Tēnā koutou to the KTS Community.
It has been wonderful to have normal, busy weeks at KTS. After the disruptions due to extreme weather events, the School Board shares your relief that KTS grounds and buildings sustained only very minor damage. We acknowledge that KTS families have been affected in various ways, and wish those who are managing property damage all the best. We are grateful for the extra work required from staff over this time – for example Sam Young, our KTS caretaker, had a large role in checking the school grounds, and keeping things safe for us. Sam has hundreds of young fans who watch his ongoing work with interest! Wonderful too that students have modelled the school values in their fundraising efforts for Pakowhai School, which was badly affected by the cyclone.
Welcoming our new staff, students and whānau at the Pōwhiri has been a highlight in the school calendar so far. We look forward to the upcoming KTS community events. Many thanks to the PTA, and to parent liaisons for your mahi.
The School Board welcomes a new member – Tarrisa Sun, who has been co-opted. Tarrisa is mother to Alden in year 8, and Ashley in year 1. Tarrisa’s background in marketing and commerce will support the Board, and bring some assurance in terms of succession planning. Our school demographic sees more than half of our community identifying themselves as Asian, and the Board considers it important to have someone who can bring Chinese cultural representation to our decision-making. Tarrisa’s contributions to our recent meetings have been very much appreciated. Welcome on Board!
ERO Te Ara Huarau/School Profile Report
Te Ara Huarau is the evaluation approach that the Education Review Office (ERO) is using with KTS. This is a developmental approach to evaluation where ERO and our school work together over time, rather than the one-off reviews that happened previously.
ERO maintains a regular review programme to evaluate and report on the education and care of students/ākonga. The KTS Senior Leadership Team and School Board worked alongside ERO to write our Profile Report. This type of report will only happen once as part of our initial engagement with Te Ara Huarau. It reflects our strategic goals and a shared evaluation focus on areas that are important to us as we work together to improve outcomes for all our learners. There is a strong focus on equity and excellence. Future reporting will show our progress and achievement towards meeting the goals we have set. Public reports like the Profile Report are published on ERO’s website https://ero.govt.nz/institution/6939/kohia-terrace-school
Included in our bundle of published reports is a Board Assurance Report that shows how we are meeting regulatory and legislative Requirements. There is also a report on Provision for International Students.
The Board had a good discussion about Education Outside the Classroom Experience (EOTC – school camps) offered at the various year levels. We were in agreement that they offer a valuable and rich learning experience where our students get to do something a little different; challenge themselves in new ways; and get to know themselves and their peers better by experiencing activities outside the classroom. They’re a highlight for many students, and we have feedback from past students who reflect years later on what a fantastic experience KTS school camps were. We discussed the fact that there has been a gradual increase in costs associated with attending camps from year to year, and acknowledged this could be a challenge for some of our families. We also acknowledge that school camps involve a large amount of time and effort from staff. We appreciate the work KTS staff do to negotiate and look for savings with the service providers, while bearing in mind how the experiences relate to the curriculum and learner competencies. The Board agreed that a review of the EOTC would be helpful in time to plan for EOTC 2024 and beyond. This will involve a review by staff, and a parent survey later this year.
Fencing – the Board is working with the Ministry of Education on a plan to upgrade the fencing around our school.
The Board would like to recognise the considerable work of Sarah and her team at Kohia Kids Zone. We continue to hear great feedback, which the strong attendance rates attest to. Thank you to Sarah and her team for being such a valuable part of our school.
With Tarrisa joining the Board, we feel like we have a well-rounded contingent and are working well together. We have regular planned meeting times which parents are welcome to attend, with details noted on the KTS website. We have extra meetings as and when required (for example around the time of the cyclone). We have faith and confidence in the strong leadership and performance of Alison, her leadership team, and all the staff, and are excited about the upcoming year. We look forward to continuing to serve our school.
Ngā manaakitanga, from the KTS Board
