Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you managed to spend some time as a family whilst juggling work commitments over the two-week school break. The teachers all spent time away to recharge their batteries and had the opportunity to plan an exciting programme for the children. We welcomed Whaea Tracy back from maternity leave and Matua Tom and John into the KSS Whānau. We also welcomed all of our new students to the school at our traditional termly Whānau Hui. We are now a school of 311!

This term we have a particular focus on Science. Notice, Think & Wonder is the opportunity for children to investigate changes that occur in the material and physical worlds and how people influence change. Key concepts: change, ethics, cycles, processes, reaction, patterns, force, structures, properties, behaviour, and energy. The excitement in Year 3 was fantastic in week 1 with our new kits from The House of Science!

The Board of Trustees has been lobbying the Ministry of Education to ensure we are allocated more teaching spaces to meet the rapid roll growth. I am pleased to let you know they have listened and that we will be starting to plan these this year and start construction in 2022 ready for 2023. This will complete the school's master plan of 700.

The days are getting lighter and the sun should start to make more of an appearance. The daffodils and bulbs will soon appear indicating that Spring is almost here. I am looking forward to the ski trip with the Y4-8 children in week 4!

Matua Mike