School Newsletter – 5 April 2023

Term 1, Week 10

A Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I would like to thank you for all the support that you have given to your children, the staff and the school during this term. Your continued partnership in learning supports all our students to be successful. Our Kohimarama Way with its Vision, Values and Learner Dispositions clearly outlines our direction for learning. We are a very successful school that delivers well rounded and capable learners. You are on a journey from Year 1 to Year 8. This is a clear road map that has proven successful for all of our graduates. 

We are pleased to have shared in Week 9 of the term, our Learning Snapshots with you.  This was a positive, forward looking way of ensuring that you are up to date with testing materials collected and how this is being used to support the students’ next learning.

Now is an opportunity to talk about how the school sets out a plan for assessment and reporting, which is shared with the Board. You will have heard the rhetoric about school assessment and reporting in the media. I want to show how Kohimarama School more than meets requirements because we are focused on each student and their progress.  Formal assessment is a marker of achievement, a moment in time, and is used by teachers and students to inform their next learning steps.  

The Table below outlines an overview of formal assessment that will be undertaken in 2023.

Summative Assessment

This is for the whole school picture and this is what we use to report to the Board.  It is important that for validity and reliability the test must remain the same at the beginning and end of the year e.g. PAT – Reading Comprehension, Reading Vocabulary, Mathematics and Listening Comprehension

Formative Assessment

Teachers use a variety of diagnostic tools that focus on the specific learning needs of our students e.g. PROBE/PM running records for reading

Student Assessment timetable 2023

	Reading	Writing	Mathematics	PAT
Terms 1 and 3	Week 2 to week 7 All Year 1 and 2, at risk and new students Yr 6,7,8 EAsstle If no longer on Probe – check through EAsstle	All Students Writing Sample Week 7 Staff Meeting Snapshot moderation across the school	Throughout the Term Gloss Testing (optional)  JAM Testing Kiri, Cowley year 2- module 1 and 2 Yr 6,7,8 EAsstle Selected students	T1. Weeks 7 PAT Testing  Years 4-8  Listening Rdg Comp Rdg Vocab Mathematics
Terms 2 and  4	In time for reporting  All Students PROBE/PM Yr 6,7,8 EAsstle If no longer on Probe – check through EAsstle		In time for reporting  Gloss Testing (optional unless below or well below)- JAM Testing Kiri, Cowley year 2 – module 1&2 Yr 6,7,8 EAsstle Selected students	T3. Weeks 7 PAT Testing  Years 4-8  Listening Rdg Comp Rdg Vocab Mathematics

Reporting to Parents 2023

Throughout the year Kohimarama School has a mixture of formal and informal opportunities for parents to deepen their understanding of student learning. 

Parents are always very welcome to contact their child’s teacher to check in on where their child is currently working, have a look at the work they are doing or to discuss any concerns they may have. Parents can make an appointment to meet face to face. 

SchoolTalk is always open to view and is a tool that allows you to see where your child is currently working. If you need more assistance in using this tool, come and have a chat with your child’s teacher.

SCHOOLTALK the tool – The intention is that parents will regularly check in on their child’s learning. It supports students in being prepared for their learning for the day and it provides a means for regularly discussing the learning taking place. 

Throughout the year the teachers may send an invite to you to come in and view some current work that the students are working on.  We hope you will access these opportunities where possible. 

Formal Reporting

Learning Snapshots

This is an opportunity to share with families an up-to-date picture of where their child/ren is/are at currently.  This is also an opportunity to discuss the next learning goals in order that we are on the same page and that the students are aware of this as well. The teacher and student will be leading these discussions. 

Dates: Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 March 2023

SchoolTalk Reports

This is a summary of where your child is working within reading, writing, mathematics and learner dispositions midyear.

Dates – Friday 30 June and Thursday 14th December 

Learning Conversations

This is a time when students, teachers and parents can talk about the students learning together and provides an opportunity to unpack the SchoolTalk report further.

Date – Wednesday 26 July and Thursday 27 July 2023.

New Entrant Parent Meetings

These are introduction meetings held once a term and inform parents and caregivers of what education looks like for 5 year olds at our school.

Reporting to Parents	Reporting to Parents	Reporting to Parents	Reporting to Parents
Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4
Phone calls to parents – within first 3 weeks to touch base All students Learning Snapshots term 129-30 March Meetings with parents as per student needed	SchoolTalk Reports (Years 1-8) Friday 30 June Meetings with parents as per student needed	Learning Conversations talk through SchoolTalk report (students attending) 26&27th July. Meetings with parents as per student needed	SchoolTalk Reports (Years 1-8) Thursday 14 December

Kohimarama School has four formal opportunities to engage with parents and students about the learning.

School Fencing Project

Further to my notice last week, You will see that the Ministry and Contractors changed their minds and are focussed on the corner of Rawhitiroa and Kohimarama Roads. This is outside the scope of works that was provided to me. 

However, we are responsive and have pivoted our approach to the works. 

I am hoping that the entryways to the school will be undertaken during the Autumn holiday break so that its disruption is minimised.

I wish you a wonderful Autumn break and look forward to seeing you in term 2. If you are travelling, I wish you safe travel.

