Meeting held Thursday 28th March 2024

2024 Strategic aim Literacy - The implementation of a school wide literacy strategy.

• This will meet an identified gap in our curriculum.

2024 Strategic target Access and respond to the curriculum

This target will include;

● Ensuring that all students are able to access a range of learning opportunities.

● Therapy support in goals and professional development

● Parent input in goals

● Class budgets

● Range of programmes and involvement like; The nurture club for our young men and women, sensory food programmes, gymnastics programmes, sense rugby, RDA, rock climbing, golf, Barre base, Wednesday sports, swimming and hydrotherapy.

● Partnering with the Health Active learning team

● Sourcing funding for these programmes

Strategic target – Communication

● We will co construct processes that strengthen communication across the school. This will be done with all stakeholders so that everyone will know what communication we can expect from each other to improve the smooth running of the school and improve outcomes for students.

● Otago Polytechnic – We are still waiting on word from the ministry about the sign off from the minister of Education for our occupancy of the OP site. OP is ready for us to go there and our class is ready to go. Until further notice this is in limbo.

● We Have sent out a survey to our community about the vision and values.

● From the 3rd to the 7th of March Danjela Malobabic visited our school from Beverly School in Toronto. Danjela very much enjoyed her time at Sara Cohen School and the opportunity to compare and contrast the operation of our school and approach to learning was very interesting. I will visit Danjela’s school later in the year.

● The school build is nearing the construction stage. The ‘pad’ will be laid in the next two weeks and the contractors are hopeful that they will have a water tight ‘shell’ by the beginning of winter.

● A container has been placed at Concord School. This will provide a huge amount of storage for the two Sara Cohen classes there. One of the teachers has told me that it will be a game changer for them.

● CLP meetings have begun and are set to be completed by the end of term 1.

● Our junior students have begun Riding for the Disabled. The last time we participated in RDA was in 2019. Our students have very enjoyed the opportunity to partake in this programme. We currently have 8 students going and will look to extend it to more of our students.

● Our students are going to weekly gymnastics sessions. This is done at the Otago Gymnastics club and is supported by our school physiotherapist and members from the health active team.

● We have a nurture club operating on base for our female students. This year a nurture group for boys has begun. This is run by Dennis Kahui and they have had 3 sessions.

● Teacher Only Days – Friday 31st May & Tuesday 29th October 2024