COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER - May 9th 2024
COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
Office Hours
8.30am-3.30pm
Hours of Instruction
8.40am - 3.00pm
Email: office@coastaltaranaki.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/coastaltaranaki.school.nz/coastaltaranakischool/home
Location: 92 Carthew Street, Ōkato, New Zealand
Phone: (06)7524022 - 027 320 1267
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastaltaranakischool
PRINCIPALS KORERO
Tēnā koutou,
A very warm welcome to our new term. For our new whānau, you are now part of a community that values individuality, celebrates diversity, and fosters a love of learning. We are eager to get to know you and to nurture your tamaiti unique talents, and to witness the wonderful contributions you will make to our community school.
As we begin our new term, it's time to embrace a new chapter filled with learning, growth, and exciting possibilities. Term two is an important time for us as we mark the progress that our tamariki are making, and the classrooms are adorned with the promise of new knowledge and fun challenges. Each class and each lesson brings an opportunity to evolve, challenge students, and enable our ākonga to discover new passions. The presence of all adds to the heartbeat of our school whānau.
This term we see the celebration of our learners as we begin our extension to our success certificates in the form of ‘Aim High’. Students will gain badges for their achievement, championing our school values, and participation in our community. We also begin our student forum which aims to grow leadership. In the weeks to come, we will share both programmes with you through this newsletter.
At our first whole school assembly of the term, students were reminded that the journey that they take through our school year is not one that they take alone. It's a collective effort, a shared adventure where we learn from one another, support each other, and celebrate together. Together, we are a community of learners, brave and courageous achievers who live by our school values in action and deed.
Here's to a fantastic term filled with exploration, discovery, and success!
Ngā mihi nui,
Stephanie Clifton
Principal
In School, In Class, On Time, Ready to Learn
Attendance
We all know that regular good attendance at school matters. Statistics show a direct link between poor attendance and under-achievement.
Regular attenders;
make better progress, both socially and academically,
find school routines, schoolwork, and friendships easier to cope with,
find learning more satisfying and settle into high school more easily.
encourages responsible learning habits and prepares children for higher education and for their working life.
Absence for whatever reason disadvantages a child by creating gaps in their learning. A good understanding of the work and good progress can only take place when the child is in the classroom regularly and on time.
The Government has a 90% target for attendance.
If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss a whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.
All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school. As we enter 2024, every day of school matters.
You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent for a day or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure. Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.
Last week's whole school attendance sat at 85.4%, well below the Government's target of 90%.
Our School has an attendance target of 96%.
If your child’s attendance fails below that figure the following procedure is actioned.
Please note: Our School does acknowledge that exceptional circumstances may affect attendance, and it is vital that we maintain open communication about the reasons for absence. For extended periods of absence, verified medical or other professional documentation is required. Please let us know how we can support you with any worries, concerns, or difficulties that you may have.
The following process is followed where there are concerns.
Stage 1 – As soon as a child’s attendance falls below 96% a reminder letter is sent to the parent advising them that their child’s attendance must improve and that their attendance will be closely monitored.
Stage 2– Where a child’s attendance falls below 90%, the parent/caregiver will be invited to attend a meeting with a DP, pastoral leader or SENCO who will work with you to set a target for improvement.
90% attendance during 1 school year = ½ day missed every week!
90% attendance during 1 school year = 1 day missed every other week!
90% attendance during 1 school year = 4 whole weeks of lessons missed!
90% attendance over 5 years of school = ½ a school year missed!
Stage 3 – Where a child’s attendance fails to improve, the parent/caregiver will be invited to attend a meeting with the Principal who will set a target for improvement.
Stage 4 – Where a child’s attendance target is not met the parents/caregivers will be referred to the attendance service.
If you're struggling at home with getting your child to school, talk to us, we are here to listen and to help in any way that we can. Our school is committed to supporting your child to attend school and building a culture that fosters excellent attendance by having:
School staff who have strong relationships with students and whānau.
A school culture that recognises your child and your family for who they are, where they come from and who they want to be.
A school community that does everything to make sure students are at school, and they are participating, and progressing in their education.
Student Matters
Pastoral Support
This term we have seen Sarah Oke join our SLT and provide an important pastoral support for our students. Sarah champions our tamariki and if there are any issues that mean that our students need additional support, our extended team is here to help.
Cell/Mobile phones
A heartfelt thank you to parents/carers/guardians in ensuring that their tamariki abide by the ‘no mobile phone at school’ rule. We appreciate that this has not been easy and the transition to no cell phones at school has been made easier with your full support. Thank you.
