Kia Ora, Namaste, Mabuhay, नमस्ते, Mālō e lelei, Hallo, Howzit, හෙලෝ, Hello, G’day,

It’s hard to believe we are halfway through Term 4, with summer just around the corner. The warmer weather over the past couple of weeks has certainly made its mark!

Mathematics Curriculum Update:

On Monday, 4th November, our teachers participated in a professional development day focused on the new mathematics curriculum. This curriculum is structured in phases by year levels:

- Phase 1: Years 0-3  

- Phase 2: Years 4-6  

- Phase 3: Years 7 & 8

Each phase is designed around three key areas: 

These areas ensure explicit teaching, skill development, and cognitive growth. Underpinning the curriculum are principles from the science of learning, including strategies such as activating prior knowledge, managing cognitive load, providing effective feedback, and developing effective learning skills.

The Government has allocated funding for mathematics programmes for the next two years, and we are excited to have chosen two new resources for our school:  

- Numicon for Phase 1, which offers a mastery-based, hands-on approach to learning mathematics.  

- Maths No Problem for Phases 2 and 3, which builds mathematical thinking through a structured, progressive scope and sequence.

These resources will support our students in developing a solid foundation and confidence in mathematics.

Cyber Safety Evening:

A big thank you to all the families who attended our "Ultimate Parents Guide to Understanding Our Kids Online World and How to Keep Them Safe" event. Rob Cope delivered a sobering yet essential presentation on the realities of social media and online safety. For more resources, visit - www.ourkidsonline.info

Disco Night:

A huge thank you to our student counsellors for their outstanding organisation of the school disco. They managed everything from door entry to taking food orders, DJing, and ensuring the junior and senior discos ran smoothly. It was wonderful to see the students enjoying themselves, especially during the limbo competition. The senior students also had a fantastic time, and the energy was infectious!

Athletics Day:

Yesterday and today, our students participated in our annual athletics events, showcasing their best efforts in running, jumping, and throwing. I was particularly proud of the team spirit displayed, with students cheering each other on. One student even mentioned, “My friend threw a huge discus throw, it was so cool to watch— I think they broke a WORLD record!” Well done to all involved!

Health Reminder - Strep Throat:

Unfortunately, strep throat is still circulating within our school. If your child has a sore throat, please have them checked at the medical centre. Strep throat is contagious and requires antibiotics for treatment.

Final Assembly & Prize-Giving:

Our final celebration assembly for the year will be tomorrow, and we are looking forward to recognising the personal progress and achievements of our students.  

The end-of-year prize-giving assembly will take place on Tuesday 17th December starting at 6:00 PM. We look forward to celebrating with you all!  Please see flyer attached for more information. 

Carpark Upgrade:

Our Board of Trustees have been working extremely hard behind the scenes to get the carpark project progressing. We are pleased to announce that we have engaged a contractor to reseal the carpark over the upcoming summer holiday period. The work will be completed by the time school resumes in 2025. This upgrade aims to enhance safety and improve functionality, particularly during the busy drop-off and pick-up times, making it a more efficient and secure space for our school community.

Board of Trustee Members:

Kio Kio School is currently seeking a parent representative to join the Board of Trustees following the resignation of Russell Thorpe who has moved away from our area. If you are at all interested in becoming involved, we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact myself or any of the current Board members:

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development and direction of our school, collaborate with other dedicated parents, and have a direct impact on decisions that shape our school’s future.

I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you enjoy the weekend ahead.

Kind regards,  

Pip Were 

Principal

Kio Kio School

 

At Kio Kio School, we believe that good attendance is essential for your child's success, and we're here to support them in achieving this. We consider attendance of 90% or above as good attendance, so please prioritise your child's attendance whenever possible. If you need to schedule appointments, please try to do so outside of school hours, and remember that holidays are not encouraged during term time.

To help your child maintain good attendance, please stay in communication with their kaiako/teachers to address any concerns or barriers that may arise. A quick parenting ‘win’ by placing emphasis on attendance and punctuality in your own life, you can also set a good example for your child and reinforce the importance of regular school attendance.

