Greetings and welcome to Term three! Lots ahead this term, notably Mc Leod Shield and Hurlestone Shield games and Senior Camp, Toko School festival of the Arts and Speech Board! That should be enough to be getting on with!

Methanex Competition
In the senior room at least the Methanex Mathematics competition has been full on! Basically to complete a really good investigation takes the full three weeks! So we have some wonderful examples to send to NP for the competition.

Family Day
Another strong thread to the beginning of the term has been preparations for Family day. Basically "Grandparents Day' revisited but broadened to encompass a wider family base! Girls have been learning POI and boys learning rakau stick games. In addition there is Maori art going on and the children have been learning about the early settlement of NZ!
Family day is scheduled for the 19th of August( I think). The idea was to invite Grandparents into the school and also to tie into the Taranaki Festival of the Arts with our own Toko School festival. A good start to the term and a strong link to Speech board exams late in the term. I think the arts are alive and well at Toko School... we haven't allowed our curriculum to be marginalised into the literacy and numeracy just yet!

Principal Appraisal
We had Liz Shaw in Toko School for the day recently. She has been employed by the Toko School BOT to as an external Principal Appraiser. She interviewed all the Toko School staff, as well as 8 parents selected via the BOT. Parents 'selected' were a range of new parents and those that had been involved in the school for a considerable time. It was a broad cross section.
A very positive outcome was presented to be in writing soon afterwards. I am as passionate about the learning and teaching at Toko School as I have ever been. It seems that from these interviews that this belief is shared by the staff and community. My goal is to 'push' Toko School along to be the very best we can be. Our strength is our people. Kids come first. Raising individual standards, including my own and the staff and the children, is my goal.

McLeod Shield and Hurlestone Shield
The boys played Ngaere school in a pre season match. It was close but we lost it later in the game! Great fun though and a good build up!
Toko School played Auroa School, winning the netball and just losing the rugby. A close and exciting match. It just reminds me how physical the game is even at this level! The coaches have been very dedicated taking time to prepare the kids to be the best they can be!

Strike Percussion
We were entertained by Wellington Band Strike Percussion on Thursday the 6th of August. Toko School was successful in their application to get a gig out in the country! This was part of the Taranaki Festival of the Arts. The three guys on stage were great with the kids. We invited Huiakama, Makahu and St Joseph's Schools to the event. I think everyone would have been satisfied!

Training for the Cross Country
Children are in the middle of training! The event is September 7th... the same day as the year 7 and 8 children head off to camp! OOp!
Its great to ave Zoe Z back at Toko School. She has come into take a group of keen long distance runners!!! Cool huh! Partnership Learning Star for our Ex student!!!!

2009 Methanex Mathematics Results

Category Prize Name Year
Poetry and Creative Writing 1st Sophie H Yr 7
Merit Sophie M Yr 7
2nd Ashleigh W Yr 8
3rd Jack Bt Yr 8
Individual Project Merit Regan Yr 7
1st Ashleigh W Yr 8
Merit Jack J Yr 8
Group Project 1st Chantelle Tand Tylah G Yr 7
2nd Alice O and Kate S Yr 7
3rd Sophie H. Holly M and Kaitlyn H Yr 7
1st Johanna A and Melissa C Yr8
Statistical Project Merit Robbie H Yr 8
IT Project 2nd Courtney B and Faith F Yr 7
3rd Perry C Yr 7
Congratulations to all these children that have been recognized for their level of achievement

Debating
We entered three teams into the Debating Competition, held at Toko School on Wednesday.
All three teams won their debates!
The moot was: Playgrounds have become too safe in NZ Schools!
Congratulations to all debaters.Another positve Toko School achievement.

Grandparents Day
WoW FACTOR.
What a day. Perfect weather and an AMAZING NUMBER of visitors to the school. Every child must have had about 4 people come as well! It really was great.
After sharing time in classrooms between 12 and 12.30 we had lunch and then off to the Toko Hall about 1pm. The place was packed!We performed songs, dances plays and loads of recorder. Poi and rakau as well. Really please with the way the day went and in particular the large turn out and the great feel there was at school with so many visitors and so much interest in the children's work!

Stealing Games
Years 4 to 8 went to the capital E production of Stealing GAmes at the TSB Showplace of Friday. What a great show and an excellent link back to the debating moot recently held!

Chess
We sent eight children to the Taranaki Chess Competition on Friday. A team of 4 year 7 and 8's and a team of 4 year 5 and 6's. The Primary team won the event!
WOW FACTOR What an awesome achievement and well done to all involved. This means that the children will go to the National Finals in Palmers ton North!!!

School Break IN
On Sunday the 30th the school was broken in to! Thanks to the quick thinking of our dear neighbour the police were called and some people were talked to!
Secondly the police found 6 laptops in the bushes at the corner of the school!
The alarm was activated so I was at school in about 20 minutes I estimate.
Perhaps the alarm has paid for itself.
Many thanks to friendly neighbours and the NZ Police.
Shame on theives taking from schools and children and education.

End of Year production
This years end of year play has been selected. SMITHY! A big play with plenty of humour and parts for all!!!

Weir Shield and Rich Cup
Toko School played Ngaere School for an end of term hit out. We didn't win any of the games!! But it was fun and we played well!! Thanks to very helpful paretns coaching the teams!

Jump Rope for Heart
Halie organsed a fun afternoon for all the children and we raised over $1000 for the heart foundation! Pretty darn good effort I think!

The children that were successful in winning the Taranaki Year 5 and 6 chess tournament went to Palmerston North in the holidays and were placed 10th out of 15! Well done team and supporters!