Kia ora e te whānau
Whaea Louisa Leave
As we head into Term 2, the Board of Trustees would like to extend our thanks to our whānau, staff, and students for a positive and productive start to the year at Raglan Area School.
We farewell whaea Louisa, who will be on sabbatical for Terms 2, 3 and 4. The Board of Trustees have been working closely with Matua Quenten who will be taking over as Acting Principal during this time. We wish Whaea Louisa the best for her well-deserved sabbatical leave.
Pool Update
The Board of Trustees is delighted that thanks to the support from community members and dedication of our staff we were able to be ready to open the school for students at the start of Term 1. Our Kura Teina recently enjoyed a day of swimming sports, great to see the pool fully back in action, providing swimming skills practice for our students
Spotlight on our Current Board Members
We have our board elections coming up later this year. We thought it would be useful to share the stories of some of our current board members. If you are interested in becoming a board member, you are welcome to attend a board meeting or catch up individually with a board member to understand in more depth what it involves. You can email botsecretary@raglanarea.school.nz for more information.
It’s also important to ensure the school hold up-to-date address and email address information for you in order to be able to vote in the election. Please contact the school office if you need to update your contact information.
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Spotlight on David Duffin, Presiding Member
What motivated you to join the school board of trustees?
I joined the school board because I cared deeply about certain issues and wanted to be part of the solution, rather than just voicing concerns. One key issue was the pool, which I’m excited to see completed.
Can you describe the key responsibilities of a school board trustee?
A school board trustee helps shape the school’s governance to serve students and the community. Key responsibilities include setting policies, overseeing the budget, ensuring accountability for school performance, and engaging with the community to represent their interests.
What are the main challenges you face as a board member?
For a new board member, understanding the full role takes time. I’ve learned that issues are often more complex than they seem, and solutions aren’t always clear-cut.
Also, decisions are made through collaboration and consensus, not individually. This can be difficult because it involves balancing diverse viewpoints and reaching a common agreement, which can slow down the decision-making process. While it requires negotiation and compromise, it’s crucial for ensuring that all perspectives are considered and that decisions serve the best interests of the community.
How do you feel your role on the Board has made a difference to the school?
Serving as a board member has allowed me to actively contribute to meaningful improvements across the school, such as getting the pool project underway, leading a successful community engagement process, and working closely with Louisa to ensure the board follows best practices.
While I believe we’ve made progress, there’s always more to do. What keeps me motivated is seeing the incredible potential Raglan Area School has.
What advice would you give to someone considering running for a position on the school board?
If you’re interested, I recommend attending a BOT meeting. It helped me understand what’s involved and made me feel like it was something I could do. It may seem daunting, but the board is supportive and focused on the school’s best interests. Also, reach out to any board member for a chat to get a sense of the commitment.
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Student Representative
Our new Board of Trustees student Representative for this year is Kaiya Miller. We look forward to working with you Kaiya. Thank you to Jazaya-Lee Nield-Cooksley for representing Raglan Area School’s students for her term on the Board last year. Kaiya has made a great start by setting up an email address to gather student voice to share with the Board of Trustees.
Procedures Updated for 2025
We’ve recently reviewed and updated several school procedures for 2025. Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with the school’s expectations regarding dress code and cellphone use.
Additionally, we’ve reviewed our Delivery of the Health Curriculum Statement. We appreciate your attention to these updates.
RAS Student Dress Code Expectations
RAS Student Cell Phone Expectations
RAS Statement: Delivery of the Health Curriculum 2025
Policies for Community Consultation
We’ve recently reviewed several school policies, and they’re now ready for community consultation. We value your input and invite you to review the updated policies. Please feel free to share any feedback by emailing botsecretary@raglanarea.school.nz.
- Principals Performance Management
- Relationship Between Presiding Member And Principal Policy
- Public Attending board meetings
- BoT Presiding Member Role Description Policy
- Protected Disclosures
- Equal Employment Opportunities Policy
- Principals Performance Management Policy
- Public Attending Board Meetings Policy
- Board of Trustee Induction Policy
- Financial Condition Policy
- Finance Committee Terms of Reference
- Financial Delegations
- Financial Planning Policy
- Travel Policy
- Credit Card Policy
- Sensitive Expenditure Policy
- Asset Protection Policy
- Theft and Fraud Prevention Policy
We hope you and your whānau are enjoying the Easter Break.
Ngā mihi nui
Raglan Area School Board of Trustees
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