A warm welcome to our new students: 

Elise Parker, Brianna De Klerk, Elsie De Klerk, Mila De Klerk, Brooklyn-Ross Owen-Bigwood, Delta Gracez, Parker Cameron, Andrew Burkhart, Hunter McIndoe, Theodore Newell-Chard, Harper Auckram, Harlow Williams, Cameron Karl, Ashveer Singh, Axel Mora, Bella Burgess, Harry Diveall, Levi Brears, Lilly Cheng, Leah Tucker, Isla Cronin, Cooper Wilson, Eli Higgins, Mary Toma, George Toma, Tiffany Choi, Luke Choi. 

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome back, everyone, and also a very warm welcome to our new families who have joined our Puketaha School Community. It’s been lovely seeing the students full of smiles as they reconnect with their friends and teachers.

Last week the staff were onsite planning the year ahead, setting up the learning environments as well as engaging in a Professional Learning Workshop run by Kate Hortan. Our Professional Learning was focused on Teacher Collaboration, where we explored our personalities using the Myers-Briggs 16 Personality types. We learnt more about ourselves and how we best work together as a team. Our collaborative teams are something we really value at Puketaha. Our co-teaching teams allow our teachers to learn from and with each other on a daily basis. Teachers can observe other teachers in action, engage in professional conversations about the impact of different approaches, collectively problem solve, share up-to-date pedagogy and give each other immediate feedback. This helps us achieve our goal of continuously improving learner outcomes for all students. 

"Accomplishing the maximum impact on student learning depends on teams of teachers working together.” John Hattie

Engaging in a workshop to support the effectiveness of these teams was both valuable and fun. We reflected on ourselves as individuals and as a team and learnt about how to utilise our own and each other's strengths. While we were learning about ourselves and how we best learn, we were able to make connections with how children learn and different approaches we can use to help cater for the vast range of learning styles and personalities within our learning environments. 

During our Teacher Only Days, we also spent time reflecting on our learning from 2022 and making plans for 2023. Our 2022 school-wide data showed pleasing gains across Reading, Writing and Mathematics over last year. Even though the year was still very disrupted in terms of staff and student absence, by the end of the year, 91% of our students achieved at or above Curriculum expectations in Reading, 85% achieved at or above in Writing and 92% of the school achieved at or above in Mathematics. We were able to reflect on strategies that had the highest impact on learning, and we will continue to strengthen and embed these approaches this year. 

Over the last couple of days, I have been able to visit the students in their classes, and the children are settling in positively and setting up the class rituals and routines for the year with their teachers. You will have a chance to meet the teachers and visit your child’s learning environments at our Meet the Teacher Picnic next Thursday, 16th February, 5.00 pm - 6.30 pm. Families are invited to bring along their own picnic dinner and visit the learning environments to meet and greet the teachers informally. Our P.T.A will be running a complimentary sausage sizzle for our community to welcome both new and old families back to our school. 

The week after that, we have our Teacher/ Whaanau catch up’s, where you are invited to have a 15-minute sit-down meeting with your child’s teacher. This is a chance for you to share more about your child and set learning goals for the year. More information will be sent out about this with a code to make a booking online. These will be held on Wednesday, 22nd and Thursday, 23rd February.

We are excited about 2023, and it's so lovely to have everyone back and keen for the year ahead. We look forward to working with you over the year to support your child’s learning and success at school. 

Ngaa mihi,

Nyree Olliver

Principal

The NZEI Te Riu Roa (Teachers union) is holding an important union meeting for teachers to discuss the negotiations with the Ministry of Education. The NZEI is negotiating improved conditions to improve resourcing for learners and attract high-quality teachers to the profession. 

Most of our staff are union members and will be attending this meeting.

We ask that families please pick up their children at 1 pm please, Wednesday 1st March. If you are unable to pick your child up, please email nyreeo@puketaha.school.nz so I can organise supervision. Thank you for your support. 

Absences - The School Office monitors all absences, if your child or children are going to be away from school, or late parents/ caregivers are asked to notify the office.  This can be done via text (only) 020 404 28607, leaving a message on the school phone 07 824 3870 or via the App, providing a reason.   If your child is ill for more than 3 days you may be required to provide a medical certificate.  If your child accumulates 5 unexplained or unjustified absences over the year, we will make contact with you to discuss how attendance can be improved. Thank you.

Pick up and drop off times -Children are to be dropped off at school no earlier than 8.20 am. We would also appreciate parents and caregivers picking up your children promptly at the end of the day.

Crossing the Road/ Car park- If you drop off and pick your child up from the Sainsbury Road entrance, please walk your child along the path and cross them at the crossing area only. If you pick up your child from the Puketaha Community Hall Car Park, please hop out of your car to meet your child by the gate. The duty teachers will not send children out into the car park alone, as it is dangerous with cars backing out. 

Parking- Please do not park in the Staff Car Park or the bus bay on Sainsbury Road. The gate by the turf on Puketaha Raod is not a drop-off or pick-up spot, please use either the Community Hall or the Sainsbury Road Entry. Please avoid parking your car where you might be blocking the view of cars pulling out or blocking the view of the crossing area.

School App update - Now is a good time to check your notification settings on the school app so you can be kept up to date on what is happening for your child(ren) at school.

Water Only - Puketaha School is a water-only school - which means that there is no flavoured milk drinks or juice.  Children should have their own drink bottles.

Sun Safety - Hats -All children are to wear a hat for outdoor activities during Term 1.    

Contact details - Please email any updated addresses and phone numbers to the school office.  It is important that we can make contact in an emergency. This can also be done via the school app.

Could parents/ caregivers please inform the school office if there is any updated information regarding your child's health. This includes information about allergies and treatment. 

Social Media- We ask that our school community please avoid posting photos of school events which include other people's children, on public social media. If you do, please make sure you have permission from the parents first.

Out-of-School Care - Our before and after-school care provider is Journey Kids. Visit the website for hours, prices, contact information and to book. Journey Kids

School Docs- All our school policies are available to view at School Policies. Log in with User name 'Puketaha' and password puketaha. Please make yourself familiar with our Community Conduct Expectations. In our newsletters, we will let you know when we are reviewing a school policy and you are welcome to provide feedback to us via the website. 

To ensure our students are safe when entering and leaving the school grounds, we ask you to use one of our two entries/ exits. These are the Heart of the School on Sainsbury Road and the Community Hall car park on Puketaha Road. 

The Community Hall car park exit is supervised until 3.15 pm in the afternoons. Parents must come out of their cars to drop their children at the gate as well as to collect their children so as to avoid children walking around behind cars in the car park. 

If you are entering using the Sainsbury Road entrance, please walk your child along the footpath path and walk them across the road at the designated crossing area. Do not cross your child across the road at any other place on Sainsbury Road.

Please also do not use the bus bay on Sainsbury Road by the PAC or the entry on Puketaha Road by the turf for picking up or dropping off. There is no parking along the grass verge on Puketaha Road or in the Staff Carpark, please.

Families are able to stagger their pick-up times between 2.55 pm and 3.10 pm to help with parking.

The Public Health Nurse will be at the school for immunisation education and giving out
consent forms on Monday 12/2/2024. 
If you do not wish your child to attend the education session, please let your school know.

Date of Immunisations
Year 7 Boostrix - 11/3/2024
Year 8 HPV Dose 1 - 11/3/2024 Dose 2 – 16/9/2024
If parents have any queries or changes please contact the Public Health Nurse –
Anne McNicol
Anne.mcnicol@waikatodhb.health.nz
021 761 594

Puketaha School is still participating in the Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata, the period products in schools’ initiative. Free period products are available for students who want them. These are stored in the Girls Puaawai toilets.

If you have concerns regarding your child, the first place to address them is with your child’s kaitiaki teacher, and then if not resolved, with our Assistant Principal, Mrs Nicky Khoo or Deputy Principal, Mr Jason Boobyer. Finally, you can contact the Principal, Mrs Nyree Olliver, if your concerns remain unresolved.

Please be aware that teachers do not check their emails during student contact times but will often aim to get back to you within 24 hours. Teachers are not available via text; please direct messages through our school office or email.  

Assistant Principal -Nicky Khoo nickyk@puketaha.school.nz

Deputy Principal -Jason Boobyer jasonb@puketaha.school.nz

Principal- Nyree Olliver nyreeo@puketaha.school.nz

We know that many families enjoy using our school grounds outside of school hours, and you are very welcome to do so. Please be aware that during this time, you are responsible for your own and your children's Health and Safety. We also ask that families respect our school grounds and our ‘No Smoking and No Vaping’ policy. 

If you want to use the school grounds out of hours for Sports practices, for example, please contact Jason at jasonb@puketaha.school.nz