Newsletter 17th November 2022

Tena koutou katoa nga mihi ki te whānau o te Kura o Ōtātara,

Ko te tamaiti te putake te ao...the child is at the centre of everything.

It is such a busy time of the year and hard to believe that we have only got another four weeks left in the 2022 tank! Where has the time gone? As we wade through our reports we can reflect on all that is positive from the year as it is now that we can see that progress and acceleration in depth. The full picture emerges and voila, we write a report that encapsulates the whole of your child - the highs, the struggles, the successes and the personality. It is so obvious as I proofread all of the reports that each child has been well and truly captured. This can only be done if we really do know your child inside and out, and this is a strong reflection of the relationships that each of the staff build with your tamariki. And as I reflect further on what it is that really does make a kura 'tick' and what it is that truly makes a difference to a learner it is that. Relationships.

Your child spends a large part of their day, and their lives, in a school so it is important that they are in a place where they feel as if they belong. A place of turangawaewae. And how do I know that those relationships are quite reciprocal? The reflections written by each child show that there is a level of comfort, a high degree of safety and the knowledge that they are accepted and loved. What they write clearly demonstrates that they feel valued, that life is not just about the three R's and that through their reflections on Our Whakawhanaungatanga they have a pretty good handle on what it takes to be a learner. We value what they say as this gives us an insight into what it is that they are thinking and what their perceptions are. And the importance of this is that no matter what, we are here for the tamariki.

Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia tatou mahi...let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.

Nga mihi

Marty Hantz

Tumuaki

New beginnings

Today the School Board announced we’ve accepted the resignation of our fantastic Tumuaki/Principal, Marty Hantz. Marty has been appointed the position of tumuaki of Taradale Intermediate School with a start date of Term 1, 2023. Marty has been the tumuaki of TPS for nearly thirteen years! In his time, Marty has created a learning and cultural environment in which our tamariki have been given the opportunities to really thrive in our mission of enabling our learners to be lifelong achievers who can think creatively and critically as part of a caring global community.

What happens next?

We’re really pleased to announce that Greg English will be Acting Principal, and Blair Jenyns will fill in as Deputy Principal alongside Gayl Squire for Term 1, 2023. Greg will take the reins and be well supported by our fantastic group of Staff and the Board. The process of recruiting a new tumuaki is already underway and we’ll communicate again in due course with any information. The Board would like to thank Marty for his dedication, energy and forward thinking for the school and community. Please join us in congratulating Marty on this amazing new challenge and chapter in his career. To see the full communication sent today, you can view that here.

• Tabloid sports - Wednesday 23rd November
  
• End of Term 4 - Wednesday 14th December (School closes at 12.30pm)
  
• Term 1 Begins - Wednesday 1st February 2023 at 9am

How dreadful that one of our local businesses was targeted the other day in an arson attack. This is so awful in so many ways and especially so considering the last few years being so rough for many with the impact of Covid-19. Shani is an ex-pupil of TPS and is a very big supporter of a lot of what we do through the Fete and other such fund-raising events. Please support those that support us, so if you are thinking of heading out for a whanau kai then maybe it would be great to pop in to Shani's and give a bit back to someone who pays a bit forward to our school.

As you will no doubt be aware there seems to be a resurgence of Covid-19 and fears that another wave may be on its way. It is important to know that we will continue to do all that we can at our kura to minimize the spread of any form of infectious disease through the following....

• a refocus on correct hand washing
• extra attention to cleaning of classroom surfaces and handles
• sending tamariki home who are clearly unwell

We also ask that you do your bit too. Please be mindful of the following expectations.

• If your child is at all unwell then they should stay home
• Please let us know if your tamariki has Covid-19

Whakarongo mai-listen to me

Titiro mai-titiro mai-look at me