Kia ora Vogeltown Whānau,
It has been a great start to the school year. Walking around the school during break times and observing learning in action, it has been wonderful to sense a relaxed and calm atmosphere about the place. The children are full of smiles and genuinely enjoying the company of their friends and classmates.
While Term 1 is still new territory for me, it has been refreshing to start the school year from the beginning. It’s a natural place to start and brings a different feeling compared to joining mid-race!
Upon my arrival last year, I had a simple goal: to immerse myself as much as possible in the life of the school to understand the learning culture and the people who make Vogeltown special. I believe that in order to make informed decisions for the future, this was essential. It was also important to ensure that everything that usually happens at Vogeltown continued as planned. While this has meant that no changes occurred during this time, the opportunity to deeply understand our school will put us in a stronger position for the year ahead.
With new leadership, some changes will naturally happen. This was likely to impact the school anyway as we navigate Ministry of Education initiatives, including the new curriculum, the science of learning, and attendance strategies. In future newsletters, I’ll take time to share more about our aspirations for Vogeltown School and also how you can be involved in shaping our journey for 2026 and beyond.
A big thank you to those who have reached out to me so far this year. I still have my learner plates on when it comes to faces and names, but I truly appreciate the opportunity to get to know you all.
We recently learnt that Eloise has accepted new employment and her last day with us will be 13th February.
She been a valued teacher aide at our school for 8 years. During her time here, she has supported many children, most recently working with tamariki in the Paetoki syndicate and supporting our English as a Second Language learners. Last year she was a huge help during build a business, helping many groups with their products.
We are really sad to see her go as she returns to a former career but thank her for her dedication and contributions to Vogeltown.
All classes have made good use of the pool this week. We’re likely to continue using this through until mid-term and at that time we’ll need to prioritise returning to a normal timetable.
Each class teacher will have shared a swimming timetable with their class. On swimming days, please make sure your child comes to school with their togs and a towel. A bag to put clothes into while swimming and wet gear when finished is also really useful.
It is an expectation that all children participate - swimming is just like any other subject. If your child cannot swim they need a note for the time that they cannot participate. If you have any questions then please contact your child’s teacher.
The 2025 Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon is being held in New Plymouth on Tuesday 25th March 2025 at Ngamotu Beach.
If you wish to enter your child and register them under the Vogeltown School group, here is the link to do this:
http://raceroster.com/events/2025/93896/new-plymouth-weet-bix-kids-tryathlon/register?team=714836
We will have a Vogeltown tent up for children to meet but parents are responsible for their children on the day.
Attendance at school is an important ingredient for success with learning and also maintaining a positive attitude towards school.
We ask that all parents ensure children attend school regularly, inform the school of any absence (and communicate the reason for this), and have children at school in plenty of time to get settled for the start of the day.
You can let us know of any absence by texting us on 021 753 680, using the Skool Loop app to register an absence, leaving a message on 06 753 6843 or emailing office@vogeltown.school.nz
It's that time of year when our tamariki need protection from the sun's harmful rays - bucket hats must be worn every day during Term 4. We have the famous Vogeltown School bucket hats for sale at the senior office for $20 each, but any bucket hat can be worn. Children not wearing a hat will need to remain in a shaded area during break times. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
