Kohimarama School News - 26th March 2025

School News

A Message from Cowley Team

The Cowley Team has been exploring the concept of 'Mana' as part of our ongoing inquiry. We have been reflecting on our place in the world—our role within our community, school, and family. Questions like "Who am I?" and "Where do I come from?" have guided our discussions. Some students have shared their ‘secret superpower’—the unique qualities they bring to others.

Additionally, we’ve been focusing on the areas of self-regulation, which help us manage our emotions and interactions with others. This includes being mindful of not diminishing someone else’s Mana. We've also been learning to recognise the size of a problem and how to use strategies to work through challenges we may face at school.

Here are some of our thoughts about what mana is-

• Marie - "Something about you, what you like and where you are from."
• Bella -"Your family also gives you mana when they look after you and you get mana when you look after them."
• Scarlett - “Mana is our family, our names, culture and where we come from”
• Luther -”If you are from a different country and your ancestors are from a different country, they have the same mana even though they have had different experiences.”
• Minh - “Mana is who your parents used to be and know and pass it on like your traditions and culture.”

In Year 2 we have been learning about Kākahu. We know these cloaks are special and show that people wearing them have Mana. We are creating our own Kākahu, which includes feathers representing our school values and learner dispositions. 

• Thomas - The blue penguins are collaborative. They help each other and work together as a team. I taught others to make a paper dart and how to fly them.
• Victoria - The kea has camouflaged feathers when it's still, but when it opens its wings it has different colours under its wings. The kea is for curiosity and curiosity helps us to learn lots of things.
• Airlie D - I chose the little blue penguin because blue is my favourite colour and I like penguins. I am collaborative because I like inviting people to play with me.
• Frida - I chose the kea because the colours look good together and because I like rainbows. I am curious because I ask questions at school.
• Sebby - The pīwakawaka is creative. I chose the pīwakawaka because I am really good at building things with lego.
• Victoria - I chose the blue penguin because the feathers are really nice and I love to include others when they don’t have anyone to play with.
• Harry- I chose the kiwi because the feather relates to our country. I am great at listening and following instructions.

To read more on The Mana Model click here

The Kohimarama Way - Respect/Whakaute

Student Counsellors at Kohimarama School

We would like to welcome Ruby and Amber - counselling students from AUT  - who are completing their practicum with us this year. Ruby will be here on Tuesdays and Amber on Thursdays. Please see below the process of how students are referred to the Student Counsellors at Kohimarama School, should you wish to make a referral.

Basketball for Term two

Basketball is starting up in Term 2 for Year 3–8 students. We aim to sign up for the 3x3 competition with Auckland Basketball Services at the Barfoot & Thompson Stadium in Kohimarama, and the 5x5 competition with Foundation Basketball Limited at St. Kentigern Boys' School.

If your child is interested in participating in one of the two competitions this year, please have a look at the basketball signup form to find out more information and to sign up. Here, you can also sign up to coach or manage a team.

Parent support is needed and appreciated to help run our basketball teams over the next two terms.

Basketball Signup Form

Sign-up closes March 27th!!!!!

Atkin House Colour Day!

Atkin House came out in green last Thursday in celebration of their house. Each class sent their 2 or 3 'greenest' people for a photo to celebrate the day. Atkin certainly did themselves proud with 970 points earned in total, which will be included in the final count for the House Shield at the end of the year. Well done Atkin!

Book Day - Wednesday 2nd April

This will be a fun day with all things 'book'.  We are all dressing up as a book character, we will be 'stopping, dropping and reading' throughout the day, each Learning Space will be writing part of a story that will come together in the end, House points will be given out for finding book characters hidden around the school and so much more.  Claire Frazerhurst from the PTA has organised a fabulous Scholastic Book Fair where you can purchase books for your children too, not to be missed.

Kohimarama School Book Fair 2025

Hello School Community,
Thank you so much to those of you that have signed up to help.  We still need 2x cashiers for Thursday 3rd April before school. And there are lots of spaces left for costume wearers. Note the costumes are suitable for an adult or a year 7/8 student. If you’d like to sign up please use the link below or email me at clairefrazerhurst@gmail.com (please don’t forget to include your mobile number).
Looking forward to seeing you all at the Book Fair next week!

Learning Snapshots

Our upcoming Learning Conversations provide a valuable opportunity to share an up-to-date picture of where your child is currently in their learning journey. These conversations also allow us to discuss the next learning goals, ensuring that we are all on the same page - parents, teachers and students alike. In some cases, the teacher and student will be leading these discussions.

We encourage all families to book a time to meet with their child’s teacher on one of the following dates:

Wednesday 9th April – 1:30pm to 6:00pm
Thursday 10th April – 3:15pm to 8:00pm

The link is open to book your appointment via School Interviews - https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/rahzs (log in code rahzs)

Please note that school will close at 1:00pm on Wednesday 9th April to accommodate these conversations.
If your child is unable to be picked up at this time, please complete this form by Friday 4th April so we can make necessary arrangements.

We look forward to connecting with you and continuing to support your child’s learning journey together.

