Kia ora koutou,

With the Matariki public holiday approaching, we have been celebrating Matariki with fun activities across the school today. Matariki marks the Maaori New Year and is a time for remembering those who have passed, setting future goals, creating memories with loved ones, sharing stories, singing waiata, and enjoying kai. Today, our students have been learning more about Matariki, making crafts, singing waiata, and enjoying time together. A highlight of the day has been the shared morning tea. Thank you to everyone for sending something along with your child today. This is our first school-wide shared morning tea, and the children have been very excited. With so many treats today, we hope they still manage to sleep well tonight.

We have also been enjoying our Student-led Conferences this week, with another session scheduled for Monday. These sessions have high levels of engagement and positive feedback. Some of the most valuable feedback comes from the students, who appreciate the focused attention and the opportunity to share their learning with those who matter most to them. This process supports their sense of ownership over their learning and aligns with our goal to keep the children at the centre, ensuring learning is done with them, not to them.

The conversations between children, whaanau, and teachers strengthen school and family connections, which positively impact children’s learning. Thank you all for participating, and we hope the Learning Journal has helped you understand your child's learning journey and the feedback from teachers paints a picture of their progress and achievements so far this year.

We hope you all have a wonderful Matariki public holiday tomorrow and get the chance to spend time with your whaanau. 

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver