Dear Parents and Friends of our school Kia Ora/Hello/Kamusta

Kia ora koutou,

There have been lots of updates coming our way from the Ministry of Education (MOE) that you may or may not have heard about via the media. I thought I would share where we are at as a school:

• New MOE Phonics Checks

This assessment is used to assess our tamariki at 20 weeks and 40 weeks. Previously our school was using a similar assessment as part of our ongoing monitoring and assessment within our structured literacy teaching programme. We will now use the MOE phonics check only.

• Mathematics Resources

Our school chose to order:

Numicon - Year 1 - 6

Numicon is an equipment based programme. To date no equipment has arrived for this. We will be spending the next two terms familarising ourselves with the resource and how to use it via their online platform.

Oxford - Year 7 - 8

The text books have arrived for this. Gemma and Sasha will be spending the term familarising themselves with the online platform and will start intergrating this into their planning and teaching.

• Ministry of Education Curriculum Allocated Days x 2

The focus of these two days will be the updates to the Mathematics Curriculum. As a Kahui Ako we

have set the dates and will be working together as a cluster of school on both days:

Monday 23rd June

Friday 22nd August

We have adjusted our school bell times and as a result our new school start time is 8.50am

Nga mihi nui

Kim Waite

Principal

Liam G Room 4 and Isla G Room 1 and Evie C Room 2 and their families to our school.

Strategic and Annual Improvement Plan

Our school's strategic and annual improvement plan for 2025 has been completed and passed at our December board meeting. This can be found on our school website.

Our school's Annual Improvement Plan Outcome and Analysis for 2024 can also be found on our school website. The first document sets the direction for the year and the second is a review and reflection of what was achieved against our goals the previous year.

2024 Summary

Our Goal: To increase the number of children working within or above their curriculum level in writing: How we are tracking: Mid 2021 = 52% Mid 2022 = 68% Mid 2023 = 71%, Mid 2024 = 72%

End 2021 = 62% End 2022 = 74% End 2023 = 85%, End 2024 = 76%

School Policies and Procedures

This term's review focuses on the first section of the Health and Safety and Welfare Policy section. This can be found on our website. Please click the current review to read through the relevant policies.

ERO School Evaluation Report 2025

During 2024 we worked alongside ERO to share our school's improvement plans and the quality of our learning provision. The evaluation is very affirming and is an accurate reflection of the teaching and learning occurring across our school.

Providing School Transport

If it is likely that you will provide your vehicle for school transport for camps, sport or other events we ask that you complete this form. If completed at the beginning of the year we will store this information securely, delete at the end of the year and will only use for the purpose of ensuring that your license, warrant of fitness and registration is up to date. Click to Open

Chickens - We welcome the chickens back to school from their holiday. Please remember if you have any food scraps, our chickens love them!! The more scraps we have the less we need to spend on pellets. Please drop these off to Room 3 before school. They have settled quickly and eggs will be back on the enviro stall for $7 per dozen.

We are looking for someone to help the children with stewing apples and rhubarb from our garden.

The apples and ruhbarb will be used for our breakfast club and they will also be taken on camp for the children to enjoy. Please contact the school office if you are able to help.

School Tryathlon

On Friday 28th February we will be having our annual school tryathlon, beginning at 11.45am.

All children will assemble on the bottom field where they will be taken to the start line on Wawiri Road and they will finish back on the field after the swim.

We run our event in the following order: Cycle, run, swim, run to the finish line.

The event order is as follows: Year 7 - 8, Year 5 - 6, Year 3 - 4, Year 0 - 2,

As in the past we will be utilising Waiwiri Road for the cycle leg.

The children will be asked to remain with their classes until the whole event is completed - this is to encourage the children to support their house and stop the congestion in the bike area while people are still racing.

Please make sure that your child’s bike or scooter ( Year 0-2 only) is fully prepared for this event, checking that it is well serviced and that the brakes are in good working order. All children will be expected to wear a helmet, covered in shoes and swimming gear for this event. If your child does not have a bike to bring to school please contact your child's classroom teacher by Friday 21st February so we can make alternative arrangements.

