Talofa lava

This week is Samoan Language Week and we have been celebrating and learning.  Samoan language and culture is important to us, as we support all our fanau to be proud of their culture.  You will have seen this woven through our Dance Festival earlier in the term, as an example.

The 2025 theme for Samoan Language Week is ‘Ia malu lou sā.  Folau i lagimā – A well-grounded self is a successful self’.

"A well-crafted ocean sailing vessel, built with care and precision, ensures a safe and steady journey.  When all its parts are thoughtfully constructed, the vessel remains balanced, strong and ready to face the open seas.

Similarly, people who prepare thoroughly and with intention become grounded and resilient and well-equipped to navigate life’s challenges and succeed in their endeavours.  No matter the challenges and hardships of life, a well-grounded person will not be easily shaken or defeated because they are firmly rooted and well-prepared". 

Newsletters are sent out in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 each term.  There is a lot more information on HERO from kaiako for you too.  If you are not seeing more information on HERO, please let us know and we will try to fix that for you. 

We welcomed two new kaiako to school on our Teacher Only Day last week.  Rachel Waterhouse, who will be in Au Hāro from next term, while Mrs Laurenson is on Maternity Leave, and Nicola Doyle, who will be in Taniwha for Kate M's Maternity Leave. 

Rachel is coming to us from Snell's Beach School in Auckland.  She is a very experienced kaiako and brings a wealth of knoweldge.  Her passions are the Arts and Literacy, as well as all other learning areas.

Nicola has already been relieving for us this term, so some of you may have met her.  Most of her teaching has been in Ireland, but she has been experiencing New Zealand's education system widely.  Nicola brings many strengths and has taught this year level in Ireland so has a good understanding of the learning required. 

We look forward to working with them from the beginning of term 3. 

Ahu will also have a new kaiako, starting next week, but introducing herself tomorrow.  Hannah Ford is coming to us from Early Childcare, but has done most of her teaching at primary level in England.  Hannah will be collaborating in Ahu with Jules.  She is looking forward to meeting you all. 

As we welcome Hannah, we farewell Mel, who has been doing an outstanding job in Ahu.  We might see Mel for a bit more time as she awaits her move to Auckland.  Thank you Mel, for being such a wonderful teacher and colleague. 

Our Board of Trustees is In essence, acts as the governing body of the school, ensuring it operates effectively, safely, and in accordance with its mission and the law.  The role of a trustee is  as a parent representative you are full member of your school board.. You have the same standing, voice, vote, and accountability as any other member. You do not act as an advocate for the parents of the school.

Your role is to bring the perspective of parents and the community to your board table, much like the staff-elected representative brings a staff view. Like all board members, you should vote in a way that best suits the interests of the school, its students, and its staff.

A parent representative can also be appointed to the role of the presiding member. Just about anyone can be a parent representative.
Parents of students, immediate caregivers, guardians, and people from the wider community can all be elected to a school board.
Board members do not have to be parents or have children at the school or kura, but the parent of an enrolled student must nominate them. Like any potential candidate, they must also meet the eligibility criteria for becoming a board member.

 Ideally, all board members will bring valuable intentions, skills, and experience to the board table.
A good parent representative will have:

• Passion and energy

• Honesty and integrity

• Compassion and empathy

• The ability to work with and within teams

• The ability to respectfully scrutinise and challenge

• The ability to think and communicate strategically

• The ability to consider the needs and well-being of all students and staff

• An understanding of their obligation to support and implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We have our elections in September this year and are looking for new members. If you want to give back to the school, please contact us and we will put you in contact with a board member who you can talk to. You are welcome to attend any of our board meetings. 

Board summary from the last meeting:

At the May Board meeting, we confirmed our current disaster and emergency policies, no changes needed for now. We started shaping our next Strategic Plan (2026-2029), with everyone sharing early thoughts. We also had a good discussion about AI in schools and agreed it’s worth exploring further. Melanie shared an update on the Pasifika programme, which is going well and being extended to more students thanks to extra funding. We also talked about the updated English curriculum, which schools are now expected to start using.

The Principal’s Report showed the school roll is sitting at 306 students. The wellbeing survey had a good response, and the Cross Country was a highlight. Some maintenance was done over the break, including skylights replacements. 

If you want to look through any of our policies these are online for you.  Please enter schooldocs.co.nz into the browser, the community name is lyallbay and the password is maranui.  You can search for any policy in there.