Kia ora koutou,

Spring is right around the corner, which is exciting, and our students have been enjoying the lunchtime sunshine.

During our recent Board of Trustees meeting, the senior leadership team updated the Board on our School Mid-Year Data. This report outlines our progress toward the targets we've set.

The Mid-Year Data report consolidates information about student achievement in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, projecting student progress towards meeting the end-of-year Curriculum Expectations.

Teachers gather this data by conducting an Overall Teacher Judgement, which assesses students' current curriculum levels. This judgement considers various assessment data to determine the appropriate Curriculum Level for each student. It also helps gauge whether students are on track to meet the End-of-Year Curriculum Expectations.

Here are the key points from our Mid-Year Data:

Reading 85% of children are predicted to meet or exceed the end-of-year expectation. 

• 12% currently are expected to exceed the end-of-year expectation. 
• 73% are on track to succeed
• 12% are being monitored as there is a chance they will not meet the end-of-year expectations
• 4% require intervention and are unlikely to meet the end-of-year expectation. 

Writing 80% of children are predicted to meet or exceed the end-of-year expectation. 

• 3% currently are expected to exceed the end-of-year expectation. 
• 77% are on track to succeed
• 15% are being monitored as there is a chance they will not meet the end-of-year expectations
• 5% require intervention and are unlikely to meet the end-of-year expectation. 

Mathematics 84% of children are predicted to meet or exceed the end-of-year expectation. 

• 4% currently are expected to exceed the end-of-year expectation. 
• 80% are on track to succeed
• 11% are being monitored as there is a chance they will not meet the end-of-year expectations
• 5% require intervention and are unlikely to meet the end-of-year expectations. 

Our school has systems in place aimed to help identify students at risk of not achieving the end-of-year expectations and those who will require intervention in order to make accelerated progress towards their goals. As part of this process, teachers explore potential learning or behavioural barriers or obstacles preventing students from reaching their goals and then look at ways they can support them within the available resources.

Here are some examples of our approach:

Intervention Register: 

We maintain a school-wide register of students at risk of not achieving the Curriculum Expectations or children who require intervention as they need to make more than one year's progress within a year to try and catch up. We closely track their progress over multiple years. 

For those needing intervention, we delve deeper into possible reasons that could be affecting their learning. We consider factors like attendance and potential special learning needs. We involve external agencies if necessary. We also prioritise these students for extra support, such as teacher aides and have a number of small group interventions in place.

Target Action Plans: 

Our teachers collaboratively create Target Learner Action Plans. They focus on specific students, designing adaptations to the learning programs that cater to diverse needs. They look at aspects such as research, professional development opportunities and proven strategies to help students meet their goals. This process of teachers working together helps to build overall teacher capability in creating programmes that support and challenge all students. 

Teachers also utilise having more than one teacher in a class to group students based on their needs to help personalise the learning the best they can. This differentiated learning benefits all as they are taught closer to their achievement level, rather than solely based on their age/ year level. 

SENCO and Learning Support Coordinator: 

Our Special Needs Coordinator assists families in identifying potential learning barriers. They connect families with relevant external agencies if needed. Additionally, our Learning Support Coordinator collaborates with teachers to provide in-class support and works with small groups outside the regular class programme as well. 

Partnerships with Whaanau:

Whaanau play an important role in accelerating progress with learners. Our teachers make contact with parents of children who they have identified as needing to make accelerated progress, outlining why they are a target learner, the interventions taking place at school and how the parents can help at home. Our Term 1 Teacher/ Whaanau catch ups’ are also a good time to have these conversations and set goals for the year, as well invitations for follow up conversations after the Mid- Year Student-Led Conferences. Attendance plays an important role in a child’s ability to access the learning, so we communicate with families each term when their child’s attendance has dropped into a moderate or chronic level of absenteeism. 

The teachers will complete another process of pulling together a range of assessment data to make an Overall Teacher Judgement of each child’s best fit curriculum level, which will be reflected on your child’s end of year school report. 

On another note, last week our Sports Camp students enjoyed their week long Sports camp. It was an awesome opportunity for them to participate in a range of different sports and have the added dynamic of a camp with 10 other schools. Thank you to Jenna Mateni and Phil Greig for the organisation of this event. Both teachers supported our representatives for the duration of the camp. We value the commitment and dedication of our teachers, who commit to long days and spending a week away from their families. We also had three amazing parents attend, Roydon Barnes, Damon Lemon and Rachele Dinsdale. They were a massive support to the teachers and the students. We also had plenty of parents volunteer for transport as well, so thank you to you all. Finally, thanks again to all our Sports Camp Sponsors, the students looked very neat in their Sports Camp uniforms. 

