Kia ora parents / caregivers / whanau,
Welcome back to 2026 at Maungatapere School. It was great to see so many families supporting the first event of the year, the school picnic. I welcomed our new staff members Tyana Fenney in R2 and Tyler Kini in R10 who returned from a year's leave teaching in Australia.
Our Board Chair, Carina Dickson spoke about our strategic plan that will be reviewed this year, and that she will be seeking community voice on behalf of the board.
Our PTA (Parent Teacher Association) chair Anne-Marie Kelly spoke about the achievements of the PTA group and Manga Mayhem Committee, the wonderful new turf that has come directly from the hardwork of these teams of parents and encouraged new members for tonight's 7pm meeting in the school staffroom. She spoke of the wonderful friendships that the group have made over the years. A number of long standing members will be stepping down at this meeting. This group of parents, like groups before them, have contributed a great deal to Maungatapere, which all families have benefitted from in many ways.
On behalf of the community we thank you.
Principal’s Key Message - Communication Pathways
My key beginning of the year message theme starts with communication. Over the last two years, the board has invested in professional development in support of leadership growth within the school. Our leadership team has completed signficant work on defining our leadership roles within the school, to best support our teachers teaching children. This is our core business. The professional development has been delivered by The Education Group Ltd, with significant impacts on how we operate, solve problems and improve what we do. Our next stage is clearly outlining to you our parent/caregiver community, the process we use for communicating student needs or concerns that arise throughout the school year.
This includes communication from school to home and vice versa.
I have created a guide to positive communication at Maungatapere School. This has been unpacked with our teachers, so that we can work on consistent systems and messages from all staff internally, as well as when we communicate with parents. In short, who you should talk to and how.
At Maungatapere School we are very proud of our students' attitudes towards learning, the values they bring from home and importantly the school values they show in their behaviour, learning and simply how they treat each other and the staff. We believe we have a very positive school culture and that it is a pleasant place to be. At times your child or someone else’s child may make a mistake that requires parent contact. To help parents, students and the school work through these times in a proactive and respectful way, we have a communication pathway to support this process.
Our Communication Pathways
To solve problems quickly and effectively, please follow this "Step-Up" process:
Step 1: The Classroom Teacher. They know your child best. Most concerns are resolved here through a simple conversation or meeting.
Step 2: Team Leadership. If a matter remains unresolved, then the next step is to approach the relevant Team Leader.Y0-4 daniel@maungatapere.school.nz. Y5-8 kimberly@maungatapere.school.nz
Step 3:Deputy Principal/Principal. The Principal is available for matters that are complex, sensitive, or remain unresolved after following Steps 1 and 2. In the event the principal is absent or unavailable, the Deputy Principal steps into the role. principal@maungatapere.school.nz, rachael@maungatapere.school.nz
Step 4: Escalation: If a matter is not resolved after speaking with the staff member, or if the concern is serious (e.g., safety or misconduct), it should be escalated to the Principal. If a resolution is not reached after speaking with the principal, or the issue is a serious generic matter you may contact the Board in writing. botchair@maungatapere.school.nz. The complaints policy is available on the school website.
At Maungatapere School, we believe that a strong, respectful relationship between home and school is the foundation for every student's success. As a result teachers will be available in their classrooms from 8:30 to 8:50am every morning. Alternatively, you are able to arrange a time that suits both parties.
The Office
It is important to note that the office staff are the conduit for putting you in contact with who you need to talk with, they are not the ear to hear your concern, unless it is an office administration question. If you have something urgent then please ask the office to get the teacher/team leader/principal to call you. Staff do not always get to emails throughout the day as they are busy teaching. Principal’s do not get to their emails everyday, due to school business. If it is an urgent concern, please ring.
Teacher Aides
If you have any questions in regards to your child’s learning, please direct them to the teacher as they need to be part of all communications about learning or behaviour. Teachers then plan accordingly related to need and pass on any relevant information to teacher aides.
