COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL

Office Hours

8:30 am-4:00 pm

Hours of Instruction

8:40 am - 3:00 pm

Email: office@coastaltaranaki.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/coastaltaranaki.school.nz/coastaltaranakischool/home
Location: 92 Carthew Street, Ōkato, New Zealand
Phone: (06)7524022 - 027 320 1267
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastaltaranakischool

Tēnā koutou e te whānau o Coastal Taranaki School,

I te tuatahi, tēnei rā te mihi aroha atu ki ngā whānau o ngā mate kua taka mai nei ki runga i ā koutou. Kei te hotuhotu te manawa i tō wehenga atu. Haere atu rā, okioki atu rā e ngā mate.

Ka huri au ki a tātou te hunga ora. Tēnā tātou katoa.

Nau mai, hoki mai ki te kura — welcome back to school. We hope all whānau had a safe and restful break and are ready for a great term ahead.

As we begin Term 2, we first take a moment to acknowledge ANZAC Day this Saturday. This is a significant time for reflection across Aotearoa, where we remember and honour those who have served and sacrificed for our country. It is also an opportunity to reflect on values such as courage, service, and community—values we continue to nurture within our kura.

It has been a positive and energetic start to the term, with a strong sense of momentum across the school. It has been wonderful to see our ākonga returning refreshed, reconnected, and ready to engage in the many learning opportunities ahead.

You’ll read below about several exciting developments and celebrations within our kura. I’d like to briefly highlight and acknowledge these:

• We warmly welcome Wes Mau into her role as Innovative Curriculum & Design Project Lead Y0-6. Wes brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to culturally grounded learning, and we look forward to the impact of her work across our primary spaces.

• Our Lit Quiz teams have represented Coastal Taranaki School with pride. Their commitment and courage to compete is something we celebrate, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts.

• The launch of our EPro8 team is another fantastic opportunity for our students to extend themselves through innovation and teamwork. Thank you to those supporting this initiative.

• We are pleased to see the continuation of important wellbeing programmes such as Shine Girl and Seasons for Growth, alongside the engaging environmental learning happening through our Manu Pīkoko rōpū.

• We also acknowledge the ongoing support from our parent community, particularly in sport. Your involvement continues to make a meaningful difference for our tamariki.

A few important pānui for Week 1 and the term ahead:

• Our pānui ā-kura | school newsletter will be shared in Weeks 3, 6, and 9 each term.

• Student morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up procedures are currently under review to ensure the safety of all students, particularly with school bus movements at the back of the school via Oxford Road. We will keep you updated as this progresses.

• A reminder that we have a Staff Only Day next Tuesday, 28 April, where our team will be focusing on curriculum development across both our primary and secondary sectors.

• Term 2 School Board meetings will be held on Wednesday 6 May and Wednesday 17 June, from 6:00–8:00pm.

Looking ahead, you will also see information below about an important shift in our mathematics programme. This year, we are introducing Maths — No Problem!, a structured approach to mathematics teaching and learning across Years 0–8. This is an exciting development for our kura, focused on building deep understanding, confidence, and strong problem-solving skills in our learners. We encourage you to take a moment to read more about this below and how you can support your child at home.

Term 2 is shaping up to be a busy and rewarding one. We look forward to sharing more successes, opportunities, and stories with you as the weeks unfold.

Ngā manaakitanga, nā

Sonia Mau

Tumuaki | Principal

Te Kura o Coastal Taranaki

Coastal Taranaki School, ŌKATO

At Coastal Taranaki School, we are transitioning to Maths — No Problem! to support the teaching and learning of mathematics in Years 0–8, beginning Term 2, Week 3 — Monday, 4 May 2026.

This transition brings our kura into alignment with Ministry of Education funded and endorsed structured mathematics resources, as part of the Government’s “Make it Count” initiative.

This programme is based on the highly effective Singapore approach, which focuses on developing a deep understanding of mathematics, rather than simply memorising procedures.

As part of this process, our school has secured high-quality textbooks and workbooks for students, alongside digital resources for teachers. These include clear teaching guidance and interactive tools that help bring mathematical ideas to life in the classroom.

Students learn through a structured sequence that moves from:

• Concrete (using materials and hands-on experiences)

• Pictorial (drawing and visualising ideas)

• Abstract (using numbers and symbols).

This approach helps students build confidence and develop a deep understanding of what they are learning.

A key part of Maths — No Problem! is encouraging students to:

• explain their thinking

• solve problems in different ways

• make connections between ideas.

You might notice your child using drawings, talking through their thinking, or solving problems differently from how you learned at school — this is intentional and supports deeper learning.

