Kōkopu Newsletter

Kia ora whānau,

We’ve had a fantastic start to the year, with students settling into their learning goals and school routines. It’s great to see students enjoying themselves and making the most of their learning time.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Community Picnic last Tuesday! It was wonderful to catch up with so many of you and to see the new top car park in use for the first time.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the Room 3 and 5 camp at Whananaki. The students had an incredible day enjoying surf lessons and beach activities, making the most of the beautiful weather. What stood out to me was how well they worked together and supported one another—camp experiences like these are often the highlight of the school year. A huge thank you to the parents who volunteered their time to help; your support makes these opportunities possible!

EPro8 Engineering Competition

Last week, we held another exciting EPro8 Engineering Challenge, with Year 5–8 teams competing in problem-solving and creative design tasks. The level of technical and innovative thinking was impressive! Our Year 5 and 6 teams will now head to the Whangārei finals between the 18th and 20th of March—we wish them the best of luck!

Student Achievement Success

I recently shared our latest academic achievement results with staff and the Board of Trustees, and I’m proud to report that our students continue to perform exceptionally well. In 2024, over 83% of our students achieved at or above expectations in maths—a fantastic result!

One area we’ve focused on over the past two years is phonics and spelling, and our efforts are paying off. In 2024, we saw a 17% improvement in students’ phonics and spelling knowledge across the school. This is a significant achievement, and we will continue working hard to build on this success.

Strategic Plan for 2025

We have now completed our Strategic Plan for 2025. You can view the full plan and our annual overview here: www.kokopu.school.nz/strategicplan.

Our key goals are:

1. AKORANGA - LEARNING

Delivering effective, consistent and evidence-based literacy and maths learning across the school and home

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

1.1 Develop consistent, evidence-based teaching practices for structured literacy and maths across the school.

1.2 Strengthen assessment in structured literacy and maths to improve learning outcomes and reporting to parents.

1.3 Develop strong phonetical learners at school and home aided by whanau.

2. TE TAIAO AKO - ENVIRONMENT

Growing a positive environment that enhances students' learning, well-being, and responsibility as kaitiakitanga

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

2.1 Students plan, design and create artistic features that represent them, their learning, our environment and cultural connections.

2.2 Develop new environmental areas & re-establish 5YA affected areas that promote learning, physical activity & a connection to the land.

2.3 Strengthen student well-being through the Positive Behaviour for Learning program, leadership development and whanau involvement.

Regards

Ngā mihi nui,
Yaron Overeem
Principal, Kokopu School

A friendly reminder to please avoid parking in the bus area, as this is a designated drop-off zone only. This is especially important on Monday mornings, when the Room 6 Tech bus arrives, and in the afternoons, when our school bus needs space to park safely.

If the bottom car park is full, there is plenty of space available in the top car park.

To help clarify parking areas, we will be adding additional markings soon. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our drop-off and pick-up zones safe and efficient!

LineWize

Our implementation of our internet monitoring system, LineWize, has gone well and we are already seeing students less distracted while using devices.

Linewize offers a suite of tools designed to empower teachers in managing digital classrooms effectively. The platform provides several key features:

· Real-Time Screen Visibility: Teachers can monitor students' screens and online activities during class, ensuring they remain focused and on-task.

· Internet Access Control: Teachers can restrict or allow access to specific websites and applications, tailoring the online environment to the lesson's needs.

· Focus Sessions: This feature enables teachers to set predefined online resources for students, blocking all other internet browsing to minimize distractions.

· Announcements and Messaging: Teachers can send one-way messages to the entire class or individual students, facilitating clear communication.

· Pause Internet: In situations requiring immediate attention, teachers can temporarily halt internet access for one or more students.

· Reward System: To encourage positive behaviour, teachers can grant temporary access to certain content as a reward.

· Screen Sharing: Educators have the capability to share their screens with students, enhancing instructional delivery.

Shortly we will be introducing our free parent Online Safety Hub where parents can get information, ideas and solutions. It also has a powerful parent monitoring app called Qustodio which parents will have free access to through our school account
How Qustodio benefits parents

· Manage screen time: Set time limits to ensure your child has a balanced screen time schedule.

