Dear Parents and Caregivers,
The school year draws to a close this week and our annual assembly has taken on a different format in response to current COVID settings. We would like to share with you some final updates as 2021 draws to a close including an update on strategy, academic performance, property, changes to recommended donation for 2022 and a big thank you to everyone for their efforts throughout the year.
Kohimarama Way
It was great to see through the recent survey that 80%+ of parents have an awareness of the Kohimarama Way and how it is connected to children’s learning. We are part-way through the current strategic plan set by the Board of Trustees for 2020-2023. The strategic plan is delivered through an action plan that is refreshed annually. The energy focused on remote learning this year meant some actions, such as a review of assessment tools including PAT and OTJs, were completed early whereas others were unable to be completed. The draft plan for 2022 focuses on successfully developing and integrating content as part of the wider refresh of the New Zealand Curriculum. The curriculum refresh includes a greater emphasis on local history and culture.
https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/learning-at-school/new-zealand-curriculum/
Academic performance
The board’s most important responsibility is for student achievement.
This year the school has also made a conscious effort to share more information with the school community about the approach to student achievement. This has included sharing more detail about intervention and enrichment programmes. We hope this information has been of use and we remind parents and caregivers that your teacher is the best source of information regarding your student.
PAT tests were performed at the start of the year but, as signalled in our previous newsletter, there have been no end of year PAT tests performed at the end this year. Insights from the OTJ assessments along with the PAT data available have helped the school determine where to focus energy and resources in 2022 to lift academic performance.
Property
We are delighted the two new classrooms have been delivered to school and are scheduled to be open for use at the start of Term 1 2022. The new classrooms are the most generously proportioned teaching spaces in our school. All students will benefit from having the library made available again for reading.
Despite the addition of the two new rooms we still face a shortage of teaching spaces as seen by our need to set up room 24 new entrants class in the hall. We are in ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Education to address the residual shortfall in teaching spaces and we continue to engage in dialogue with the Ministry regarding the best way to meet our long term needs. Finding a suitable long term property solution is a priority for us.
Auckland Transport is upgrading the pedestrian crossing on Rawhitiroa Road with works planned over the summer.
Donations and Fundraising
Thank you to everyone who paid the recommended donation this year. We received donations for >80% of our learners. These donations enable the school to provide additional education resources beyond the minimum provided by the Ministry.
A massive thank you to those who also signed up for TaxGift and donated the tax credit associate with their school donation. We received our first payment from IRD this week totalling $6,094.63. If you haven’t signed up yet we encourage you to do so now. https://portal.taxgift.co.nz/register/604fd692df0caa0a36eaf817
Each year the board and school worked together to set the budget for the year ahead. The Ministry of Education pays for capital expenditure and the salaries of most teaching staff and the Principal. The board has determined that a 5% increase in recommended donation per child would be appropriate to adjust for inflation over the past two years. This means the recommended donation will be set at $520/child for 2022. We are grateful to each family who is able to make the annual donation.
The PTA have hosted some amazing events where possible during the year. A big thank you to those who have hosted or participated in events and fundraising. The money raised makes a real difference.
Thank you
We would like to acknowledge the resilience and adaptability of our students, parents and caregivers, and the staff at the school in addressing the challenges 2021 bought in the form of COVID19. The focus on students and their wellbeing along with the continued support for learning is appreciated by the Board of Trustees.
It was great to see the kids enjoy the ‘fun days’ with some games and laughter to help our students finish the year on a high.
We wish you all the best for the holiday season. For those students and families who leave the school community this year we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. For the many who are returning we look forward to seeing you in 2022!