KTS Newsletter

Tena koutou e te whānau o Kohia Terrace School

It has been lovely to see the students back at school today, albeit on the back of some very challenging times for many. Thank you also for your understanding with the changes to our plans for this week. I am aware of a few families that have been severely affected by the flooding on Friday night and unfortunately again on Wednesday. Each family will be facing different challenges. Please reach out so we can see what we can do to help. I have put key contact numbers on the school website if you are in need of any assistance. Also, if you have had to move out of your home and you are no longer living in the school zone, please be assured that your child/ren’s enrolment at the school is secure.

A very special welcome to our new students and their whānau. We have a number of new students to the school as well as three new staff members. We invite all of you to a pōwhiri next Friday (10th February at 9.00am). Current parents are also welcome to attend as tangata whenua. We extend this formal welcome to new members of our school community at the beginning of the year, with less formal welcomes taking place at the beginning of each term for students who start throughout the year.

To know about what happens in a pōwhiri and to appreciate the tikanga is really important for our staff and students. If you have never been to one, it is a very special ceremony and something not to be missed.

We have set our Meet the Teacher open evening for next Thursday (9th February). It has been a couple of years since we have been able to hold these meetings at the school but it is an excellent opportunity to come in and meet your child’s teacher face to face and to hear details about the year. I also like to outline the Board's strategic priorities, the PTA events coming up and a general overview of the year. The organisation for the evening is as follows:

5.30 – 6.00 Year 1 – 3 meetings in classrooms

6.00 – 6.30 whānau hui in the hall

6.30 – 7.00 Year 4 – 8 meetings in classrooms

7.00 – 7.30 Camp meetings for Year 5, 6 and 7/8 classes

With COVID cases still around, we are maintaining some of our protocols. Hand sanitizer will be used when entering classrooms and we are particularly mindful of the need for good ventilation and time outside on a regular basis. If you would like your child to wear a mask, please supply them yourself. Staff will not be wearing masks. Also, as a final reminder, if your children are unwell, test. If they have flu-like symptoms, keep them at home.

Again, welcome to the 2023 school year; it is good to be underway. Please note there will be no newsletter on Tuesday. Have a lovely long weekend everyone. I look forward to seeing you at our Meet the Teacher evening on Thursday – Alison

Stationery

Thank you to all those families who have stationery for the start of the year. We do try to keep stationery costs at a minimum. If you have not yet purchased stationery, if you have it by the end of next week it would be appreciated as it makes it easier to establish those important routines at the beginning of the year. If you have lost stationery due to the flooding, please let us know. Also, if you have any spare stationery at home, you may like to consider donating it to a family who has been affected. Just drop it to the school office and we will distribute it. Thank you.

Uniform

Please remember that all students (and staff) are required to wear a hat when outside throughout Term 1. Any hat is fine, but please ensure it is named and in bags for the start of each day.

We ask that the correct school uniform is worn each day and again, to ensure we can return it to the rightful owners, please have it clearly named. NB: if you have purchased any second-hand uniform, please ensure you have changed the name.

School Website/ Calendar

A reminder that the school website is updated each week with upcoming events and the school calendar can also be found on the School App. As your child has changed classes, please update your settings in the School App.

If you have not yet downloaded School Apps on your phone, please follow the following steps so you receive timely communications and have an easy way to access the various school apps.

Care of wet books

The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS) is a Te Whatu Ora-operated service, which provides

free dental care to children across the greater Auckland areas. In order to prevent any eligible children missing out on receiving free dental care, ARDS is cross-checking their own records with school rolls. For our children’s better oral health and wellbeing, our school roll will be shared with the service as required. To find out more information about ARDS, please visit ards.co.nz or call 0800 TALK TEETH (0800 825 583).

Second-Hand Uniform Sale

The PTA will be holding a second-hand uniform sale on Thursday 9th February. The sale will start at 2:30pm and finish at 3:15pm and will be held on the Year 6 deck, opposite the school hall. A limit of 6 items per family will apply until 3pm to make it fair to buyers. All money from the sale contributes to PTA fundraising.

Brain Play teaches science & technology classes to Kiwi kids aged 5 - 13, right across the country! We offer holiday programmes, online classes, in-person after-school classes, in-school classes, and free events for communities. Our topics include 3D printing, coding, animation, STEM experiments, LEGO & more. Free trials are also available for new students. Check out our website to learn more about what's on at Brain Play & book in today - https://www.brainplay.co.nz/.

Email: office@kts.school.nz
Website: https://www.kts.school.nz/
Location: 3 Kohia Terrace, Epsom, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
Phone: 09 630 4525