Week 4 - 22 February 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora Koutou

We would like to welcome twins Sophia and Atticus to Tieke this week, welcome to Northland School. 

This week we have our Year 7 & Year 8 students at Camp El Rancho. They have three action packed days of outdoor activities and today half of them are on a day trip to Kapiti Island and the others will visit tomorrow. I would like to thank the teachers for their commitment to 24/7 for this week and to the parents who have taken time out of work and family life to attend. We appreciate everyone making camp a reality for students at Northland.

Last Friday all the students came together in Te Kōhanga for our first Rōpu Whanaugatanga. We began with karakia, whakatauki, pepeha and waiata. Then students meet in small groups to participate in various activities based on the values of kindness, manaaki and creative, auaha tanga. These groups will meet fortnightly and our Year 7 and Year 8 students will be leading the activities with support from teachers. There was a buzz throughout the school as everyone worked together in different ways. 

You will be receiving a letter within the next week regarding the 2023 Parent Donation, EOTC and Year 7 / 8 Materials in the next week. We have placed this letter as a PDF below.

This is our final weekly newsletter as we will now be publishing newsletters fortnightly. So please look for the Week 6 Newsletter on Wednesday 8th March. This will be sent as a link that you will need to open and is also on the website. We have had positive feedback on the Friday link that outlines events for the next few weeks. These are also on the school calendar and found on the website

Next week we are looking forward to the community picnic on Thursday afternoon from 5-7pm.

If you would like to come and chat or have questions or concerns please get in touch with any of the senior leadership team, Andrea, Jane and Judith.

Ngā mihi

Andrea

Board Update February 2023

Kia ora koutou

We had our first meeting for the year last week and it was good to hear how well the year has started for staff and students. It is great that parents and whanau are so welcome and there is a buzz of families enjoying the playground before and after school. We look forward to further  opportunities to continue to build our community spirit and provide information on the teaching and learning at Northland.

The Board members are Jono Weir (Presiding member), Justin Parker, Nikki Hurst, Rose Simpson, and Andrea Peetz. Moira Turley has been selected to join the Board from the parent community and there has been a change in staff rep with Judith Urry nominated for the role following Emma Chapman’s resignation of the role. 

End of Year Student Achievement 2022

Andrea provided a comprehensive report to the Board on the 2022 End of year student achievement data. Overall, our children have maintained high levels of achievement and progress in Reading, Writing and Maths in 2022. There has been an improvement for our Māori students particularly in reading and writing. 

Reading

Reading achievement is being maintained at a high level of achievement across the school with 87% meeting or exceeding the curriculum level. 

Writing 

83% of children were meeting or exceeding the expected curriculum level at the end of 2022.

Maths

82% of children were meeting or exceeding the expected curriculum level at the end of 2022.

We can celebrate our children’s success and be proud that our results have improved on those from 2021 and very close to our target of at least 90% of children meeting or exceeding the expected curriculum level in Reading, Writing and Maths. 

Strategic Plan 2022-2024

The three pou initiatives last year have begun to shift us closer to our desired outcomes to improve our learning community. The Board and Staff are now drafting the details for our annual plan and we will confirm how these initiatives will be implemented in the coming weeks. This will include using the feedback we received at the end of last year from you, staff and students will be reflected in our Annual plan for 2023.

At this stage the key initiatives for focus in 2023 will be;

Ako - Learning

Design Thinking, Design Learning

Structured Literacy and the NZC refresh Inquiry framework

Develop and implement the Learner Pathway 

Whanaungatanga - Relationships

Honoring our Commitment

Aotearoa NZ Histories

Te Reo for staff and increasing Te Reo for students

Oranga - Wellbeing

Empowered Staff

Positive Behaviour for  Learning  (PB4L)

Zones of Regulation to be sustained.

Leadership opportunities for students and developing more focus on contributing to the school.

Support for Staff

NZEI Te Riu Roa primary teacher and principal members are making the case to Government for the best investment in tamariki. Smaller class sizes, more time for individual students and more specialist learning support staffing would make a huge difference. 

Keeping and retaining teachers is top of mind right now, and this term, our teachers will also be meeting to consider a pay offer – and assessing if it’s enough to make sure that teaching is valued and is an attractive profession.

We thank you for arranging to collect your child next Wednesday 1st March, at 1pm from school and appreciate your support for our teaching staff.

Community

We are looking forward to the community picnic next week and invite you to consider how you could contribute time, expertise or a willingness to get involved with the following groups that are a combination of board members, parents and staff. 

