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Principal's Catch Up
Shirley Bailey
Kia ora e te whānau
It’s hard to believe we’re already nearing the halfway point of Term 2! The past two weeks have certainly kept us on our toes, with a significant spike in student absences due to illness. At times, we had up to 30 students away with sore throats, coughs, and colds – a nasty bug has definitely made its way through the school.
The good news is we’ve started to see many more healthy faces back in class this week, and our attendance is steadily improving. Whilst regular attendance is a key goal for us this year (we're aiming for 80% of our students to attend school at least 90% of the time), we also recognise the importance of staying home when unwell. Thank you for continuing to keep sick tamariki at home – it really helps us manage the spread of illness and keep everyone healthy.
Mid-Year Reporting
Teachers are now deep into report writing as we prepare mid-year achievement summaries for all students. These will be sent home at the end of Week 8. Please see the section below for more details about what to expect in your child’s report.
Staffing Update
It is with a heavy heart that we shared the news of Whaea Lou’s resignation last week. Whaea Lou will be returning to Taupō at the end of this term to begin a new teaching role at Broadlands School in Term 3. We thank her for all she has given to our kura and wish her every success in her new role.
We are currently recruiting for a new teacher and will keep our community updated once an appointment has been made.
We are currently recruiting for a new teacher and will keep our community updated once an appointment has been made.
Exciting Student News
A group of our passionate and creative senior students have approached us with a fantastic idea – a Kuratau School Talent Show! We have tentatively scheduled this for Term 3, and the organising group has written a short blurb below calling for community support to help bring this exciting event to life. Watch this space!
Speech and Poem Competition – Week 6
Preparations are well underway for our annual Speech and Poem Competition, which will take place in Week 6.
- Years 0–4 will recite a poem off by heart.
- Years 4–8 are writing and delivering informative speeches.
Class competitions will be held next week, and finalists will go on to represent their class in the school-wide event on Wednesday 4th June (time to be confirmed). If your child is selected, their classroom teacher will be in touch.
Matariki Celebration – Week 8
Classes have also begun practising their class dance items ahead of our Matariki Celebration on Thursday 19th June. We can’t wait to come together and celebrate this special time in our calendar as a school and wider community.
Bike Day – Sunday 6th July
A reminder that our much-loved Bike Day is happening on Sunday 6th July, which falls in the middle weekend of the Term 2 holiday break. We know this timing may mean we’re a little short on volunteers, so we’re reaching out early.
If you can lend a hand, please email shirleyb@kuratau.school.nz.
We are looking for help with:
If you can lend a hand, please email shirleyb@kuratau.school.nz.
We are looking for help with:
- Registrations
- Parking
- Marshalling
- Food preparation
Bike Day is our major fundraising event for the year, and funds raised have been tagged for improvements to our school pool area. Your support – whether it’s volunteering on the day or encouraging friends and whānau to attend – makes a huge difference.
Teacher Only Day – Monday 16th June
A gentle reminder that school will be closed for instruction on Monday 16th June for a Teacher Only Day. Our teaching team will be attending professional learning in mathematics at Wairakei School. Thank you for making alternative arrangements for your child on this day.
Office & Admin Area Refurbishment
We’re absolutely delighted to share that our office and administration area upgrades are now complete! If you’re visiting the school, do pop in and check out the newly refurbished space. Over the past few weeks and months, we’ve:
- Upgraded the furniture in all our admin areas
- Refurbished the window seat with new covering
- Painted the entire admin area
- Installed two new heat pumps (thanks to a Transpower Grant)
- Added new school signage in the foyer
- Maintained our meaningful historic plaques and displays that reflect the proud history of our kura
I for one am extremely proud of how our school is looking! Over the past three years, we’ve also introduced new furniture into all classrooms, purchased numerous digital devices for student learning, upgraded our playground, and worked hard to beautify and tidy our school grounds.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported these projects – Kuratau School is looking and feeling amazing!
Thank you for your ongoing support of our kura and all the mahi that goes on each day. We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Shirley & the Kuratau School Team
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