EXTRA LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES

With the build now underway and swimming over for a while we will have our children trying to make the very best of what is on offer during lunch break time – and there is plenty on offer.

I have asked our Senior and Junior Team Leaders to provide you with a brief summary of what has been planned and is ‘in action’.

JUNIOR TEAM 

A very positive start has been made to the new play area arrangements for the Year 0-4 students. We have introduced a range of exciting activities for the students to participate in at morning tea and lunchtime. The new initiatives are proving to be very popular with all the students. There is a real buzz happening in the Area 1 Playground.

Room 22/23 (the old library) has been set up as a multipurpose indoor space. In this space we have created a little library which is run by Senior Librarians and the Peer Mediators, includes a construction area with building blocks, a roadway mat and vehicles, a drawing area and a play kitchen with lots of plastic kitchen equipment. The PALS (Physical Activity Leaders) are teaching and playing organised outdoor games with the students, such as outdoor hockey and large ball games.

Old favourites such as the dress ups are back out on the verandah at lunchtimes. There is a Computer Coding Club one day a week for a group of students from the Discoverers and an Art Club for the Year 0-2 students. The Year 3-4 students have the option to play down in the bottom playground on Thursday lunchtimes and on Friday morning tea time, when many of our senior students are off site. The main library continues to be available for the Year 3-4 students each lunchtime excluding Wednesdays.

A group of senior students have also begun soccer skills training during morning tea time, either in the hall or outside weather permitting, We are also looking forward to utilising the St Martins Tennis Club where a group of approximately 40 students from the Discoverers will be able to play games with the Kelly Sports Educators.

SENIOR TEAM

We are excited to introduce a number of lunchtime activities. These activities will be refreshed on a regular basis to keep up with demand and interest levels. The School Spirit Committee are excited to put together a playlist of music in the playground at lunchtimes on a Monday and Tuesday. The Year 5-6 students will help with the music selection and equipment on Wednesday and Thursday.

One of the Year 7-8 teachers will take a group of basketball enthusiasts down to Hansen Park once a week to play basketball. We have also enlisted the help of Kelly Sports, who will take a group of Year 5-6 students in the hall on a Monday, and a group of Year 5-6 and Year 7-8 students on a Tuesday down at the local tennis courts. Some of the sports on offer are likely to be ultimate frisbee, dodgeball, volleyball, handball and turbo touch.

Science Club will continue for the Year 7-8’s on a Monday lunchtime with the scientific and mathematical brain of Karl Dodds. We are introducing Chess Club on a Tuesday lunchtime for Year 5-8 and a Year 5-6 Craft Club on a Monday and a Year 7-8 Art Club on Tuesdays. Further to this, the Year 7-8’s have the opportunity to participate in a special Whānau/Tikanga Māori group on a Wednesday lunchtime.

In addition to all those things listed above, we will continue to run meetings at morning tea or lunch with Student Council heads, Student Curriculum team, Yearbook Committee, Before School clubs such as Year 7-8 Maths Club at 8am Wednesday, Coding at 8am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and multiple after school and lunchtime training for our winter sports teams. St Martins is a hive of activity at the moment, so it’s important that students listen to the daily morning notices in class for updates.