Tumuaki / Principal Newsletter Tuesday 25 May 2021

Our staff and students have settled well into Term 2 and we are now into the beginning of the 4th week. The colder weather is definitely with us. We all need to take care of our health in the coming months.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT 2020

School wide student achievement data was shared with the Board of Trustees at the end of last term. It is gratifying to see the progress that is being made across the school, while also noting the factors that continue to pose challenges for us to overcome. These detailed reports are available on our school website for you to view.  Please contact Deputy Principal Quenten Browne for Kura Tuakana senior school reports (years 7-13) and Deputy Principal Aroha Hohepa for Kura Teina junior school reports (English Medium years 0-6 and Maori medium years 0-8). 

TEACHING AND LEARNING PROGRAMMES

I am proud of the efforts being made by our teaching staff to provide rich and engaging programmes for your children. The school calendar is full of events involving trips and visiting speakers. These add a richness to the internal programmes that our teachers are delivering. If you have any concerns about any aspect of your child’s learning programmes the first point of contact should always be the classroom or subject teacher. You may also contact Quenten Browne, Aroha Hohepa or myself by making contact via the school office staff.

WINTER WEATHER: Things to be mindful of 

• Clothing – Please ensure that your children have a jersey or jacket in their bags each day to keep them warm as needed. A lot of our students are still in bare feet – but this is by choice !!! And I remember doing the same when I was at school. Our students may wear gumboots, and beanies to school, but they are only for use outside and teachers will ask our students to remove them before entering any classrooms.
• Transport to and from school – Senior students and parents/caregivers are reminded to use the school crossing. Our junior students look to you for role modelling in this regard. Can all vehicle users please follow NZ Transport rules and regulations; follow the signs, do not double park and as the traffic increases over these colder months, please give yourself a little more time to get to and from school.
• Sickness – It is the season of increased colds and flus. Please remain vigilant and proactive with your children and keep them at home if they are unwell.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING (PB4L) – Staff PLD

One of our four values is Kaitiakitanga and staff and students focus on being “caretakers of Te Ao Māori and Our World” aligned to this value. All teachers are engaging in individual professional development to improve their personal understanding of Te Ao Māori and their use of Te Reo. Staff have also received professional learning around improving our commitment to environmental education. One of the strategies we are using is re-engaging in Para Kore – a programme to assist schools to reduce waste. 

VAPING / SMOKING: We seek your support 

We currently have a small, but significant number of our senior students who continue to find opportunities to vape at school. We have spent a lot of time in Term One at assemblies, in classrooms and in smaller groups and 1-1 conversations, speaking with our students about our Zero Tolerance to vaping, smoking – and indeed the use of any drugs or alcohol at school. In spite of our internal efforts to manage this concern, and to keep the involved students at school, their persistent choice of non-compliance in this area continues. While parental / caregiver contact will always be sought so that home and school can work together, the students have been made aware that a Stand Down is one of the options that may need to be used as a consequence and step in a plan for support for the student and as a deterrent for other students who are observing and / or considering following their example. 

COUNSELLING SERVICES

We had two of our part time counsellors end their time with us at the end of last term. We are extremely grateful to Sarah Court and Carol Webb – both of whom have taken up roles more aligned to their personal circumstances. We still have Marlene Thomson (Drug and Alcohol Counselling) in the school on Tuesdays and Amy Middleton (SWIS) in the junior school on Thursdays and Fridays. We are currently in the process of engaging additional counselling staff and will keep you informed when this has been completed. Meanwhile, our students and/or parents and caregivers may still come to the office for counselling support or go directly to the Raglan Medical Centre or Raglan Community House for counselling support.

TEACHER ONLY DAY – Friday 4 June

This is the second reminder about this day that  is coming up at the end of next week. School will be closed on this day to allow all of our teaching staff to be involved in Professional Learning with an outside facilitator. This will be followed by the Queen’s birthday public holiday on Monday 7 June 2021. This means that students will go home from school on Thursday 3 June 2021 and return the following week on Tuesday 8 June.

MATARIKI SCHOOLWIDE CELEBRATION – Friday 2 July 2021

Please mark this date on your home calendar. We look forward to welcoming whānau into school to share in our celebrations. More information will be provided closer to this date.

Your questions, comments, wonderings and affirmations of what we are doing in our kura are always welcome.

Ngā mihi nui – Louisa Barham PRINCIPAL/TUMUAKi