As we settle into the new school year, I want to extend a big thank you for your flexibility and support. We have had several staffing changes, and I appreciate your patience as we transition.
We are excited to welcome Ms. McGrath in Term 2, who will be taking over from Pā Sunil as the Year 3/4 teacher in Kea. In Week 6, Whaea Mel and Whaea Ashley will begin team teaching in Pīwaiwaka for our Year 1/2 students. Additionally, Whaea Jan will continue to support our kura as a reliever, ensuring our teachers have time for their Classroom Release Time (CRT).
We are also pleased to introduce the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) at Awapuni School. Whaea Mel, who is trained in BSLA, will be supporting our tamariki in developing strong early literacy foundation skills. BSLA is a structured literacy programme designed here in Aotearoa, and I have seen great success with it in my own junior classes over the past three years. We plan to extend this programme across our mainstream classrooms to enhance literacy and oral language learning.
In addition, we have adopted Numicon for our junior classes in both mainstream and bilingual classrooms. Numicon is a structured, mastery-based Maths programme that supports all strands of the curriculum. It provides hands-on learning experiences and follows the science of learning mathematics to build a strong foundation for our tamariki.
Finally, we want to celebrate Whaea Sarai, who recently performed at Te Matatini with her kapa haka group. We were so proud to see her on television, showcasing her incredible talent in waiata and haka. Ka mau te wehi, Whaea Sarai!
Thank you again for your ongoing support. If you have any questions or would like more information about our new programmes, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!
Ngā mihi nui,
Ms Russell
Acting Principal, Awapuni School