Device
We have a number of students in our senior space who are coming to school without their Chromebooks or without charging their device. We are happy to support you in this space, please make contact with our office if you require any support.
Uniform
As we tighten up on our Autumn/Winter uniform thank you for ensuring that your tamariki are at school in full uniform. We are here to support students who need additional items. Thank you to Sarah Oke who has ensured that those items have been issued and labelled.
Ka ora, Ka ako Healthy Schools Lunch Programme
With news this week of a continuation of the lunches in schools programme beyond 2024, whānau will be happy that the Government is continuing with this important programme.
Current provision for year 1 to 6 will remain in its current form (e.g. the provision of hot meals). However, years 7 to 13 will experience a very different model. Over the coming months, and until the end of the year, the Government will be shaping how this looks moving forward. We appreciate and share your concerns about that fall in provision for our year 7 to 13’s. As we move forward and become aware of how this programme will look, we will keep you informed.
PUKEITI & KAITAKE TEAMS
Pukeiti Wha
We've had a fantastic start to the term here in Pukeiti Wha! After sharing our holiday adventures, we've dived straight back into our learning with great enthusiasm. We're all excited about the new painted line games on the concrete areas which we'll be using for break times and brain breaks – they're sure to add an extra dose of fun to our day!
This term, our topic focus is on the Ngahere (bush), and we're eager to explore this theme from a scientific angle. We'll be conducting experiments and learning about the incredible natural bush around us.We are so lucky to have such a great resource a short walk away! For spelling, we tackled the 'floss rule' last week. Our tamariki learned that after a short vowel sound in a one-syllable word, if you hear the sounds s, f, z, or l, you double the letter. For example: ss in mess, ll in well, ff in off, and zz in buzz. The tamariki did an amazing job during our practice session and here's a photo of a few of them to show their hard work. Here is a link to our blog which you can read about our numeracy learning last week. https://ctsphofmans.edublogs.org/
We're looking forward to another great week ahead, full of learning, practice and consolidation and exploration.
Pukeiti Tahi
Last Thursday, we managed to dodge the showers and visited the school farm. Zak, Thomas and Mrs Barron were our guides. We had a wonderful time seeing all the animals and learning more about them.
We are planning to visit the farm a lot more – there is so much to see and learn there! Thanks Thomas and Zak – you were great hosts.
Kaitake Toru
Term Two has started well across our Kaitake classes. Our overarching theme for this term is Te Ngahere” (The bush). Throughout the term, we will learn about the layers of the bush, flora and fauna, native trees, birds and insects’ as well as ways we can protect the Ngahere and other things that influence how well it grows/florishes.
Term Two includes the involvement of the Year 5-6 Interschool competition. This started this week with games of Football, Rugby and Netball against St. Joseph’s, New Plymouth. These games were all played with great attitudes and sportsmanship. All students involved can be proud of the way they represented themselves and Coastal Taranaki School. All three sports were very one-sided with us winning one of the three games. Our next three games are away against, Merrilands, Ōmata and Spotswood, then back at CTS in Week nine against St. Pius.
Kaitake Toru have been focusing on Descriptive Writing and including different types of language features and adjectives into our writing. Here are some examples of our writing describing the Interschool Sports Exchange.
POUAKAI & TARANAKI TEAMS
Expectations
The following are some of the expectations we are currently focusing on in our year seven to thirteen space:
As we transition into the cooler and wetter months, we are proactively preparing for indoor break times. In doing so, we emphasise the importance of fostering positive behaviour and upholding the values of manaakitanga and respect. Maintaining cleanliness, tidiness, and care of indoor spaces is paramount, and we will actively monitor adherence to these standards during break times.
To enrich indoor break experiences, our kaiako will provide engaging activities such as knuckle bones, cards, and board games, while ensuring access to the library and keeping the gym open. However, failure to respect these spaces may lead to limitations on available options during wet breaks. We expect students to remain in their homerooms during these periods. Our break times are designated as device-free.
The gym holds a special place in our Kura community, and we appreciate the efforts to arrive punctually to class, even when games are at crucial moments. While we currently face equipment shortages, replacements will only be considered once existing gear is properly returned at the end of break times.
We've recently reinforced uniform expectations, and it's commendable to see our students meeting these standards. We will continue to provide guidance and support to ensure adherence to uniform policies. Thank you for your ongoing support in this matter.
We are currently reassessing and refining expectations for wharepaku facilities. Our focus is on problem-solving and implementing strategies to enhance efficiency in these spaces. It's important to remind students that restroom breaks should be taken during designated times and between periods. As we develop and implement new strategies, we will communicate them to students during assemblies and through our communication platform, Hero, to keep families informed.
