KTS Newsletter
Term 3, Week 5, Tuesday 23 August 2022
Coming up...
Here we are halfway through the term already. Thank you to all those families who completed the Board’s community survey. They will be looking at the results at the next meeting and will share a summary in due course. A reminder that if you have not yet voted for the new Board of Trustees, voting is still open.
What a wonderful week of technology the intermediate students took part in last week! They had to work effectively in groups to work through a variety of challenges. I was so impressed with the focus, persistence and problem solving at play. Congratulations to the teams who go on to compete in the inter-school competition, but all the students should be proud of their achievements.
Mid-year achievement summary
At the last Board meeting we reviewed our mid year achievement information. The full review can be found in the Board section of the school website, but the summary of this review is as follows:
Overall teacher judgements (OTJ) were made by teachers at the end of term 2, using standardised assessments, moderation and learning pathway goals. Our normal mid-year benchmarks were used to assess whether students are achieving well above, above, at, below or well below year-level expectations.
It is clear to see the impact of COVID on our achievement when comparing the total percentage of students who are working at and above expectancy in July 2022 with July 2021. We have lost and gained students over this timeframe; many of our new students have learning needs, or require additional English language learning support, which also affects the numbers. It is pleasing to note the overall trends which indicate the progress so far this year; we have put a number of interventions in place to support learning as much as possible.
Reading professional learning and development (PLD) has been a focus for teaching staff, in particular ‘shared reading’ which caters across all levels within whole class groups. Additional support programmes were planned for and while some extension and acceleration groups have run smoothly, others have been impacted by the need to cover classes during teacher absences due to the shortage of relievers.
We continue to work hard to make up for the ‘Covid’ effect, as are other schools all over the country, no doubt!
Disco DJ?
We would love to be able to put on a disco for the children this year and are considering an outdoor one in the junior area before the end of the term. Imagine dancing under the trees lit with fairy lights and an opportunity to connect with other parents.
However, we need someone who has a suitable sound system and speakers to play a spotify playlist. If you think you may be able to help, please contact Becca (becca@kts.school.nz )as soon as possible.
Jump Jam
This year we have five teams competing in the Auckland Central Jump Jam Competition. The children have been working very hard on their routines and are excited to perform.
The competition will be held on Sunday 4th September at Pt Chevalier Primary School and parents can buy tickets here: https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing?eid=7313
House week
In week 7, every house will have a day to celebrate house spirit and to encourage students to get to know each other within their house whānau. Each house leadership team has been busy planning events for their day – there will be more information next week. What we can share is that there will be a giant teddy bear’s picnic on Friday 9 September – so start planning which of your bears to bring!
Snell house is asking for recyclable CDs to be donated (for a bird scarer). If you have any old CDs that you can bear to part with, please hand them into the school office. Our gardens will love you for it.
Out-of-zone enrolments for 2023
Kohia Terrace School will be holding a Ballot on Wednesday 19th October 2022 for out-of-zone enrolments. The Board has determined that places are likely to be available for out-of-zone students for Priority 2–6 in the following year levels: Year 0 (children who will turn 5 on or after 1 June 2023); Year 1, Year 2 and Year 7.
The exact number of places will depend on the number of applications received from students who live within the school’s home zone.
The closing date for out-of-zone applications will be Wednesday 28th September 2022.
Parents of students who live within the home zone should also enrol by this date to assist the school to plan appropriately for next year. Please refer to our school website for further information.
Congratulations
Congratulations to the following students who received a KTS Learner Competency certificate at the last Azoombly:
Calendar Art
This is a reminder that we're currently taking orders for Calendar Art.
We're half-way through the ordering period and we just want to make sure everyone that wants to get products made from their child's own art has the opportunity to.
These make unique Christmas gifts for family and friends and are perfect for posting overseas.
Follow these instructions to place your order online:
1/. Go to www.kidsartworks.com
2/. Use the Entrance Code: KZ3193
3/. Enter your child's room & name when prompted
The order is open until Monday 29th August at 9am.
Payment can be made over the website via credit card or account2account.
If you have any questions, please contact Becca (becca@kts.school.nz)
Sports Update
Netball results – Week 4
Y5/6 Flames – Win 9-7
Y6 Firebirds – Win 14-9
Y6/7 Hawks – Win 10-9
Y8 Keas – Win 21-19
Community Notices
The Gingerbread Man Family Show
Monday, 10 Oct 2022 - Friday, 14 Oct 2022
Approx. 50 minutes
Show times: 10:30am and 12:30pm daily
TAPAC Performing Arts Centre
100 Motions Road Western Springs.
Tickets: $20.00
Bookings can be made at https://www.tapac.org.nz
Accessible Seating: To book a seat that is accessible for wheelchairs, please call TAPAC's reception on 09 845 0295 or email info@tapac.org.nz
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