We're at the pointy end of the year already! I'm not quite sure how that happened so quickly - but what a year it has been. As we move in to farewelling and celebrating achievements, it is an opportunity to reflect on the good things we have all managed to make happen!

Our Year Eights are showing all the signs that they are ready for their next stage.  They have maturity, confidence and an eagerness to get out into the wider world.  This is exactly how they should be feeling at this time of the year. We'll be supporting them to ensure their last month of primary school is a positive experience as they keep up their record of contributing to and leading our student body.  We will formally acknowledge them at a graduating assembly on Thursday 15 December at 1pm.  

We recently had an onsite visit with the team from ERO (Education Review Office). These visits can be quite intense, as we report what has been happening in the school and produce evidence to support our conversations. They also spent time in our classrooms and agreed with me that we have a fantastic teaching team. Our tamariki are learning in rich and responsive environments.

The Crazy Colour Run fundraiser organised by FOMS is proving extremely successful and the money raised will help ensure we are in a good position to start work on a new pool  as soon as we get the go ahead to start the project from Ministry of Education.  Thank you to those families who don't necessarily align with the method of fundraising but have supported the project anyway by making a direct donation to the school.  The colour run event itself will be fantastic fun for everyone to take part in.

Next year we will also have the benefit of the return of the Easter Fair.  The funds raised by this major event are crucial for our school.  Recent changes in government funding for schools unfortunately mean significant  reductions for us in 'equity funding' as well as 'isolation funding'.  We will, once again need to pull together as a community to ensure the provision of a rich and engaging education for our young people.

Our team is working hard on class placements for 2023 at the moment.  This is a huge task, and one we take very seriously.  It takes a great deal of professional thought and time to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together.  There are several stages - parental input on teacher change, student input on social groupings, teacher input on social and academic need, leadership input on class balance. At this stage we are on track for students to spend time in their new team (not class) at the end of Week Eight with individual class placements final decisions being shared following that. You'll notice my cautious language there - it is a moving beast, but we do understand that this is information whānau would rather have sooner than later.

We have a fantastic teaching team, and amazing tamariki. Wherever your child is placed, it will have been done with much consideration.  Your reaction will influence their reaction.  Please see any placement as an opportunity - maybe to increase their friendship circle, to get to know another teacher, to develop resilience, even to learn the important life skill of working with people that may not be their first choice!

As we  look ahead to next year, we do have some changes in staff.  Whaea Phil is heading north to new adventures, Connie won't be working with Reading Recovery students, and Bridget Chalmers will be taking a year out to focus on her family.  We are currently running the employment process for positions we have on offer.  If you know any fantastic teachers out there who would like to join our team, please let them know to look under vacancies on our school website or at the Education Gazette.  We already have interest and I know we won't have any difficulty attracting great teachers for these vacancies.  Who wouldn't want to work with our gorgeous tamariki?

It is a busy time of the year, but also a time to reflect and celebrate, and we have much to celebrate and be grateful for.  Let's enjoy taking a few minutes to celebrate the exciting stuff!

Ngā mihi aroha

Sharon Prestidge

Tumuaki o Te Kura Māpuia