Kia ora Vogeltown whānau,
We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of staff at Vogeltown School. This year I have seen them come together in many ways to tackle events, activities, and challenges with a strong sense of teamwork.
Teachers have taken the initiative for responsibilities such as organising events like the tryathlons and stepping into leadership roles. Laura Seed has been teaching in Room 12 from the beginning of the year, and all staff contributed time and effort towards our Whānau Fiesta. Our teacher aides have demonstrated flexibility with changing timetables and responsibilities, and our teachers have embraced new learning and collectively supported one another in managing behaviours as we have settled back into the year.
Seeing this commitment among our staff reminded me of ideas from Legacy, a book by James Kerr, which explores the cultural transformation of the All Blacks during the Graham Henry era. Some of the All Blacks' mantras resonate with the our team at Vogeltown School:
- Sweep the Sheds – "Never be too big to do the small things." True leadership comes with humility and teamwork.
- Go for the Gap – "When you're on top, change your game." Always seek improvement and avoid complacency.
- Play with Purpose – "Ask why?" A shared vision unites and drives a team forward.
- Pass the Ball – "Leaders create leaders." Leadership is about empowering others, not just titles.
- Create a Learning Environment – "Leaders are teachers." Growth thrives when knowledge is shared.
It’s wonderful to be part of a school where this collective spirit is so strong and by continuing to work together, I’m sure we will make a real difference this year.
Kia pai tō koutou rā - have a nice day.
Next week we have Debbie Wrigley taking over in Room 12. Many thanks to Laura Seed for stepping into this space and getting the children off to a wonderful start.
Debbie, originally from Perth, is an experienced teacher, currently teaching at Manukorihi Intermediate and has previously worked in a variety of educational settings, including the New Zealand secondary system, international schools, and Montessori environments.
We are excited to have her as part of our Paetoki team and look forward to the knowledge and experience she will bring to our school. Please join me in warmly welcoming Debbie to our Vogeltown whānau.
We recognise the individual efforts of children reading outside of school hours with certificates that acknowledge the number of nights that they have read. Children are awarded a certificate for every 25 nights of reading that they do. 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.
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.
The awesome team at GameChanger have Vogeltown School Hoodies available to order. You can try a sample on for size at their store, which is on the corner of Huatoki and Carrington Street. The link to order is below:
