Good afternoon families,

You may or may not have caught up with recent media attention around N.Z children's achievement on an international scale in particular with Mathematics. Typically, I try and not become too invested in the various 'hot educational topics' that the media pick up on and then sensationalise to create emotive responses. If I did, I would put myself at risk of becoming too distracted from our core purpose in being part of a team that delivers on our vision for children here at Puketaha School. It was on this particular occasion though that my ears pricked up when I heard a politician come out as a result of this data and say "we need to get rid of the student centred approach to learning...and focus on core curriculum areas only" (or words to that effect). In short, we should all be very proud that we have such a rich, diverse curriculum that does embrace the many needs and interests of children and promotes schools to put children at the centre of the learning picture. This is exactly what we should be doing and I know what type of learning experience I would prefer my children to have. By doing so, we are investing in the whole learning profile and not simply pursuing excellence through a one off high stakes test sample, where children are then measured and labelled. I would like assure this politician that the core curricular areas are not compromised as a result, but rather enriched and contextualised. 

In addition to this on Monday I spoke to the children about our School's core values of Aim High, Show Respect, Have integrity, Celebrate Differences, Show Fairness and Care. My message with these values was to remind children that we build our understanding of these over time and it is the small actions often, that help them become habitual to us. So as they go about their day, look for opportunities and take them. These values will stand our children in good stead for many years to come. 

Finally, in two weeks today our Years 5-8 children will be hosting our school production. This is a fine example of work ethic, persistence, commitment and embracing a vibrant curriculum. We would love to see as many of you there as possible. Please read below for more information about ticket sales and times.

Warm Regards

Geoff