festival in New Zealand takes place traditionally on or near the Sunday closest to the Autumn Equinox (this year we brought it a bit forward, as Easter is very early). At this time the star Vega or Whanui appears in the morning sky. For the early Maori this was a sign for the kumara to be gathered in.

For us all at Michael Park it is the time for a joyous celebration of the gathering in of the produce from the land. We strive to foster in our students both at home and at school a deep feeling of gratefulness for the generosity of the earth.

In the lead up to the festival every class prepares a Harvest Table. A special area is assigned for that in the high school. Each student is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item which will be distributed afterwards by our dear neighbours the Nuns to needy families in the district.

During Harvest Week students in the Lower School make bread and pizzas, class 12 will join class 1 baking their bread. In the Middle School different activities with food are happening, class 5 has organized an Indian lunchbar, class 6 are making apple turnovers using the schools apples and produce from the school garden are used for a Persian feast in class 7. On Harvest day the Lower School students are encouraged to wear Autumn colours such as red, orange or gold. They will assemble during the morning to sing, play music and have a special story. The emphasis will be on “Generosity”, our own generosity both in thought and deed, and also on the generosity of the earth and of those many who participate in bringing the food to our tables.

In the afternoon Classes 1 to 4 will participate in Harvest Games run by the parents. Thank you very much to all of you who come and help.

And also a big THANK YOU for all the food donations send to school with the students.

Kerstin Mahr for the Festival Group

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS

Michael Park School is happy to offer all our families the

opportunity to purchase a new 2016/17 Entertainment Book or

Digital Membership again this year.

The new Memberships will be available in the first week of April,

but if you pre-order before March 24th, you’ll qualify for a bonus

set of vouchers from 6 businesses new to the Book including The

Flying Moa, The Library Café, Uptown Bounce and Murder Burger.

Each Entertainment Book or Digital Membership is still just $65,

with 20% of each sale being retained by the school to help with

our fundraising for the playground. There are plenty of offers from

local businesses such Doolan Brothers, Hokkaido, The Abbey, Café

Melba, Red Crab and family favourites such as Lone Star, The

Flying Buritto Brothers and Mamma Mia. With new offers from

Eight at the Langham, the Black Hoof, Oyster and Chop, The Maple

Room, The Attic, plus many more

This is the best Entertainment Book yet! Pre-order yours today

and support the school by visiting https://

www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/994y78

Our friends at Bakers Delight Ellerslie will donate $2 from every 6-pack of hot cross buns if orders are placed through the school.

This is a wonderful opportunity to raise some dough for the development of our school playground and auditorium!

There are three delicious flavours to choose from - Traditional, Chocolate Chip and Mocha.

Order forms will be handed out to students next week. Orders and cash need to be placed in the marked box in reception by Tuesday 15th March. You can also print the order form below or pick up extra forms from reception. Ask your family, friends and neighbours if they’d like to be included on your order!

Hot Cross Buns will be delivered to the school on Friday 18th March and distributed to classes.

Enquiries to Dana in the office: admin@michaelpark.school.nz

FORGING IDENTITY

Aotearoa Eurythmy Ensemble

Michael Park Rudolf Steiner School Wednesday 9th March

First performance 10:30am

(Kindy & Classes 1, 2, 3 & 4 – gold coin donation per child)

Mother Holle

Fire, Kathleen Raine

Sonatina Romantica, Nocturne, B Britten

Plea, Norbert Mulholland

Second performance1:40pm (Classes 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12– gold coin donation per child)

TIAOAIT & Fire, Kathleen Raine

French Suite in d, Sarabande, Minuet 1, J. S. Bach

The Caged Bird, Maya Angelou

It occurred, Norbert Mulholland

Sonatina Romantica, Nocturne, B Britten

Lullaby, Gillian Whitehead

Plea, Norbert Mulholland

In 2015 the Aotearoa Eurythmy Ensemble performed at the Kolisko Conference. We are grateful for the support of the schools that have enabled us to take our work on tour through the Nth Island. The eurythmists are all working in New Zealand. The programme includes pieces from New Zealand and overseas artists. The fairytale 'Mother Holle'

is sure to bring delight!

Eurythmists:

Director: Uta Stoll-Kuwlisky Speaker: Norbert Mulholland

Musicians: Lyn Vigrass & Bruce Haswell

We would like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand for providing the finances for the travel and other costs associated with preparation for this performance.

Nives Frigerio

Nina Gude

Kimberle Haswell

Elien Hoffmans

Heike Houben

Sue Pegler

Sue Simpson

Dear community,

The AYS Garden Party is a concert by the Aotea

Youth Symphony, which is an orchestra to support

young musicians (14 – 18) and give them the

opportunity to play in a big orchestra.

Quite a few of our more able students at

Michael Park School are playing in this

orchestra.

This year the orchestra is going on a big tour

through France (I know of two of our students

taking part in the tour) and they need to do some

serious fundraising.

They are putting on a beautiful picnic garden

concert (see flyer at left). If you would like to buy

tickets, please contact me

kerstinm@michaelpark.school.nz

Warmest greetings

Kerstin Mahr

An Evening with David Bond & 4 NZ Experts on childhood.

Created & promoted by our very own Simon Roberts & Roger Harris!

Join the multi-award winning Writer/Director of the UK’s most popular film on childhood,

Project Wild Thing for an evening of inspiring conversation and debate.

In 2012, David Bond, a worried British dad made a film that

showed how excessive screen time is stopping kids from going outdoors.

He wrote, directed and featured in ‘Project Wild Thing’, now recognised as

the U.K’s most successful documentary film on childhood. It was selected for

54 international film festivals. The Guardian newspaper said, ‘This film will

change your life.’

Three years later two Kiwi dads saw the film and were struck by the project’s

relevance in New Zealand. Under their ‘Subjects that Matter’ brand, promoter

Simon Roberts and Phoenix Organics co-founder Roger Harris have brought

David Bond out from London to collaborate with New Zealand experts

already concerned about the overuse of screens by children.

On Friday 11th

March, 2016, at 7.30pm, Subjects that Matter will proudly partner with The Parenting Place in a live

event at their Auckland facility in Greenlane. Hosted by David, the show will feature the following experts, who will

inform, inspire and offer practical solutions to parents and anyone with a vested interest in childhood. Here’s the line-up

of our wonderful presenters:

David Bond - Award winning Writer/Director of the film ‘Project Wild Thing’ and founder of The Wild Network. “Why

kids need to reconnect with Nature”

Dr. Scott Duncan - Head of Research at the School of Sport and Recreation and Associate Director of the Human

Potential Centre at Auckland University of technology (AUT).

“The importance of roaming free and playing wild”

Bruce McLachlan - Inspirational Principal of Swanson Primary and champion of free play.

“Re-introducing risk to the playground”

Jenny Hale - Senior Family Coach at The Parenting Place. ‘’Inspiring kids to love the outdoors”

Jill Goldson - Director of The Family Matters Centre, NZ Herald Columnist and regular Breakfast TV guest. “Managing

Screen Time”

Tickets on sale here; http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2016/rewild-the-child-getting

-kids-off-screens-and-outdoors/auckland/greenlane

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewildthechild