Term 2, Week 12 — School news
Upcoming Events
Snell Speech Finals | Tue, 30 Jun |
Students Achievement Discussions (1pm-6pm) | Wed, 1 Jul |
Student Achievement Discussions (3pm-8pm) | Thu, 2 Jul |
END TERM 2 | Fri, 3 Jul |
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS | Mon, 6 Jul - Sun, 12 Jul |
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS | Mon, 13 Jul - Sun, 19 Jul |
START TERM 3 | Mon, 20 Jul |
BoT Meeting | Mon, 27 Jul |
Family Zone/Cyber Safety Parent Information Evening - 7pm | Tue, 28 Jul |
Eastern Zones Netball | Thu, 30 Jul |
Yr 7/8 Camp Parent Meeting | Mon, 3 Aug |
Cross Country | Wed, 5 Aug |
Art Gallery - Rms 12 & 13 | Thu, 6 Aug |
EZ Basketball Girls | Tue, 11 Aug |
Kiri Trip - Howick Historical Village | Tue, 11 Aug |
A Message from the Principal
Dear parents
As we move towards our school holiday break, we reflect on the two disrupted terms that we have experienced. COVID 19 certainly has affected the lives of our community and especially our students. As a school we are aware of these effects and continue to look at ways that we can best support students learning so that they continue to progress towards achieving desired outcomes. Initially, on our return to school, we focused on the health and wellbeing of students. Seeing students settle back into school while minimising anxiety as much as possible. As we move forward we use our Vision statement to guide us, We Dream, We Inspire, We Create and We Empower. The statement encourages us to use the opportunities at hand to engage students in learning. I would like to acknowledge the parent community for partnering with us during these unprecedented times to support students continuing to learn, explore and inquire.
Restricted Access to school during the holiday break
During the holiday break the Ministry of Education will be carrying out modifications to the property. This will mean restricted access to parts of the site while these works are underway. Although areas will be fenced off it is advisable that you avoid entry to the school during this time as a matter of health and safety.
Book this date in your diary …
Family Zone is the tool that the school has chosen to add further support to our internet safety. We chose Family Zone because it supports students at school and at home when logged into a school email account.
Family Zone also enables us to identify student activity online. If we find anything that is suspicious or dangerous we will inform you via a phone call and follow up letter. With Family Zone at home you also have the functionality to see what online activity is happening on other accounts and to have conversations about internet safety with your children.
Saunil Haglar from Family Zone will be here at school on Tuesday 28 July at 7.00pm. Saunil will join with Monique Browne, our Kohimarama School e-learning leader, to discuss Family Zone and its operation at Kohimarama School and in partnership with you at home.
At the end of term 3 2020 we will hold our usual Student Achievement Discussions finishing with our usual Schooltalk report at the end of the year.
I would like to acknowledge the staff of Kohimarama School for their professional approach to their work even in the midst of a Global Pandemic. Teachers, Learner Assistants and support staff in our office and caretaker all contribute to ensuring that the school is able to respond to and meet challenges head on. Further being an agile organisation has meant that we could see issues and resolve these in quick time. They have all certainly gone over and above in their support of students and their learning.
I would like to also acknowledge the following staff who are leaving us at the end of this term; Kistin Hensman who has led much of the work around ELearning and been a key person in our Community of Learning COL as an across school leader. Kirstin is going to work for private companies in teacher education.
Danielle Collard started with us as a young teacher. Danielle learned, and worked hard and over the last few years has been the team Leader of our Year 4 classes. Danielle and her husband are going to be living in Taupo.
Anna Lena Lockie has been a member of the school for some time and latterly as our sports coordinator. Anna-Lena left us during the Lockdown period to work at Ellerslie school where her children go.
We thank each of these teachers for their dedicated support of Kohimarama School and the students with whom they worked.
FlexiBuzz
Thank you to everyone who completed our Survey regarding communication. We have had an overwhelming response telling us that majority of the community were happy with the current communication methods. Currently we will not be looking at adding another app to our commincations.
Paul Engles
Questions and Answers
Q: When viewing YouTube at school on a school account what security controls are in place? Ie limited browsing, viewing, comments etc . How is this controlled – family zone or other?
A: All accounts have restricted access. Items that are considered middle of the road will still be blocked but a student can request access and their teacher can approve or decline the video. This is a pre-set google filter which stops access to anything considered objectional. Students cannot see comments or make comments themselves.
The Kohimarama Way – Friendliness
News
Year 7 and 8 Speech Finals
Roll Return July 2020
Twice a year, in March and July, all schools in New Zealand are required to furnish to the Ministry of Education a return detailing all students enrolled at their schools. This return determines our funding and staffing for the remainder of the school year. If your child is going to be absent or late for any reason on Wednesday 1st July the office will require a letter or email from a parent/guardian justifying the student’s absence from school.
This correspondence is to be provided to the school office, at office@kohimarama.school.nz, no later than Friday 3rd July by 11am. Thank you in advance.
School Disco
A reminder that our school disco is happening next term – Friday 14th August. We have a junior disco – Years 0 to 4 and a senior disco – Years 5 to 8. Our student leaders are organising this and tickets will be on sale early in term three.
Absences
If you have a child staying home for any reason please contact the school office by email, or phone the absentee line 09 930 9826. Childs name, room number and reason for absence must be provided. If no reason for absence is given your child will be marked with an unjustified absence.
We have now set up an absence form on the school website. This can be located on the front page.
Photolife Individual and Class Photos
Family Zone/Cybersafety Parent Information Meeting
School Accessibility Modification Project
Contractors will be on site soon to start work on modifying school accessibility. This work will take around 10 weeks to complete. A lot of the work will be up around the Snell Team area and will also include entry to the school from both Kohimarama and Rawhitiroa Roads, access to courts and Kiri Team playground as well as additional handrails. Please take care around the site once this work begins.
Details of the Student Achievement Discussions are as follows:
Each discussion booking is 15 minutes long. To ensure the smooth running of this for everyone, please ensure that you arrive in time for your booked appointment. The end of the discussion will be by a school bell.
Wednesday 1st July – Students to be collected at 1pm
1.30pm-6pm – Student Achievement Discussions
Thursday 2nd July – Normal school programme
3.30pm-8pm – Student Achievement Discussions
We will have some capacity to supervise students in the hall where parents are unable to make alternative arrangements. It is important that your child’s classroom teacher is informed by 9.00am on the morning of Wednesday 1st July if you would like your child supervised in the hall.
Book Donations
Thank you to the wonderful people who have been in donating books to our School, teacher aide Sally and the family of Joao from Snell Team. Thank you for your generous donations!
Class Certificates
Congratulations to these outstanding students:
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- Room 1 – Theo H
- Room 2 – Orla J, Honor R
- Room 3 – Ava J, Alex B
- Room 4 – Nils J
- Room 5 – Ella A
- Room 6 –
- Room 7 – Huxley W, Alexander V
- Room 8 – Felicity L, Jessica M
- Room 9 – Grace D, Fitia B
- Room 10 – Zayn L
- Room 11 – Jackson H, Connor B
- Room 12 – Tiffany T
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- Room 13 – Indiana C
- Room 14 – Leila M, Ashton J
- Room 15 – Lara K
- Room 16 – Amy D, Claudia B
- Room 17 – Maddie D
- Room 18 – Emma A, Trixie R
- Room 19 – Oliver S, Claudio K
- Room 20 – Precilla M, Thomas D
- Room 21 – Imogen C
- Room 22 – Max A
- Room 23 – Ella R, Daini Y, Blake S
Walking School Bus Certificates
Caught Being Good – “Greenies”
Road Patrollers
Latest Sports Update
Netball
All teams should have their netball bags. Please feel free to start using the courts for netball training, in the time you have booked.
Basketball
Auckland Basketball has informed us the competition is still going ahead, however no official cost or start date have been given.
Cross Country
Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 5th August. More information will come in the new term.
Sonia-Jane Drefers
Sports Co-ordinator
sdrefers@kohimarama.school.nz