SHOUT OUT TO ALL PRINCIPALS!
Just taking a moment to give a big mihi to all the principals out there! Tumuaki Appreciation Day may have come and gone quite quickly, but the mahi you do every single day leaves a lasting impact.
This year has had challenges – whether it is navigating the roll-out of new curriculums, reshaping school structures to support an increasingly diverse range of learners, juggling recruitment hurdles, or somehow balancing ever-tightening budgets. It’s no small task.
You’ve made tough calls, handled the pressure, and put your own needs aside to lead with heart. Whether it’s standing firm for what’s right for your ākonga, supporting your staff through change, or keeping your school grounded through uncertain times – your leadership matters.
Ngā mihi nui to each of you for your dedication, courage, and the many sacrifices you quietly make. You do an amazing job!
Kia ora whānau,
We’re starting to think about our Term 4 hāngī, and we’d love your help to make it happen!
We’re looking for parent and whānau volunteers to support all parts of the process – from preparation, to placing and lifting the hāngī, to serving the food on the day. While this has traditionally been managed by school staff, we’re keen to build greater community involvement so that this special event becomes more sustainable for the future.
Whether you’re a seasoned hāngī hand or just keen to lend a hand, we’d love to hear from you. If you have experience and can guide others or take the lead in certain areas, even better!
If you’re interested in helping out, please add your details using the link below. We’ll be in touch closer to the time with more information.
Ngā mihi nui,
The Vogeltown School Team
The Vogeltown suburb was named after Sir Julius Vogel, Prime Minister of New Zealand in the 1870s.
The Māori word Huatoki can be translated in a number of ways. Some suggest that a literal translation of "many or plentiful adzes" could refer to the availability of suitable stones for adzes in the stream. Alternatively others suggest it is a corruption of Hua tītoki referring to the many tītoki trees that are abundant in the valley.
We will be holding a Teacher Only Day on Friday 29 August. On this day, school will be closed for instruction.
The focus of this day is for our teaching team to continue deepening their understanding of the new national curriculum refresh, including how it will shape teaching and learning within our school. This learning is important to ensure we are well prepared to deliver a curriculum that meets the needs of our learners.
We appreciate your support in making this time available for staff.
This term our school cross country will be held on Thursday 21 August, with a postponement date of Friday 22 August. We’re still finalising the details, but the event will likely take place sometime between 10:00am and 1:00pm.
We’re doing things a little differently this year by heading to Vogeltown Park. It’s a great opportunity to make use of a wonderful community space, and it also gives our tamariki a chance to experience the course used for interschool cross country.
To help the day run smoothly, we’d love to have a team of parent and whānau helpers. With your support, our teachers can stay with their classes and support them.
If you’re available to help out, please let us know by replying to messages we’ll send out later this term.
We love celebrating the individual efforts of our children who are reading outside of school hours. It’s been fantastic to see so many of our tamariki earning reading nights certificates and even more exciting to see some nearing 200 nights! Tino pai rawa atu! Keep up the great reading, everyone!
We award certificates for every 25 nights of reading completed. These certificates are handed out during syndicate assemblies, with special recognition given in whole school assemblies to the first students reaching each new milestone.
A night is a minimum of 10 minutes reading for children in the Taranaki syndicate, 15 minutes for children in the Huatoki syndicate, and 20 minutes for students in the Paetoki syndicate. With certificates being given out it is important that children are having their reading signed off by a parent at home on a daily basis.
Thinking about becoming a school trustee? It’s a great way to get involved and make a real difference in the education of our tamariki. School boards are made up of everyday people who work together with staff, students, whānau, and the wider community to help our schools be the best they can be.
Boards are strongest when they reflect their communities, so people from all walks of life are encouraged to put their hands up - your voice and experience really do matter.
Keen to find out more? Try talking to one of our existing Board members or head to www.schoolboardelections.org.nz
It is important that we know if you have a child starting school sometime in the remainder of this year. This will allow us to put organisation in place for new students - especially those starting school, and to understand our predicted roll throughout the year.
You can do this by contacting the office to confirm that we have your child on our records, or by completing an enrolment form (which can be collected from the school or downloaded off our website).
If you know of anyone else living in zone that may be looking to enrol then please share this message with them.
