Kia ora koutou e te whānau

This term is flying past at a great rate of knots and it is hard to believe we are already past the halfway point of Term Two! 

We would like to extend a very warm Lyttelton Primary School welcome to the following new tamariki and their whānau. We are thrilled to see you settling in and making new friends here at Lyttelton Primary School.

Harakeke - Eloise Wilkinson & Ted Harbridge

Over the last fortnight our tamariki (children) have again been incredibly busy getting involved in learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom!

Our Harakeke students have been enjoying time together with their senior buddies from Raupō and Tōtara. A time for tuakana/teina, meaning younger tamariki learning from older and the older tamariki learning from the younger. Read more here. 

On Wednesday 5th June, a group of Year 5-8 students represented our school at the Zones Cross Country. These students displayed a great deal of manawanui and manaakitanga at this event. Read more here.

On Friday, we held a fire drill practice.These are a regular requirement of our Health & Safety procedures at Lyttelton School. When staff and students participate in these types of activities we are ensuring everyone understands and knows what to do should an emergency occur when we are at school. We would encourage you to talk with your child/ren at home about what to do in an emergency and to work with them to create and practice your own household safety plans. Links here to Fire and Emergency - Create an escape plan and Get Ready - Make a household plan resources.

On Monday, a group of Year 6 students started a 5 week block of Young Writers workshops facilitated by Gail and recently a group of Year 7 & 8 students attended the Writers Masterclass 'I speak for the worms'. Our school has had a long association with the School of Young Writers enabling our students to partner with talented creative artists, lyricists and writers for enrichment writing opportunities. Read more here.

In addition to these events, our tamariki have been involved in the following curricular activities over the past two weeks;

• Totara Technology at Christchurch East School
• Kapa Haka lessons
• Basketball lessons with the RAM's
• Voice to Voice Peer Support Programme
• Drama lessons with Mike
• Second Language Lessons
• UC Sport Coaches

Our PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) focus for the next fortnight is on our school value of Manaakitanga / Respect in particular 'Following instructions the first time'. At Lyttelton Primary School we follow instructions as soon as they’re given. When students follow instructions promptly, less time is wasted on repeating directions, allowing for more time to be spent on learning and engaging with the material. This efficient use of time helps cover more content and delve deeper into subjects. Our teachers use a variety of strategies to support consistent following of instructions as it helps maintain order and structure in the classroom, creating a positive and productive learning environment. This atmosphere supports both teaching and learning, reducing disruptions and distractions.

Upcoming events:

Thursday Sport - 13th & 20th June
Aupaki Tech Fest - Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th June
School Assembly - Friday 21th June
Board Meeting - Monday 24th June
Canterbury Cross Country - Wednesday 26th June
Matariki Celebration - Thursday 27th June
Matariki (School Closed) - Friday 28th June
Book Week - Monday 1st - Friday 5th July

From the Board -The Annual Report is a key accountability document that Boards of Trustees are required to prepare to inform and report to stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, Members of Parliament and, most importantly, parents and the wider school community. The Board is required to make the school’s annual report available to the public on an internet site maintained by or on behalf of the Board. The latest Annual Report 2023 is now available on the school website.

Policy Review -Lyttelton Primary School uses School Docs to review and update our policies and procedures. In term 2 we are reviewing topics in the Employer Responsibilities section. All reviews are open to board, staff, students, and the school community (parents/caregivers/whānau). Link to Policy Review instructions.

PTA - It's time to kick start our schools PTA - Join today! Are you an enthusiastic parent/caregiver who wants to be a part of the village that helps to raise our kids, support the running of our school in practical ways and strengthen our school community? Please register your interest here.

Contact Details for Parents and Caregivers -Please check on Hero that we have your correct contact details so we can easily contact you if needed. If they need updating please let us know by phoning or emailing the school office.

Whānau Support - We continue to have the support of the Mana Ake services so please contact Emily or your child's teacher if you require additional support.

Professional Development - Staff are learners too!    

At our Teacher Only Day, staff engaged in learning together focused on The Science of Learning, a workshop on Autism, and Professional Growth Cycle Goal reflections and next steps. It was a rich learning day for our staff in supporting their ongoing learning and development practices. 

On Monday, staff engaged in a Mathematics assessment moderation session facilitated by Emily. Our ongoing school-wide focus on mathematics is supporting our teachers to strengthen their practices and provide our students with rich mathematical learning experiences. A deep dive into our school data alway provides new understandings and opportunities for enriching our teaching and learning programmes. Here is a rich maths challenge for you to try at home - Whānau Fun Maths Challenge 5. 

Finally, Matariki…SAVE THE DATE for our annual community Matariki celebration. This year we will be celebrating Matariki on Thursday 27 June. Tamariki with the support of their kaiako are busy preparing for our whole school performance 'Ngā Whētu o Matariki'. 

Have a wonderful weekend with your whānau.

Ngā mihi nui

Jenny

Tumuaki / Principal