Swimming Sports

Kohimarama School Swimming Sports.
We held the Kohimarama School event at Sacred Heart on March 10, for our Yr 5-8 students. The placegetters were:

Certificates & Awards

Congratulations to these outstanding students:

• Room 1 – Anna O
• Room 2 – Asher R
• Room 3 – Tida C, Max M
• Room 4– Carl L, Anna T
  
• Room 6 – Kira M
• Room 7 – Kylie V, Jack SR
• Room 8 – Saffi B, Sebastian V
• Room 9 – Isla RR
• Room 10 – Luca S
• Room 16 – Arlo H, Ayda A
• Room 11 – Ben B, Alex I
• Room 12 – Pierre G, Freya H
• Room 13 – Logan L, Sabine P
• Room 14 – Sylvia R, Julia C
• Room 15 – Havana C, Zara W
• Room 17 – Isla A, Ethan S
• Room 18 – Ethan P, Aria Z
• Room 19 – Casey F, Georgia H, Ajay P
• Room 20 – Bien Y, Declan F
• Room 21 – Abigail L, Isla D
• Room 22 – Sepehr G, Nico G
• Room 23 – Jackson H, Jian S

The Kohimarama Way Values - "Greenies"

Congratulations to our fortunate winners this fortnight:

• Ryden            Rm 1             for friendliness            Colenso
• Alfie               Rm 2             for reliability                 Patteson
• Kylo                Rm 11           for honesty                    Selwyn
• Leo M            Rm 12           for reliability                 Selwyn

BoT News

Community Survey & Annual Implementation Plan

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts and feedback in our 2024 Community Engagement Survey. Your insights help us reflect and are an invaluable input into the school’s annual planning. Here’s a brief summary of what you told us and how your voice is helping shape the year ahead.

What You Told Us

Satisfaction is on the rise

• 79% of parents are satisfied or very satisfied with Kohimarama School (up from 73% in 2023)
• Our Net Promoter Score increased from 15 to 29, which is a very positive result
• Satisfaction is strongest among families with experience of other schools 

What matters most to you

• A strong focus on core learning: reading, writing, maths and science
• More opportunities for students in creative arts and STEM
• A balanced approach that nurtures personal growth, creativity and wellbeing
• Better communication about your child’s progress
• A supportive, inclusive environment for all learners

A summary of the community research can be viewed here

What We’re Doing in 2025

We’re in the second year of implementing our three-year Strategic Plan. Here is what’s already underway from the Annual Implementation Plan.

Enabling Learners to Thrive

• Core Curriculum: Teachers are enhancing the way they use assessment data to personalise learning and maintain high standards (Targets: Reading, Writing > 80% working within or above, Maths > 95%)
• Wellbeing: The Mitey programme and Zones of Regulation continue to be embedded to support student wellbeing
• Breadth of Opportunity: Enrichment continues with music, choir, sports, and Kapa Haka – and we’re aiming for 75% participation across Years 3–8

Strengthening Our Community Connections

• Communication: A new school communications plan is being rolled out, including a new parent portal, and targeted information about areas including the new curriculum, and how we’re assessing student progress.
• Celebrating Tikanga Māori: With support from Ngāti Pāoa, students and staff are growing their knowledge of te ao Māori

Growing a Fantastic Team

• Attracting Great Teachers: Work continues to attract high-quality teaching staff, including creating new materials to showcase what it means to teach at Kohimarama
• Staff Wellbeing: Professional conversations and support are part of our focus on teacher workload and wellbeing

Building a Leading Learning Environment

• Year 7–8 Retention: Parent information evenings, open mornings and better visibility of our Intermediate Programme aim to help families make confident decisions
• Property & Planning: We’re continuing to work with the Ministry of Education on property improvements aligned with the school’s long-term vision

The full Annual Implementation Plan can be viewed here

Latest ERO Report

The Board is proud to share the highlights from our most recent Education Review Office (ERO) report, which underscores our commitment to student achievement and well-being. 

Key Findings from the ERO Report

• High Academic Achievement: Over 80% of our students are performing at or above the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing, and over 90% in mathematics, reflecting our dedication to academic excellence.​ 
• High Engagement: Over 80% of our students demonstrate strong engagement in their learning, consistently achieving and maintaining high academic standards over time.
• Strong Sense of Belonging: Our students exhibit a deep sense of pride and connection to the school, thriving in a supportive and positive learning environment that nurtures their strengths and interests 

The full ERO report can be accessed here

PTA News

Weet-bix TRYathlon - This Sunday

Good luck to everyone competing in the Weetobix TRYathlon this weekend.

Calendar of Events PTA 2025

Term 1: Feb 3rd – April 11th

• March 30th - Weet Bix TRYathlon
• March 31st - 4.30pm – 6pm Kiri Picnic
• March 31st - Book Fair begins
• April 2nd - Book Day

Term 2: April 28th – June 27th

• May 9th - Muffins for Mum (Tickets on sale last week of term 1)
• May 9th - School Disco
• May 30th - Grandparent Day
• June 13th - Comedy evening in the Good George – Tickets on sale at beginning of Term 1.

Term 3: July 14th – September 19th

• TBC - Cheese and Wine Evening
• Sept 5th - Blokes Breakfast (Tickets on sale end of Term 2)

Term 4: Oct 6th – Dec 19th

• October 18th - GALA (Tickets on sale Last week of Term 2)
• TBC - Colour Run

Gala, Gala, Gala!

The development of the 2025 Gala is underway!

• DATE – October 18th
• Venue – The Royal Akarna Yatch Club

We have met with a number of venues and spoken to various suppliers and the negotiations on the Venue, Food and Beverage offerings are in progress. 

In 2023 we sold 130 tickets at a ticket price of $150.00pp which included the venue, your evening meal, entertainment and an arrival drink, along with some back costs such as printing and the like. 

We are working hard and aiming to hold our ticket price at this but we would like to challenge the total number of tickets sold … Our aim this year is now 200! 

Due to a number of all black games and other local events, We have moved the date to OCTOBER 18TH. Put it into your Calendar, Contact the babysitters, reach out to your out of school friends and family to join your table and dust off your dancing shoes! 

If you have a business package, service offering or a Batch that you would like to offer for a weekend which we can auction off, Please email kohimaramapta@gmail.com 

Lets make this a fundraiser to remember and raise as much money for the school as possible. 

I will provide a greater breakdown as to where the fundraising will be spent over the coming weeks. 

Bizzy Bodz Holiday Programme

Community News