17 August 2024 

Kia ora, EBIS Whānau

Included in this edition of Te Whakanui o Ākautangi is an open letter from the NZEI (primary school teachers union) regarding the government’s plan to implement the new maths curriculum at the start of 2025. While the content of this letter is accurate and relevant, it is written to reflect the situation and how it affects education across the country. Here at Evans Bay Intermediate School we are affected by many of the same challenges, but we also work on finding solutions.

• Maths achievement is something that was affected during the pandemic, but we’ve invested in, and just completed 18 months of professional development to support raising achievement levels.

• Inequity is in part caused by attendance levels. We’ve identified strategies personalised for individuals to help support their attendance for all students with 84% or less.

• Sometimes students arrive at school without food. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Everyday we have a dedicated team of staff who source and prepare food to ensure students don’t go hungry. Unfortunately we do not get funded for this, but it is vitally important as you can’t learn if you are hungry.

• Perhaps it is because New Zealand teachers are highly sought after overseas, but finding relief teachers is a huge challenge currently. That’s why we recently entered a partnership with EP Education to access a wider pool of relief teachers, ones that are prioritised for a group of three schools including EBIS. It’s early days but we’re hopeful it will lead to less split classes being necessary.

• Access to learning support is a challenge as there is never enough funding to go around. Our six amazing teacher aides provide support for not only the students, or groups they are assigned to, but also to many others, through break times, before and after school. We are lucky to have each of them, and if we were ever lucky enough to have one in every classroom it would be a game changer.

The last two things I mention are not included in the letter, but are also vitally important in ensuring that our students are well prepared for learning.

• Student well being is a huge challenge. The world has gotten so much more complicated for young people and sometimes they need support navigating this. Unfortunately, counsellors are funded in high schools, but not primary schools. We fund a counsellor for two days a week, but also engage the wonderful Youth Workers from BGI to support those who need a little extra support. 

• Gaming and Social Media are one of the distractions that impacts our students' well being and learning. We recently made the change where no student may use devices before school. Classes open at 8:20, but between the time the class opens and the time the bell goes it is device free.

The NZEI have a role to play in the education landscape, specifically drawing attention to the barriers preventing teachers from doing their jobs, and advocating for change. We are letting them fight this battle, while we are focussed on working towards the best outcomes for your children, our students. The staff here do a magnificent job, and we are always immensely grateful for the support we receive from you, our community. We will continue to work with you because the students of Evans Bay Intermediate School are the priority of us all.

Ngā mihi

Akoranga

Next week students will be asked to make their choices for Akoranga. Akoranga is our elective programme where students get to choose from a range of classes that all have links across the curriculum.

This year we will be running Akoranga in two blocks. 

The first begins week 6 and runs until the end of the term, with the second running for the first five weeks of term 4. This means all students will get to participate in two of their choices. We look forward to this programme starting and seeing the students excel in areas they may have expertise in, or may be experiencing for the first time.

To arrange one of these tours please contact Sonia Panchal, at secretary@ebis.school.nz

For enrolment information please go to https://www.ebis.school.nz/enrolment-at-ebis

To stay up to date with what’s going on at Evans Bay Intermediate go to https://www.facebook.com/ebis.school.nz/

To see what’s going on via photos and videos follow us at https://www.instagram.com/evansbay_int/

WRISSA 

Over the last two weeks we’ve had both the boys and girls football as well as rugby league.

It’s great to be able to compete against the best that Wellington Intermediates have to offer in the sporting arenas.

Boys Football

In an intense competition involving 16 teams, EBIS found themselves emerging from a tough pool before being beaten in the quarter finals. At the end of the day, we were really proud of our 6th place finish.

Girls Football

After two false starts we finally got the girls football played last week. As it was the third attempt we lost a few teams, but the standard of competition was still extremely high. We found ourselves in the semi final having only conceded one goal during pool play. That goal was the last one conceded in open play as we finished both the semi final and the 3rd and 4th playoff drawing nil all. On both occasions we lost the penalty shootout that followed to finish the day in 4th place.

Rugby League

It was a cold and windy day out at Fraser Park and it wasn’t just the conditions we found challenging. The standard of play was extremely high and ultimately we were proud to place 9th in the Under 60kg grade. 

Well done to all players across all teams for the way you upheld the EBIS values while competing against the best in the region.