Our Tumuaki / Principal
Updates and developments to share with you this week include the following...
2023 School Structure: On Thursday this week we learnt of our allocation of staffing for 2023. We have been able to maintain six teachers for 2023 which is great.
The class structure that we will work to, based on the numbers in each year level, is as follows:
- Team Kea: NE - Year One
- Team Kiwi: Year One and Two
- Team Pukeko: Year Two and Three
- Team Tui: Year Three and Four
- Team Kereru: Year Four and Five
- Team Kahu: Year Five and Six
We will begin to build class lists out of this structure, weighting towards slightly smaller junior classes. As you see there are multiple levels in every class.
We like to have your input as we build our class lists so please contact myself or your child's classroom teacher with any information that we need to be aware of before our class lists are finalised.
We will lock down these class lists on Friday 11th of November ready for sharing with you and your child/ren at interviews from Monday 21st to Friday 25th November. The finalised class lists are then used for 2023 planning associated with things such as Edge, our Student Management System, and Seesaw, our Learning Management System.
Then on Thursday 8th of December, we will bring the 2023 classes together so that they can see who is with them in their next year's room. This helps children go into 2023 with confidence and certainty around their next steps.
Community of Learning Kahui Ako Professional Development: This week leaders, teachers and teacher assistants received professional learning and development across a range of areas. This is another way our Community of Learning is supporting our schools to grow, as we know that around three-quarters of improvement in a school comes from improving our people.
Welcome School Board: The new School Board has hit the ground running. They had three big meetings this week spanning Monday and Tuesday: an induction, AGM and general meeting. There was a lot to read and process, so a big thank you to them for putting in the hard mahi. See below, in the School Board section, an overview of each meeting.
Photos Update: The company that initially took our photos no longer exists. Its assets (including all digital storage systems) have been removed and safely secured, new directors have been appointed (who are all being police vetted), and a completely new entity established. This new company will be safely processing all our orders and it will be their logo on the photos, not the previous firm. We can confirm that the person that sparked our concern has nothing whatsoever to do with anything in that manner anymore.
Newsletter / Special Notice Distribution List: We have a digital programme that pushes out our newsletters into the email in-boxes of school parents and interested community members each week. It was through this platform that we sent out our special notice on Thursday last week. We have been made aware that several parents did not receive this. Others had our communication arrive in their Spam boxes. This will require you to unflag it so it always heads into your inbox in the future. Some people, however, we did not have your email address loaded into our system and we apologise for this. Please contact the office if you missed it or if you have a different email address you would like our communication to be delivered to or if you have recently changed your email address, so we can get this right for you.
Administration Remodel: During the holidays there is going to be some work associated with the remodelling of the administration block. A new office will be created out of the storage room where I will go and my existing office will be changed into a Learning Support Coordinators' space for them to work in when they are on site. The Office Manager's space will have a large storage unit installed.
Complaints Procedure: A reminder that our complaints procedure starts first with the classroom teacher, who will nearly every time be able to solve the problem or concern that you bring as they are working daily with your child. Sharing your concerns with our teachers also sharpens their focus on potential problem areas and so can often avert further concerns for your child and other children as well.
Acknowledging - Team Edendale
- Senior Production Directors: A massive thank you to Mrs Jenny Coyle, Miss Sanne den Boon and Miss Sarah Botting for their work in bringing together 2022's Senior Production 'Hoodwinked'. What a great multifaceted learning experience they have provided for our children. It is wonderful to see the talents of children shine on stage.
Our Kura News and Information
Whanau Picnic - Friday 30th September
Parents, Grandparents - you are invited to join us!
- 11.45am - 12.30pm: Class Activity (In your child’s class)
- 12.30pm - 12.45: Picnic (Seated to eat) - Eat your lunch at school. Bring a picnic basket and picnic blanket for you and your children to enjoy together. A barbecue sausage will be provided free for each student and adult that attend, courtesy of Fonterra.
- 12.45pm - 1.00pm: Lunch play - join your children and play together e.g. soccer, touch, basketball.
- 1.00pm - 1.45pm: Whanau Games (Children and Parents - Weather permitting)
- 2.00pm - 2.30pm: Celebration Time
Wet Day Alternative: If wet, we will continue with the open classrooms and picnic, then move straight to Celebration Time at 1.15pm. Those children with parents present are able to go after Celebration Time.
