St Teresa's School Newsletter
Sunday 7th June
The planned planting was postponed due to our inability to cross the stream, and a decision to spend more time preparing the planting site so our plants have a better chance of survival. We instead spent the time testing the clarity and current of the water (made quick and murky from the amount of recent rain), as well as discovering what critters were living in the stream at this time of year. We reconnected with the Donald's Creek site, learning about the history of our school's involvement and previous planting successes and downfalls.
Watch out for notices about when the ground is prepared and we are ready for planting. Hopefully on a day that is not so wet!
This term is certainly racing away! The teachers are all busy analysing testing data and getting reports ready. The FOSTA team have also been busy behind the scenes, planning the Matariki Disco. The last week of term is full of fun, so make sure you keep an eye out on Hero, and in our next newsletter, for all of the information.
Ngā manaakitanga.
Liz Lark
Tumuaki Principal
We are excited to be planning our next Whole School Mass on the 16th June at 10am - a Baptism Mass for Heath, Walter, Lachlan and Darcey. This will be held in the Kiwi Hall.
Please join us to welcome these young people into our Church and into God's family.
If you have not attended a Mass with us before, and would like to know what to expect so you support the students who will be involved, please contact me (Liz). I'd be more than happy to talk to you about the Mass process, responses and prayers, as well as ways that you can participate more fully if you would like to.
In the upcoming weeks, our students enrolled in the Reconcilation Sacrament will begin their lessons. Please pray for their courage, repententance, and that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them on their journey.
A couple of Friday's ago, when Mrs Watson was relieving in Tākitimu, the students created these awesome space animations:
They created these in Google Slides by first setting up the scene, then duplicating each slide before carefully moving one of the objects to animate the scene. We then used a new feature on Google Slides to turn the animations into a video.
The theme of the creations was to make something explode in space. I think you'll all agree that these students certainly did that! Ka pai tō mahi ngā tamariki!
Please note, we have scheduled two Curriculum Days - one in Term 3 and one in Term 4.
This means that on Friday 25th September (the last day of Term 3) and Friday 23rd October (the day before Labour Weekend), school will be closed for instruction.
These days will be used to support teachers to strengthen their knowledge around the new assessments ahead of their mandatory implementation in 2027, and to assist kaiako in using assessments and classroom learning to make fair and consistent judgements on progress against the new curriculum.
If you have any questions about these two Curriculum Days, please feel free to send me an email, or make an appointment to chat.
The following information is an update regarding the 2026 changes to curriculum and reporting.
Over the past year, the New Zealand educational landscape has undergone significant shifts due to national directives regarding the NZ curriculum, particularly in English and Mathematics. Alongside these curriculum changes, the Minister of Education has introduced new requirements for how we must assess your child's progress.
What is Changing?
1. Year-by-Year Learning: In the new curriculum, learning is set out in a fixed year-by-year format, with specific requirements for achievement at each year level. This is a significant philosophical shift from our previous model which acknowledged that children progress at different rates from different starting points.
2. New Progress Descriptors: The Ministry has replaced broad curriculum bands with five specific progress stages: Emerging, Developing, Consolidating, Proficient, and Exceeding. These are the specific terms we are now directed to use to assess your child’s journey. Since we are required to assess using these terms we have chosen to use them within our reporting.
3. Increased expectations for achievement: The new curriculum significantly raises the expectations for achievement at each age. The Minister has lifted the floor, meaning the milestones for being "Proficient" or at the expected level are higher than they have been previously.
For example, in Year 2 mathematics, students are now expected to:Fluently solve addition and subtraction problems within 100 (previously, the focus was often on mastery within 20, moving toward 100 by Year 3);
Recall basic addition and subtraction facts to 20 with automaticity (e.g., 8 + 7 = 15 or 14 - 6 = 8 without counting on fingers).
Understand and work with fractions like thirds and quarters of a whole and of a set, a significant jump in abstract thinking for seven-year-olds.