· Monitor online activity: Gain insights into your child’s online behavior and the websites they visit.

· Access expert advice: Utilise the resources and expert advice available through our school’s Online Safety Hub.

Room 5 and 3 should be back around 2:30pm on Friday. We will try and update you if things change.

On Tuesday 4th March we will hold our annual swimming sports competition here at school. Year 1 and 2 children will showcase their water skills and year 3 to 8 children will compete in swimming races. Please see the timetable below. Everyone is welcome to come along and support the children. The PTA will be selling food at this event: Sausages, burgers, ice blocks, chocolates and drinks. Any help with selling food would be most appreciated.

Please send your children with cash if they want to buy anything.

Time* (These are approximate times)

Activity

9:30 am

Start; introductions, values, daily overview

**Year 0-1 Showcase Skills

**Room 2 Freestyle.

9:40 am

Freestyle races - Year 3 up

10:20 am

Break Time

10:35 am

Room 2 - Backstroke

Backstroke - Year 3 up

11:35 am

Break Time

11:50 am

Breaststroke - Year 3 up

12:30 pm

Lunch Time

1:10 pm

Medleys, Relays, Teacher vs Year 8 Swim

Zone Swimming Sports will be held on Thursday 6th March. Kokopu School host Te Horo, Matarau and Purua School's here to finalise who will be eligible to enter the Whangarei Primary Schools Championship. The WPSSA Championships will be held on Wednesday 12th March at Whangarei Intermediate School. This is for Year 5 to 8 children only who can swim 2 lengths.

The PTA will be selling food at this event: Bacon Butties, baking, sausages, burgers, ice blocks, chocolates and drinks. Can each family donate some baking to sell at the food stall please??

So please send your children with cash if they want to buy anything.

They would also love some help on the food stall please.

Everyone is welcome to come along to this event too.

On Friday 14th March it is our turn to host the Country Meal at the Mangakahia Sports Complex. This is a fabulous opportunity to fundraise for our school. We need help from our school community to host this event please. We ask that every family provide a salad which can be sent to school on Friday or bought along on Friday evening to the Sports Complex. Everyone is welcome to come along, so get your family members, neighbours and friends to join us for a nice meal and great company.

The PTA will be running raffles on the night and need donated items please. Send any items suitable to raffle along to school. e.g. non perishable food/grocery items, personal care items etc.

Number of Affiliate / School Volunteers Required:

● 4-6 people to arrive around 5pm and set up

● 2/3 people to take orders from 6pm

● Kitchen: 1 x Fryer and 1 x server helper from 5.30pm

● 2-3 runners / table clearers from 6.15pm

● 1-2 person to serve desserts from 6.30pm and replenish platters

● 1-2 dishwashers from 6.30pm

● 2-4 people to tidy up from 7.30pm

If you can help out with any of the jobs above, please email the school office -

office@kokopu.school.nz.

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATES

On Wednesday 26th March we will hold our bike day. This is an opportunity to bring your bike to school for a practice for Triathlon and a safety check.

On Thursday 27th March we will have our triathlon here at school. All children compete in this event. We start at 10am with Room 1 followed by Room 2, 4, 3 and 6. The children will compete in their Year groups. Lunch will be at 12.30. Everyone is welcome to come along to school and support the children at this event.

Please check our link for the triathlon maps

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MVOhyCFrgwZb7pW3xHvxig3ePUVy4Oty/view?fbclid=IwAR2NQPIsHwxoPUlLmb3nweRlhs-rDXCPxyTKXzi9C2gJytaOL1K07Ewt0n0

The PTA will have food for sale.

American Hot Dogs, Chocolates, Drinks, Ice Blocks and Baking. Please send your children with cash if you want them to buy food.

Well done Eva Gray for a fantastic show-jumping in the Northland Secondary Schools event. (6th Place)

First time jumping 95cm in a competition event.

All children are required to wear hats while outdoors this term as part of our sun safe policy 🌞

Please name your child's/children's clothing so our lost property is not overflowing. Now children are swimming everyday they tend to leaving items of clothing lying around so naming clothing will be most helpful.

Please ensure your children bring their togs and towel as they are swimming every day. Students with long hair will also need a swimming cap.

