Nau mai hoki mai,

Welcome to Term 3! It's been wonderful to see the tamariki back after their break, ready to start the new term. Many of them shared that they were able to visit family over the holidays and do fun activities such as going to the movies and there were plenty of nice new haircuts on show too to start the fresh term. 

At the end of last term, we shared our Reporting to Parents process, which included the Powerful Learning report and achievement graph, the Learning Journals with Reading, Writing, and Maths report comments next to work samples, and the Student-Led Conferences. We were pleased that 86% of families participated in the Student-Led Conferences. We gathered some student feedback from our Puaawai 5-8 students about the conferences, which showed how much they value this time with their whaanau and teachers to share their learning.

Here is a summary of the student feedback about the Student-Led Conferences last term:

• Pride in Work: Many students expressed great pride in showing their hard work, writing, art, and other accomplishments to their parents and family. They enjoyed sharing their achievements and receiving positive feedback.
• Parental Involvement: Students appreciated having their parents involved and seeing their reactions. This involvement enhanced their sense of accomplishment and validation.
• Teacher Feedback: Positive comments and feedback from teachers were highlighted as a favourite aspect. Students valued the recognition and encouragement from their teachers.
• Personal Expression: Several comments mentioned specific projects or subjects, such as writing, art, and maths, indicating that students enjoyed showcasing their strengths and interests.
• Emotional Connection: The emotional connection with parents, teachers, and family members through shared experiences and feedback was a significant positive aspect for the students.

Overall, the comments reflect a strong sense of pride, achievement, and satisfaction from sharing their learning and receiving supportive feedback.

We also sent out a survey for parents to give feedback about the updated graphs on the report, the Student-Led Conferences, and taking the Learning Journal home. Although we only received a small number of responses, the general feedback was that most respondents found the Curriculum Achievement Graphs easy to read and could see where their child was achieving in relation to the New Zealand Curriculum Expectations. Those who attended the Student-Led Conferences felt they were either very well or quite well informed about their child’s learning. Some parents mentioned they would like some time to chat with the teacher without the child present, and we have taken this on board. Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey and we appreciate the feedback given.. 

If you would like to have a one-on-one meeting with your child’s teacher, these are being offered in Week 3, on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th of August. You would have seen the details for these in the class newsletters sent out earlier this week. These meetings are there if you would like time with the teacher without the child present or to follow up on any specific questions you may have after the Student-Led Conferences. These meetings are optional, and if the time does not suit you, you are always welcome to email the teachers and arrange a time to talk at any time of the year.

This term we have our biennial Puketaha Spring Fair. It is a positive community experience where we all come together to create an amazing day, with the bonus of raising money for our school and students. Although the PTA runs this event, it’s an event that many people from across the school get involved with. There will be a variety of ways you can contribute, such as raffle prizes, baking, and donating items to the garage sale. On the day itself, we need as many parents as possible to help by taking turns manning a stall for an hour or so. Please see the PTA message for further information.

We look forward to another exciting term!

Ngaa mihi

Nyree Olliver