Kohimarama School News - 5th June 2025
School News
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Caregivers
I am pleased to provide an update on the professional learning and development our teachers undertook during our Teachers Only Day on Tuesday, 3rd June 2025. The entire day, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, was dedicated to a deep dive into the new New Zealand Mathematics and Statistics Curriculum.
At Kohimarama School, we are proud that our students consistently achieve high levels in Mathematics, tracking well above national and international norms. For example, our 2024 results from the Curriculum Insights and TIMSS studies showed Kohimarama students performing significantly above the NZ-wide average in numeracy. Furthermore, our Term 1 2025 PAT Mathematics results indicate that 45% of our students are working above their expected level. The large majority of the remaining students are working within. We've observed positive year-on-year improvements for our students, who continue to achieve above the New Zealand national mean in Mathematics. Even our Year 3 and 4 students, who sat their first PAT test this term, are also achieving above the national mean.
The Teachers Only Day was designed to support our ongoing commitment to excellence in line with The Kohimarama Way. It allowed us to examine the Mathematics and Statistics Years 0-8 learning area, which came into effect on 1 January 2025 and replaces curriculum levels 1-4 of the existing curriculum.
During the day, our teachers diligently worked through various aspects of the new curriculum:
- Understanding the New Framework: Teachers gained a clear understanding of the new curriculum's structure, including the Understand, Know, Do (UKD) framework. This framework describes the big ideas students develop (Understand), the key concepts and procedures they learn (Know), and the processes they use (Do).
- Exploring Teaching Sequences: We focused on the year-by-year teaching sequences, which outline what to teach and when, along with teaching considerations for how to teach. These sequences are designed to support students in revisiting ideas and deepening their learning over time.
- Integrating the Science of Learning: A key focus was how the science of learning further impacts our teaching. This includes understanding that students learn best when they feel a sense of belonging, when new ideas are connected to existing knowledge, and when learning is well-organised to reduce cognitive load. Motivation is critical for engagement, stemming from feelings of autonomy, competence, and social connection.
- Planning and Collaboration: Staff spent time planning and sharing across the school, developing Year, Unit, and Weekly plans. This collaborative approach ensures that the sequence of learning progresses coherently throughout the school, building on prior knowledge and preparing students for future challenges.
- Rich Tasks and Differentiation: We explored the use of Rich Tasks which provide meaningful problem-solving and investigation experiences. These tasks are designed to be accessible to all students, offering different levels of challenge, and fostering student agency, confidence, and motivation. Teachers also discussed how to use assessment information to guide planning and teaching, ensuring differentiated support and accelerated approaches for students with specific needs, while also extending those with deep understanding.
Our teachers are committed to continuously developing and improving their practice to deliver a curriculum that not only ensures academic success but also nurtures our students' dispositions and values. This dedication, combined with our engaged and confident learners and supportive parent community, is what drives our exceptional results and ensures your child receives an engaging and comprehensive education at Kohimarama School.
The Kohimarama Way - Reliable/Totika
"The more reliable and consistent we are in our follow through on commitments, and our relationship repair work the deeper trust grows." Gina Senarighi
Scholastic Lucky Book Club
Issue 4 catalogues should have come home by now. Please ask your child's class teacher if you haven't received one.
You can also view the catalogue online here:https://issuu.com/
Download the LOOP app to order online and have your order delivered to your child's class for free.
Please note orders are due in by midnight Monday 9th June.
Kids Can Fundraiser - $953.50
Thank you to all those who participated in this fundraiser. We have heard back from the Kids Can organisation thanking us for our support and letting us know that because of our contribution, 19 children will now have a pair of shoes and socks and a warm jacket - ka pai everyone.
EPRO8 Mock Competition
Over the last two weeks, the Kohimarama EPRO8 teams have been involved in a mock competition, given the task of constructing an exoskeleton for Ironing man (a take on Marvel's 'Iron Man').60 children from years 5-8 were involved, in preparation for the school finals being held over the next 2 weeks. The year 5 and 6 teams created the chest plate, hinged hip and thigh and hinged knee and calf for their model. Most of the year 7 and 8 teams progressed a little further to add the arm and forearm, the ironing board and the clothes feeder.
EPRO8 strengthens Science and Engineering knowledge. It requires strong communication, collaboration and problem solving skills. Well done to all the children involved.
EPRO8 Mock Competition Gallery
Certificates & Awards
Congratulations to these outstanding students:
- Room 1 – Sienna L, Charlie T
- Room 2 – Summer H
- Room 3 – Georgia H, Lily T
- Room 4– Toby S
- Room 5 – Jack C, Max H
- Room 6 – N/A
- Room 7 – Victoria O
- Room 8 – Scarlett E
- Room 9 – Zippy M
- Room 10 – Peder O
- Room 16 – Jack R, Arlo C
- Room 11 – Abigail N, Joaquim L
- Room 12 – Yang S
- Room 13 – Pujita B
- Room 14 – Reid B, Charlie L
- Room 15 – Luke W, Eloise O
- Room 17 – Pippy T, Anna T
- Room 18 – Oliver F
- Room 19 – Nayan J, Dascha K
- Room 20 – Leina L
- Room 21 – Georgia P, Lavi S
- Room 22 – Isabella R, Ivy H
- Room 23 – Kaylie PF, Zara M
Road Patrollers of the fortnight
Thank you to all of our road patrollers for turning up on time to make sure we are all safe as we cross the road using the pedestrian crossings. Our road patrollers of the fortnight are Freya Olsen and Sasha Massey.
PTA News
Comedy Night …
With over 1 week to go, Grab your ticket to an evening full of laughter at the Good George.
Tickets will be open to public sales from next week unless sold prior.
School Holiday Programme
Community Notices
Parents' Information Evening - 2026 Enrolment Process
Glendowie College will hold a Parents’ Information Evening for 2026 Enrolments on Tuesday 10 June 2025 at 7:00pm in the College Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to outline the programmes the school offers and to cover the enrolment process for 2026 Year 9 students’ enrolments.
This is an opportunity to meet informally with Trudy Gibb, Acting Principal, to have any questions answered about the enrolment process.
We look forward to seeing you there. No RSVP is required.
