Week 3 Term 1, 2023

Tēnā koutou katoa

Ngā mihi nui, kia koutou katoa - Warm greetings to you all.

It was lovely to formally welcome our new TPS families at our mihi whakatau last week. We were very fortunate to have our kaumatua Tamati Tata join us and welcome our new families and staff to our school. A special ngā mihi (thank you) to Stewart Ngatai (TPS dad) who spoke on behalf of the manuhiri (guests).

We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the Whānau Connect meetings held on the 31st of January. Staff and parents have all valued the extra opportunity to connect and goal set prior to the students starting the year. The whānau connect meetings will be a practice that we will continue in future years.

Swimming

We are very fortunate to have a school pool at TPS. We are able to teach water confidence and basic skills in our aquatics programme. Due to the student-teacher ratios, it is not possible to independently teach your child to swim. We highly recommend additional swimming lessons if you want your child to learn to swim or perfect their stroke technique. All of the local pool facilities have swimming lessons available that work on ratios of 1 qualified swim teacher to 4-8 children.

Teacher Union Meetings

Currently, teachers are involved in negotiating their collective employment agreement. As part of that process, they are entitled to attend paid union meetings. The first of the meetings for 2023 is on 2nd of March 2023. On Thursday 2nd March, we ask that all parents of year 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, students (year 4 will remain at school for their camp) assist us by either:

- picking up your child(ren) between 12:15pm and 12:45pm

(no need to notify us just sign your children out with their teacher that day)

or

- notifying the office that your child(ren) will be staying at school

(any students remaining at school for the afternoon will be supervised by senior teachers and teacher aides)

Please fill in the online form, on our TPS website, if your child(ren) will be staying at school.

https://shop.tgcl.co.nz/shop/q2.shtml?shop=Tauranga%20Primary%20School&service=paid_union_afternoon_supervision

or email admin@tauranga.school.nz

Year 4 Camp will go ahead as planned on Thursday March 2nd.

Family Picnic

We are looking forward to the 23rd of February, when will host the family picnic 5:00pm-7:00 pm on the senior field. The picnic is an opportunity for our school community to come together. Over the course of the evening, teachers will host short information sessions to share our plans for the 2023 school year and explain the specific teaching programme in your child's class. TPS families can bring along a picnic-style dinner to eat on the field on the senior site. Mark this important date in your diary.

At TPS we value working in partnership with parents. From time to time parents do have concerns or questions and it is very important that you discuss these with us as soon as possible so that we can work together to resolve any matters. In general, most concerns and complaints can be resolved informally through a discussion with the person concerned.

If you have a concern, in the first instance, please talk to your child's teacher as soon as possible.

If you are unable to resolve your concern, please talk to the Team Leader, Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal.

If the matter remains unresolved please contact me.

• Team Leader Junior Team (years 1-2) Pam Wilkins
• Team Leader Middle Team (years 3-4) Jason Morgan
• Team Leader Senior Team (years 5-6) Jo Howard
• Robyn Caley - Assistant Principal - Junior Team (years 1-2)
• Cathy Ediker - Deputy Principal - Middle and Senior Teams (years 3-6)

A flowchart is attached below, which outlines the process to be followed if you wish to address a concern or complaint.

More information can be found in our school policies. T o access these follow the directions on our school website.

Zones of Regulation

At TPS we use the Zones of the Regulation framework to help students develop an awareness of their feelings and emotional state, and to teach strategies to self-regulate and positively manage the everyday challenges of life. There are four colour zones that we use to describe and understand how our brain and body feel. The zones are broken into blue, yellow, red and green zones. By teaching this programme, we hope to build our student's capacity for resilience and their ability to self-regulate their emotions when they encounter challenges.

Ngā mihi maioha

Fiona Hawes

principal@tauranga.school.nz

Teaching the Zones of Regulation helps us to recognise what zone we are currently in, and use skills and strategies to get into the GREEN ZONE - the ready for learning zone.

The first meeting this year for our Friends of the School group will be held on Tuesday 28th February at 6:30pm in the school staffroom. We will share some information on of the activities we have done in the past ('fun and fund-raising' activities like Pizza Fridays, Donut Fridays, and the school discos) and make plans for some events this year. We would would love to hear any ideas you might have. At last we can begin to plan some events for our school community.

All are welcome. It is a great way to meet other parents and also to get to know the TPS senior leadership team.

For donating a gazebo to Tauranga Primary School. The gazebo will be used for school events and is available for any school teams performing/competing at outdoor events.

Burley Castle Hawkins Lawyers help businesses, families and individuals by providing effective legal services and trusted advice. They are a friendly, highly regarded law firm located in Tauranga and Te Puke, New Zealand. Their team have the local knowledge, qualifications, skills and experience to handle your business, property, litigation and family law matters efficiently and effectively.