Since implementing device-free break times, we've noticed significant improvements in student engagement during breaks. We appreciate your support in ensuring that your child does not bring a cell phone to school.
Please note that energy drinks are strictly prohibited on school grounds, including those stored in bags for later consumption. While students in years 11-13 have the privilege of signing out to visit the 4 square during breaks, this privilege will be revoked if energy drink consumption continues to be observed during these outings.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we strive to create a positive and respectful environment for all students at our school.
Common Assessment Activity (CAA) testing
Dear Students and whānau,
As we progress through the academic year, we want to ensure everyone is well-prepared for the upcoming Common Assessment Activity (CAA) testing. These assessments in Reading, Writing, and Numeracy play a pivotal role in your educational journey, as passing the CAA is a co-requisite for NCEA achievement.
To aid in your planning, please be mindful of the following dates for CAA testing:
Term 2: 20th - 31st May
Term 3: 9th - 20th September
While specific dates will be communicated in due course, we encourage you to consider these periods when making any holiday or event arrangements.
Should you have any queries or require further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you every step of the way.
Here this the MOE's guide: Literacy and Numeracy in NCEA: A guide for students and whānau 2024-2025
LIBRARY NEWS
Students from Rm 18 had Forbidden Forest cake, heard the start of the book 1, coloured in bookmarks and got to pose in front of Hogwarts
HP was published in 1996 and is still very popular in CTS Library.
We have read through 3 different editions because the books have been loved and handled so much that they have had to be replaced.
We also have No:1-3 in picture book format with fantastic illustrations
Follow the link below to look at the CTS Library Catalogue
SPORTS NEWS
The Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRY CHALLENGE is coming to Coastal Taranaki School!
The Weet-Bix Kids TRY team will be coming to our school on Friday 17th May to run Coastal Taranaki School's very own in-school TRY CHALLENGE event. Our tamariki will be completing an obstacle course as individuals while earning points as Whanau groups. Students will participate in a course designed to meet all ages from 5 to 12 years of age and all abilities in a one hour slot that involves, briefing, demonstration and warm up, time on course, breakfast at the Weet Bix tent and Event wrap.
The goal of the TRY CHALLENGE is to encourage Kiwi kids to get active, more often and have fun. All students taking part in the event will receive an official TRY Champions t-shirt and will be awarded their TRY Champions medal as they cross the finish line.
Weet-Bix breakfast will also be available to all teachers and supporters. We welcome parents and family supporters to come down and support our tamariki giving it a TRY on Friday 17th May!
(Exact start times to be advised closer to event day)
CTS Sports - Facebook page
Head over to our school sports facebook page CTS Sports and follow for all our school sports news, results and updates.
COMMUNITY NEWS
STAFF
COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
Stephanie Clifton - Principal
Richard MacCallum Deputy Principal, Senior school
Gemma Chambers Deputy Principal, Primary school
Pip Gorrie Deputy Principal, CCIT, Manaiakalani Link, Tech on 45
Rebecca Barron Science/Ag
Viola Fung English
Andrea Dingle Maths
Steve Leppard Hard Materials Technology, Tech on 45
Bridget Shaw Visual Arts
Casey Stevens P.E & Health
Justine Francis Music
Sarah Oke Food Technology, Careers/Pathways, Tech on 45
Karla Jorgensen Pouākai Team Leader Years 7-10, Year 7/8 Teacher
Jason Brewer Year 7/8 Teacher
Renee Leathley Kaitake Team Leader, Year 5/6 Teacher
Emily Finey Year 4/5 Teacher
Liana Roberts Year 4/5 Teacher
Philippa Hofmans Pukeiti Team Leader, Year 2/3 Teacher
Johannah Poutini Year 2/3 Teacher
Jemma Moorby Year 1/2 Teacher
Catrin Noack Year 1 Teacher
Kelly Madden NE Transition Teacher
Shelley Cook SENCO
Lisa Betts Guidance Counsellor
Sarah Warren Whakareo Matatini (Taranaki Reading Recovery Teacher)
Delwyn Pearce School Librarian
Kirsty Koboski Publicity Officer
Jacky Kopu Office Manager
Nicky Phillips Office, Funding & Sports Administrator
Ole Bucka Grounds & Maintenance
Learning Assistants
Darryl Levett
Kirsty Koboski
Paula Fleming
Dee Heath
Jess Harfield
Ruth Barron
Ian Robinson
Nicole Whittle
Kaycee Cresswell
Allister Adamson
Hōne Mathieson
Laura Olivera
Student Support
Dahl Barry