Gōngxǐ fācái  (Wishing you prosperity) 

What a wonderful start we have had to 2026.  Everyone is settled into their hubs, learning is vibrant, meeting whānau at the W.A.T.P (Waihangatia ngā Ākonga Tino Pai Building the Best Learners) Hui was fabulous, seeing smiling faces and cheery mōrena first thing in the morning is a great start to every day. 

Contents:

• What are they learning?

• Attendance 

• Strengthening Communication 

• Learning Conversations (Reporting)

• Curriculum Changes and Assessment Information

• Vision in Action 

• Sport update

• Let's Get Moving 

• Kupu Māori 

• Message from FoLBS

• Garden to Table

• Dates to Diary

Attendance

You can check your child’s attendance at any time through the HERO app.

So far this term, 118 of our tamariki have been absent for more than 10% of the days we have been open.  Regular attendance makes a significant difference to learning, wellbeing, friendships, and confidence.  This is an area we are working to improve as a kura.

We understand that sometimes absences are unavoidable due to illness, work commitments, or important whānau events.  However, extended holidays during term time can have a real impact on learning continuity and connection to the classroom.

If your tamaiti is away, please let us know through the HERO app or by calling the school office.  If we haven’t heard from you, we will follow up to make sure everything is okay.

You can find more information about attendance expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of parents and caregivers, on the Ministry of Education website here:
https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/attendance

Thank you for partnering with us to support strong attendance and positive learning outcomes for every child.

Strengthening Communication

Last year, through our whānau surveys and hui, many of you shared thoughtful feedback about communication at Lyall Bay School.  We are grateful for this — it helps us grow.

A consistent theme was the importance of receiving clear, aligned information across the school.  As one kura, it is important that whānau hear the same key messages no matter who you speak with.

Over the past weeks, we have been working intentionally to strengthen this area.  This includes:

• Developing shared communication guidelines for staff

• Aligning how we respond to common whānau questions

• Strengthening reporting consistency

• Clarifying expectations around response times and platforms

• Supporting leaders and kaiako to use shared language when explaining learning approaches
  
  

As part of this work, we are trialling a new Monday HERO post focused on communication.  Each week, we will share a short, clear explanation of an aspect of school life.

Our aim is to make our approaches more visible and ensure whānau feel informed and confident about how learning happens at Lyall Bay School.  We hope these regular updates provide clarity and answer questions before they arise.

If there are topics you would like explained further, please let us know — your voice continues to guide our improvement.

Learning Conversations

In response to feedback from our community, we have adjusted the format of our first Learning Conversations this year.

Whānau will be able to book individual times to meet within their child’s hub.  During the conversation, kaiako will kōrero with you and your tamaiti about their learning progress, next steps, and goals.  Tamariki will also share examples of learning they are proud of.

There will be an opportunity to speak with all hub kaiako, ensuring you have a clear picture of your child’s learning across the programme.  You can book a 10 min block through HERO.

We value these partnerships and look forward to connecting with you.  After your Learning Conversation, we would really appreciate any feedback on the new format so we can continue to refine and improve the experience for our community. 

Curriculum Changes and Assessment Information

Many whānau told us they would like more information about curriculum changes and how we assess learning — this was the most requested topic in our recent feedback.

We are considering offering information sessions to share what is changing, what this means for your child, and how we track and report progress.

The session will be run on the same evening as Learning Conversations, at 3.10, 4.00, and 5.15.  In the attached survey, please indicate whether you would be interested in attending one of these sessions.

We will share the results of the survey with the community and confirm whether these sessions will go ahead.

Sport Update

Tennis Sessions Update 

Kilbirnie Tennis has let us know that, due to staff shortages, they are unable to host us this Friday for our Year 0–5 tennis sessions.  They are very apologetic and hope to offer us an alternative date later in the year. 

We know many of our tamariki were really looking forward to these sessions, and we appreciate your understanding as we work with Kilbirnie Tennis to find a new time. 

After School Sports

We’ve had a fantastic start to the many sports codes running this term.  It’s wonderful to see so many of our tamariki involved — including more volleyball teams than ever before.  If you haven't made payment yet, this is now due at the office.

A huge thank you to the whānau who are supporting our teams by coordinating, managing, coaching, transporting, and cheering from the sidelines.  We simply couldn’t offer these opportunities without you.

Your time and encouragement make a real difference to our tamariki.

Kupu Māori

Here are some phrases for when you are out in the garden with your tamariki

Whakatōkia tētahi kākano. - Plant a seed.

Kei te matewai ngā tupu. - The plants are thirsty.

Riringihia ki te wai. - Sprinkle it with water.

Hei te toru marama k hauhake i ngā huawhenua. - We'll harvest the vegetables in three months.