Learning Conversations

These are taking place next week. Today will have received information on HERO to book a time. The times are in half hour slots, but these are flexible, as we know how busy you are. You can stay for the whole time, or chose to come to just part of it. 

Kaiako are available to talk with you. They are there to support tamariki and talk with you about any learning matters. We do ask that if you wish to speak with them about something other than learning, please make an individual appointment. If you do wish to speak with kaiako, just approach them. If you are speaking with kaiako please be aware that others may also want to talk with them. There should be plenty of time for everyone. 

Reasons for Learning Conversations

• Focus on Reflection:
  Ākonga are encouraged to think about what they've learned, what went well, and what they can do differently to improve. 

• Building Ownership:
  When ākonga are involved in setting their learning, they become more invested and take greater responsibility for their progress. 

• Enhanced Achievement:
  Research suggests that ākonga active reflection on their learning can lead to improved academic achievement. 

• Parent Involvement:
  Parents gain a deeper understanding of their child's strengths and challenges, and learn how to support learning at home. 

“What Are They Learning?” – Maths

Part of a comprehensive teaching and learning programme has the following components:

• explicit teaching 

• positive relationships with mathematics and statistics 

• rich tasks 

• communication in mathematics and statistics

Rich tasks are meaningful problem-solving and investigation experiences, designed to invoke curiosity and engagement. They should relate both to mathematical contexts and wider contexts relevant to the communities, cultures, interests, and aspirations of students.

Rich tasks provide a motivational hook when exploring new concepts and procedures. They can also be used to consolidate concepts and procedures that have already been taught, to develop the mathematical and statistical processes, and to facilitate the transfer and application of learning to new situations. These experiences often allow ākonga to decide how to approach the task, developing their agency, confidence, and motivation.

Kaiako design rich tasks that are accessible to all students and offer different levels of challenge. They ensure that ākonga are clear about the purpose of learning, and they consider the core requirements of the task as well as the range of possible responses. As ākonga work on rich tasks, kaiako plan opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and feedback. They are actively involved in monitoring, prompting, and questioning during the task, to encourage ākonga to ask questions, test conjectures, make generalisations, and form connections.

The Parent Portal shows the different learning for each year level. 

Want to Know More?
Here’s a Ministry of Education guide showing what tamariki typically learn at each year level:  Guide for the New Zealand Curriculum – Years 0–8.  This is based on the Refreshed Curriculum.

If you’d like more detail about your child’s learning, please contact their kaiako — they’ll be happy to guide you.

Each year we take part in ArtSplash with many other Wellington Schools. This involves a choir and a dance group. It is voluntary to take part in this and everyone in the school is encouraged to join. DanceSplash involves the dance group choreographing their own dance, wit the support of Kaiako and volunteers. The group work on this over two terms, practicing and morning tea and lunch breaks as well as a few sessions during learning time, to really polish the performance. This is similar for the choir, but they are given particular songs to learn and are part of a massed choir, joining in with a range of other schools. Last week both of our groups performed at the St James Theatre and the Michael Fowler Centre. All of the tamariki showed our school values of pākiki, hiranga, whakapono and manaaki in their performances and while they supported other perfromaces too. Huge thank you Jules, Janine, Jess, Kate, Nikki, and Ursula for the mahi they put in to support the groups. Thank you to FoLBs who helped with the dance costume, and to all whānau who came along to support ākonga. Ko pai tō mahi. 

Huetepara (yr 0-2) went on a trip to SpacePlace, which was part of their Science learning 'Planet Earth and Beyond'.  They were full of excitement when they came back and had so much to tell that they had learned. 

Strategic Plan

On Monday the Board of Trustees met for the first time as a new board. They went through the themes that have come from all of you that will develop our strategic plan. The new board and the previous board will meet early next term to have a facilitated meeting to move forward with the themes that have come through. 

The board are aiming at having a draft document ready to go to you by the end to middle of next term.

We will keep you updated as to the progress.

Learning Through Play: 

What Play Pedagogy Is

• A structured and purposeful approach: It is not free-for-all play. Teachers intentionally design and guide play experiences that connect to the curriculum, foster inquiry, and build knowledge.

• Child-centred learning: It values curiosity and agency, encouraging students to ask questions, explore ideas, and problem-solve.

• Evidence-based practice: Research shows play pedagogy strengthens cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, and can accelerate progress in literacy and numeracy when thoughtfully integrated.