Bikes/scooters will need to be dropped at school on the bottom field, Ahuroa Road entrance, on Wednesday morning. Gates will be open to assist you with this and Tracy will be supervising. All bikes need to be collected after school. If this is a problem please contact your child's classroom teacher.

For children new to our school we have a very small course set up for our 5 year olds. It’s all about having a go and all Room 1 & 2 students will be supported by our senior students. If you have any further questions please talk to Miss Mancer or Mrs Oliver.

Turnbull Cup

On Wednesday the 26th February we have 2 Year 6-8 teams taking part in the annual Turnbull Cup at the Stratford Pools. Information in regards to this has been sent home with those involved today.

Toko A: Lyneer, Olivia W, Cohen, George

Toko B: Blake, Millie, Skyla, Jenna

Reserves: Keira

Weetbix Tryathlon

The weetbix tryathlon is coming up on March 25th in New Plymouth. This is for students that are 7 yrs old and up. Early bird pricing finished on the 25th Feb. Go to this link to be able to register under Toko school - Weetbix Tri registration. Although we meet together as a group, this event is not run as a school event and parents are responsible for the supervision and transport of their own children.

Welcome to the Friends of Toko School (FOTS).

Each year our school community support our school by participating in a variety of events/activities that are fun, sociable and supports your own children's school experience at our great school. Some of the events/activities raise money and others support the school curriculum and general running of the school. We really encourage all of our school families to get involved and to get to know other families in our school.

"Together everyone achieves more"

Our committee meet once or twice per term, term time only and our sub committees meet as required. We are on the lookout for new parents to join our committee and for each family to indicate which events/activities that may be able to assist with during 2025.

Can you please fill in this form to indicate how you can help out during 2025:

How I can assist at school

Committee Meeting - Monday 17th February. 7.00pm in the school staffroom. New members welcome.

Toko T.Shirt and Black Bottoms

It is expected that all children will wear the above when on trips, representing the school and at sporting events, unless a uniform has been supplied. Can you please make sure you have this sorted for the start of the school year and that everything is named and fits. It is quite time consuming and stressful on the morning of an event when children arrive at school without their Toko t.shirt and black bottoms.

Lucky Book Club

Due back 3rd March

Any children that are 7 on the 24th February have the opportunity to participate a free, full eye test as part of a research project with Auckland University. Forms will be sent home today to those who are eligible. Can these please be filled in and returned by Monday 17th February.

Each fortnight we will be sharing some kupu that we are using in our classrooms. You may want to learn along as well. We will provide the word, how to pronounce it and how to say it in a sentence.

We have changed our supplier for the Toko School tee shirts and the hoodies.

We are going through the Locker room at Kingsway Menswear in New Plymouth. They complete the whole process. As the sizing of these shirts will be a little different from our last supplier we have samples in the office for children to try.

Please go to the Locker Room now. https://thelockerroom.co.nz/product-category/toko/ to order your items.

Pricing:

Tee - $46.00

Hoodie – Kids $57.00, Adults $61.00

You are able to have an individual name on the lower back of the hoody, it is an extra $10.00.

Orders will need to be paid and placed by the 28th February. The shirts and hoodies will be sent to school, for pick up when they are ready.

Term1 2025 DATES

Feb 20/21 - Year 3&4 Camp

Feb 26 - Turnbull Cup

Feb 28 - School Triathlon

Mar 4 -6 - Year 5&6 Camp

Mar 7 - Teacher Only Day

Mar 10 - Taranaki Anniversary Day

Mar 11-14 - Year 7&8 Camp

Mar 18 - Rural Cluster Swimming Sports

Mar 21 - Year 3&4 Topec

Mar 25 - Weetbix Triathlon

Apr 8 - Rural Cluster Athletics Year 1-4 pp Apr 9

Apr 11 - Last day Term One

It is that time of the year again. If your child is interested in playing netball in 2025 please register your interest by completing the following google form.

ED Netball 2025

Information about netball will be sent home today to those players that have expressed an interest.

If there are any questions please contact me.

alison.eagar@toko.school.nz

Email: office@toko.school.nz
Website: www.toko.school.nz
Location: 1057 East Road, Toko, New Zealand
Phone: 06 7622849
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TokoSchool/?ref=bookmarks