Kererū hapori- Last Words for the Year.

May the calm be widespread, may the ocean glisten as greenstone, may the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway.

As the holiday season approaches, the senior team teachers would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for the time and commitment you have dedicated to the senior team students in 2023. Your support has been crucial in shaping a positive and enriching experience for all our learners.

Thank you to our teaching team, Anya, Mark, Rosarah, Tony, Jill, Renae, Heidi and Nicky, for their support, dedication, and collaboration throughout the year. Your commitment to the success of our senior team students has made a significant impact, and we look forward to continuing this journey together in the coming year.

To those leaving, we wish you the best and thank you for being a Kaik Kid! We loved having each and every one of you as part of our school.

We sadly say goodbye to Mrs Anya Cockroft this term. I am sincerely grateful for her incredible contribution to our senior team. Her presence will be greatly missed here at Kaikorai Primary School, and she will always hold a cherished place in the hearts of our students. We wish Anya all the best in her future endeavours.

Welcome to Hannah Sims! Hannah will be the Rūma tekau ma tahi teacher in 2024.

Last Words From Mrs Cockroft

Kia ora senior team whānau,

As I leave Kaikorai today to embark on my next adventure, I want to take a moment to say thank you once more. Teaching at Kaikorai has been an absolute privilege, and it is your children that make me love this job so much. I may not teach your child directly, but I know them all. You may have had older siblings in my classroom or may have children in my classroom now. Each and every one of them has shaped my journey as a teacher, and I am so grateful for that. The kids are the reason that teachers teach. I’ve already told the parents in my class that going to work is literally getting to spend each day with my 30 favourite little friends. Thank you for your cheery smiles and good mornings when I’m on the gate, for giving up your time to swim with us, or orienteer with us, or any of the millions of ways that you as parents support our time at school.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season, and I wish you all the best for 2024, whatever that may bring your whānau.

Ngā mihi nui,

Anya Cockroft 

Kererū hapori

We have a new name for 2024! The senior team will now be the Kererū hapori.

Kererū are treasured taonga, and they represent peace and are friendly birds. This is the perfect native bird to represent the student leaders of Kaikorai Primary School.

Learning Support

Thank you to Jill and Renae, our incredible senior learning support team. They have worked with children in structured literacy, maths and reading this year. Renae and Jill are not only supportive in the classroom, but they also contribute towards activities and events across the school.

We look forward to having them as part of our team in 2024.

Road Patrol Roster

The road patrol roster for 2024 has been sent home with the road patrol team for 2024.

I have needed to make some last-minute changes, so please check the roster to see if this impacts your child.

Stationery lists 2024

If you want to beat the back-to-school rush and order stationery for next year, please click this LINK.

Year 6 Camp

Recently, we had our school camp at Camp Columba. This was an unforgettable adventure in the great outdoors!

The school camp proved to be a phenomenal journey, where our children immersed themselves in the beauty of nature and faced challenges that tested their resilience and perseverance. The spirit and determination each student displayed were remarkable, showcasing their ability to overcome obstacles.

The camp provided a platform for physical and mental challenges and fostered a sense of independence and self-discovery among the students. As they navigated various outdoor activities, they discovered their strengths, learned to adapt to new environments, and developed skills that will undoubtedly serve them well.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to our parent volunteers for giving up their time to assist us at camp.

Year 5 Activity Week

We set off excitedly on Tuesday morning on our hikoi to the Botanical Gardens. We were lucky to have the exceptional navigation skills of Mr Reid and Mrs Cleland to lead the way. Once there, we split into our small groups and set off orienteering with our adult supporters. We tracked all around the gardens, finding the answers to the 20 questions and seeing the sights of the garden.

Wednesday started with us all in the learning street, as our rooms were all set to do some forensic investigation. We were so lucky to have Laura here to run the day. We measured blood splatter, analysed fingerprints, made footprint moulds and investigated different pieces of evidence. What a day!

Edgar Centre was the location for our next day, and a sports extravaganza was in store for us. We had two rotations of different sports and games to play. In the morning, we needed to use our dodging, throwing, catching, passing, and shooting skills with netball and dodgeball and get into the Zorbs for some different challenges. After some kai, we were back at it with football, basketball and handball. Our energy was definitely zapped by the end of the day.

Friday was the relaxing end to the week that we needed. We arrived at school in our PJs with blankets, pillows, and beanbags to spend time chilling out in the hall, watching a movie, and snacking on popcorn and ice blocks. We couldn’t have had a better end to the week.

Lastly, we would like to thank all the parents and helpers throughout the week. We could not have done it without you!

Drama Club Performance

Our team was fortunate to be invited to the Drama Club and Choir dress rehearsal for their Christmas play. We enjoyed the performance immensely and were impressed with the stand-out performances of our senior students.

Trinity College Pantomime

We attended the Trinity College Christmas Pantomime last week. This performance was very polished, and we appreciated the invite. Students took cans of food and non-perishable items for the Otago Foodbank instead of paying an entry fee.

Swimming

This term, our classes completed eight swimming lessons at Just Swim. One lesson was on water safety and how to wear and use a life jacket correctly, and the other seven were on swimming technique. For our final session at the pool, students enjoyed water sliding and relaxing in the leisure pool with their friends. Over the eight lessons, students showed a marked improvement in stamina and swimming technique.

Elf on the Shelf

The senior team's elves and Grinch have been wreaking havoc across the senior classes over the last few weeks. They have been visiting daily to ensure the children are kind, working hard and being good to their teachers.

Leavers’ Celebration

On Tuesday evening, we had our leavers’ celebration. As our Year 6 students embark on their journey to intermediate, we would like to extend our heartfelt best wishes to them all. 

Backfield and grassed area

This space is now open, and our children love being able to spread out and play a wider variety of games. It has been a long wait, but it was worth it!