SCHOOL NEWSLETTER: 11th December 2024

IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS

Torbay School Learning Powers – RIC

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Tena Koutou e te whanau

This will be my last newsletter for 2024, a year that has been both challenging and rewarding. As we headed into 2024 our plan was always to focus on: “what is going on in our classrooms.” We had successfully introduced the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum into our school in 2023 and were looking forward to focusing on Literacy and Numeracy in 2024 and 2025 as the refreshed curriculum was further developed. With the accelerated programme of change and the different emphasis proposed by the new government challenges of capacity and uncertainty have often surfaced.

I want to congratulate our staff for the way in which they have coped with the changes and continued to deliver the inclusive, engaging programme our school focuses on. We have a plan going forward to introduce the two recently completed curriculums, English and Maths, at Torbay School. Our plan is, out of necessity, agile and can be adapted to meet the ever-changing landscape we are working in. By remaining focused on delivering regular and consistent PLD, designed to improve our classroom practice and by putting our children’s success and wellbeing at the centre of all decisions we will continue to build on our already outstanding school.

Our busy kura continues to be alive with activity right through to the end of the year with our traditional events but also with our sports teams and cultural and performance groups performing at various events. Last weekend saw our year 6 basketball teams play each other in the final of the East Coast Bays Leisure Centre competition and on Sunday our Year 6 Waterpolo team take out the final of the North Harbour Schools Water Polo competition with Sam Bennet receiving the MVP for the entire competitiion. Just to put the icing on the cake, two weeks ago, our Athletic team were the outright winners of the Northern Bays Athletic Day. These are great achievements but only the tip of the iceberg as we have numerous teams playing across several sports, congratulations to all the children that have represented Torbay this year and thankyou to all those parents who have coached and supported the children this year. Our Senior Choir performed beautifully at the recent Northern Bays Choir concert at Oteha School and our Kapa Haka group were outstanding at the Onepoto KapaHaka event. These are only a smattering of the range of activities that our school continually participates in. I thank everyone involved for creating these opportunities for our Tamariki.

Once again, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding performance of our PTA who have provided us with a wonderful array of community and fundraising events in 2024. The PTA’s fundraising efforts have recently provided our new gardens the associated buildings and poly tunnel. This year’s fundraising efforts will be used to heat our school pool. I had hoped that we could achieve this by the end of the year however other priorities have occupied my time. My aim is to have this project completed early in the new year. I want to thank Michelle Goldfinch and her PTA team for their enormous efforts, skill and enthusiasm in contributing a great deal to Torbay in 2024. The PTA year was capped off by a wonderful colour run and as a result of this event reaching its fundraising goal of over $15,000 Mrs Ye, Mrs MacBeth and I underwent a facial transition.

I could list many other outstanding achievements and events however as I said last year our greatest single achievement is the day-to-day engaging programmes delivered in our classrooms by a wonderful group of educators.

These achievements come about because we have a board, a community, and a staff that trust and believe in each other, providing the emotional environment that enables us to care for and deliver our programmes to our wonderful Tamariki who never fail to inspire. Thank you all!

Staff

I am pleased to report that we have no staff leaving the school at the end of 2024. We have a dedicated, professional staff and I am very pleased with the continuity of staffing through to 2025. We do have two additions to our permanent teaching staff as Ben Van Der Leoff and Ben Beguely join our staff for 2024. Both Bens are well known to our children with Ben V working in our school this term in a CRT (Classroom Release Techer) role and Ben B having been a student teacher at the school earlier in the year. These positions have become available due to the increase in CRT time available to staff in 2024 and the Boards willingness to invest in an extra teacher to ensure staff continuity and stability during 2025. I thank the Board for that decision in these times of teacher shortages.

I am also very pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Kilkolly as an Assistant Principal. This is a new role for Torbay School and Involves Sarah working in the classroom for two days a week and joining the Senior Management Team for the remaining three days. Sarah has been working in our school for over ten years and in recent times has been our Kahui Ako Across School Lead for Well Being. During this time Sarah has worked actively across the seven schools in our community of learning and has completed some terrific work particularly in the area of transitions between ECE, Primary School and Intermediate School. I am thrilled to have her join the management team in 2025 and look forward to working with her in this capacity.

