Week 9 NEWSLETTER

Rimu Team (Year 0 &1)

Hayley Sinton (Team Leader), Sally Hunter, Brooke Gibson, Josh Fielding, Helen Gard’ner, Kiri Eagle and Renee Tua-Davidson. Hayley and Renee are a job share, as are Helen and Kiri. Helen and Kiri will be doing literacy support at first, and will start a new entrant class later in the year

Kōwhai Team (Years 2 & 3)

Amber Gray (Team Leader), Gemma McPhail, Juliet Bridges, Rebecca Gasparini, Michelle O’Connell, Emma Harkness, Kim Tate-Reid. Gemma and Emma are a job share, as are Michelle and Kim

Rātā Team (Years 4 - 6)

Sophie Macdonald (Team Leader), James Riley, Simon Watts

Kahikatea Team (Years 4 - 6)

Amanda Jolliffe (team Leader), Deb Rei, Ginny Hawke

Core Belief Team/Classroom Release

Emma Harkness, Rachel Wyeth, Kim Tate-Reid, Renee Tua-Davidson, Kiri Eagle, Shaun Harkness

Learning Support

Olivia Walsh (SENCO/ORS Teacher), Erena McCann (Learning Support Coordinator), Cath Cameron

Literacy Support

Philly Rutherford, Marie Hall, Jane Macdonald

My End of Year Speech

I think I have run out of words for the year…so in place of my normal newsletter ramble, here is my speech for our Final Celebration Time. I’m proud of how that event went, proud of how well the school has gone this year…and proud of our direction going forward, and I think my speech captures that.

Have a great break, and we will see you in 2025.

Gareth

Kia ora…I want to quickly acknowledge a bunch of people…Our awesome Board of Trustees for all their guidance and support, the legendary staff here at school...40+ people all contributing to the functioning and success of this place. I’d like to thank our school whānau...endless support given to your kids and to us as a school. And of course our fantastic DPS Kids...you guys make waking up and coming to work a real pleasure

I’d also like to say thanks to Juliet...today’s celebration is down to her hard work…she is the big boss of the event…a round of applause for her

We have a few staff finishing with us this year…Megan heads on maternity leave…Maya heads off on her OE and Trent is finishing, heading up to Hamilton

I’d like to thank and commend them for their service to DPS...and as great people to work alongside. 

I’d also like to take a moment to remember Catherine Pearse…our lovely teacher aide who passed away this year. 30 years service to Cornwall St School and DPS, she had an impact on countless children, especially her beloved 5 year olds in Rimu. 

He hono tangata 

e kore e motu; 

ka pa he taura 

waka e motu

Unlike a canoe rope, a human bond cannot be severed.

As I am pretty much a man-child…I’d like to use some Dr Seuss quotes to structure my little speech today as we celebrate 2024. 

“As Dr. Seuss wisely says, ‘You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.’ At DPS, our children have great barons in their heads…and we have high expectations for our children academically, and all staff bust a gut to make sure children leave us with the foundational knowledge they need to succeed in the future.

We have achieved highly this year again in the 3 core learning areas…

In Reading we are 81% Kua Mārama or higher…at expectation or higher

Writing - 84% Kua Mārama or higher 

Maths - 83% Kua Mārama or higher 

And for those children who start with us as 5 year olds and stay, those percentages rise to between 86 and 89%. What we do at this school works. 

Our Minister this year criticized schools that have open learning environments like us, that do play based learning like us and have kids work on projects like us…calling us a ‘failed experiment’. I haven’t been able to let that go yet…and I think this image on screen shows why…

Super boring image…box and whisker graph from our latest PAT Maths testing results. We are the darker boxes, the lighter grey is the national results. Across Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 we outperform the national average, and not only that…our ‘tail’ is significantly less and our highest achievers are right up there nationally. 

“Dr. Seuss reminds us, ‘You’ll look up and down streets. Look ’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”’

We don’t do Maths in the way the government wants us to…we won’t walk down that street…but what we do works, and works well. I’ve been in the game for a while now…and have not seen results like this in my career  

“Dr. Seuss tells us, ‘You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!’ 

Our students have not just climbed academic mountains—they’ve painted, sung, written, imagined and built them. These results come alongside all the trips, the sport, the kapahaka, the play, the making. We don’t need to choose between these things…we can give children many paths to their success. Success comes in many forms…and everyone faces a different Mountain to climb…and I thought an excellent example of that was our celebration time last Friday where a number of successes were on show, but they were all so much more than just reading writing and maths

We had our Rimu team hosting…our youngest learners were up there speaking to 379 kids, 20 odd staff and a heap of parents at the back. Introducing themselves in Te Reo, speaking confidently and remembering those words…That's a big success…and not built from just reading, writing or maths

We had some of our brass students perform. Learning an instrument is a challenge in itself, but like speaking to a crowd…performing is a big deal as well. This performance was a collaborative one…each student adding their part, keeping time and they nailed it. That's a big success…and not built from just reading, writing or maths

But the big success…and this was epic…was seeing Lily stand up from her wheelchair, and walk down the hall with her sister and Grace there to assist. It was a truly humbling moment…and it seemed all the adults in the hall were affected by an outbreak of hayfever or dust in their eyes. That's a big success…and not built from just reading, writing or maths

I think the important people making these important decisions about learning… they’ve missed a key thing…They have focussed so heavily on ‘the stuff’ that kids should learn, they’ve forgotten that all kids are different, and all should experience different types of success. 

Now, lots of the new curriculum is awesome…and it is time that the sector had a shake up, and it is time that we have a serious look at achievement in New Zealand…but this can not come at the expense of success ‘in other forms’ and as you’ve seen…we do alright here at DPS. 

“Of course, as the book reminds us, ‘I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true, that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.’ 

So whānau…I’d like to ask a favour. I want you to support us next year, but keep me honest. As we implement the new curriculum we will get things right, we will get things wrong…but remember, we can have academic success inside a rich learning program…it isn’t a choice between them

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa

Let us keep close together, not wide apart

A quick message to my Year 6’s…I’ve stolen some more words from Dr Seuss…take them as my wish for your future

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

‘You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.’

‘And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed).’

Year 6s, the future is yours to shape. Take the lessons you’ve learned here and use them to make a difference—in your new schools, your communities, and the world. You all have talent, you are all awesome and you will all be missed. 

I’d like to acknowledge that for some families, this is the end of their time with DPS...the journey has been awesome, thanks for all your support over the years. 

To everyone who has supported the Douglas Park School community in such a positive way this year I thank you and wish you an amazing Christmas, and a safe and exciting new year. 

Kia ora