I hope our newsletter finds you safe and well. The mornings have been crisp and cool of late but it usually results in a sunny day. It’s great to see the days lasting a little longer. It won’t be too long before we will be able to enjoy some outside activities after work. I know I’ll be playing touch rugby once the competition starts in September/October. Walks on the beach and participating in other activities helps our wellbeing so bring it on.

Learning Conversations: Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st August.

We have our learning conversations booked for Week 7 of this term. It is a great opportunity for you to touch base with your child’s teacher to discuss their academic and personal progress. We are trying something a little bit different this year. There will be an opportunity to look at your child’s learning base and their work before you have the learning conference. More specific details will be shared with you, as well as the online booking system, by the end of this week.

Rebuild/Refurbishment

Our new admin/office block looks like it will be completed in October so staff and students are looking forward to it. Below are a few photos of the progress being made inside the building.

We patiently wait for the Ministry’s decision about whether or not they will complete our rebuild/refurbishment programme.

Education Review Office (ERO) Report

We have been waiting to hear back from ERO regarding updating the school’s public ERO report. I contacted our liaison person and they ‘hope’ we will have this some time next week.

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)

We are currently working closely with Shayla Foster from Healthy Active Learning to ensure our RSE programme follows the curriculum. We will open the programme up for community consultation so you are aware of what is included in the programme and what is not. The programme is not Sex Ed. If there are parts of the programme you prefer your child does not participate in, you will have the opportunity to let me know so alternative arrangements can be made.

The community consultation will happen late term 3 or early term 4. We are looking at rolling out the programme later in term 4.

Youthtown

Youthtown has been coming into school Tuesday afternoons offering some of our girls cool activities. Yesterday they were doing archery. Thank you, Whaea Ang, for the great photos below. Other students who remain at school are involved in various clubs while the remainder are participating in sport at various venues around Christchurch. 

Brett Cooper

Tumuaki/Principal

Te Oraka Shirley Intermediate