Starting school is an exciting and important step in your child’s life - and your own! At Elmwood Normal School we look forward to working with you and your child to make this important stage rewarding and positive.

Kiwi Team

Why are we called the KIWI team?

Ngai Tāhu gifted us the theme ‘trees’ due to our historical connections – Elm trees, Kahikatea forest, Ti kōuka (cabbage tree). All these trees acknowledge the past, present and moving to the future. The forest is the focus and we are part of the forest. We are a forest (ngāhere) of individuals that come together to support each other.

With this in mind, all staff and children had input into the naming of our school teams to represent Junior, Middle, and Senior levels. Connecting the forest to birds and their position within the forest was the foundation for our names. 

Our team name represents -

• Kiwi (Year 0-2). The Kiwi bird is found on the forest floor. The foundation level relates to our teaching focus and that of a forest floor. Our class signs are shades of brown to represent the lower level of a forest.

Vision: Our vision is for our students to be active participants in a community of learners and inspired to become valued citizens and enthusiastic learners for life. We believe in the importance of learning to read, write and develop numeracy skills, and this is reflected in the strong programmes we offer. We also ensure all areas of the curriculum are integrated seamlessly and developed in our learning programmes. 

We are looking forward to moving into our new classrooms once the build has been completed.  You will be impressed!

New Entrant School Visits:   At your New Entrant Parents meeting you will receive a letter outlining the school visit procedure, the day, date, and time of the visits, and who your child’s teacher will be.  If you are unable to come to the meeting the letter will be posted to you, or collected from our school office.

Physical Education: Physical Education in the Kiwi Team is a weekly event. The day may vary between classes. Children do not need a sports uniform for this but they are encouraged to wear suitable shoes.  Year 0-1 children enjoy a Perceptual Motor Programme (PMP) on Mondays during term 2-3. We enjoy taking part in annual  Cross Country and Athletic events, wearing our House colours with pride. 

House System:   All children are placed in one of our 4 Houses- Fee (Blue), Coberger (Yellow), Rhodes (Green), and Wylie (Red). Teachers will inform you of your child’s HOUSE.

Kapa Haka:  This is led by Claire Peacock-Price and happens every Monday for Year 0-2 children from 2.15pm-2.45pm (when appropriate).  Kapa haka is an art form central to Māori identity and we believe in providing all our children with an opportunity to express the Māori culture and heritage as a way to honour our Treaty of Waitangi partnership.

Up to date information: The School Website and the Newsletter are good places to see what has been happening around the school. Your child’s teacher will also keep you informed through class emails/Seesaw.

Reporting to Parents: We will assess your child’s literacy and numeracy knowledge within the first 4-5 weeks of starting at Elmwood to establish their next learning steps, and provide an individual learning plan for your child. There is a formal interview after the child has been at school for six weeks. Your child will experience “3 Way Learning Conferences” during Year 1-2, where they will share their learning with you and the teacher during specific times during the year. However, all teachers welcome informal discussions about your child’s progress at any stage.  All written reports are available through our cloud based system HERO. Please download the app and follow the steps to log into HERO. If you have problems please contact the school office. 

Finally, welcome to our school. We look forward to working with you and your child. 

Kiwi Team Teachers