Fonterra - Maori Language Week Competition
This week Fonterra judged a competition that they ran with us relating to Maori Language Week last week. The winners were:
- Rooms One and Two: Ariana Bolanos
- Rooms Three and Four: Ella Bryson
- Rooms Five and Six: Fleur Blackmore
Senior Production - 'Hoodwinked'
It was wonderful to see so many whanau and friends, lords and ladies, villagers, farmers and peasants at our two performances this week.
Thank you all for attending; we have had so many fantastic comments about the children's stage skills. Mrs Coyle, Miss Botting and Miss den Boon are very proud of the children and their work.
Cast photos are on our Facebook page.
Character Values Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L): Term Three Excellence Tohungatanga
Excellence means we aim for a high standard and continuous improvement and is shown through reliability, consistency, flexibility, reflection, change, innovation, accuracy, completion, dedication, practice, effort and attitude.
Work hard, have a go and do our best.
Leave everything how we would want to find it.
Wear our uniform with pride.
This week's Principal's Values Award goes to: Grace Webber
Most Valuable Pupil: Team Kiwi
Jacques Quilaton is a young man who is striving for excellence by working towards his goals and persevering, even when the going gets tough, and that is why he is our Team Kiwi MVP for our Value of Tohungatanga - Excellence.
Jacques knows that excellence means he must work hard, have a go and try to be the best version of himself that he can be. He does not give up when set with a difficult task; he asks questions to make sure he is on the right track and works away at it until he achieves it. He is willing to try new things to help him to succeed and because of this he is making good progress in his learning.
Jacques puts things back in their proper place when he has finished with them and shows excellence by helping to keep Room Two and Edendale School tidy.
Jacques shows up every day with a smile on his face and a cheerful greeting. He wears his uniform with pride and shows everyone that he is proud to be a learner at Edendale School.
Jacques, we are very happy that you are a member of Team Kiwi.
You rock!
Most Valuable Pupil: Team
This week’s MVP for Excellence is Jada McKinnel.
Jada is a friendly and positive student in Team Kereru. She comes to school ready to learn and to hang out with her friends.
Jada pushes herself in her work and won’t give up when things are hard. She fixes mistakes in her book and gets work done in the time given. It is awesome to see you putting a lot of effort into your mahi, Jada!
It has been awesome to see Jada get into character with the production and put so much positive enthusiasm into her character's role. Jada is passionate about what she does and it has shown with the production performances.
Jada joins in with small group and class discussions and will give things a good go. She shows teamwork in group activities and includes others.
I can’t wait to see how you continue to push yourself while you are at Edendale Primary School. Ka rawe!
Our Kaitiaki School Board
Board Induction - Monday 19th of September
The new School Board meet on Monday evening to be inducted into their roles.
There was a lot to cover that included:
- Our Strategic Plan and Annual Plan.
- The governance role of School Boards in the education system.
- School Board Governance Manual.
- The structure and position of our school finances.
- Our four current property projects and their current progress.
- Staff allocations, structures and composition.
- Complaints procedure.
- Working with the Media procedure.
- 2021 Principal's Report, Presiding Members Report and Annual Audit Report.
- Our last Education Review Office Report.
- Minutes from School Board meeting this year.
Board AGM and General Meeting - Tuesday 20th September
The School Board then met on Tuesday for two formal meetings, the AGM and the September School Board Meeting.
At the AGM Positions were allocated:
- Presiding Member: Jacob Smyth
- Deputy Presiding Member: Sarah Cupido
- Secretary: Sarah Cupido
- Treasurer: Richard Abbott
- Policy Review Committee: Jacob Smyth and Narissa Webber
- Edendale Home and School Representative: Daryl Martyn
- Edendale Pool Committee representative: Narissa Webber
Here's a summary of the General Meeting:
- The Principal presented his Compliance Report and Annual Plan Progress Report.
- The August financials were presented by our school's accountan,t Solutions and Services.
- The School Board confirmed the revised quote for a variety of alterations to our classrooms.
- The policies and procedures relating to Police Vetting were tabled and the situation the school found itself in relating to the school photos was discussed. The newly appointed Audit Committee will undertake a review of this area as first priority to determine the lessons that will help the school to move forward.
Our Contact Information
Email: admin@edendaleps.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/edendaleps.school.nz/edendale-primary-school
Location: Edendale Primary School, 24 Salford Street, Edendale 9825, New Zealand
Phone: 03 206 6959
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdendalePrimarySchool
Twitter: @EdendaleSchool
