Pouhere
Kia ora e te whanau o Te Kāpehu Whetū
Well that was another full week of mahi across the board with a mīharo whanau hui Tuesday evening…..and of course it was also te reo Kūki Airani week!
Our Pouwhakahaere, Whaea Hera, Matua Wiremu and Matua Ropata went over some of the key plans for this Term. We also had the honour of hearing two of our three Ngā Manu Korero
kaikorero on the night…..He rawe!!! Tyreece me Morgan!!!
Whaea Brenda gave feedback on our panui survey, all positive with a large number of whanau responding. Just a pointer if you want to know what events/activities are coming up, at the back
of the panui we have a ‘Key Dates’ section that is updated every week.
On the night we also announced that we will be sending two roopu to the Kapahaka primary/intermediate regionals in November, Term 4. Paenuku will of course take part in the Primary section but we have sent our ākonga in Mangaroa (Year 5/6) up to be part of the Paetata (intermediate) roopu. Practice is well underway.
Planning and practice for AIMs games is also well underway. A update hui will be held in Week 5, in 2 weeks time. So keep an eye out for that one whanau of ākonga in Paetata (Year 7 & 8).
Lastly, I also announced on the night that our kura, Te Kāpehu Whetu won’t be applying to transfer back to Charter school status, at this stage. We are in the process of getting our school building programme funded and returning to Charter School would mean we would miss out. However, our sponsor Trust, He Puna Marama Trust is applying to establish a new kura in central Auckland as a stepping stone for senior students seeking:
– To pursue higher learning at one of the University
– Access key industries ie: the Tech industry
– Assess to high performance sports
Applications closed on Friday. If successful, it will open Jan 2025.
I will update as things progress
Kia pai to wiki!
Ngā mihi
Whaea Rae
Paenuku
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all the whānau who showed up to our whānau hui on Tuesday. It was an amazing turn out and we really appreciated your support.
Stretch it out in styles with whaea Hera ‘Kapahaka Styles’
At Paenuku we have been so busy building positive relationships, having fun learning and challenging ourselves. We are improving our levels in the beep test with Te Koharua reaching taumata 7.2. We have also been challenging ourselves around kura by trying to implement “Kia tu Rangatira ai” in class and during wā takaro by showing we are and can continue being leaders to ourselves and others, which is exactly what Sonny-rae and Awa done when they both shared the ball with each other during Paramanawa.
Paetata/Paetawhiti
Week 3 Term 3
What’s been happening this week?
Wiki Tuarua
Kia ora koutou e te whānau o Te Kāpehu Whetū Tuakana.
Another busy and productive week in paetata and paetawhiti whare. ballroom dancing, to working in the māra kai, to aims games training and a full house for our hui whānau on Tuesday night. week 4 brings another busy week for our tuakana where with paetata attending a basketball tournament on Tuesday 13th at Mckay Stadium Kensington, pū kōrero which will be taking place on Wednesday 14th in Kaitaia where we will have some ākonga from our whare, taking part.
Māra Kai
Paetata started the week off with mahi in the māra alongside Matua Gene. We learnt the whenua and soil has whakapapa and how important it is for us to take care of everything we put into Papatuānuku. We are looking forward to getting our hands into māra and seeing what great things can be produced.
Hui Whānau
Thank you to all those who were able to attend our hui whānau to hear about what TKW have planned for term 3. Those who came along were also treated to listening to the speeches of our Manu Kōrero representatives.
Reminders:
Paetata ākonga attending BBall comp at Mckay Stadium. Please ensure your child’s permission slip is filled out and returned by Monday. We will be out of school for the whole day.
Pū Kōrero Wenerei 14th in Kaitaia, this will be a day trip only, no overnight stay.
Aims games hui week 5, day TBC, if you have not yet paid these fees, please make payment before the end of week 7, no payment, means your child won’t be able to attend.
Poitukohu – See the Panui PDF for this section
Tuakana Hauora
ENERGY drinks are not part of our kura
Energy drinks are still making their way into our tuakana kura and we would like whanau support to limit the consumption of these high sugar and caffeine drinks.
There are numerous studies across the world that all support that the quantity of caffeine in these drinks is dangerously high for youth. This is why a ban on selling them to people under 16
years old has been put in place by many retailers.
One 500ml can commonly contains more than 50grams of sugar, that’s more than 12 teaspoons of sugar! The healthy recommendation of sugar for children is no more than 3-4 teaspoons!
Although it is recommended children do not consume caffeine the maximum tolerable amount suggested for children is 120mg. This is the equivalent of two cans of cola type beverages. In a
500ml energy drink there is approximately 160mgs plus the guarana and or taurine.
Energy drink consumption has been linked to an increased risk of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, severe stress as well as poor physical health including poor sleep, high blood pressure, obesity and weight gain, and dental issues
Youth who consume energy drinks regularly can easily fall into vicious cycles that trap them in the habit of low quality sleep and decreased mental health as a result of excess caffeine consumption. For more information about recent studies follow the link below.
https://www.2024energydrinkslinkedtomentalhealthissues.
We want the best for our tamariki, being healthy helps them to pursue the greatest possible future for themselves.
Wai Māori is always the best choice!
