KTS Newsletter
Term 3, Week 1, Tuesday 26 July 2022
Coming up...
A warm welcome to all the new students who started at KTS this week: Ashley, Iris, Ivan, Sebastian (Rm 3); Joseph (Rm 5); Ysabel (Rm 6); Ahyaan (Rm 7); Chelsea (Rm 12); William (Rm 13); Tuleen (Rm 14); and Isla (Rm 15). We are looking forward to welcoming our new students with a mihi whakatau on Thursday 9.00am. Due to the current COVID cases, the whole school will not be taking part – just the Year 1 classes, our kapa haka group and the buddies for those students we are welcoming into the school.
We also welcome back Katie Gilbert from maternity leave, who takes over the teaching of the delightful students in Room 3. I would like to thank Maria Wilson for setting up those few students in Room 3 over the last 5 weeks. She will now return to her learning support role.
This is a big newsletter to start the term so you may like to sit down with a cuppa!
3WLC
Next week we have our mid-year 3-Way Learning Conferences scheduled. If you have not done so already, please book in your 15-min time slot. A reminder that on Tuesday we are holding these via ZOOM whilst on Thursday you are welcome to come into school. Please have your child join you in these conferences. Each teacher will send out their zoom link.
To book your slot please go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz. Meeting code is 82tdf.
As staff are starting the conferences at 1.00pm on Tuesday, we are asking, for those who can, to collect your children at 12.40pm. Please complete this short form to indicate your intentions. Those who can not be collected will be supervised in the school hall.
COVID response
As a school we are being cautious around health and safety settings as we return to school. I am anticipating we will continue to experience staffing shortages and a second round of COVID infection. We are strongly encouraging the wearing of masks for ALL year groups. We ask that you do ensure your child has one to wear each day unless they have an exemption. We know this has been a key factor in minimising the spread of COVID throughout the school. Another key factor has been ensuring classes are not becoming overheated. Heating will be on each morning but turned off once class starts. Teachers will be able to turn heating on again if required but usually the heat is maintained naturally with students and staff in the rooms.
We have had a few queries about “what to do when…” – please refer to the following scenarios.
My child has COVID-type symptoms?
Actions
Do not send them to school until they are symptom free
If your child had COVID less than 28 days ago, keep them home until there are no symptoms. NB: there's no need to test. Within 28 days, symptoms are most likely due to lasting effects of the initial infection or a different new respiratory infection.
If your child had COVID more than 28 days ago, please do a rapid antigen test. If that test is positive, you will need to isolate for a second time for seven days.
Someone in our household tests positive and my child has had COVID within the last 3 months?
Action
If they are symptom free they can return to school
NB: As many people return to Auckland from overseas or around the country, we are asking for a little more caution – please test before returning to school if you have been away.
Warm Fuzzy Day – this Friday
On Friday 29 July we are celebrating International Friendship Day with a Warm Fuzzy Day. Wear some warm fuzzy clothes (e.g. pyjamas, onesies, snuggly jumpers etc.) and bring a can of food to support the Auckland City Mission. We will have a can sculpture competition in classes so bring what cans you can! There will be other activities such as making friendship bracelets and sharing ‘warm fuzzies’ (compliments) with each other. See you on Friday in your warm fuzzies!
– JeT’aime and Avita, School Council
Introducing our new house mascots (see photo) who will be there to support everyone at house events. We are currently sitting in the Principals’ office - if you are passing by, say kia ora!
NED - coming to all classes by Zoom on Monday 1 August
NED's Mindset Mission is a character education program that centres around three important messages that have lifelong relevance: Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. During the assembly, students will learn about the importance of these three life skills while also enjoying storytelling, magic, humour and yo-yo tricks. There is no cost to us for this programme as it has been paid forward by other schools – in turn, we raise money for future presentations by selling yoyos. The Yoyos are available now to be purchased on Kindo and the children will be able to choose their yoyo from the selection at school. Here is a link to the parent page on the NED website.
