Principal's news Week 9
Beth Downie — September 16, 2024
We have welcomed many new Kaik Kids over the last two weeks; a special welcome to Mirren and Coleman, Lotte, and Ellie; we are so happy you are here.
Te wiki o te reo Māori 🗣️
As you know this week is Te wiki o te reo Māori. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is an annual celebration for all New Zealanders to show their support for the Māori language, an official language of this country.
The theme for Te Wiki 2024 is ‘Ake ake ake – A Forever Language’. It represents the resilience, adaptability and endurance of our language. It also reflects the commitment New Zealanders have to embracing and learning te reo Māori long into the future.
Polyfest success ⭐️
We are incredibly proud of our Kapa Haka rōpū for their performance last week. Their growth throughout the year, building on the progress of previous years, has been exceptional. Their performance was polished and filled with pride. Well done to our leaders of the group, and of course, our gratitude extends to Whaea Ana and her leadership.
Playground opening 🛝
Save the date for the official opening of our new playground! Join us on the first day of Term 4, October 14th, at 9 a.m. for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and be among the first to see the playground in action. Everyone is welcome!
Teachers' PLD 🧑🏼🏫
Our junior team of teachers have been engaging in Structured Literacy PLD.
The Ministry of Education is funding professional learning and development (PLD) for structured approaches to literacy.
This PLD will support teachers to use structured literacy, including phonemic awareness, systematic synthetic phonics knowledge, fluency, comprehension, oral language, vocabulary, syntax, and text structure for the purpose of reading and writing. It will also support teachers to understand the principles of explicit and intentional teaching, including being systematic, precise, repeated and varied, cumulative, diagnostic, responsive, and the gradual release model.
Classroom Release Time CRT
All teachers are contractually entitled to Classroom Release Time (CRT). CRT can be used for :
planning
evaluation
reporting
professional development
research
syndicate meetings.
Currently, Mrs Cleland, Mrs Garden and Mr Reid provide CRT. All NZ teachers are entitled to 20 hours a term; in 2025, the contractual obligation is 25 hours a term (which is the equivalent of 1 day/ fortnight), with an additional 10 hours if the teacher has permanent areas of responsibility.
Often parents query why the classroom teacher is out of the class and why there is a different teacher teaching, I hope this explains what is CRT is and how it is delivered at Kaikorai.
Farewell 👋🏻
Farewell to Miss Hannah Horton and MIss Shauna McLean, they have been third year students here on placement since the beginning of the year. Today is their last day of placement before graduation. We wish them well in their teaching endevours and thank them for their contributions to Kaikorai Primary School and the tamariki in their care.
Principal's awards ✨
Silas | For huge success in becoming a more confident and independent learner. You have a fantastic attitude and never give up when facing new challenges! |
Fergus | For your outstanding leadership in Room 13! You know how to take charge of a group. You are always a kind and encouraging teammate! |
James | For striving to learn and master new math concepts. Keep up the mahi - Ka rawe James! |
Nollie | For your dedication in learning your parts and projecting your voice when working on our class play - Ka rawe Nollie! |
Amber | For her amazing effort in maths! You are trying so hard and are using your knowledge to help others. Ka pai! |
Conner | For your creative ideas in writing. It is always a joy to read your stories. |
Coleman | For a great start to Kaikorai and challenging himself with different maths tasks. Ka pai! |
Isaac | For some great work in his creative writing. Keep up the great work! Ka pai Isaac! |
Saige | For your fantastic attitude, enthusiasm and positivity toward all areas of learning. Tino pai rawa atu! |
Walter | For great problem solving and explanation of strategies used within maths. You are a confident mathematician Walter. Ka pai hoki koe! |
Louis M | For your excellent efforts at writing time. You are working to add more interesting words and key details to your writing. Ka pai! |
Georgie M | For being a friendly, bubbly, positive member of our class. We appreciate your kind and helpful nature. Ka pai! |
Ada | For your wonderful achievements in writing, demonstrating enthusiasm and creativity. Keep up the terrific effort, Ada. Ka rawe! |
Maeve | For your terrific progress in reading. You have worked hard to achieve your reading goals, displaying determination, positivity and self-motivation. Tino pai! |
Aroha | Aroha, you are a thoughtful and kind member of Room 8. You always include new students in your games. You try your best with your learning too. Tino Pai! |
Elliott G | Elliot, it is always great to see your enthusiasm for school and learning. You are becoming more independent daily. Ka Pai! |
Genevieve | Congratulations on all your recent sporting and academic achievements. You are a go getter and have such a brilliant work ethic. Ka pai hoki koe! |
Anja | Anja, you are a valued member to Rūma Iwa. You are a kind friend to everyone and you do a wonderful job at modelling the Kaik kid values to your peers. Ka rawe! |
Aria | Congratulations on your fantastic effort in creating a product for the school fair! You worked well as a team, and the plushies, labels and posters were a hit! Tino pai! |
Amelie | For all the hard work you’ve been putting into your learning over the past few weeks. It’s great to see you asking questions and engaging in discussions. Ka pai hoki koe! |
Jack S (R11) | For your effort and hard work in class. You are becoming a great self-manager and are showing great initiative. Tino pai rawa atu! |
Luci | For your hard work and enthusiasm during your PBL product-making. You were a great team member and showed fantastic problem-solving skills. |
Rosa | For showing great resilience and persistence in her learning, keep up the mahi Rosa. Tino pai rawa atu! |
Alabamah | For all your hard mahi over the last few weeks, your focus and desire to be the best learner you can has been outstanding. Tino pai! |
