Newsletter – Monday 20 June

Coming Up

Message From the Principal

Kia ora e te whānau,

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori.

This week on Friday marks the first public holiday in New Zealand acknowledging Matariki. Matariki signifies many things, it is a time of reflection of what has been and a time for hope and celebration about what can be. 

Our school community has been through significant disruption and faced many challenges over the past two years. Even as we return to some kind of normal in 2022, we are still impacted by the disruption of absences, sickness and fatigue across the school. One thing that has truly stood out during these times is the kindness, understanding and resilience that has carried our community through. These are the things that make Campbells Bay School that special place to be. For me, Matariki signals a time to reinvigorate and design a new chapter for our school. One that acknowledges these challenges but directs our focus back to our core business of teaching and learning, community and connection. I am looking forward to developing this together. Our first steps will begin with staff, student and community engagement surveys distributed in term three. We want to collect your voice and perspective ready for our September elected board. They will be able to use this data to launch a revised strategic plan from. These are exciting times ahead.

This year our students have been learning about Matariki in their classes and they have completed beautiful art. The learning hub will become an art gallery open to parents most mornings before school to view the art from Tuesday 28 June. More information to come in next weeks newsletter. Our kapa haka groups will also be holding special performances across the school this week for their peers. We look forward to hosting our dawn service next year which brings in over 400 attendees. Unfortunately, this year the event was cancelled following a COVID-19 risk assessment where at the time transmission was high in our community. We look forward to hosting community events soon now that transmission is much lower.

Over the coming weeks we will be completing the second stage of our joinery replacement project in block one. Our windows and doors (often in original condition) are being replaced from Rooms 4 to Room 14! We completed Rooms 1-3 last year and Rooms 4, 5, and 6 are scheduled to begin next week. In the holidays the top floor of the double-storey building will be completed and a staged project will then finalise the ground floor throughout term three. We prefer to do projects like this one during the school holidays, however the strains and challenges within the construction industry mean we must make the most of available materials and contractors when we can. The buildings will benefit greatly from upgraded windows, doors and fixtures.

Finally, the staff are excited to spend Thursday’s Teacher Only Day, with Louise Dempsey and Sheena Cameron – experts in teaching literacy.  https://www.theliteracyplace.com/about.

A final reminder that school finishes on Wednesday at 3.00pm this week and we will see you back at school Monday 27 June. Enjoy the long weekend ahead!

Ngā mihi nui,
Rachael Taylor

Jammies in June

PhotoLife

Individual, Class and Sibling Photos

This year we will be using PhotoLife for all of our school photos.

Class photos will be taken on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 July (week 10).

‘Sibling Photographs’ is an opportunity for you to have all of your children who currently attend Campbells Bay School photographed together on Thursday 7 July. To request an appointment please use this form by Friday 1 July or email [email protected]

COVID-19 Update

Since our last newsletter there have been six students positive with COVID-19 and three staff impacted as household contacts.

Board Elections 2022

What is a school board?

Every state school in NZ is governed by a school board (formerly known as board of trustees). The school board is a crown entity – that is, an organisation that is part of the New Zealand public sector.

What do boards do?
The board has overall responsibility and accountability for the school. School board’s legal responsibilities are determined by the Education and Training Act 2020.

The Act sets out boards’ four primary objectives. These are ensuring every student at the school can reach their highest possible standard in educational achievement; and the school is safe place for all, is inclusive of, and caters for, students with differing needs, and gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

As part of its focus on these four objectives, boards’ responsibilities include:

• Setting the strategic direction for the school
• Protecting the school’s values
• Monitoring and evaluating student learning outcomes
• Approving policies
• Financial stewardship
• Building community engagement and support

It’s important to note that the board does NOT get involved in the day-to-day running of the school.

What skills do board members need?
Board members (formerly called ‘trustees’) are active leaders in their school/kura. People often think board members need to have a legal or business background – but that’s not the case at all. It doesn’t matter what you do – it matters that you care about education in your community and you want to make a difference. It’s also really important for boards to reflect the diversity within their school community.

The most valuable skills board members can bring to the board table are:

• Work well as part of a team.
• Not afraid to ask challenging questions.
• Have good communication skills.
• Be connected to their community.

How are boards structured?

The Campbells Bay Board is made up of five parent representatives, the principal and a staff representative (voted in by staff). The Education and Training Act 2020 provides some discretion and flexibility around how boards can be structured. This is to ensure boards are able to attract candidates with the required skills to deliver good governance and also that they reflect the diversity within their community.

TAKAPUNA NORMAL INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS 2022

Do you have a desire to participate in your local school community and make a real difference in the lives of others? Are your children about to embark on their Intermediate School journey?

In Term 3, we will elect new parent/caregiver representatives to our School Board. Many of our current parent representatives will be stepping aside as their children have now moved on to higher education and we are actively looking for the next generation of Board members to take up the opportunity at TNIS.

With our diverse cultural identity at TNIS, we are keen to attract members from all cultural backgrounds to help better represent and engage with our learner population and community.

Do you work well as part of a team?  Are you not afraid to ask challenging questions? Do you have good communication skills? Do you want to be connected to your wider community?

We welcome interest from anyone who is keen to learn more about what being a Board member entails and the unique opportunity that exists to shape the strategic direction of our school, please register your interest via email [email protected] and one of our current Board members will be happy to discuss with you what being a parent representative involves.

Better still, come see for yourself, by attending our next Board meeting! Please consider making a commitment to TNIS by standing for election to the TNIS School Board in 2022. It’s a fantastic way to serve your local community. Experience in professional services is sought, however not essential. Professional development  is available to all elected Board members.

If you want more information, please email [email protected] or contact current Board member Kirsten Nevile direct on 0211602911. www.tnis.school.nz

Board of Trustees Meeting Dates

The next board meeting this term is Tuesday 28 June at 7.30pm in the learning hub.

Sports News

Community Notices