This week the Y7/8 children are at Oreti beach near Invercargill on their camp.  All the messages we have had back from them are that things are going well and the children and teachers are having a BALL.

We work hard to have a varied programme at Outram School and give the children a wide range of experiences during their time with us.  If you keep an eye on the R3 and R5 web pages/wikis you will no doubt see more about their time ‘down south’.

News
It has been wonderful to welcome the senior children back to school this week. We all seem refreshed and have settled back into routines very quickly.

Our syndicate looks similar to last year, the main difference being that we have larger numbers of younger children and slightly more children overall. Staff wise, we have had no changes.

Maths:
In order to accommodate needs in Maths as best we can, we are going to be operating five maths classes. Mrs Hunter and Mr Carroll will share a fifth group in Room 1 each morning. As a result your child may well not have their class teacher as their maths teacher. Please ask if you would like to discuss your child’s maths programme.

Swimming:
This operates over the next month. Most Room 3 / 4 children swim in Mosgiel while most Room 5/6 children swim at school. If you are keen to help out, please let us know. Please also note that the usual charge of $15 per child will apply for children swimming in Mosgiel  – this covers pool entry and transport costs and will be on your school account.

We have a swimming carnival for the syndicate coming up on 26 February (morning).

Events to expect later in the year:
Term 2 – Stars on Stage (22 – 24 June)
Term 3 – Choral Festival, Science Fair
Term 4 – Camps. Details are still being finalised but children will camp in these groups.
•    Year 4 – short camp – likely to be Tirohanga
•    Year 5/6 – Pounawea, November.
•    Year 7/8 – under discussion.
We look forward to an interesting  and exciting year.
- Janferie, Kerry, Megan, Sarah and Ryan.