Board Update
The Board are keen to hear from you by completing their biennial community survey. The survey is an invaluable information piece to inform decisions directly impacting on your child. PLEASE take 10 - 15 mins to sit down with your partner to complete this survey. The survey closes Friday 19th August. KTS Board Community Survey link. A special winning ‘star’ will be awarded to the house collecting the most returns.
School Board Elections
Our school is undertaking a parent election for our School Board. This process has started with the issuing of nomination papers to our caregiver community. We have employed CES to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instructions on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database or you will receive it by post if we don’t have your email in our database. Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates. Nominations close on Wednesday 3rd August at 12 noon. Election day is Wednesday 7th September. We look forward to your participation in this process.
Chinese Community Lead
In the final newsletter on Term 2 we advertised for a member of our community to take a lead role in communicating with our Chinese community. I would like to introduce Shule Wang, the mum of Wangsheng in Room 2.
大家好,非常荣幸能够担任学校的华人社区领导的职务。这个职务通过翻译学校新闻中的要点以及微信群中大家反应的事项,加强华人社区和学校之间的联系。我才疏学浅,如有翻译不妥的地方,欢迎大家纠正。我会尽自己最大的努力促进双方的沟通和交流。
Kia Ora Chinese parents and whanau,
It is my honour to take the Chinese Community Lead role. This role will strengthen the connection between the Chinese community and Kohia Terrace School by translating the key points of the School’s newsletter and parents’ concerns posted in the WeChat group. If there is some mistake whilst translating, you are welcome to correct me. I will try my best to promote communication between the parents and the school.
You can contact Shule on sula276857893@gmail.com
It is going to be a very wet week. Please take care when dropping off and even more so picking up. It is very busy at the school gate at 3.00pm. I am out there each afternoon to support. You may like to consider waiting 5 or 10 mins before picking up. For everyone’s safety please ensure you use the pedestrian crossing; it ensures a good example is set and a higher degree of safety.
Keep dry out there – Alison
PTA Update
A big thank you to Nicole and the other parents and students who ran a successful ice cream sale on the last day of term, raising $170 towards our fundraising goal.
The next PTA meeting will be on Monday 8 August at 7:30pm in the staffroom. Come along if you would like to be part of planning some fun events and fundraisers for this term.
Photolife
Photolife has now processed the class and individual photos that were taken last term and have emailed you the unique key code directly with instructions on how to order. Please check your email for the keycode. Free delivery (to school) expires Midnight Sunday 31 July 2022. If you have not received your code, please contact Photolife directly: https://photolife.co.nz/contact/
Congratulations
Congratulations to the following students who received a KTS Learner Competency certificate at the last Azoombly of Term 2:
Literacy Awards
Congratulations also to the following students who received literacy awards at the end of last term:
Bronze – Alistair (Rm 6), Brodie (Rm 7), Keerthi (Rm 8)
Cobalt – Mia (Rm 11)
Silver – Anna (Rm 9)
Gold – Gregor (Rm 8), Alexandra (Rm 9)
Sports News
Basketball
Here is the organisation for our new Basketball programme next term.
We have a new coach called Lindsay Tait. He has represented NZ in multiple capacities, including the Tall Blacks and the Commonwealth games team (Silver Medalist) and is the director of Auckland City Basketball, where we play our tournaments at St Kents. He is also the Premier Head Coach at Auckland Grammar School. Lindsay will be coaching our teams that play at St Kents.
Our girls-only teams are playing at Diocesan next term and will be coached by Stuart McEwen. These teams are currently full.
Please get in touch if you would like to add your child to a team – we have a few spaces in some year levels.
Netball Results – Week 1
Y5 Hummingbirds Win 14–2
Y5/6 Flames Win 8–6
Y6 Firebirds Win 16–13
Trampolining success
Mineli (Rm 12) placed 9th in New Zealand for women's 10 & under trampolining at the New Zealand National Gymnastics Championships. She represented Auckland at the event held in Invercargill from 13th to 16th July. Mineli trains with Tristar Gymnastics and has been a competitive trampoliner since 2021. This was her first time at nationals.
Community Notices
Contact Us
Email: office@kts.school.nz
Website: https://www.kts.school.nz/
Location: 3 Kohia Terrace, Epsom, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Phone: 09 630 4525