Celebration Assembly

The celebration of learning assembly will be held tomorrow on Thursday 12^th at 1.00pm. If your child is receiving an award, you will have received an invitation to come along. I am afraid we have to restrict attendance to the families of those receiving awards because of space constraints.

Graduation Assembly

Our Year 6 Graduation assembly will be held on the 17^th of December at 6.00pm. Once again this assembly is specifically for year 6 children and their families. You will receive an invitation. It is a lovely event and a great way for our children to finish their years at Torbay School.

Last Day

We close at 12.30pm on Wednesday the 18^thof December.

Children will be released from their classrooms please do not gather around the hall expecting to take your children home from there.

Classes for 2025

On Monday December 16^th children will be told who their new teacher for 2025 is and they will have the opportunity to visit their new classroom and teacher. Reports will also go home on this day. Your children will be able to inform you of their new teacher when they arrive home on the 18^th.

Classes for 2024

On Monday December 16^th children will be told who their new teacher for 2024 is and they will have the opportunity to visit their new classroom and teacher. Reports will also go home on this day. Your children will be able to inform you of their new teacher when they arrive home on the 18^th.

We are very lucky that our staff remains very stable going into 2024:

Our teaching teams for next year:

Year 0/1: Kylie Wilson (Leader T1) Anne Naude, Vicky Crossman, Sam Wenzlick

Year 2: Nic Davis (Leader), Ben Beguely, Tori Hohaia-Gibbons, Todd Goodman.

Year 3: Joanne Northover (Leader), Amanda Walenkamp, Paulette Noone, Lorelle Koya

Year 4: Megan MacIntosh (Leader), Jack Coyle, Annika Jamieson, Chrysi Teorien.

Year 5: Renee Heasley (Leader), Jon Bettin, Alex Blair, Sophie Hales-Owen.

Year 6: Vanessa Mitschak (Leader), Lachlan Freeland, Alyce Debenham, Ben Van Der Leoff.

Changes for 2025

Next year will see some changes to our daily timetable. We will be abandoning the afternoon break we put into place during covid times, we feel that it is no longer needed. As a result, we will be increasing the morning break to 30 minutes of which the first five minutes will be dedicated to an eating time. Our Lunchtime will be moved slightly later to 12.45 and will run until 1.35 with the last 5 minutes dedicated to children getting back to class, going to the toilet, getting a drink etc so that they are ready for learning at 1.35pm.

hari Kirihimete

It has been another great year and I thank you, our community, for your support throughout.

I thank our Board for their support and trust in me, the senior management and our staff to deliver for your children. They are a forward-thinking effective board who both challenge and support, a rare commodity.

I thank all our teaching staff, they are an outstanding group of teachers, learning assistants, administrators and caretakers who work with open minds, explore new ideas and deliver on every front. They are a phenomenal team who just keep coming up with ways to improve our school, they care deeply about our children, and I wish them all a well-earned break.

I would also like to make a special thankyou to our two Deputy Principals. Susan and Nikki have been faced by many challenges as they have dealt with the onslaught of changes in the education sector this year. Throughout the year they have directed their enormous energy and capacity to manage the changes facing us and ensuring our staff are equipped with the tools and support they need to do their jobs. I am so grateful to be working with two such wonderful professionals, I could not ask for more.

Our admin team is another outstanding group, Amy, Faye, Rachel and Elizabeth who remain the engine room of our school and are always looking for ways to improve our systems. They work continuously and innovatively to make sure our school is running smoothly. They are not only effective in their jobs but carry them out with humour and empathy showing aroha for the children, staff and parents in our Kura. It is just a privilege to work alongside them.

I hope that you have an enjoyable and safe Christmas break, spend some quality time with the people you love, and I look forward to seeing everybody in the new year.

Nga mihi nui

Gary O’Brien

Principal

gobrien@torbay.school.nz

ACOMPLISHMENTS

KA PAI to the following students who have shared their fantastic learning with us this week: Hobie, Harvey, Lucy, Sora, Toby & Yuvana Rm 11, Archie & Ella P Rm 8, Evelyn Rm 9, Amelia & Riley Rm 10 Keep up the good work!