Tuakana Reminders
Kia ora e te whanau
Welcome to the mid way mark, half way through the school year. Below are a few reminders for whanau about our tikanga to help keep
- Our whare doors open at 8.30, please if possible do not drop your tamariki off before this time. We cannot guarantee staff will be available to supervise and it is rather chilly in the mornings outside.
- Please make sure your child comes to school in the correct uniform. In general, our uniform looks pretty good, but there is always room for improvement. If boys are choosing to wear long pants, they need to be dress pants please, girls can wear black stockings to help keep them warm.
- PE Gear – Ākonga need to bring their PE gear to kura every day. The PE shirt can be purchased from the tari. If ākonga do not have the PE shirt a plain black t shirt is acceptable. The shorts also need to be plain black. Although the boys school uniform shorts are black we would appreciate it if they could change into black shorts more suitable to physical activity.
- Cellphones are not allowed at kura during school hours. If you wish for your child to have a phone with them so they can contact you after school they need to hand it in to the office at the start of the day and then collect it after kura. Students seen with cellphones during the school day will have the phone confiscated and it will be handed in to the office where it can be collected at the end of the day. If a student refuses to hand over the phone we see this as defiance and we follow our behaviour management process.
- During the school day your tamariki are the kura’s responsibility. If they need to leave for any reason we need whanau to please let us know, via the tari. This also includes leaving kura early. Student safety is a top priority and knowing where our ākonga are is a key part of this.
Paerangi
The week has flown past so fast yet again and for many of Paerangi the weeks remaining at kura this year are fading quickly! We are down to approximately 10-12 more weeks of kura for Year 11-13!
We are very proud of those Level 2 ākonga who have already achieved NCEA Level 2, well done. But there is more learning to be done. Along with Te Reo me ona tikanga Māori, Literacy and numeracy are increasing key to success in the world, the greater your skills are in these areas the more opportunities available to you.
Paerangi has reintroduced SSR. The Year 12 English class are required to read two novels for one of their achievement standards and the Pouako decided that this would be a good opportunity for all ākonga, and pouako to slow down and get into the habit of reading for pleasure. We have texts in both Te Reo and English available for them to read. Initially ākonga found the concept a bit difficult and could not help but talk and distract each other but now, in Week 3, they know what’s required and it takes just a few minutes to settle and, in general, sustained silent reading is occurring. I even had a student say the other day they were enjoying reading because they were up to a good bit in the book.
We would also like to mention we appreciate the greater enthusiasm and participation in sports and fitness lately from Paerangi ākonga. The benefits of exercise on mood are clear. Exercise causes your brain to release ‘feel good’ chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that help improve your mood and we have noticed this last week a shift in energy which is great. Keep up the great work Paerangi!
Nga Mihi,
Whaea Brenda
Attendance
PLEASE NOTE:
Along with disallowing cell phones and IT devices from being used in Kura (unless part of a lesson and allowed for learning by Pouako) another Government policy being measured is Student Attendance. See below:
The Government has set a target of 70% regular attendance for every student each term for 2024
Attendance is linked to both student wellbeing and to attainment. Ministry of Education insights studies show that attending Kura regularly is, on average, associated with more positive wellbeing outcomes. Attendance is also linked to student attainment especially in secondary students.
Although we have a good attendance rate across the Kura, it can be better. Our attendance across both sites is usually around mid-high 70s.
We understand that there are valid and important reasons for ākonga to be out of school at times and this is ok but please let the tari know when and why your child is absent.
Tari Year 7-13 ring Whaea Jackie: (09) 955 9996
Tari Year 1-6 ring Whaea Sam: (09) 438 8033
Automated text notification of absence
We have reinitiated our automated text message system for absences starting next week. If your child is marked with an unknown absence in the morning on an automatic text message will be sent to the primary caregiver(s) to notify them.
Thank you very much to all whanau who have responded to these texts either by replying or contacting the office. This has made a significant difference to the number of unjustified absences we have.
Policies
Te Kāpehu Whetū has worked with SchoolDocs to create a website for our policies and procedures.
The school works on a subscription basis with SchoolDocs to maintain, update, and review our policies. SchoolDocs provides us with a comprehensive core set of policies, which have been well researched and align with the National Education and Learning Priorities. The policies and procedures are tailored to our school, and the school supplies specific information such as our charter, and procedures for behaviour management, reporting to parents, etc.
SchoolDocs updates, modifies, or creates policies in response to changes in legislation or Ministry guidelines, significant events, reviews/requests from schools, and regular reviewing from the SchoolDocs team. Our school board has the opportunity to view changes/additions and comment on them before they are implemented.
We invite you to visit the site at School Docs
Kaupapa
We believe passionately in our culture, our people, our ākonga, and we know that through hard work, commitment, and focused support they will achieve within the Kura and beyond. We do this hereby acknowledging the 28 Māori Battalion and the price paid for citizenship, so that ‘we’ can “Navigate Māori Futures”.
To do this we commit to success in all its forms:
Kia Māori – Be Māori – Be
An education that validates Māori knowledge and ways of learning.
Kia Mātau – Be Knowledgeable – Know
Encouraging innovation, inquiry, the development of specialised knowledge and skills.
Kia Tū Rangatira Ai – Be Rangatira – Do
Development of strong character and personal excellence, living with mana.
Nā
Raewyn Tipene
POUHERE
Important Dates
See Calendar for Key Events