Kia ora koutou! Welcome to the stunning Pekapeka in 2025. We hope your holidays were filled with unforgettable moments and cherished memories. Meet our dynamic team: Sally, Jen, Penny, and Sarah. Each of us are ready to bring our own unique flair and passion to the team, and together, we're ready to make waves and embark on an incredible journey with our tamariki.

Jen Loffhagen:

Hey! I’m Jenni Loffhagen, but the tamariki call me Mrs L, and I couldn't be more excited to be teaching in the beautiful Pekapeka this year. I'm lucky to be part of an amazing team and have a fantastic group of tamariki to share this journey with. 

My husband Grant and I live in Rangiora and together we have three awesome kids. Haylee is in Year 10 at Christchurch Girls High, Abbey is our eldest and a passionate preschool teacher ready to embark on an adventure in Australia, and Noah our middle child, is thriving in the building and landscaping industry.

Our family is all about the great outdoors, and we absolutely love spending time on the water, especially when we’re water skiing. Sports are a huge part of our lives, keeping us active and having fun. 

I'm passionate about art, especially when it comes to sculpting and creating masterpieces from wood and metal. There's something truly magical about transforming raw materials into unique works of art that tell a story. It's my creative outlet. 

I'm really looking forward to getting to know all our children in Pekapeka and creating an incredible year of learning, laughter, and growth together.

Penny Galway:

I'm Penny Galway, but the tamariki call me Mrs Galway. I am teaching in the Nest this year where I have the honour to support our newest tamariki on their school journey. I am passionate about learning through hands on experiences and creating opportunities for tamariki to share their big ideas and thinking. I really believe our 5 years hold all the answers! 

I'm thrilled to be part of this wonderful community, where I live with my husband and our daughter Grace, who's currently in Year 12 at Rangi Ruru. We have a Schnauzer called Duke and you often will find us walking the magic trails that we have here or wandering on the beach when it’s not windy!

Together, we're set for an exciting year filled with learning and fun. I can't wait to get to know all of you and make this year an incredible journey for everyone!

Miss P:

Kia ora I am Sally Patterson and the tamariki call me Miss P. I am the team leader here in Pekapeka with a deep passion for New Entrants. I love creating a team that takes great pride in ensuring our tamariki and our whānau feel excited and secure when transitioning into Kura. I am passionate about developing the whole child where they thrive not only academically, but for them to develop a deep desire to be the very best they can be in all aspects. 

I have been privileged to be living in Pegasus for 14 years and I think our community is incredibly special. I have two children, Hugo who is 11 and Francesca who is 7. They both attend our amazing school.

I love to make the most of what our outdoor environment has to offer, by keeping fit and going on adventures through running, mountain biking and surfing. In the past I was a competitive Netballer and Touch player and still dabble a bit in these team sports today.

It is an honour to be your child’s kaiako and I can’t wait to learn alongside you all this year!

Sarah:

Hi, my name is Sarah and l live in Pegasus with my two boys and husband. My boys are named Dylan who is 12yrs old (teenager this year) and Flynn who is 9yrs old. When l am not working l like to read, draw and the odd art and craft. I also like going for walks and spending time outside with the family. I particularly like Spenser Park where we play football, cricket and mini golf.

Week 1:

We have been so lucky to have Mrs Porritt step into the Nest this week and we have loved having her contribute her artistic flair and expertise in all curriculum areas. We've had some incredible activities and learning experiences this week, and its has been amazing to welcome all the new tamariki to our kura.

We warmly welcome: Charlie Hay, Nixon van Warmerdam, Frankie Berkbeck, Gabriel Kindsvater, Harry Ludlum, Rowan Mathis-Pearson, Marley Habershon, Lexie Smith, Finley Scott, Wilbur Glass and Blair Shay. It has been great to see our Year 0’s from 2024 step up and be tuakana making our new nesties feel secure.

Our main focus has been on establishing good learning behaviours for Maths, Reading, and Writing before we start our programmes next week.

In Maths, we kicked off with some exciting activities centred around shapes. The tamariki are diving into hands-on experiences where they're exploring various shapes, whilst learning how to work with a maths mate.

In Reading we have been learning about bus stops/rotations and how to do these independently. In Writing, we're focusing on enhancing our writing skills by explicitly teaching letter positioning.

Our Treaty Leaves Project - This week, our tamariki have been busy creating some beautiful leaves that represent our classroom treaty. Each leaf is unique and reflects the values and agreements we've made as a class. This activity not only allowed us to express our creativity but also reinforced the importance of working together as a whānau and respecting one another.

PE: Listening Games with AKO - We've been focusing on enhancing our listening skills through some engaging games related to our value AKO (to learn). We participated in various activities that required them to listen carefully and respond appropriately. These games are not only fun but also help us build better communication skills and foster a supportive learning environment. We are going to takes these games into our fitness break for Term 1.

Amazing Portrait Art - Our young artists have been drawing some truly amazing portraits this week! Everyone has shown great attention to detail and creativity in capturing their portrait. Their artwork will soon be displayed in the classroom for everyone to admire, so feel free to pop in and have a look.

Looking Ahead to Week 2:

Next week in Maths we start our MNP programme. Here we'll be exploring how to identify similarities and differences across various criteria, such as colour, shape, size, texture, and function. This is a fantastic opportunity for our tamariki to develop their matching skills, which are crucial for mathematical thinking.

In literacy, our focus will be on orally identifying the first, last, and middle phonemes in three-phoneme words and connecting these sounds to print. This will help strengthen their phonemic awareness, which is essential for reading and writing development.

We are also excited to start our Perceptual Motor Programme (PMP) that we will be running in PE. PMP is designed to enhance the perceptual and motor skills of our tamariki through fun and engaging physical activities. It focuses on developing balance, coordination, body awareness, and spatial skills, which are crucial for learning and everyday tasks. By participating in PMP, children not only improve their physical abilities but also boost their concentration, listening skills, and confidence.

Reminders:

-Please ensure your child brings their hat for outdoor play.

-Library day is every Friday, so don't forget to return any borrowed books.

-Each term each team will have 5 CRT days (Classroom release time) which will be used for planning, testing and professional development. Our first day is on Tuesday. We have a fantastic team of amazing kaiako who will step in for us when we are out on CRT. However we will always be here to support with morning drop offs.

Have a lovely weekend-make memories and go on adventures!

Arohanui,

Jen, Penny, Emily, Sarah and Sally