We would like to extend a warm welcome to the Korimako classroom, Team Tahi and Te Kura o Ōhinetahi | Governors Bay School.

This year we look forward to getting to know you and your tamariki. We believe that by all of us working together we can make this a very successful year!

A few things you need to know…..

As students start school, they are gaining confidence in their ability to take care of their and others’ belongings. In order to enhance this very important developmental milestone, your child will be encouraged to put their items away appropriately, ensure all belongings are kept safe, and follow the classroom routines without being reminded. We require your assistance with this by positively reinforcing the same behaviours at home.

Children will be discouraged from bringing their toys to school, with the exception of special occasions such as birthdays or special presents or when invited to bring items to share for News. We will be asking students to keep any toys/items that have come from home in their bags to keep them safe.

⏰ Please ensure your child is at school and ready to learn well before the roll is called (at 8.50am) as arriving in time for this ensures a settled start to the day. To also help them have a successful day they require their stationery, a sunhat, a drink bottle full of fresh water and a fruit snack to enjoy in class. 

🌞 Sunscreen applied before school is incredibly important - we will remind students to top up their application throughout the day - supporting them as they learn to do this on their own. Note we are putting swimming on hold this term due to the complications of the changing procedures that have evolved around accessing public spaces. If you name these items clearly - you child/ren will be able to easily take responsibility for them.

🧡 Our main focus in Term 1 will be around friendship and kindness towards ourselves and others. We have a lot of activities planned to give your tamariki the opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships and cross classroom empathy. Students aim to fully charge their collective class battery each day through improved self awareness and a series of deliberately kind acts. We want to collectively build a supportive and kind classroom and we know as their first teacher and most important influence in their lives, your support with this will be very important.

📖 Our homework focus is on reading. Most days, your tamariki will bring home reading material (e.g. a text, picture book, or poetry) to share with you. They need to bring their reading folders each day to keep their reading material in. Sometimes this will be texts that they have brought home before; familiar reading increases fluency and helps them to gain confidence. Please make time to listen to them read and support them as they learn how to work out tricky words on their own. Talking about the story plot, asking questions and showing a genuine interest all helps your child/ren to recognise that you value their efforts and are proud of what they have achieved. Sometimes they will be tired and the text will be tricky for them. By reading to the child/children they have the opportunity to hear how good reading sounds - which is very important for their learning. 

🔗 We hope that you will advise us if at any time your child/children have a problem, academic, social, or emotional. Should your child/children become discouraged or tearful about the school, please let us know so that we can discover the cause of the problem. You are invited to make an appointment to see us (email us directly) if you have a question concerning your child/children’s progress.  

One last thing - please fill in this Beginning of year school survey so we can find out more about your tamariki.

We consider it a great privilege and responsibility to be your child/children’s kaiako | teacher this year and look forward to meeting each of you.

Ngā mihi nui

Korimako (Monday - Friday) - Ruth Renwick  ruth.renwick@governorsbay.school.nz (Team Leader)