Please look out for the calendar updates when the first meeting of these groups are planned; Home and School, Playground, Whānau Hui for our Māori families. We welcome other ideas to help build community and develop our environment at Northland.

Ngā mihi nui

Andrea Peetz, Principal

Jono Weir, Presiding Member

2023 Parent Donation

22nd February 2023

Parent and EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) Donations and Year 7/ 8 Materials

Kia ora koutou
Each year we ask parents of Northland School for two separate donations to help support the teaching and learning programmes. 2021 was the first year the parent donation was increased since 2012. Rather than large increases introduced every few years, the Board has agreed to make a small increase each year to the level of donation requested in order to cover an increase in costs and ensure the ongoing financial viability of the programmes that the school can offer.
We are therefore asking for a parent donation of $330 per child this year, which is an increase of $20 per child from what was requested last year. This will be capped at $900 for families with more than two children.
Your parent donation allows us, amongst other things, to do the following:
● reduce class sizes
● employ a librarian for five mornings a week to work with students from across the school
● provide a tutor for kapa haka, and
● employ additional staff to support students with their learning throughout the day.
● provision of a Literacy specialist who works with small groups and individuals
● a school counsellor who is available to support students and families weekly, and, throughout
2023 and finally
● this year we have subscribed to the SchoolTV platform which provides online support for parenting and wellbeing for the community.

EOTC Donation The EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom) donation is used for the transport costs for class trips to events related to classroom programmes, swimming lessons, athletics and swimming sports. Costs for hiring buses are the biggest expense involved in class trips. This particularly affects the overall cost of the swimming programme with Teams Ruru, Kōtare/ Tīeke having lessons at the Karori Pool and Team Y 7/8 using the facilities at the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie. All classes participate in sports sessions at the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie, as this is the largest venue for teams to attend a variety of sports together, and require charter buses. Over the last nine years the EOTC donation of $100 has remained the same. However, due to the rising cost of transport and chartered bus rates, the Board is requesting EOTC donations of $150 for the next two years. Cost of entry to events and swimming lessons are all curriculum related costs and are budgeted for in the school’s operational budget. These are not part of the $150 EOTC donation.

Year 7 & 8 Materials Fee
Team Year 7 and 8 students attend 24 sessions at the Technology Centre at Karori West Normal School.  There is a materials fee for this programme of $80 that is set by Karori West Normal School. There is no charge made for transport costs to technology lessons as this is funded by the Ministry of Education.

Payment options and details 
There are several payment options available for the donations and Year 7/8 technology materials fee. Payments of these donations can be in one single amount, in four installments, or on a fortnightly basis. It can be paid by direct debit (forms are attached) and also by internet banking. Adjustments are made for children starting part way through the year. If paying by internet banking our school account details are ASB 12 3174 0326688 00. Please note the child/ren in the reference section when setting up the payment.

There may be some instances where the school will make additional requests for payment for optional sporting or cultural activities and camps. Full information and payment details are sent home when requests are made for these.
The Board is acutely aware that these donations and fees are another cost on your household and thank you in advance for your on-going support for the school.
If you decide not to make a donation of the requested amounts this year, please contact our school office so we can make the relevant entry in our financial accounts to ensure you are not sent reminders.
We appreciate the many ways that parents provide support to our learning community to benefit all the children.

Ngā mihi

Andrea Peetz, Principal

Jono Weir, Presiding Member, Northland School Board of Trustees

Parent Teacher Conversations

The purpose of these meetings is for parents and teachers to share  strengths and areas of focus for learning for the first half of the year. We value the importance of working together and know that you are keen to support your child and their learning. I would like to encourage you to make contact with your child’s teacher when you have questions or are unsure how your child is learning, there is no need to wait for this schedule. 

Please save either date and we will provide you with a link for making a booking this Friday. These will be held on Tuesday 14 March and Thursday 16 March from 3:15- 5:15 and 6:15-7:45pm. These will be 15 minutes duration and if you would prefer to have this opportunity online that can be arranged. 

PB4L

The Positive Behaviour for Learning School-Wide framework, also known as PB4L School-Wide, is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life. Where school culture can be thought of as “the way things are done around here”, school climate is about “the way people feel around here”. Understanding school climate is a key part of building a new school culture. 

PB4L School-Wide looks at behaviour and learning from a whole-of-school as well as an individual child perspective. The framework is based on international evidence that can be tailored to your school’s own environment and cultural needs. 

