Newsletter Monday 13th November, 2017

Kia ora Koutou

After announcing our two new teachers last week, we are excited today to introduce seven new children to Omihi.  A big warm welcome to Stanley, Daisy, Tom, Zac, Taylor, Christian and Billy.  Tom has started already and the other children are coming every Monday, then will start full time in 2018.  We now have a roll of 27 children, which will be 24 at the start of next year when the Year 8’s have left.  We only need 2 more children to enrol to increase our staffing.  We will be able to use this staffing to employ a teacher to help with learning support and also to work in specialist areas.  Our children are very lucky!

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I had a very inspiring day last week listening to Jan Robertson, who is an Academic Leadership Consultant.  Jan talked a lot about leadership within schools and how we can coach our staff and children to become leaders.  There was so much learning from this day.  Here are a few of the main points I took away:

  • Create leaders that are more than you have ever been yourself
  • Use questioning - give students/teachers a chance to reflect and discuss their thoughts and ideas
  • The leadership coach is a learner.  Not an expert or a knower.  They want to learn with and from the person they are coaching
  • Support and challenge thinking
  • Great leaders know how to really listen
  • Active listening - be present and focused.  No questions.  No judgement.  No advice.  No conversation.  Actively listen to learn.
  • Leave time for the pause.  Be comfortable with pauses
  • Reflective questioning after actively listening
  • Use a growth mindset.  Mindfulness.  Resilience.  Wellbeing.  Sustainability - all part of being a leader

Also a reminder that we have a parents evening with John Parsons (Cyber Safety Expert) on Wednesday 22nd November at the Leithfield Hall at 6pm.  I highly recommend all parents should go to this.

Ngā mihi
Maree Lucas
Principal        
P: 03 314 5857  E: principal@omihi.school.nz

 


BOT Chairperson Report

Welcome to the first BoT section of the newsletter. We’ll have a regular section every few months to give you information and updates about what’s happening at the board level.  The board of trustees is responsible for the governance of the school, it sets the direction and outcomes for the school and establishes the policies. Maree as principal is responsible for the management of the school which is concerned with how the direction and outcomes are achieved.

The current board members are Sarah Barnes (chair), Ruth Lowry (deputy chair and secretary), Bridget Banks (treasurer), Nick Hamilton (health and safety) and Leighton Croft (property). Miss Lotz is our staff representative.  Maree, as principal, also sits on the board and has input into the governance function.

We are about to start training to help us better fulfil our obligations in respect of student achievement. This training was recommended after the ERO review and Debbie Dawson is coming out on Monday to run a session on the governance role which will be new to some of us and a refresher for others.  The board meets twice a term, generally in weeks 4 and 9, and parents are welcome to attend meetings. If you have any questions at all about the board or governance please feel free to contact me on 314 5979 or samsarah.barnes@yahoo.co.nz.

School Notices

Principal’s Award
Congratulations to Jack Little who received the Principal’s Award at the last assembly.

Grandparents Day - Tuesday 21st November, 9am - 11am
We ask that all families please bring in a small plate of food to have a shared morning tea with our grandparents.

Tiromoana Walk
The seniors are doing the Tiromoana Walk on Tuesday.  We will be leaving school at 9am.  Check the Facebook page in the morning for any cancellations.

GRIP Leadership Conference
Some of the seniors will be going to this on Wednesday 22nd November.  The children attending need to meet at school at 7.30am.  Please note the normal bus run will not be running this day.

Community Working Bee
We are having a community working bee on Saturday 9th December from 8am.  If anyone would like to help, please feel free to let Maree know on 314 5857 or principal@omihi.school.nz, or just come down and join us.  We will be doing the following:

  • Gardening
  • Putting bark on the playground
  • Tidying the container, garden shed and cleaners cupboard
  • Filling the potholes in the driveway
  • Building a bus shelter
  • Painting the bench and shed door in the pool area
  • Staining picnic tables
  • Take tiles off and painting the lizard

Next year we will have a caretaker/gardener a few hours a week to keep everything maintained.  So I would like to get it all up to scratch before they start.

Cleaner
We are looking for a cleaner for 2018.  If you are interested please contact Maree on 314 5857 or principal@omihi.school.nz.  The hours are flexible.

School Fundraiser
$10 a ticket.  You can either donate $10 onto www.givealittle.co.nz/org/omihischool or drop $10 into school.  Every $10 you donate puts you in the draw to win a prize.  There are also tickets for sale at Fossil Point Cafe.

Community Library
We are thrilled to announce that we are joining with the Hurunui Library, so our school library will be a community library in 2018.  We will let you know more details of opening times, etc nearer the time.

End of Year Prizegiving
This is on Thursday 14th December at 11am.  All of the community are most welcome to attend.  This is our final day for the year.

2018
School will start on Wednesday 31st January and will finish on Tuesday 18th December.  There will be a Teacher’s only day on the Thursday before Show weekend.

 

 

Maree Lucas