   

  

2024 TERM DATES
Term 4 -  Mon 14th Oct - Thurs 19th Dec

NOVEMBER
14th Nov - School Athletics - Whole School
15th Nov - Celebration Assembly
18th Nov - Librarians visit to Otorohanga Library
20th Nov - COPS Athletics
29th Nov - Fireworks Gala

DECEMBER
6th Dec - Christmas Parade
9th Dec - Garden Judging
17th Dec - Prize Giving
18th  Dec - Last day of Term/school for year  (PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE)

2025 TERM DATES
Term 1 - Mon 3rd Feb - Fri 11th Apr
Term 2 - Mon 28th Apr - Fri 27th June
Term 3 - Mon 14th July - Fri 19th Sept
Term 4 - Mon 6th October - 17th Dec

FEBRUARY 2025
3rd Feb - Term 1 Starts
6th Feb - Waitangi Day (NO SCHOOL) Public Holiday
7th Feb -  School Closed

All students have to wear a hat when playing outside. No Hat, No Play. Those students without a hat are asked to sit under the large tree on our Cobham Lawn. Please name your child/ren's hats.

GUMBOOT FRIDAY
We raised $201.20 for the 'I am Hope Foundation' for Free Kids Counselling by fundraising on Gumboot Friday.

NO DOGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
Just a reminder, please do not use the school grounds to exercise your dogs. Our students are finding dog poo on our bottom and top  field. This is not cool!

LOST PROPERTY
Please check out the lost property on the racks for your child/rens lost items. As the term progresses we seem to have a great deal of clothing and footwear. It would be helpful if you named your child/rens drink bottles, footwear and clothing so they can be returned to them. Whatever is left at the end of term will be washed and given to a charity shop in town.

STUDENTS ENTERING & LEAVING SCHOOL
Please make sure that your child/ren are dropped off and collected from the bus shelter each day.
We are enforcing safety rules at school pick-up and drop-off. Children are NOT to open our school gates. Parents are required to drop off inside the gate and come into the school grounds to collect their children. This is a safety measure. Our carpark is very busy at the end of the day and we need to do everything we can to keep everyone safe.

SCHOOL GATES
A Reminder to shut all school gates behind you please, in particular the large gates on the top and bottom fields. When collecting your children after school, please close the large gate behind you on the top field.

BUS BOOK REMINDER
Please ensure that the school office is informed early if your child won't be on the school bus in the afternoon. We also need to be contacted if your child/ren are getting off at another stop. You can do this by phoning the school office on 07 8731816 or emailing admin@kiokio.school.nz

STUDENT ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent from school, please advise the office by phone (078731816), email (admin@kiokio.school.nz) or the absent tab on the Parent APP with the reason so the absence can be marked correctly for the Ministry of Education. If the school is not notified, the child is deemed TRUANT and marked accordingly. If your child is late to school, they must come to the office and sign in on the electronic register.

BREAKFAST CLUB VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We are on the lookout for a PARENT VOLUNTEEER to run the THURSDAY morning. If you are able to help on this day, please contact the school office. Our Breakfast Club runs on Monday - Thursday each week beginning at 8.30am. All students are welcome to receive a bowl of milk and some weetbix before settling into the days work.
THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers on Monday and Wednesday - Katie Krukerink and Greer Morrow in Term 3, and to all the senior students who help out.

SCHOOL DOCS:

Kio Kio School Board of Trustees uses “School Docs” policies and procedures. If you would like to view any of these documents please log on to
1.  www.schooldocs.co.nz
2. Click Search for your school - Start typing the school's name and then select from the dropdown list
3. Username:  Kiokio
    Password: 3974

 NEXT BOT MEETING to be held on the 9th December at 4.30 pm

We welcome the following student and her family to Kio Kio School.

Willow Gibson - Kowhai class

We hope you have a fabulous start to your schooling with us.

FARMERS MEAT EXPORT 2024 DONATION
NZ Farmers Livestock, operating as Farmers Meat Export Ltd, in 2024, operated a bobby calf collection service in our area. Farmers were invited to nominate a local school to which the company would donate an additional 35 cents per calf to each client's collection tally.  Kio  Kio School has received a payment of $91.00. 
Thank you very much to our local farmers for nominating our school.

The coming season:
The NZ Farmers Livestock team recognise the importance of supporting local schools and organisations and will continue this support in 2025.

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