Paul Engles – Principal

                                   

The Kohimarama Way – Friendliness

Keep smiling because optimism and friendliness will take you everywhere.  Only friendliness produces friendship.  And we must look far deeper into the soul of a person for the thing that produces friendliness.

News

Lost Property

The end of the term is upon us – that means a final check of lost property! The children have had an opportunity to collect their lost items, however they may have missed something. Please pop in before 3pm Wednesday this week to view the items that are laid just outside the Hall (or inside the Hall door if it is raining) and take anything that belongs to your children.

Adult support needed in our School Library – can you help?

Claudette has a stack of new library books that need to be covered in clear acetate and stamped before they are put on the Library shelves.  Do you have a spare hour every now and then to come to the Library and help out?  Claudette will teach you the steps, not tricky but repetitive.  Please contact Claudette on cndenzako@kohimarama.school.nz if you are able to help, thank you.

School Counsellor

Our school is fortunate to have the services of two counsellors to support our students particularly over times like this when our world is in a state of uncertainty. The counsellors work at school on a Tuesday and have their sessions privately. If you feel that you would like to explore this service please email them on counsellor@kohimarama.schiool.nz

School Donations

The school relies heavily on our school community to help provide many of the basic activities and resources used to support learning through the year. This is done by paying the school donation.  Thank you to all the families who have already paid the school donation. If you haven’t done so yet and would like to, please follow the Kindo link below.

Music lessons for Students

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer Band for 2023, however, for this year we have the following musical opportunities for all students:

Rebecca Erskine Piano Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri bec.erskine@hotmail.com

Ben Jurisich Bass, electric, acoustic guitar, drums Wednesday eastsideguitar@gmail.com

Please contact the above teachers directly for bookings and costs.

Teacher Only Day – Monday 24th April

A friendly reminder that Monday 24th April is a Teacher Only Day. School Will return for Term 2 on Wednesday 26th April after Anzac Day.

2024 Term Dates – Advance notification

Term	Start date (students)	End date (students)
1	Tuesday 30 January	Friday 12 April
2	Monday 29 April	Friday 5 July
3	Monday 22 July	Friday 27 September
4	Monday 14 October	Tuesday 17 December

Teacher Only Days

• Wednesday 24 January –  Leadership Pre Start Meetings 
• Thursday and Friday 25-26 January – Staff TOD
• Tuesday 4 June after King’s Birthday
• Friday 24 October before Labour Weekend
• Plus two TODs for curriculum, given by MoE)

Public Holidays

• Auckland Anniversary Day – Monday 29 January
• Waitangi Day – Tuesday 6 February (In term 1)
• Good Friday – 29 March (In term 1)
• Easter Monday – 1 April (In term 1)
• Easter Tuesday – 2 April (In term 1)
• ANZAC Day – Thursday 25 April (During school holiday)
• King’s Birthday – Monday 3 June (In term 3)
• Matariki – Friday 28 June (In term 3)
• Labour Day – Monday 28 October (In term 4)

Eco News

Certificates & Awards

Congratulations to these outstanding students from Kiri Team and Cowley Team:

• Room 1 – Maddox R, Raffaella C
• Room 2 – Marie F
• Room 3 – Rocco Z
• Room 4 – Isabella M

• Room 6 – Ava C, JJ H
• Room 8 – Finn D
• Room 17 – Asher G
• Room 25 – Phoebe V, Caleb O
• Room 26 – Ciara C
• Room 27 – Wren L, Enlin Y

Caught Being Good –  ‘Greenies’

Thank you to those doing the ‘right things’ in the playground, you make our school such a great place to be:

• Daniel            Rm 2               for Commitment           Patteson
• Maya             Rm 2               for Commitment            Selwyn

Sport Notices

Netball teams Yr 3 -8

Our 2023  Kohimarama School teams are largely finalised, but it may be possible to include an additional player into some of our teams. email dforbes@kohimarama.school.

Touch Rugby

Some of our Yr 6 boys formed a team to play in a local touch rugby competition at Madills Farm. They were victorious in their final, defeating Grammar TEC by 5-1.

Community Notices

Shine Speech & Drama classes inspire confidence and imagination, helping students communicate effectively and build self-belief that helps them succeed in life.

Here’s what people are saying about Shine’s lessons …

“He got up and spoke in front of the school. He would never have done that before”
— James’ Mum

“Thank you so much for calmly and reassuringly, through zoom after zoom, guiding the boys’ through their tasks. Thank you for all the extra energy and organisation that has gone into all of this. You’ve been simply fantastic!”  – Catherine

“….the best speech and drama teacher working in New Zealand today.” NZ Herald

SHINE SPEECH & DRAMA covers:  
– public speaking
– acting skills
– voice (projection and articulation)
– reading aloud skills
– positive body language
– storytelling
– relationship skills

– option to enter exams through Speech NZ and Trinity. – Shine Achievement Awards available for all students.

Register here for term 2 lessons, beginning Wednesday 26th April 2023.  Term fees

$250 for group class or $310 for small, exam focussed group class. 8 lessons guaranteed per term.  Si

bling discount of 10% for any siblings enrolling.

Any questions please don’t hesitate to call Nina on 021-160 9197