Kia ora e te whānau!

You may have seen references to the new Literacy & Communication and Mathematics Strategy that is being implemented by the Ministry of Education in the not-so-distant future.

One of the 5 focus areas of the strategy is to "create educationally powerful connections that support and enhance learning."

This goal fits perfectly with what we have been planning in regard to supporting whānau to help accelerate their child's mathematical development at home.

In Term 2 (COVID permitting) we will be running a 'Home-School Numeracy Partnership' for whānau of our junior students.

The purpose of the programme is to:

1. reinforce the fact that whānau are one of the greatest influences on children's learning and development and are essential to their success at school.
2. share ways in which families and teachers working together can make an even greater impact on children's numeracy development.
3. increase whānau understanding of numeracy and practical ways of helping children learn.

What happens in the programme?

A team of staff members will deliver sessions for whānau. The sessions help whānau relate their understandings about numeracy to what their children are learning in school. Staff will also get a better understanding and insight into the backgrounds, cultures and home numeracy practices of the tamariki they teach.

The programme is made up of five sessions for whānau in which they learn about numeracy and how to help their children at home. Students will be present at the sessions to allow whānau to practise working with them whilst staff are present to answer questions and offer assistance.

At each session, parents will be taught 2 new games that they can play with their child/ren at home to reinforce their mathematical understanding. Each game is easy to play, takes 5 minutes or so and is great fun! The school will provide you with all the equipment that you need to play the game, including dice, counters and game boards which are yours to keep.

Keep an eye out for a notice coming home early in Term 2 that will ask you to sign up for the sessions. Once the forms are sent home please return the forms asap so that we can ensure we have the necessary equipment and resources available and ready to go home.

We hope to have as many Junior School (Com 4, Com 5 and Com 7) whānau as possible attend. The one thing that we ask is that you commit to attending all of the five sessions wherever possible as this will result in the greatest impact on student progress.

If you are a parent of a Senior School Student and feel like you are missing out; don't worry! We will be running a similar program with different, age-appropriate games for you in Term 3 (COVID permitting).

I hope that you all have a wonderful, restful holiday and are able to avoid isolation during the mid-term break. After the holidays we hope to be able to welcome you all back onto school grounds on a far more regular basis. Traffic Light settings should hopefully allow us to invite you to assemblies, Cross Country Races and other events in Term 2.

Ngā mihi nui

Ian Quilter