Meri Kirihimete. Manuia le Kerisimasi.
Tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai ki te whānau o te Oratia. Talofa lava. Malo e lelei. Zdravo. Ni hao. Namaste. Kamusta. Greetings Oratia whānau and families.
This is the last newsletter for the year, and we are focused on making these last days as memorable and fun as possible. School closes at 12.30pm on Tuesday, December 17, the buses will take the children home then, and staff will be leaving the grounds for their end of year celebration soon after. Please make sure you collect your child by 12.30pm or arrange with OKK for after school care as there will be no adult supervision onsite.
Now that the end of the year is so close it seems like the term has gone past so quickly. At our board meeting on Monday night we presented a number of reports that highlighted the work that has happened in syndicates over the year, and how we have catered for our Kahurangi Kids with additional needs. We also presented the annual report that covers all aspects of school life. The board were very impressed with the body of work achieved this year by our staff,and the great opportunities offered to our students that has resulted in good attendance and engagement in learning.
Attendance this term is sitting back up at 91% which is really great to see after the many absences we all experienced in Terms 2 and 3 due to illness, bugs and travel. The board will continue to hold regular attendance(90% or above) as a goal for the school next year too, so I appreciate your support for this with your children.
On Tuesday night the staff gathered to share with each other the work they have been doing together in their professional learning groups. All year we have been working together in one of four groups focused on Literacy, Mathematics, Cultural Sustainability, or Local Curriculum. Our Literacy and Maths groups have supported our teachers in their Structured Literacy and Structured Maths learning, and grappled with the changes to the curriculum. Our Cultural group have worked with our iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki, to explore our school values and share pūrākau(stories) from their tupuna(ancestors). The iwi have also consulted with our Creatives in Schools art project resulting in a beautiful art installation visualising our pepeha that will end up on the hall exterior once it is renovated. Our Local Curriculum team have been foucsed on our local places of importance and the histories associated with them. They have also been busy working with the new curriculum's overarching structure of Understand, Know, Do and realigning our inquiry process with this.
We have all worked hard and consistently to make this school the best place possible for our students, and I am so proud of our team for their mahi. I wish everyone a great summer break, and a chance to relax in the sunshine. To those who celebrate this season I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. To those families and staff who are leaving us I wish you all the best for the next steps of your journey. We will miss you very much.
Take care . Stay safe.
Kia kaha, kia atawhai.
Ngā mihi nui, Ms Linda
