Principal's Pānui - Week 2 - Term 4 2024
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Kia ora Whānau,
Welcome back to Kate Maloney and Samantha Manson whom have returned early from their maternity leave to take up an opportunity to job share our latest New Entrant class. We are over the moon to have such experienced teachers welcoming our newest learners.
Congratulations to Miss Quatermass, Mrs Sandford and the Cotswold Choir for their beautiful performance last night at the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival.
Well done to Isabelle from Room 26 who is singing in the Christchurch Schools Junior Representative Choir every night this week! We are so proud of you!
Well done to our Huxster Mountain Biking Team who completed at McLeans Island yesterday. Amazing results by everyone but a special acknowledgement to Sam and Hayden who beat last years results finishing 3rd in the Year 6 Boys Race.
There is plenty of change on the horizon for education. The rollout of our new Literacy and Math's Curriculums is fast approaching. Where possible we have tried to contribute to the Government when appropriate. We have opted in to many webinars and have given feedback to draft documents on the way through.
The Government has allocated 2 extra Professional Learning Development days for Schools in 2025. We will be using these to support Kaiako with getting their heads around these two significant areas of change for teaching and learning. The first of these days will be taken on Friday 7 February. The Ministry has let us know that resources, once chosen and ordered by November 4, will be at Schools to kick off the new year. We will use the Friday of the first week back to facilitate the use of the programme.
In regards to the new Literacy curriculum Cotswold Mātāhae School is participating in the Ministry of Education’s phonics check trial. More than 75 schools across the country have agreed to try out a new phonics check assessment in class to help make sure it is fit for purpose before it is introduced to all schools in 2025.
Children in Year 1 and 2 who have been at school for a specified number of weeks have been identified to participate in the trial. Parents of these children will be notified directly. If you have questions about the trial, please talk to your child’s teacher or email enquiries.national@education.govt.nz
Thank you for supporting our PC4L Non Uniform Day last Friday. We are thrilled to have raised $557.00 to be used for resources for the PC4L programme.
We were thrilled to receive a $15,000 grant from the Kiwi Gaming Foundation Limited towards next years Year 6 Camp costs. This significantly reduces the cost to families and we are extremely grateful to the Foundation for their support of Cotswold Mātāhae again this year.
If your account is currently in credit and you would like this to be used towards Camp fees please email Chris McShane. chris.mcshane@cotswold.school.nz
We were also excited to receive a $8,000 grant from the New Zealand Community Trust towards this years Year 2-6 Swim Safe Programme. This will reduce the parent contribution to $26 per child for their 8 lessons and daily bus transport.
We are very grateful to the Trust for once again supporting our Swim Safe Programme in 2024.
I would also like to personally thank Chris McShane for all her time and effort in applying for these grants on behalf of our school. I am sure parents are most grateful that the cost of some of our ETOC activities has been reduced again this year due to the successful grant applications.
Summer Sport is underway and Mr. Harper and his support crew are delighted to the have had over 170 students choose to participate in Summer Sport in 2024. All sports have now begun and we wish you well for the season ahead.
Well done to our Senior Students on their Athletics Day today. Photos can be viewed via this link. Athletics results will be published in our next Pānui and we wish the students well who are progressing to the Zone Athletics on 12th November.
We have lots of fantastic EOTC opportunities for our students coming up in Term 4 including the Swim Safe Programme, Year 4 Beach Education, Sailing and Water Confidence, and the Tough Kid Challenge for our Year 6s. Prompt payment of these activities is appreciated.
We appreciate the work that goes into organisation these opportunities by our staff, and the parent support which enables them to continue.
As always, if I can be of assistance please do make contact.
Ngā mihi nui,
Chris