From our Tumuaki / Principal

Kia ora e te whānau,

We are delighted at the positive start we have had to the school year. It has been wonderful to see students returning so happily and reconnecting with friends and teachers. The energy and excitement in the hubs and around the school has been truly uplifting. Tēnā koutou (thank you) for helping ensure your tamariki (children) were well-prepared to begin their learning journey with us this year.

Welcoming New Staff Members

We are delighted to welcome two new members to our team:

• Bina Chauhan will be a release teacher in Koru Hub on Mondays and Tuesdays. Bina has been a valued member of our school community for many years, with her three children—Natalia, Kaelan, and Dilan—all attending Amesbury School. Bina will be dividing her time between Amesbury and Paparangi Schools. We are thrilled to have her join our teaching team.

• Sara Saunders is joining us as a teacher aide supporting students and learning in Māwhero (Koru Hub). Like Bina, Sara has been an active member of our community for some time, with her daughters McKenna and Haiden attending Amesbury School. We look forward to working closely with Sara and are excited about the valuable contributions she will bring to our school.

We warmly welcome both Bina and Sara and are confident they will make a fantastic impact on ākonga (students) and the wider school community.

The importance of school attendance

As a school, we are closely monitoring attendance and working towards improving it. The impact of Covid-19 on attendance has been significant and, while we are seeing some improvement, there is still work for us to do as a school. With the start of the new school year, it is now timely to remind all whānau of the importance of regular school attendance.

The government has set a target of 80% of students attending for 90% of the time (90% attendance = "regular attendance"). At Amesbury School, 90% of students attended regularly in 2020. However, this figure dropped to 52% in 2022, rose to 74% in 2023, and increased slightly to 76% last year. While the upward trend is encouraging, our current attendance levels are still below pre-Covid levels and the government’s target.

One contributing factor is the significant number of families taking holidays or traveling during term time. While we understand the importance of connecting with whānau overseas, we strongly encourage families to plan travel during school holidays wherever possible. Consistent attendance is vital for the learning and development of your tamariki, and we appreciate your support in prioritizing school attendance.

The attendance image above shows how small absences from school can mount up over time. Even with 'regular' school attendance of 90%, by the end of year 8 a child has missed three terms of schooling.

With school absence, please be aware:

• For absence of 5 consecutive days due to sickness or health reasons, a medical certificate is required.

• For absence of 5 days or more for travel or non-health reasons, whānau must contact me (urs.cunningham@amesbury.school.nz) regarding the absence.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in making Amesbury School a vibrant and thriving learning environment for ngā tamariki. We look forward to continuing this positive momentum throughout the year.

Kia pai te rā whakatā, enjoy the weekend and see you next week.

Urs Cunningham