Expectations for Year 4 Writing have shifted toward formalised structure much earlier than previously. An 8 or 9-year-old is now expected to:
Write multi-paragraph texts: Independently construct texts ensuring every paragraph contains a distinct topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.
Master advanced mechanics: Consistently apply speech marks, possessive apostrophes (e.g., the dog's bowl), and correctly spell tricky homophones like their/there/they're.
Use complex linking language: Deliberately use transitional phrases (e.g., together with, this means that) to connect abstract opinions with concrete reasons.
Writing requires immense cognitive load. If your child is an imaginative storyteller still untangling homophones, the new framework may categorise them as "Developing." Please look past the label. We are dedicated to helping them meet these targets without stripping away their confidence or love for writing.
4. Standardised Assessment Tools: In line with national requirements, students in Years 3–8 must now be assessed twice yearly using one of 3 assessment tools. We are also using Phonics Checks for younger learners.
While we fulfill these obligations, our teachers will continue to use and value holistic evidence -classwork, observations, and kōrero - that we know truly capture a child's growth and progress.
Reporting
You will notice changes in your child’s report at the end of Term 2. It is important to note that we are still awaiting clarity on how data feeds into these new formats. We are essentially navigating these new tools in real-time.
Reports will once again be recorded on Hero. If you require a printed copy of your child's report, please contact Zoë in the office, or your child's teacher. The report format will look a little different then previous years, as we will be using Hero's new reporting template.
We are happy to talk through all of these changes with you, as well as your child's progress towards the new expectations. We can do this in our upcoming Learning Conversations scheduled for the beginning of Term 3, or feel free to make an appointment with Liz or your child's classroom teacher.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we continue to navigate the rapidly changing landscape in education.
Last week we celebrated our assembly in the Wairarapa classroom because we had builders on site working in the Hub. It was a bit of a squish, but the amazingly flexible students and staff made it work!
Not only did we celebrate our Year 7&8 leaders and classroom super stars, but we also celebrated an impressive number of whānau who came to watch. Tauwharenīkau are currently leading the charge with 13 visitors in total! That meant 13 extra prize draws!
Waiorongomai's assembly is next. I wonder if they can beat that record??
For a while now, we have been having trouble connecting with people who are ringing our landline number. Although the phone rings, we are unable to answer it, meaning that you either need to leave a message or Zoë has to ring you back. This is very frustrating for everyone! We have contacted numerous people to try to get this sorted, to no avail.
If you need to get in touch with us for any reason, PLEASE RING OR TEXT THE OFFICE CELL PHONE 027 733 1636
Your contact is important, and we would hate to miss something vital.
Alternatively, if the matter is not urgent or time sensative, feel free to contact your child's teacher directly on the school phone.
HOW CAN YOU HELP YOUR SCHOOL? SEE THE FOLLOWING ODD JOBS:
We are still struggling to get these jobs done. If you can spare even half an hour, we would love to hear from you.
🧰 water blasting/washing the outside of our buildings (school water blaster available)
🧰 putting our new bin shed - currently in the foyer
🧰 washing the van after Liz got it stuck in the mud 😂
🧰 repairing/replacing a corner of seats in the quad
🧰 clearning the soil away from the building outside Waiorongomai to prevent the timber from rotting (urgent)
🧰 repairing taps on mud kitchen sink outside Wairarapa
🧰 deep cleaning lino area in the corridor outside the art room
🧰 fixing panels on the current greenhouse by triming and taping them in place
If you are able to help with any of these jobs, please contact Zoë or Liz. These can be completed anytime at your convenience. Materials and most tools will be supplied by school.
Parenting Courses
Reap House is offering free Parenting Workshops in the South Wairarapa from 1st May through to 30th June. There are a range of workshops to choose from - from Toddlers to Teenagers, Oral Language through to Digital Connection.
Please check out the following link for All the workshops in one place, and to register.
Contact Us
Email: office@teresas.school.nz
Website: https://www.teresas.school.nz/
Location: St Teresa's School Bell Street, Featherston, New Zealand
Phone: 027 733 1636
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/St-Teresas-Featherston/100057033717170/