We had a big end of term 3, with Matariki celebrations, Jumping June, Miniball tournament and Maths Madness (see more info below).  Here are some images that were taken for you. 

Our W.A.T.P Hui:  'Our Tamariki, Their Future' was held last Wednesday.  It was wonderful to see so many of you there, being involved in our strategic plan as well as some of our current practices of structured literacy, learner agency, flexible grouping, and Learning through Play.  Above is an analysis of the comments from the strategic plan surveys (including all the ones that were in the SWOT analysis too).  If you weren't able to attend the hui, and haven't filled in the previous survey, then you have another opportunity here Strategic Plan Survey whānau.  This will close on Monday 11th August. 

We’ve heard, from our hui, that some in our community may be feeling unsure about how learning looks at our school right now.  Change can be unsettling — especially when it shifts from what we know and remember.  We want to take a moment to share the thinking behind our approach and reassure you that your tamariki are in good hands. 

Our Vision in Action

At the heart of everything we do is our school vision:
Waihangatia ngā Ākonga Tino Pai – Building the Best Learners.

This vision drives our teaching practices, learning environments, and decision-making.  We are proud to be growing learners who are, not only achieving academically, but also developing the skills and attitudes they need for the future. The basics of reading, writing and maths remain our priority. 

Why Learning Looks Different

We’ve drawn from leading educational research and frameworks to create an approach that fits our unique community and our tamariki.  Our focus is on nurturing:

• Communicators – confident speakers and active listeners

• Critical Thinkers – problem-solvers and thoughtful questioners

• Creators – imaginative, curious, and open to new ideas

• Collaborators – kind, respectful, and effective team players

These skills aren’t just for school — they are the foundation for future success in life, learning, and work.

Global Thinking, Local Heart

Our learning approach aligns closely with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)) 'Future of Education and Skills 2030' project — a global initiative that supports schools to prepare learners for a rapidly changing world.  We’re proud to be part of that thinking, right here in our local kura.  https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/future-of-education-and-skills-2030.html 

Let’s Keep Talking

We know our whānau care deeply about their children’s education, and we value your voice.  We thank those of you who have filled in our Strategic Plan survey from last term, attended our 'Our Tamariki:  Their Future' W.A.T.P Hui, and have shared any concerns with us.  Here is another opportunity to have your say in the strategic plan (a much shorter survey). Strategic Plan (Whānau)   If you have questions, ideas, or would like to see learning in action, please come in and connect with us.  Our doors are open, and we’d love to kōrero with you. 

From the OECD website: 

'Megatrends influencing the future of education

The future, by definition, is unpredictable; but, by being attuned to some of the trends now sweeping across the world, we can learn – and help our children learn – to adapt to, thrive in and even shape whatever the future holds.  Students need support in developing not only knowledge and skills but also attitudes and values that can guide them towards ethical and responsible actions.  At the same time, they need opportunities to develop their creative ingenuity to help propel humanity towards a bright future.

The framework offers a broad vision of what students will need to thrive in 2030 and beyond, e.g. student agency, student well-being, and the types of competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values).  It is globally informed, to be locally contextualized.

The metaphor of a learning compass was adopted to emphasizes the need for students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts, and find their direction in a meaningful and responsible way, instead of simply receiving fixed instructions or directions from their teachers.

The framework offers a broad vision of what students will need to thrive in 2030 and beyond, e.g. student agency, student well-being, and the types of competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values).  It is globally informed, to be locally contextualized.

The metaphor of a learning compass (see below) was adopted to emphasise the need for students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts, and find their direction in a meaningful and responsible way, instead of simply receiving fixed instructions or directions from their teachers.' https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/future-of-education-and-skills-2030.html 

Maths Madness is a maths competition held at EBIS and all schools in the Eastern Suburbs are invited.  We entered four teams of Yr 5-6 ākonga.  It was a close competition, lots of critical thinking, collaboration, communicating and creating.  Our tamariki showed their skills, knowledge and attitude.  Our teams came FIRST, SECOND and THIRD!!  The gap between the teams was small and all our teams were very close.  Miharo tō mahi!  Ngā mihi. 