It’s not about changing the students; it’s about changing the environment, systems, and practices you have in place to support them to make positive behaviour choice. You can find out more  about PB4L here https://pb4l.tki.org.nz/PB4L-School-Wide

ZONES

We are implementing the Zones of Regulation programme at Northland.  Over the last year we have found an increase in students awareness of their emotions, strategies and understanding of how we may respond to situations differently.

All classes spend time during the week checking in our the zone they may in and discussing situations and learning strategies that help to regulate our emotions and behaviour so we can learn.  You might like to find out about the different coloured zones and what they mean. 

Communication

We will continue to develop our communication about events, more specific details of the programmes in teams and the celebration of our children in their learning. We are making a few changes to the way you receive information.

Emails - Please make sure you know your child’s teacher and their email so you can have regular contact as needed. Teachers will attend to emails generally after 3pm and within 24 hours as they will be teaching during the day.   Sport events, western zone events, camps, team trips, cultural events will be emailed to you with details and google forms will be attached to the email if permission or parent help is required. 

Phone calls - You may receive a call from the office if your child is unwell. Teachers may call you to follow up on a situation or concern. If you would like to call the teacher they will be available after 3:15, we suggest a quick email to arrange a time that will work best for you.

School Newsletter - For the next 4 weeks we will send a Weekly School newsletter out via email on a Wednesday by 4pm. From then on newsletters will be sent every fortnight. This will be sent as a link that you will need to open. The newsletter will also be uploaded to the website. 

On a Friday you will be sent a link with events for the next few weeks and these will also be on the school calendar found on the website. 

Team Newsletter - Teams will provide a newsletter twice a term that will provide you with information specific to the smooth running of the team and how you can be involved in supporting your child. This will be sent via Seesaw and also uploaded to the Website.

Seesaw - All families have been invited to join Seesaw by your child’s teacher. Seesaw is used across the school for sharing learning by the teacher and by children as they learn to post. At times you may also receive a quick message from the teacher eg, please remember togs tomorrow.

School Website - Please refer to this - many details such as latest news, staff, calendar, school policies. The banner is checked and changed daily. https://www.northland.school.nz/

Community Picnic 2 March 5-7pm

We are looking forward to enjoying a picnic on Thursday 2nd March on the courts so families and staff can mix and mingle. Each team will share with you the class routine, expectations and the teaching focus for this term. It is also a chance to hear from the teachers and ask any questions if you need further information. We will cook sausages and provide bread and sauce to add to your family picnic. This will be held in the court area.  

5 - 5:45 - Picnic on the courts

5:45 - Music /Kapa Haka

6:00 - Andrea, Judith, Jane share the key areas of focus for 2023 in Te Kōhanga. 

6:15 - 6:30 Whānau can go and visit a team 

Ruru - Judith, Emma C,Emma Mu, Emma Mc

Kōtare/ Tieke - Katie, Fiona, Angela, Jane

Year 7 / 8 - Alex, Lyndsey, Rachel - Rooms 5-7

 Each team will share with you the class routine, expectations and the teaching focus for this term. It is also a chance to hear from the teachers and ask any questions if you need further information.

Library News

What's New?
New books on display at the library this week.

Movin' March

Let’s Get Movin’ in March!

We’re a Movin’March school and counting down to Wednesday the 1st March when we’ll start stamping passports at the gate as part of the Walk or Wheel Passport Challenge all through March.  Walking or wheeling to school is a great way to get active, know your neighbourhood, kick start learning for the day AND take care of the environment.  Remember students don’t have to complete their passports to go in the draw to win a $400 MYRIDE voucher at the end of March! 

Fancy going in the draw to win a scooter?  Parents who take part in our Whānau photo competition on Facebook or Instagram will be in to win 1 of 5 adult or child Micro Scooters or a Family Pass to Staglands or Zealandia.  Check out the Movin’March website for more on these competitions and how you can take part.  

School Sport Events

Northland School Netball 

Netball 2023– registrations opening soon

Look out for a link to the registration form and more information on the upcoming winter season in the next school newsletter. 

Northland School Netball Club is parent-led and focused on supporting all tamariki to develop their skills in a fun and welcoming team sport environment. If you are new to Northland School Netball and/or are interested in coaching or managing a team register your interest with the committee by emailing northlandschoolnetball@gmail.com .

Have a Go!

Thursday 2 March: 

The club will be hosting a drop-in session from 3.15 – 4 for students and their whānau on Thursday 2 March on the court outside Te Kohanga. This is a chance to meet with the coaches for some of our younger teams and to Have a Go!*

*Have a Go will provide fun activities (weather permitting) in a Year 2-4 group and a Year 5-6 group.  Have a Go is timed to be on same day as the school picnic.

