Teenaa koutou e te whaanau o Matangi,

It has been great to see all our tamariki engaged in their learning, making friends and enjoying participating in swimming and the try-athlon over the last couple of weeks.

Thank you to the parents/whānau who attended our Meet the Teacher on Wednesday night. It was a great opportunity to share our learning for the year and make connections with our school’s ways of working.

I would like to share our 2024 End of Year data here as I had presented it as part of Meet the Teacher session I ran. It is important that, as a school community, we are all informed of the progress of our students and what we are doing to continue to improve learning for all.

77% of students are achieving at or above the expected curriculum level in Mathematics.
23% of students are achieving towards or well below the expected curriculum level in Mathematics.

68% of students are achieving at or above the expected curriculum in Reading.
32% of students are achieving towards or well below the expected curriculum level in Reading.

65% of students are achieving at or above the expected curriculum level in Writing.
35% of students are achieving towards or well below the expected curriculum level in Writing.

The Ministry of Education has set a target that by 2030, 80% of Year 8 students are at or above their expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.

The revised English and Mathematics Curriculums have now been provided for schools, with the expectation that we are using these to support teaching and learning and improve outcomes for learners. At Matangi School, teachers are using these curriculums and are being supported with professional development to help implement them.

We have received Pr1me Maths resources that were one of the Ministry’s free resources for schools to use to support the revised curriculum. Our teachers have been training and implementing the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA) across the school to support reading. We are also working with Anne Grady to develop our teaching of writing. As a school, we do want the best outcomes for all students, and we are committed to ongoing professional development to support this.

We will be having a Ministry of Education approved Teacher Only Day on Friday, 4 April, to support our implementation of the revised curriculums. Please see the notice in today’s newsletter for this.

Ngaa mihi,

Bernard Butler

Principal

ABOUT MATANGI FUNDRAISING:

What we do

We are a group of enthusiastic and friendly parents who work in conjunction with the Board of Trustees. Our primary focus is to raise funds through school events and promotions, which always benefit the school and our kids! All fundraising initiatives not only aid our children’s education and enjoyment at school, but they also build a greater sense of community.

How to get involved

Feel part of the school community by becoming a fundraising committee member or just by helping out during school events. Whether you are interested in coming along to listen and learn or are ready to actively get involved you are welcome to any meeting. We hold regular committee meetings, which the fundraising committee, the Principal and a Teacher representative attend. We welcome your involvement at these meetings, as new ideas, suggestions and assistance in organising events is always appreciated. Email us to register your interest.

If you have any feedback about anything fundraising related, please feel free to contact us at fundraising@matangi.school.nz – we welcome any suggestions you have.

Our focus this year

We work closely with the Board in deciding which projects will be priorities for fundraising, and we inform our families of the details of these projects when they are confirmed.

To link with our learning regarding ' Ko Wai Au?' (Who am I?) and writing our own pēpeha we have the opportunity to spend the day on a local maunga (mountain), Maungatautari, on Friday 28th February.

This trip will last the duration of a whole school day and will cost $15 per child. Please complete the attached Google permission form as soon as possible.

The focus of the trip will be:

- Encountering rare and endangered New Zealand species in their natural forest habitat. Examples include pītoitoi/North Island robins, kākā, tūī, korimako/bellbirds, hihi, tīeke/saddlebacks, pīwakawaka/fantails, pōpokotea/whiteheads, kererū and wētā.

- Visiting the Tautari wetlands and potentially seeing takahē and tuatara while learning about the importance of this habitat.

- Building on knowledge about New Zealand’s unique biodiversity, the adaptations of our flora, fauna and fungi and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

- Learning about how native species as well as introduced pests are monitored and managed in a sanctuary environment. Some hands-on activities include interpreting tracking tunnels and reading bird bands.

- Discovering the rich history of a community-led conservation project that is New Zealand’s largest fenced sanctuary.

- Mātauranga Māori and the significance of the maunga for Mana Whenua. 

Activities will be run by guides who work at the centre. Please pay the $15 trip cost at the school office or online to the school account 12-3122-0203336-00 and reference your child's name. 

We will require parent helpers to join us for this trip. All parents wishing to attend will be required to drive private vehicles to Maungatautari. There is no cost for parent helpers. Please note this trip is not suitable for toddlers/younger siblings to attend. We thank you for your understanding with this.

If you have any queries regarding this trip or any extra information we may require about your child please do not hesitate to contact us,

Permission form

Amelia Meertens and Scott Johnson

The school will be closed for instruction tomorrow, Friday 4th April 2025, for a Ministry of Education approved Teacher Only Day.

The staff will be engaged in professional development to support the implementation of the revised English and Mathematics Curriculums.

We thank you for your support and understanding of this.

Tui House will not be open on this day.

● School starts at 8:55am, and the students are allowed into the classroom at 8:30am after the bell goes, prior to this students must be booked into before school care.

● If your child arrives late to school please sign them in at the school office.

● School finishes at 2:50pm.

● If your child is going to be absent from school for any reason. You can use Hero to report absences or please phone the office by 9.15am - 829 5735.

● The School Office is open from 8:30am to 3:00pm.   Term time only

● We are a “nut free” school as a few students are highly allergic to any of these products. Therefore, we ask that children do not bring whole nuts to school.

● A friendly reminder that we are a rubbish-free school, and we encourage the use of reusable containers.

● There is a Before and After School Care Programme. More information is at the School Office.  Tui House Before & After School Care link

● Please label all clothing and shoes.

● Please ensure that your child has a named drink bottle every day at school.

● Each and every Friday our senior students sell ice blocks to the whole school at lunchtime for $1.00.

● Wheels day is every Friday, so students can bring their bikes or scooters to school, but they must have helmets.

● We use HERO as our main platform of communication with families.

Registrations for Hautapu junior rugby 2025 have opened. The options are rippa rugby for Years 1-2 and junior tackle rugby for Years 3-6.

Click here to register—registrations close on Saturday 29th March.

Any queries can be directed to Stacey at juniorrugby@hautapusports.com

HOW: Order online at www.yourlunchbox.co.nz

• Lunches are delivered to the office prior to the morning tea break.

• The hot lunch option available on Wednesdays will be delivered just before lunch break.

• There are different sizes for different appetites and ordering is easy peasy. Simply order before 8.00pm the night before you would like the lunch box delivered. 

• Choose from either a subscription or one off order.

Please follow these instructions so you have access to Hero for Matangi School

Parent Guide to Accessing HERO

• Please follow this link for a step by step guide to signing up to LINC-ED Hero. 
• We recommend having the LINC-ED Hero app on your home device/s and your phone, so that you can easily access any notifications or information sent out from school. 
• Financial information: You can view and pay any invoices from the school once you upload the app onto your phone or home device.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the office.