Board meeting summary from June and July meetings

Board of Trustees meeting held on 16 June.  Melanie opened the meeting with a whakatauki.
We’re currently working on refreshing our Strategic Plan.  This happens every three years, and input from the whole kura community is vital.  We’re keen to hear your thoughts on how we can best prepare our tamariki for their future.  The survey is in the school newsletter and will remain open until the end of Term 2.  Please take a few minutes to complete it if you haven’t already.
Karl Emson is stepping down as Presiding Member due to taking up a principal role.  Lloyd Percival will once again take on the role until the upcoming Board elections.  We thank Karl for his mahi and leadership.  Karl has been on the Lyall Bay School Board since 2019 and served on the EBIS board for many years before that.
Melanie spoke with Year 3–6 Ākonga Māori students about their wellbeing. It was wonderful to hear how proud they are to be Māori.  The kōrero highlighted some exciting opportunities to strengthen Te Reo, Tikanga and Te Ao Māori in our curriculum.  These will be reflected in our refreshed Strategic Plan.
The Board discussed the growing presence of AI in education.  We agree it’s important that students learn how to use AI safely and appropriately—it’s part of preparing them for their future.
Our Emergency Closure policy is up to date and includes procedures for safely supervising students who may arrive at school during a closure. 

The Principal's report was taken as read.  It included information about target learners and commentary for our strategic and annual plan elements. 

Our school’s automatic door system (after 30+ years!) needs replacing.
Planning is underway for a whānau Māori hui—watch this space.

Julia closed the meeting with a whakatauki.

July Meeting

The Board met on Monday 28 July.  This was the penultimate meeting prior to Board Elections and we welcomed five interested kura whānau observers to the meeting.  Johnson started the meeting with a karakia and discussed the importance and meaning of karakia for board meetings.

We reviewed the Child Protection and Abuse Recognition and Reporting policies; these were agreed with some minor wording changes.

Strategic planning – only thirteen survey responses from whānau have been received to help determine what’s important for Lyall Bay School.  The strategic plan sets the direction for the kura over the next three years.  With W.A.T.P. hui on Wednesday further feedback was being sought. If you want to have your say on the direction of the kura please fill in a new, much shorter, survey or contact Melanie directly so this can feed into the important Strategic planning work.

The Board looked at the survey responses to date from tamariki, kura whānau, and earlier Board work and reviewed a collated SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis.  The next steps include getting further whānau feedback and setting up a session with the old board and the new board (when elected).  The Strategic Plan needs to be approved by the Ministry of Education by March 2026.

The mid-year academic report was received and will be presented to the board at the next meeting.

The regular wellbeing item discussed tamariki survey results and the upcoming dance and artsplash events.

The Principal’s report discussion focused on ensuring all target learners are being identified and provided with the right support, the roll, relationship to the strategic planning process, and school attendance that has improved from 2024.

Johnson closed the meeting with a karakia.

Structured Literacy Feedback request from University of Canterbury

As you may know, our school is using the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) for literacy instruction.

The BSLA research team at the University of Canterbury would like to ask parents/caregivers/whānau about their thoughts and opinions of their child’s literacy learning and the Better Start Literacy Approach using an online survey.

We are emailing you on behalf of the University of Canterbury research team to invite you to complete this survey.  The University of Canterbury research team do not have any of your contact details and will not know whether you have participated in the survey or not.  It will take approximately 10 minutes of your time to complete this survey.

If you would like to take part in this survey, please click on this link to complete the survey:

BSLA survey

You will also find the Information Sheet and Consent Form at this link.

This survey is voluntary, which means it is your choice whether or not to participate.  The survey is completely anonymous.  The research team and the school will not be able to identify you should you choose to take part in this study.  This study has received approval from the University of Canterbury’s Human Research Ethics Committee.

Every person who responds to the survey will go into a draw to receive one of five $100 Prezzy cards.  This research is funded by the Ministry of Education.

Please call Gail Gillon or Brigid McNeill on 03 369 3491 if there are any questions.

Thank you for considering this. 

University of Canterbury research team (Better Start Literacy Approach).

Ngā mihi

Melanie