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver

Join us for Wacky Wig Wednesday this September and raise funds to support Kiwi kids with cancer. 

We are actively seeking input from our school community, and a survey was recently emailed to gather your insights on potential strategic goals and focal points for the coming years. Your contributions are highly valued, and as a token of appreciation, survey participants have a chance to win a $100 New World Voucher or a double pass to The Cat in the Hat show at Clarence Street Theatre. Here is the link for the survey, and more than one adult per family is welcome to fill it out. 

https://forms.office.com/r/zjmN4QJHcq

 Last day for applications for out of school zone enrolments for 2024 is Monday 18th September.

The Puketaha School Board of Trustees invites applications from parents who wish to enrol their children at Puketaha School for the 2024 year.  Enrolment to the school is governed by an enrolment scheme.  Parents of students who live within the home zone should also indicate their enrolment by this date to assist the school to plan appropriately for next year.  Students who live in the home zone are entitled to enrol at the school.  Ballot applications are required for siblings of children who attend the school.

The Puketaha School Board of Trustees advises that they will be operating one ballot for Out of Home Zone enrolments for all of 2024. 

The Board has determined that there will be separate ballots held for different year levels:

18 spaces for Year 1 Term 1, 25 spaces for Year 0 Terms 2,3, & 4, 1 space for Year 2, 1 space for Year 3, 5 spaces for Year 5, 4 spaces for Year 6, 10 spaces for Year 7 & 8

There are no spaces in Year 4

The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications from students who live within the zone.

The Board is prepared to receive applications, in addition to those they already hold to reach the school by Monday 18^th September 2023. If a ballot for out of zone places is required, it will be held on Wednesday 20^th September 2023.

Applications are available from the School Office or the Puketaha School website and to be returned to Puketaha School R D 1, Hamilton or office@puketaha.school.nz

Allocations from out of home zone students will be processed in priority order as set out by the Ministry of Education.

Results will be notified as soon as possible after the ballot.

One of the things we often get asked is what we as a PTA are specifically fundraising for.  Often, this is quite a tricky question to answer, as we channel funds back into the School’s account, and this gets spent through a Board Of Trustees approved budget which is designed to keep the school well-resourced, enact the school's goals and address needs. Those decisions have been made early on in any year. Our PTA contribution to the budget allows the school to plan for extra aspects that the Ministry funding doesn't stretch to.

This year, we have had four main goals that our fundraising endeavours are supporting the school with...

1. Contributions towards school camps
2. Science Club Resources
3. Contributions towards the Kapa Haka programme
4. Technology Resource Upgrades

There can be other things that pass by us also, e.g. we supported the purchase of some outdoor mats earlier this year, and at the beginning of each year, we donate funds to support the teachers to purchase things for their class e.g certificates so they personally are not out of pocket for. Another extra one-off item on this year’s list has been a new shade sail for the pool area. This term we have given the school $10,000 for the purchase of some new I-Pads.  The more we can make as a PTA and pass back to the School, the more resources the school has at their disposal. I hope this has helped understand what happens to the money we make.

Yummy Stickers

The final date for collection has been moved back to the end of Week 1 in Term 4.   We have had notification that we have more time than originally was specified so if you have been collecting the stickers or have a sheet with even a few on it, we would love to see them handed into the office by October 13th.

Gumdrops Desserts

Thank you for those who have placed an order for some of these dessert treats. The final date for orders and money collection is on Monday, September 4th so only a few days left to get your order in. There is an order form attached if you have misplaced the paper copy that came home. You can email me your order on the PTA email below, or submit your form to Christine. All funds are to be paid to the PTA bank account number: 12-3171-0204642-00.

Monster Garage Sale

Lock in the date of Saturday, September 16th.  We need to start spreading the word of this event so please share this poster via your Facebook friends, WhattsApp groups, PlayGroups  or community pages.  Let me know if there are any stall holders interested in a space. We have a few posters in the office which can go on noticeboards, or shop windows if you know of a spot and would like to put one up.

Last of all, thanks to those who came to Tuesday’s meeting. It was a great turnout and we love to have lots of parent’s perspectives shared.

Kind regards,

Merynn Connors

PTA Chairperson M: 027 629 6820   E: pta@puketaha.school.nz

House for Rent

4 bedroom home to rent on Telephone Road.

Northern United Cricket Club Muster

E-Entertainment books are still available to purchase with 20% from every sale going back to the school.

For more information follow the link below.

Entertainment Book Order