As part of our preparation, Maths — No Problem! will be delivering professional development to our Years 0–8 leadership, teaching, and support staff during our Staff Only Day on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.

We value working alongside whānau. You can support your child by:

• asking them to explain how they solved a problem

• encouraging them to show their thinking (not just the answer)

• celebrating effort and perseverance

• 
  

Nā te Kapa Hautū Matua | Senior Leadership Team

Whaea Sonia Mau - Tumuaki | Principal

Whaea Sarah Oke - Tumuaki Tuarua | Deputy Principal Y7-13

Whaea Wes Mau - Kaihautū Marautanga | Curriculum Lead Y0-6

Term 2 brings a big change for my whānau and me, as I slightly reduce my hours to spend some extra time with Matilda before she joins us here at kura. I feel very fortunate to have a Principal and School Board who have supported me in making this decision. My commitment and dedication to our kura remain unchanged—I truly love what I do and am excited about the direction we are heading and the mahi underway to get us there. I will be onsite Monday through Wednesday, and part days on Thursday and Friday.

In other news, I would like to congratulate our incredible Lit Quiz teams (Year 5/6 and Year 7/8). They have worked incredibly hard and represented our kura with pride in the competition. It takes courage to step up and compete, and we are so proud of you all. A special thank you to Miss Fung and Delwyn for your time, knowledge, and guidance in supporting and growing our teams.

This week we also launched our EPro8 team, made up of a group of enthusiastic and motivated students. This initiative is run by the talented Alana in our front office alongside supportive parents. We are very grateful for the time and energy these individuals have given to get this up and running.

Treishka begins several of her programmes this term, supporting, guiding, and developing our ākonga. These include the Shine Girl programme and Seasons for Growth, both of which provide valuable tools and support for our students. Treishka is a valued member of our staff who brings so much to our kura.

Cherry has also begun her mahi with our Manu Pīkoko rōpū this week. Manu Pīkoko translates to “hungry birds,” and this group focuses on engaging students in taiao (environmental) activities. This may involve getting their hands dirty, working with insects, and being outdoors in all conditions. We aim to support students who show enthusiasm and interest in environmental pathways and nurture that interest over time.

I would also like to acknowledge the parents who continue to step up and support our ākonga, particularly in the sporting space. Without a sports coordinator, this work is currently being shared among a small group of staff doing their best to keep sport alive in our kura. If you are available to support in coordinating any sports codes, we would love to hear from you.

It has been a brilliant start to the term, with many exciting opportunities and events ahead. We look forward to sharing these with you as the term unfolds.

Sarah Oke

8 of our keen readers represented CTS at the Kids' Lit Quiz 2026 Taranaki Regional Heat at Sacred Heart Girls' College on Wed 22nd April.

Our Years 5/6 braved the competition as one of the youngest groups this year.

We are also super proud of our Years 7/8 team, who placed 5th out of 20 groups.

We thank them for their commitment and dedication.

These students have been preparing since December, meeting regularly in the library with Delwyn and Mrs Fung.

Congratulations to our wonderful readers.

We will be back next year!

COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL

Sonia Mau Principal

Sarah Oke Senior School Deputy Principal, Careers/Pathways, Tech on 45

Wes Mau Innovative Curriculum & Design Project Lead (Y0–6)

David Cripps SENCO

Viola Fung English

Ros James Maths Term 1

Steve Leppard Hard Materials Technology, Tech on 45

Natalie Bound Science, Principals Nominee

Sarah Warren Release Teacher, P.E Teacher

Keegan Bruckner Social Sciences, Geography, P.E Teacher

Hayley Gilmour Release Teacher

Liana Roberts Pouakai Team Leader, Year 7/8 Teacher

Dee Heath Year 7/8 Teacher

Renee Leathley Kaitake Team Leader, Year 5/6 Teacher

Emily Finey Year 5/6 Teacher

Johannah Poutini Year 4/5Teacher

Annie Harris NE Transition Teacher

Jemma Moorby Year 2/3 Teacher

Philippa Hofmans Pukeiti Team Leader, Year 1/2 Teacher

Tara Ross Year 3/4 Teachers

Jacky Kopu Office Manager

Alana Campbell Office Receptionist

Delwyn Pearce School Librarian

Kirsty Koboski Publicity Officer

Ole Bucka Grounds & Maintenance

Amy Mills Guidance Counsellor

Learning Assistants

Darryl Levett

Kirsty Koboski

Paula Fleming

Ruth Barron

Nicole Whittle

Fon Julian

Lisa Schrader