Newsletter 26th May 2022

"Sometimes real growth can't be measured by test scores. Sometimes it looks like a kid who has found the confidence to answer a question you ask in class"

Kia ora whānau

On the face of it school has not changed a great deal over the last fifty or sixty years. The buildings look the same, the furniture is still quite similar and even the layout of the day is very much the same too. The same as it was at the start of the 20th century to be honest. Since that time the world has changed markedly, whether for the better or not remains to be seen. As a kaiako and as a tumuaki I have seen so many changes yet I still see so many things that haven't changed. Why is that I often wonder to myself? What is stopping us from being as creative as the rest of the world around us? Is it that we have such a full curriculum that we sometimes do an injustice to it as we rush to cover 'stuff'? Is it that we think that reading, writing and maths are the be all and end all?

We saw over the years in which schools dealt with National Standards that this particular focus had no effect on Aotearoa's national results, but did have a negative effect on the creativity of staff and students alike. We saw that this crushed those tamariki who struggled in those areas and we saw that those that had that creative bent were impacted upon as kaiako felt compelled to narrow their focus. Art? Music? PE? Languages? Technology? No time for that kind of carry on!

So, as a result we limited what was taught and narrowed the experiences offered to our tamariki. What if one of those tamariki had the talent of a Picasso, the genius of Da Vinci, the ear of a Mozart or the skills of Irene Van Dyke? Would they have felt valued? Would they have felt energised and enthused? We also know that when we feel successful in one area, or many areas, then that translates to success in other areas too. Success in non-core areas will ultimately create success in core areas. Does this not suggest strongly to all that schools must also have a very real focus on all of the other curriculum areas? And on those areas deemed soft-skills, all of which are the skills needed so that your tamariki can be a member of society and get along with others, allow others to flourish and to make a difference in this world?

What is the most important thing? In my mind it has to be the people involved - the tamariki! Having them become as successful as they can be in all areas of the curriculum and opening their eyes and minds to the many possibilities within life!

Ngā manaakitanga

Marty Hantz

Another of the Boards' roles is to review the Charter and the Strategic Plan. Mr Hantz and Mr English talked us through these documents at last night's meeting.

These documents set out the Taradale Primary School values and how they align with the Otatara Kahui Ako. The Kahui Ako is a group of local schools from all levels who work together towards common goals.

The Strategic Plan sets the direction of the school over the coming 3 years and plans how to improve the learning outcomes for all our akonga.

Tēnā koutou whānau!

This year we have a national day to celebrate Matariki. This is Friday 24th June. So exciting! As a school we will be holding a Matariki day. Wednesday 22nd June. We would love it if parents and whānau could join us throughout the day. However due to the rising numbers of COVID cases in our school and community, we might have to taihoa/wait on this. We will make a call closer to the day. We will be having a shared morning tea on this day and tamariki are invited to bring a small plate of food which is important to their family. They are also invited to wear their own clothes from home. This could be any clothing that is important to them, or maybe from their culture. It should be a great day.

As you can see from the data below we have seen a recent rise in COVID cases in our kura. Please continue to keep your child at home if they are unwell or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. If you have any queries regarding your child’s health and well-being, particularly once they have recovered and returned to school, please get in contact with us to discuss how we can support your child and whānau any further.

Shoutout to the Taradale Primary School Keas who are our Halftime Heros this week! Outstanding efforts team!

This team of Year 5 and 6 students love playing hockey! Most of them played their first year of hockey last year and they loved it so much that they decided to play again - awesome!

Powerman and the More FM Hawke's Bay 88.1 team surprised them at their training this week with their certificates and $150 supermarket voucher. Did we mention they train at 8am on Monday mornings? Now that's a commitment!

My Taonga

My necklace is my special taonga. It is a gorgeous love-heart shaped necklace showing me off. The necklace is special to me because my Dad and Great Grandma carved it and when I miss them it can help. I got it when I was just one years old.

By Indy-Rose

My Taonga

My red Chinese packet is my special taonga. It is in a pretty beautiful shape of a rectangle with flowers on the front. On the top is a word that says ‘Chuin’ that means Spring in Chinese. It's special to my culture because it was invented to keep people safe from the evil spirit in China and over time you will be blessed.

By Isaac

My Taonga

My Waimarama family bach is my special taonga because we spend time enjoying/hanging out with family. We like to eat fish and chips and let ice-cream drip down our chins [well at least I do] and we gobble it up. We swim at the beach a lot and most importantly we have a lot of fun. Our bach is navy and red with brown rustic spots.

By Flynn

Taihoa. Hang on.

Kāore e roa. I won’t be long.

Just a reminder that kids who have been off with a tummy bug/gastro (diarrhoea) need to be clear for 2 WEEKS before coming back swimming (not 2 days like coming back to school!)

We follow the Public health advice on this one. https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/healthy-living/good-hygiene/you-take-water

• Navigating the Journey Evening - Tuesday 31st May
• Queens Birthday - Monday 6th June
• Matariki Public Holiday - Friday 24th June
• End of Term 2 - Friday 8th July 3pm

“Dear Parents,

The Countdown is on…The PTA has got together to plan a “Glow in the Dark” Disco for the kids.

Please save the date in your diaries for Friday 10th June 2022, at the TPS School Hall.

Junior Disco (Y1-3): 5:30-6:30Pm

Senior Disco (Y4-6): 6:45-8Pm

This is such a special event for little and big Tamarikis who have not been able to have one since 2020. So get ready to have some fun!

We guarantee a safe and fun environment for the kids. We will have a DJ as well as glow sticks and food for sale (Prices and more info to come soon).

As always, these events can’t proceed without the help of our fantastic volunteer parents.

We will publish soon the list of volunteer positions on our PTA Facebook page and we hope we can count on your help