Newsletter 1st September 2025
From the Principal
We have much to celebrate so far this term. The senior school students took part in their speech competitions and the middle school shared their abilities through poetry and speeches. There are many changes continuing in education at present and even the Ministry is struggling to keep up with the new government directives, however, we are striving to embrace these changes thanks to our dedicated team of teachers.
For new parents
What Is Structured Literacy?
When we talk about structured literacy, we're referring to a way of teaching reading and writing that is very clear and organised. Instead of just hoping kids "pick up" these skills, we directly and methodically teach them every important piece of the puzzle.
Think of it like building a house. We don't just hand a child some tools and wood and say, "Go build a house." Instead, we start with a strong foundation, teaching them the basic skills like:
- Decoding: Sounding out words to read them.
- Spelling: Understanding how sounds and letters work together to write words.
Once they've mastered these foundational skills, we build on them, teaching more complex reading and writing abilities. It's a step-by-step process that ensures they don't miss any crucial building blocks along the way.
What Is Structured Maths?
By giving students a clear and organised way to learn maths, we're helping them truly understand the ideas behind the numbers (conceptual understanding) and become skilled at solving problems quickly and correctly (procedural fluency).
This approach ensures your child can use what they've learned as a solid base for new, more challenging topics. It also helps them to:
- Solve new problems they haven't seen before.
- Think logically and explain their reasoning.
- Connect different maths ideas so they can see how everything fits together.
Lockdown Practice - Wednesday 17th September
Lockdown practices are crucial for school safety. They help students and staff know what to do in a crisis, which can reduce panic and save lives. While no one wants to imagine an emergency, practicing these drills prepares everyone to act quickly and calmly if a real threat ever arises.
Creating Muscle Memory
The primary goal of a lockdown drill is to create muscle memory. This means repeating the safety actions so often that they become automatic. In a high-stress situation, people often can't think clearly. By training everyone to immediately lock doors, turn off lights, and get out of sight, these life-saving steps can be taken without conscious thought.
Reducing Fear and Anxiety
Lockdown drills can initially be scary, but regular practice can actually help reduce fear and anxiety over time. When students and adults know there's a clear plan, they feel more prepared and in control. This familiarity with the procedure makes an actual emergency feel less overwhelming.
These drills can be used for a variety of dangers, such as a community threat nearby, a dangerous animal on campus, or an angry intruder.
Principal on Educational Leave
I will be on leave from September 15th until October 31st. Mrs Sue Kandasamy will be Acting Principal in my absence.
HPPA Speech Competition
Last Wednesday night, Onelie Peiris represented not only Pakūranga Heights School but our Howick-Pakūranga cluster at the speech finals. She made the finals with a brilliant thought provoking speech, in the FlashTalk category, about the importance of looking after our whenua. Onelie delivered her speech with confidence, clarity and impeccable timing to her FlashTalk slides - as she did in our school and local cluster finals. Unfortunately she did not come away with the 1st place title, but Onelie made us very proud and was highly commended for her speech and delivery by the judges on the night.
Attendance
As you are aware the Government continues a huge drive to improve student attendance. We are also working on reducing the number of students arriving late.
Parents and caregivers expectations
Parents are legally required to enrol their children and make sure they attend school every day.
- Parents play a big role in helping their children do well in school. You can do this by making sure your child goes to school every day and letting the school know if they're sick.
- If your child is unable to attend school you must let the school know the reason why.
- Family holidays or taking time off for recreational activities are not acceptable reasons for being absent.
- You are responsible for letting the school know if your children are moving schools and you need to make sure you enrol your children in their next school right away.
Together we can give your child the best possible chance.
School Events Coming Up
Inter School Netball Day Tuesday 9th September
Junior Poetry Festival Wednesday 10th September starting at 9.15 am
Lockdown Practice Wednesday 17th September
Cultural Festival Thursday 23rd October
Mathathon
School Disco
Celebrating Excellence - Room 18
As part of our Inquiry this term the students in Room 18 decided to make board games. We started by playing a variety of games to see what made them appealing and exciting to play. Some of the students also wanted to make Top Trump cards as this was a very popular game in our class.
Our goal was to create an engaging and fun game that could be played by students during a wet lunchtime. It had to be easy to understand, played by 2-4 players, take no longer than 15 - 20 minutes to play, and include a clear set of rules.
We used our imagination and creativity to design games that were colourful, exciting and fun to play.
Everyone loved playing each other's games and we even shared them with the students in Room 9 which is our buddy class - they REALLY loved them!
School Lunches
Win with Ezlunch this Term!
Every Ezlunch order placed between August 18th and September 19th enters your family into weekly prize draws for $50 vouchers and a grand prize worth $500! The more lunches you order, the more chances you have to win. Visit your Kindo account to place orders and enter the draw.
From the Community