What Play Pedagogy Is Not

• Not a replacement for explicit teaching: Teachers still deliver structured lessons in reading, writing, and maths. Play complements and deepens this instruction.

• Not unmeasured or unmonitored: Learning progress is tracked carefully through observation, assessment, and reflection.

• Not about lowering standards: Rather, it raises engagement and motivation, helping children learn more effectively and retain knowledge for the long term.

Why It’s Needed in a Rapidly Changing World

1. Future Skills
   The World Economic Forum identifies creativity, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving as key skills for the 21st century. Play pedagogy grows these capabilities alongside academic knowledge.

2. Resilience and Wellbeing
   Play provides a safe way for children to take risks, manage emotions, and develop social competence. This is essential in a world where mental health challenges among young people are rising.

3. Deeper Learning
   When children are actively involved in making sense of new knowledge through play, they remember and apply it more effectively than through rote instruction alone.

4. Equity and Inclusion
   Play offers multiple entry points for learning, supporting children with diverse strengths, needs, and cultural backgrounds. This ensures all learners can access the curriculum in meaningful ways.

Aotearoa in a Global Context: UNCRC and SDGs

New Zealand is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).  Article 31 explicitly recognises a child’s right to play as fundamental to their wellbeing, learning, and development.  By embedding play pedagogy in our schools, we are upholding this international commitment and ensuring children’s rights are not sidelined in favour of narrow measures of success.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also provide a framework for why play matters.  In particular:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing – Play strengthens mental health, physical activity, and resilience.

• SDG 4: Quality Education – Play pedagogy ensures equitable, inclusive, and lifelong learning opportunities by making education engaging, relevant, and culturally sustaining.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Play supports diverse learners, including neurodiverse children, those experiencing trauma, and tamariki Māori and Pasifika learners who may otherwise be underserved by traditional approaches.

For Aotearoa, these commitments align with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations to provide equitable opportunities and honour diverse cultural ways of knowing and being.  Play pedagogy is not simply a local choice – it is part of our responsibility as a nation to uphold both indigenous rights and global agreements.

Addressing Concerns in Today’s Climate

Literacy and Numeracy

Play pedagogy does not mean setting aside core skills.  Rather, it gives children authentic opportunities to practise them in real contexts, directly aligning with New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) achievement outcomes 

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 leads us into the future.  Close your eyes for a second and think of something that happened over the last 20 years, and you would have never expected to occur. Be it the pandemic, smart phones, talking refrigerators or something else, the truth is that the future likes to surprise us.

Our world is in a perpetual state of change. There are always multiple versions of the future—some are assumptions, others hopes and fears. To prepare, we have to consider not only the changes that appear most probable, but also the ones that we aren’t expecting.

Here is a link to the OECD 'Back to the Future of Education'  - this paper has four OECD Scenario's that look at schoolin gin an uncertain future. 

Parent and Principal chat

On the first Friday of the month (this Friday), there is an opportunity to come along and have a chat.  We meet in the library from 8.30 - 9.15 or at the new extra time of 2:45 - 3.30.  There is no agenda; it is whatever you would like to talk about.  Last time we spoke about the transition from Maranui (Yr 3-4) to Onepū (Yr 5-6).  We even had a tour so whānau could see the beginning of the day in action. 

If you have something particular you would like to discuss, please email me, and I can let our community know what is coming up.  If you prefer to speak in private, you are most welcome to come in and make an appointment (often I can move things and be free for you too).  The next one is scheduled for Friday, 6th September, see you there. 

Fundraising for our playground

Our 'athon fundraiser is up and running.  Tamariki should have returned their sponsorship forms (you can do it on Wednesday if you forgot).  Tamariki have been learning basic facts appropriate to them (bonds to 5, 10, 20, or a range of times tables).  On Wednesday, 3rd September, all tamariki will answer as many questions as they can within a timeframe.  Their kaiako will fill in their form so you know how many they got correct, these will come home so they can collect their sponsorship money.  All money and sponsorship completed forms are due back 12 September. We are fundraising to improve our outdoor areas (the main request from tamariki). 

Donations can be made to:

Friends of Lyall Bay School

12-3481-0009279-00

Every little bit helps, and we’re so grateful for the amazing support from our school whānau and community

Let’s do this together – the prize is a better playground for all our kids!

FoLBs have already donated a waka, that has been a highlight of the playground these last couple of weeks.