School Board Newsletter September 2023

Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta, Namaskārām,
Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam and Ayubowan

Dear Families

Greetings and warm wishes to all our Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School whānau as we move into the wonderful season of spring, and hopefully drier weather and beautiful sunshine!

Over the last eighteen months, the school Board has been consulting with our community in various ways, to help us with the development of our school’s Strategic Plan- a plan that all schools are required to have and which sets the direction for the key work of the school for the next three years.

As a school community, you have played a key role in shaping these goals by responding to our on line surveys, participation in community meetings, talking with your children’s kaitiaki, informal conversations at school gatherings to name a few. With your thoughts and ideas, we have developed key goals for our school, which are based on the four objectives of Education and Training Act 2020, legislated by government.

The purpose of this newsletter is to share with you the great progress we, as a school, are making in developing and implementing our strategic plan, and the valuable contribution you have made in shaping it.

Primary Objectives of a School Board …

The Primary Objectives of School Boards are set by the Government.

Boards must ensure that:

Every student at the school can achieve their highest educational standard.
The school is a physically and emotionally safe place, ensures students’ human rights are upheld and take steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying and other forms of discrimination.
The school is inclusive of and caters for, students with differing needs
The school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by-
Working to ensure that its plans, policies, and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, matauranga Māori and te ao Māori
Taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori
Achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students.

Of course, being a Catholic school, we have the responsibility of ensuring that children encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth, grow in the knowledge and understanding of their faith, and experience school as place of Christian witness.

Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Goals

What are Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School goals and how have you, as a school community, helped to shape those goals? What do you see as important?

A summary of thoughts and ideas are presented below …

Goal 1 – Catholic Special Character

Goal 1: Catholic Special Character: Our living faith is the heart of our school

The community has said that they would like to see:

Knowledge and understanding of our Catholic faith
Knowledge and understanding of the school’s Religious Education programme
Instilling Gospel values into our children’s lives
Our faith should be intertwined in educating our tamariki
Our faith should be seen in the daily life of the school in all we say and do.
The physical set up of the school should reflect our Catholic faith
Be involved in community outreach projects e.g. Catholic Caring Foundation

Goal 2 – Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Goal 2: Excellence in teaching and learning- for all ākonga/learners to experience rich and responsive learning- a localised, connected and responsive curriculum

The Community has said that they would like to see:

A well rounded curriculum, while being in a nurturing, faith based environment
Gain a solid grounding in Reading, Writing and Mathematics
More emphasis on Art, Music, Physical Education and Health
Children involved in different culture groups, reflecting the school’s diverse ethnicities
Children taking more independence and responsibility for their learning
Development of problem solving skills
Knowledge, understanding and practising the school values, then academic learning
Learning basic te reo and a knowledge and understanding of Māori tikanga and have a Kapa Haka group.
Developing a relationship with our local marae
More Education Outside the Classroom experiences
Continue to have opportunities for whānau to learn more about the curriculum and activities that can be done at home to support the work of the school, particularly in Literacy and Maths.

Goal 3 – Community Hauora/Well Being

Goal 3: Community Hauora/Well Being– to build unity/Kotahitanga through inclusive community partnerships

The community has said that they would like to see:

Continue the great work in promoting the school values.
Address any bullying as soon as it arises
Provide Learning Assistants for children who have additional needs
Have a social worker based at school to work with individuals/small groups
Have a buddy system- an older child for the new entrant to establish a relationship with as they start school.
Work closely with a range of community organisations
Continue reaching out to struggling families- you acknowledged the school’s Awhinatia outreach which is in place
More sports and cultural activities
Family Fun Days at school to build up a sense of community
Regular contact with local parishes, encouraging family involvement in Sunday Masses
Have someone come into the school to talk about well-being for children and parents.

Reporting on progress …

So, based on our key goals and what you as our school community has said, the principal and staff develop an annual plan which details initiatives, plans and actions to work towards achieving these goals.

Our principal, Miss Lindstrom and often the Senior and Middle Leadership Team, regularly report to the school Board on the progress of the annual plan which we look at in the context of the school’s key goals.

In the fortnightly school newsletter you will read about various initiatives, activities and projects being planned and that the children have been involved in and you will be able to see how these fit into the school goals. You will also see that many of the suggestions you have made have already been implemented, as together we work towards achieving our goals.

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Thank you!

THANK YOU again for all your input and sharing of ideas to help the school develop its plans as we move forward in providing the best Catholic education we can for our children as we fulfil our school vision: