Finance & Property

Finance

We are pleased to have completed 2022 with a surplus, albeit a small one. This was definitely assisted by COVID-19 as we had some months where we simply couldn't spend as much as usual. As in 2020 and 2021, we did have some variations in expenses as we spent more heavily on masks, sanitiser, RAT's and supplies that related to health & safety in a COVID world.

Having had our 10YPP & 5YA signed off in 2020, and as the world swung back into action, we were expecting to get on with conducting the actual work. What did happen, is that Garth & I became increasingly uncomfortable about the direction and disruption of this work and toward the end of term1, managed to finally provoke MOE Property into taking action to create a Master Plan for the regeneration of all the schools in our community, which would include deciding how much 5YA money to spend on buildings which might soon be demolished. The 5YA works are now on hold and we are waiting to see how much of this will go ahead as we also wait to see the emergence of coherent planning for our whole community which must include:

  • Planning for Tech provision

  • Planning for co-located social service delivery

In terms of actual 5YA completion, we have completed the upgrade of our outdoor toilet block and that is all for now! On the list to deal with are:

  • Upgrading further Toilet Facilities

  • Dealing with our leaky buildings

  • Upgrading our classroom interiors

  • Resolving the leaky building issues with our Hall

Due to the decline in our roll, caused by the housing projects, this is the first year in a very long time that we have had any space to spare. It has been a real pleasure for some classes to have more room to use and to be able to host SKIDS and Mana Ako as regular after school provisions on our property.

Early in the year we were able to complete the fit-out of Te Kapua our SIP funded project completed in 2021. This has made the facility even more flexible and usable and it is now extremely easy for teachers and others to go out and use this space for assemblies, events, sports and cultural activities. We have been able to make it available to two different churches to run their programmes.

Garth and Kent deserve special thanks for doing the hard yards and getting this facility all set up. We now need to look at investing in side and end "drop downs" to make it even more usable during Pt England's north east rain pattern.

We acknowledge Felicity Matla and Liz de Kort of Rubix who are currently rather frustrated waiting for MOE to decide how to spend our 5YA funding.

Finance Reports to the Board have been informative and timely.

Charlotte had a very challenging time, last year, dealing with our Auditors, BDO-Spicer, and the Board supported her in asking the Auditor General's office for a new Auditor for the 2021 year. The request was granted and unfortunately the situation deteriorated. The is the first year in my 30 years here, that at the time of writing, we still have no audited annuals. Charlotte has written again to the Auditor General and we hope to see a speedy resolution to this matter.

After working at Pt England since 1994, our dear Charlotte Sorenson has finally decided to hang up her calculator! Charlotte, you are a dear friend, you have served us reliably, faithfully and well. You have seen us through all sorts of interesting times, some real wins and some real challenges.

I've loved working with you and will really miss you.

Well done, good and faithful servant. Arohanui and God bless from all of us!

Manaiakalani

Pt England School acknowledges and thanks the Manaiakalani Education Trust for financial and resourcing support in the following ways:

  • supplying $90K to Pt England School for D.P. support to make the principal's involvement in Manaiakalani possible

  • supplying 1.0 P.A. Support

  • supplying the Manaiakalani Digital Fluency Intensive

  • Supplying the Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher Programme

  • providing free Manaiakalani PLD

  • holding the equity and liability for Student ChromeBook leases

  • building, supplying and maintaining the Tamaki Learning Network

  • supplying and facilitation the Manaiakalani Film Festival

  • supporting and enabling the Cook Islands Teacher Summit

Property & Partnership

I am very grateful to Sam Fowler, David Bos and Bruce Nicholson from MOE property who have finally heard and understood and are really helping us bring sense out of our property confusion.

KiwiSport

During 2022 Pt England School received $7,900.52 in funding for KiwiSport

This funding was paid to Manaiakalani Education Trust as part of the Tamaki Cluster Contribution to enhance enhance our Students' opportunity to participate and be taught in a variety of sports codes deliverd this year by Kelly Sports.

Other funding was used to help pay for swimming sessions, sports uniforms, coaching training, sports equipment and sports registrations.

The total number of students involved was 535