School Newsletter - 15th May 2024

A Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

During Term 1 Kohimarama School undertakes a number of assessments to support students' learning and to understand our results in relation to the country's norms.

The two graphs below represent Progress and Achievement (PAT) results in Mathematics and Reading Comprehension. The assessments are standardised and normed. Each assessment takes about an hour one day and is delivered digitally. The results are processed and collated by the New Zealand Council for Education Research (NZCER) independent of the school.

The results are recorded in Stanines. Stanines give an idea of a student's achievement level in the context of their year group nationally. 

Key:

Stanine 1 - 3 students are not achieving the expected level.

Stanine 4 - 6 students are achieving at the expected level.

Stanine 7 - 9 students' achievement is exceeding the expected level. 

The following graphs show all students in years 4 - 8 who sat both the Mathematics and Reading Comprehension PAT in 2024.

Mathematics

Overall 94% of our Kohimarama students are achieving ‘at’ or ‘above’ their expected level.

Overall 87% of our Kohimarama Students are achieving ‘at’ or ‘above’ the expected level.

It is a pleasure to share with you these very good results. They are a testament to our school's commitment to excellence in education. By establishing a knowledge-rich curriculum grounded in the science of learning, implementing evidence-based instruction in our literacy and mathematics programmes and consistently monitoring student progress and achievement, we have created an environment that fosters understanding and academic success across these important areas.

I want to extend my appreciation to our dedicated teaching staff, supportive parents and, most importantly, our hardworking students. Together, we shape bright futures and empower our students to reach their full potential.

Alongside these very good results, we have feedback from the schools/colleges that our students move on to. That feedback forms part of our planning and considerations for teaching and learning.

It is a time to reflect and to celebrate the achievements of our students and acknowledge their continued growth and success. One aspect that we often receive feedback on is how well-prepared our students are when they transition to another school or a private school.

It's often the case for parents of our hard working, diligent students, to be pleasantly surprised when they discover that their child is excelling and can access accelerated classes upon arrival at their new educational setting. This success is a testament to the great teaching and learning environments we provide here at Kohimarama School, including our single-cell classrooms, learning hubs, and composite classes.

At Kohimarama, we are committed to delivering individualised learning experiences for all our students within a rich community school environment. This approach ensures that each child receives the support and opportunities they need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

It's important to note that unlike some neighbouring schools, we do not accept out-of-zone students. Our focus is on serving and supporting the local community, ensuring that every child who walks through our doors receives the best possible education tailored to their unique needs and aspirations and that of the community.

We are proud to share that the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Report on Work, validates the effectiveness of the "Kohimarama Way" in preparing students to become leaders in a rapidly changing world. This recognition underscores our commitment to excellence and innovation in education.

Pink Shirt Day - Friday 17th May

On Friday the 17th of May it's Pink Shirt Day!  On this day all of our learners are invited to wear as much pink as they can. In wearing something pink, we are showing that we all are making a commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all, and it also reminds us to be accepting and compassionate. In all classes, teachers will be discussing the issues concerning and the importance of being an 'upstander' rather than being a 'bystander' and the importance of being kind and accepting of one another. Let's stand up against bullying and make a wonderful pink statement on Pink Shirt Day!

Senior Kids Lit Competition

Yesterday two Kohimarama teams attended the Senior Kids Lit Competition at St Cuthbert's College - hosted by quizmaster Wayne Mills with over 300 children. 

In teams of 4, they answered questions in a range of Literacy genres across 10 diverse subject categories including Confectionery, Poetry Lines and Pop Culture.

Congratulations to our year 8 team, Zoe M, Jayden L, Lily and Emily C, who placed 13th out of 84 teams.  Jayden also won a prize for correctly answering a spot question. 
Well done to our year 7 team, Abigail J, Rachel C, Estella D and Mia-Rose K, who, at their first ever lit quiz competition, placed in the top 75% of teams.  
A huge thanks to Suyin and Christine for transporting and supporting our teams.  

Thursay 30th May – Grandparents Day

Grandparents and special older friends are invited to visit their grandchild’s classroom in the morning. Grandparents are welcome from 8.55am to 10.30am.

Student Leaders will be at each gate ready to help guide grandparents to classrooms.

Grandchildren will show their grandparents to the hall for morning tea at 10.30am, finishing at 11am. Students will not be staying in the hall for morning tea.

Teacher Only Days

A reminder we have Teacher only days coming up.

• Friday 31st May (After Grandparents day)
• Tuesday 4th June (After Kings Birthday on the Monday)
• Tuesday 29th October (After Labour weekend)
• Friday 15th November

Pre-Loved Sale

We would love donations of QUALITY pre-loved items you no longer need, have grown out of or no longer suit, like; 

• kids clothing
• men’s and women’s work and casual wear
• sporting equipment
• books, toys and games
• homewares (but not furniture sorry)

Drop to: Room 9 & 10 8.30 - 9.15 & 2.30-3.15

Collection dates: May 9th, May 14th, May 16th, May 21st, May 23rd, May 28th, May 30th 

Wearable Arts - Cord Donations

Kia ora! 

This year we are participating in the Toi Wearable Arts Competition. We are in need of old or broken electrical cords for our garment. If you happen to have any lying around and could drop them to the office or outside room 22.

We really appreciate your support. 

Thank you,

-Juliette, Charlie and Isabella.G

Sports Results

Flippa Ball & Mini Polo Results

• Bearded Dragons
  Win 8-0. POD Max M
• Kinas
  Loss 0-6. POD Bao & Ella A
• Year Sharks
  Win 5-1. POD Max M
• Bluebottles
  Loss 1-14. POD Isla

Policies and Procedures

To see the Communicating with Parents Policy, follow the link below;

Communtiy Notices

Student support/ Private tuition

If you believe your child would benefit significantly from highly focussed one-to-one learning sessions from a highly committed and expert teacher, who will not only help build their confidence but also accelerate their learning, then Boost Your Learning is the answer. And you can be confident that everything taught to the individual student will help to complement and reinforce what is being taught in the classroom.

We are a strong team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English, Maths and Science for intermediate and college students. To find out more about us, please visit our comprehensive website at www.boostyourlearning.co.nz or contact Sandra on 020 4031 6035 to book a free consultation. 

Finally, many thanks in advance for also sharing this information about how Boost Your Learning can provide significant learning support and individual success for students. And please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information.