If they are unable to swim please send a note explaining why. Thank you.

Every day the senior children will be selling ice blocks for $1.00 each after the children have eaten their lunch.

Here are a couple of links for the parents/students to watch that explain the vaccinations in a way that is easy to understand. The forms will be handed out in the next day or two.

Year 7 (Boostrix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNIKS9uQCQU

Year 8 (HPV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuwcOyMjAzc

Please note that we do not have a lot of time to get the consent forms back before we are due to vaccinate. Ideally we would like each form returned whether or not they want to be vaccinated. We can (if need be) sign the form on behalf of the parent as a ‘decline’ if they have verbally refused.

Parents, please ensure the gates into the school are shut at all times.

We need them shut after school, as there are still children at After School Care until 5.30pm.

Our Skool Loop is a great way to communicate with our School Community. Please re-register which classroom your child/children are in. If you have not register please see the instructions below.

We would love to welcome new members to our PTA. We have met already this term, but any help with events on the food stalls would be appreciated. i.e. Swimming Sports, Triathlon etc. If you are interested in joining us or helping out please contact Amy Pugh phone 0211729388.

Term 1 2025

Mon 10 Feb - Tech starts for Year 7 & 8 - every Monday in Term 1

Tue 11 Feb - Morning Assembly

Tue 11 Feb - Playgroup starts - every Tuesday 9.00 to 11.30am

Wed 12 Feb - Kapa Haka starts - every Wednesday in Term 1

Fri 14 Feb - Vision and Hearing Testing

Wed 19 Feb - Board of Trustees Meeting

Tue 18 Feb - Room 3 and 5 Camp Meeting 5.30pm

Tue 18 Feb - School Picnic 6pm - everyone is welcome

Mon 24 Feb to Fri 28 Feb - Room 3 and 5 Camp to Whananaki

Tue 4 Mar - Kokopu Swimming Sports

Thu 6 Mar - Zone Swimming Sports

Wed 12 Mar - WPSSA Swimming Sports - for qualifiers from Year 5 to Year 8

Thu 13 Mar - School Photos

Fri 14 Mar - Mangakahia Sports Complex Country Meal - Kokopu School hosting

Mon 17 Mar to Fri 21 Mar - Room 6 Camp to Rotorua

Mon 24 Mar - Board of Trustees Meeting

Wed 26 Mar - Bike Day - NOTE CHANGE OF DATES

Thu 27 Mar - Triathlon - NOTE CHANGE OF DATES

Fri 4 Apr - Futures Event Year 6 to 8

Mon 7 Apr to Thu 10 Apr - Room 4 Camp

Fri 11 Apr - ANZAC Assembly

2025 Term Dates

• Term 1: Wed 5 Feb – Fri 11 Apr 2025.
• Term 2: Mon 28 Apr – Fri 27 Jun 2025.
• Term 3: Mon 14 Jul – Fri 19 Sep 2025.
• Term 4: Mon 6 Oct – Tue 16 Dec 2025.

On Friday afternoon we have a sharing assembly at 2.30pm for the whole school. Parents are welcome to come along and see what the children have to share.

Vicki is in the office on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Bexs is in the office on Wednesday and Friday until 12.50pm.

Don't forget we are collecting Yummy Stickers. So please collect the Yummy cut-out labels from bags (each cut-out label is worth 10 stickers) and individual Yummy apple stickers. Yummy apples are available from New World, PAK’nSAVE and participating Four Square stores. The more you collect, the more sports gear you get so get going and start collecting your Yummy cut-out labels and stickers now!

Guitar lessons are on Wednesday's. If you are interested in getting lessons for your child, phone Lynn Moase on 0212979437.

Lunchonline will not be taking orders on 06/03/2025 for the following provider(s):

• Westend Sushi

Zone Swimming Sports - Lunches for sale from the PTA

If parents/caregivers want to visit the website https://kokopu.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm to look over our school policies and procedures, please see the following instructions: Enter the username (kokopu) and password (0179). Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.

Email: office@kokopu.school.nz
Website: www.kokopu.school.nz
Location: 921 Kokopu Road, Kokopu, New Zealand
Phone: 094346765
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kokopuschool