The Weetbix Tryathlon is back on this year!

This is a reminder to register your child/ren to participate in the Weetbix Tryathlon this year. It's taking place on Sunday 19 March at Kilbirnie Park. I have created a Weetbix Tryathlon school group for Northland school. If you would like to register your student to be apart of our school, please follow this link.  https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=48064&G=162154 If you have any questions about the event, please go to https://tryathlon.co.nz/locations/wellington/ for more information. The event is always a great time and I plan on having a tent with the Northland school flag down at the park to have a shared space for our school and and students to come together on the day. I hope to see many of you there.

Absence

If your child is sick or has an appointment Please contact the school OFFICE and the class teacher.  You can email or phone the office directly or go through the website absent form.    Ph 04 475 7596   office@northland.school.nz  

Teacher Union Meetings - Wed 1st March

As the majority of staff at our school are union members, they will be attending this meeting. Although the school will not be closing, it is important that teachers who are entitled to and wish to attend this meeting are able to do so. A small number of staff will remain on site for the afternoon. 

We would greatly appreciate it if parents could make alternative arrangements for children this afternoon and either collect their children from school at 1pm, or give them permission to leave at 1pm.  

We have organised with Jan from Northland Kidz after school care to collect children who are enrolled with her programme at 1pm from the Tiger Turf. I appreciate the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your support of the teaching staff.

If you are unable to make alternative arrangements for your child please contact the school office, office@northland.school.nz before Wednesday 22nd February.

NORTHLAND KIDZ CLUB IS MEETING KIDS AT 1PM   WED  1/3/23
When school finishes at 1pm on Wed 1 March for the Teachers Union Meeting, we will
be meeting the kids at the Tiger Turf.
Our usual rates apply - $16 per child for regular, $20 per child for casual.
You can book in (if youré not already booked in) by texting Jan (022-140-2612) or
Lisa (022-6803-075). If you haven't used our service before, we will need an enrolement
form which is on our website ( www.nkc.org.nz )
Looking forward to hearing from you !

BSC - Before School Care

We are very pleased to welcome Bridget Hall who will run the Before School Care for the remainder of the year.  The cost from 7:30-8:30 is $10 or  from 8-8:30, the cost is $5. We are fortunate to be able to continue to provide this for you to make your mornings run well. 

Wellbeing - SchoolTV Platform

Anxiety is the topic we have selected for the next two weeks. 

Anxiety refers to feelings of worry, nervousness, or a sense of apprehension, typically about an upcoming event where the outcome is uncertain, or where a young person feels he or she might not be up to the task.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) defines anxiety as ‘commonly experienced in high pressure situations, for example, prior to a making a speech or sitting an exam. Feelings of anxiety can also arise following a stressful event, like an accident where the person is left feeling shaken. Anxious feelings are usually accompanied by physical sensations such as a churning stomach, light headedness, and a racing heart.’

https://northland.nz.schooltv.me/newsletter/youth-anxiety

SchoolDocs - Policies

SchoolDocs provides us with a comprehensive core set of policies, which have been well researched and follow the Ministry of Education National Administration Guidelines. The policies and procedures are tailored to our school, and the school supplies specific information such as our charter, and procedures for behaviour management, reporting to parents, etc.

We invite you to visit the site at https://northland.schooldocs.co.nz (note that there's no "www."). Our username is "northland" and password "orangikaupapa"

Our Value Curious - Pātaitai

Our quality is Understanding -  Understanding is thinking clearly. It is using your mind so that you can see the truth about things. It is paying careful attention and thinking about things in order to see their meaning. Understanding is having empathy and showing compassion. Understanding gives us the power to think and learn and also to care.

Term Dates

2023   Term 1     Tuesday 31 January - Thursday 6 April       TOD Friday 17 March                                                         Term 2     Wednesday 26 April - Friday 30 June          TOD  Mon 24 Apr +Friday 2 June                                 Term 3     Monday 17 July - Friday 22 September                                                                                                           Term 4     Monday 9 Ocotber - Friday 15 December 

Term 2 starts for children on the Wednesday 26 April, Monday the 24 April is a MOE teacher curriculum day and Tuesday 25 April is Anzac day.

The 2nd MOE teacher curriculum day will be in term 3 - we will advise once the date has been confirmed. 

Community Notices

Please check out the Community Notices in the attached document - lots of exciting opportunities for students and families to enjoy.   These are also displayed on the New Notice Board in the school office, come in out check it out !