Karaka 2026 - Classroom

Tēnā koutou katoa, nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Karaka, a Year 1 and 2 class. I am really looking forward to welcoming back our learners from last year and getting to know the new learners in our class. It is exciting to be a part of their learning journey in 2026!

I believe in strong child-school-whānau partnerships, so please be in touch if you have any questions, queries or concerns, so we can discuss them. Come and see me before or after school, send me a message on Seesaw, email me (raquel@ormond.school.nz) or call the office (862 5725) and leave me a message. I will be in touch as soon as possible. I look forward to working alongside your child and your whānau.

Ngā mihi nui

Raquel Parsons

In Karaka, we will use our superpowers to be Powerful Learner Superheroes! Powerful Learner Superheroes follow our Key Learning Messages and consistently show our Values and Key Competencies. When tamariki are noticed displaying the qualities of a Powerful Learner/Superhero, they will be rewarded with Dojo points. This is a way to recognise their effort and ability at being a Powerful Learner and goes towards a reward at the end of each week. Our FLAX awards (Focussed Learners Achieving eXcellence) also recognise our Powerful Learners/Superheroes at Assembly every Friday morning.

Our Values:

Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Reflection.

Our Key Competencies:

Thinking: Utilising critical and creative processes to interpret information and experiences.
Using language, symbols, and texts: Interpreting and using various codes (words, numbers, technology) to express knowledge.
Managing self: Building self-motivation, resilience, and a "can-do" attitude.
Relating to others: Collaborating, listening, and interacting effectively with diverse groups.
Participating and contributing: Engaging responsibly in community environments and fostering a sense of belonging.

Our Key Learning Messages:

I am able to learn with everyone.
I can ask for help when I need it.
I am responsible for my own learning.
I am not afraid to make mistakes.
I know what I am learning and why.
I am prepared to go into the learning pit.

Please let me know if you would like home learning for your child. Readers can be sent home if requested, with a one in-one out policy. We will also send home login details for PM Readers and Sunshine Decodables, that can be accessed at home. All learning is set at your child's level. Please read stories to your child at home, as it gives them the opportunity to hear good models of reading and hear 'book language'. This is great to do as part of their bedtime routine.

There are Maths website links that can be used at home on our Akoranga - Learning page. Other things you can do to help in Maths are counting forwards and backwards, skip counting, practicing basic facts and measuring in cooking and baking.

Links to programmes that we use in our learning, that can be used at home:

Literacy Resources for Home Learning:

raquel@ormond.school.nz

casey@ormond.school.nz