TPS staff have created a team, and together we are taking on the Breeze Mount Everest Challenge.

Walk, run or crawl up the Mount 38 times in 50 days, which is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest, all while raising much-needed funds for a local charity called Live for More.

Live for More empower rangatahi/young people to find freedom from their troubled pasts and be inspired to live positive and fulfilling lives. Through their surf therapy programmes, they transform troubled lives – one wave at a time.

Check out their website here > https://liveformore.org.nz/

If you want to get in behind your TPS staff and their fundraising (and fitness) challenge, you can via this give-a little page

Your elected Board of Trustees are responsible for the governance of the school (Learner outcomes, setting and monitoring school policies and Ministry of Education requirements). The Principal works with the Board, as the CEO, to manage the school on a day to day basis to ensure teaching and learning programmes are in place for all children. Meetings are held twice a term. Minutes are available on the school website.

Your TPS Board members are:

Aaron Moores (Chairperson), Anna Bell-Booth, Fiona Hawes, Euan Rutherford, Brad Garner, Lauren Stull(Deputy Chair) and Dave Medley (Staff Representative).

The policies currently under review by the BOT are:

Review topics

· Legislation and Administration Policy (board)

· Student Attendance

· Enrolment

· Privacy (board)

· Official Information Requests (board)

· Uniform / Dress Code

If you would like to feedback any of these policies:

1. Visit the website https://tauranga.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm

2. Enter the username (tauranga) and password (belltower).

3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.

4. Read the policy.

5. Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.

6. Select the reviewer type "Parent".

7. Enter your name (optional).

8. Submit your ratings and comments.

If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

2023:

• 23rd February - Family Picnic & setting the scene for 2023 - 5:00-7:00 pm
• 28th February - Friends of the School. Parent meeting 6.30pm
• 2nd March - Teacher Union meeting, collect children between 12:15pm and 12:45pm or notify the school that they will be staying for the afternoon
• 2nd March - Top Schools competition
• 2nd March - Year 4 camp
• 3rd March - Year 3/4 activity day
• 8th March - TPS swimming sports
• 9th March - Y1 Beach Education - parents needed
• 10th March - Y2 Beach Education - parents needed
• 17th March - Teacher Only Day- School closed
• 22nd March - M4 Beach Education - parents needed
• 23rd March - M3 Beach Education - parents needed
• 27th - 31 March - Senior students' Kids Can Ride programme
• 6th April - Last day of term- school closes at the usual time

Safely entering and leaving the school is an ongoing concern for our school. We ask that parents consider the safety of their children and everyone else when dropping off and picking up your child(ren). Parking is limited close to the school so please allow enough time to park and walk to school.

To ease the congestion and increase safety at the school gates at 3:00pm, we offer a 2:50pm "pick up and go" option for children in years 1 and 2. Parents are able to pick up their Y1 and Y2 children at 2:50pm with the intention that they then leave and free up parking close to the school.

The 2:50pm pick up is not intended for families staying to play on the school playgrounds or for families who have older siblings at school. Only children picked up by a parent or caregiver can leave their class at that time; all other children will be supervised until 3:00pm. There are teachers on duty until 3:10pm.

If your children are older and can confidently wait, there are many parking spaces close to the school that free up from 3:05pm onwards should you consider a slightly later pick up.

Enrolment for Term 3 2023 - ballot Friday 28th April 2023

Enrolment for Term 4 2023 - ballot Friday 21st July 2023

Enrolment for Term 1 2024 - ballot Friday 13th October 2023

Each year the Holi Colour Splash event is wowed by an abundance of wonderful performances and groovy South Asian Fusion/Bollywood/Bhangra music for all ages to enjoy.

As a creative community Holi brings various branches of art, culture and music loving people together to create a unique experience which fascinates and entertains young and old.

Throughout the three hour event there will be opportunities to interact with our talented artists and learn a thing or two of their skills.

You can also expect to find tasty Indian Street food, henna body art, kids games and more surprises during the Holi festival.

We welcome you to join our Holi experience on 4 March at Memorial Park from noon to 3pm

Principal

Fiona Hawes

principal@tauranga.school.nz

Deputy Principal

Cathy Ediker

dp@tauranga.school.nz

Assistant Principal

Robyn Caley

rcaley@tauranga.school.nz

Junior Team Leader

Pam Wilkins

pwilkins@tauranga.school.nz

Middle Team Leader

Jason Morgan

jmorgan@tauranga.school.nz

Senior Team Leader

Jo Howard

jhoward@tauranga.school.nz

International Student enquiries

Cathy Ediker

dp@tauranga.school.nz

Business Manager

Susan O'Neill

business@tauranga.school.nz

Enrolment Officer

Barbara Turley

office@tauranga.school.nz