Kia ora koutou,

What an eventful couple of weeks we’ve had here at Puketaha School, something for the history books! It’s been fantastic to see things returning to normal, and the children have enjoyed being back and experiencing some pizza and iceblock treats along the way.

Yesterday, we held our Senior Athletics Day for our Year 3–8 students. It was a beautiful day, and as always, the students put 100% effort into each event, competing with smiles on their faces. A huge thank you to Mr. Boobyer for his organisation, as well as to the parents who helped by supplying gazebos, and to the PTA for their wonderful bake sale and sausage sizzle.

As mentioned previously, our staff have been diving into the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum to identify any adaptations needed for 2025. The good news is that our teaching practices align well with these changes. However, our current reporting system doesn’t align with the new progressions. To address this, we’ll be transitioning to a student management system called Hero starting in 2025.

Hero offers many benefits, including consolidating multiple functions such as attendance, school interviews, reporting to parents and school notices into one platform. Another great feature is Hero’s ability to share learning in real-time, allowing parents to stay updated on their children’s progress throughout the year. This means we can start making a digital Learning Journal for each child that will be more easily accessible to families throughout the year. Our staff are currently training on Hero, and early next year, we’ll help parents get set up on the app and streamline other app usage. Hero is popular with many other schools and has received positive reviews from schools and parents alike, so we’re optimistic about the improvements it will bring in 2025. 

In other news, we’re saddened to announce that Hannah Mould will be leaving Puketaha School at the end of the year as she and her family embark on an exciting move to Australia. Hannah has been an invaluable member of our team, contributing as a classroom teacher, special needs coordinator, and a deeply valued colleague. We will miss her tremendously but wish her all the best on this new adventure. We’re currently working to appoint a replacement for her next year.

You may remember that Jenna Martini, our Year 7–8 teacher, went on maternity leave earlier this year and is now enjoying time with her son, Tāne. We’re pleased to welcome Miss Emma Walters-Freke, who was a student teacher in Kaakano 2 last term, as a new team member next year. We’re excited to have her join us!

Next week, starting Monday, the Education Review Office (ERO) will be visiting our school. ERO has been working with us over the past four years, and we’re now approaching the end of this evaluation cycle. They’ll be working with the senior leadership team, the board and the teachers, focusing on their key priorities and ensuring compliance. We’re looking forward to sharing all the positive things happening at Puketaha School and receiving our final evaluation report.

Once again, on behalf of all our staff, I’d like to express our gratitude to our school community and the wider community for the way you responded to the fire and the aftermath. It’s incredibly reassuring to know that when things get challenging, we can all pull together and support each other.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Nyree Olliver