Week 6, Term 2, 2023

 Kia Ora, Talofa Lava and warm greetings

I hope the week is going well. Thanks for the support; at short notice, on Wednesday afternoon, for the stop-work meeting for teachers. I hope this is the last of them.

Reminders

1. Teacher Only Day – Friday, tomorrow. Monday – public holiday

2. We rely on your donations so that we can continue to offer all the opportunities that we have available at our school. A 33.3% tax credit can be claimed on all donations paid. You can claim your tax credit by printing your receipt from Hero, or by requesting a copy of the receipt from the office.

3. We welcome regular automatic payments or instalments from families towards donations and fees.

ERO – we would like to draw your attention to the recent Education Review Office (ERO) report on our school. The ERO has identified numerous positive aspects of our school, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and broader school community. We are focusing on enhancing writing outcomes for all students, with a particular emphasis on our Māori students. We firmly believe in providing inclusive and culturally responsive education, and this commitment extends to supporting the academic success of all our students.

We have taken the feedback from the ERO report seriously and are actively working towards implementing strategies to improve writing outcomes further. We are providing additional resources, professional development opportunities for our teachers, and targeted support for students who may require extra assistance. We value the partnership between school and home, and we encourage you to engage in conversations with your child about their writing progress and offer support where needed.

Parent evening on writing – In Term 1, we ran a parent writing evening which was well received. Feedback was that parents enjoyed learning about how we teach writing here at Wairarapa Cobham Intermediate. We plan to run another workshop this term with parents and students writing together. The idea is that we demonstrate how students are introduced to a writing style, e.g. information report, and parents and students have a go at writing together. The proposed date for the workshop is Monday, June 12, 7pm in Puneke Hub (Classrooms 11-15). Please complete this form if you and your child can attend.

The model we have developed here at school might give an insight into what we hope to achieve at the parent information evening.

Cobham’s Magnificent Musical Medleys: – rehearsals start on Sunday, June 11. Congratulations to those who are part of this year’s performance, and my advice is to attend all practices. Having the entire cast and dancers at each rehearsal helps to fine-tune scenes and dances.

Tuesday sport – over the past two weeks, seeing the enthusiasm, positivity and effort on display has been a pleasure. Notably, after observing three loads of students exit buses, I want to commend our students for their exceptional manners and gratitude towards the bus drivers. Expressing gratitude is important; we are proud to see our students using their manners appropriately. Long may it continue, and we hope, in various settings!

We are delighted to have a wide range of competitive and non-competitive sports that cater to diverse needs and interests. These sports activities not only foster a sense of teamwork and healthy competition but also provide valuable opportunities for personal growth and development. The favourable weather has undoubtedly played a part in making the sports season even more enjoyable. We appreciate the commitment and effort put forth by both students, teachers and our parents who are volunteering.

Maths interviews – Interviews with maths teachers are scheduled for Wednesday, 14 June 2023, from 2.10 pm to 6.30 pm. You will be sent a link from the office tomorrow for the interviews.

We urge all parents to attend these meetings, and if the times don’t suit, please contact your child’s maths teacher to arrange an alternative time. Students are encouraged to attend the maths interviews with their parents.

Please note that most children have a different maths teacher from their homeroom teacher, so please ensure your interview is booked withtheirmaths teacher.

The school will close at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 14 June, to allow teachers adequate time to complete interviews.

Teachers look forward to meeting with all parents to outline mathematics progress and share the next steps.

AIMS Games – Trials for the AIMs Games teams get underway next week. This year we will send a water polo team to contest the open grade, a mixed seven-a-side hockey team, a futsal team and a girls’ basketball team to the national tournament. Alongside the teams, we will be sending individuals who have met the appropriate criteria in their chosen sports. Trials are always complex processes for students, particularly at this early age, but unfortunately, trials are a part of life. Sport NZ encourages schools to move away from trials at the intermediate age; however, we believe the AIMs Games necessitate trials. Teams will be named before the end of the week.

2024 enrolments – the online enrolment form is available on our website. Please share this information with families who are considering Cobham in 2024. Enrolments for 2024 are now open and close on Thursday, 31 August 2023.

A ballot will be held for out-of-zone enrolments during the week beginning 4 September 2023. Tours of the school are also available. The link to book a tour is available on our website.

Enjoy the long weekend, the first King’s Birthday weekend.