Look at those smiles! After just a few sessions on the ice, our tamariki are already showing huge gains in confidence and developing some awesome new skills from their coach; stopping, turning, balancing, jumping and, most importantly, giving things a go!

How lucky are they to have opportunities like this as part of their PE learning?!
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Building skills, confidence and resilience… one glide at a time! Imagine how skilled they’ll be after six more lessons!

Upcoming Safety Exercises: Fire, Earthquake, and Lockdown 
At our school, keeping your children safe is our absolute priority. To make sure we are all prepared for any situation, we will soon be running practice emergency exercises for fire, earthquakes, and lockdowns. These practices help our students and staff feel confident and familiar with what to do. 

When we conduct our lockdown exercise (and in the case of a real emergency), we will send a message out via the school app to let you know what is happening. It is therefore of the utmost importance that you have the West Gore School App installed on your phone.  We approach these exercises with care so our tamariki feel safe and supported throughout.  

Important note for both practices and genuine incidents:
If you become aware of a lockdown or evacuation, please do not come to the school or phone the office. Our team will be fully focused on looking after the children, so we will not be able to answer the phones or open the doors. Extra presence or phone calls can also make it harder for emergency services to do their jobs.
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Please rest assured that we will keep you updated via our school app as soon as it is safe to do so. 
Thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our school community safe!

Life Education 
The wonder of Pip and Harold in the Life Education van brings our health focus to life in such a special way for our children. 

Harold was caught changing his clothes on Tuesday after the snow by  Room 3. He got a bit muddled and came into the classroom in just his undies!  What was Harold thinking about? 

The beautiful Pip has been the educator at West Gore School for many years and she is the magic that brings the Life Education programmes alive. We always love when she visits West Gore. She lifts everyone with her positivity and love of bringing her programmes to our students.

Interviews 
Our teachers loved the opportunity  to chat with you last week and share details of your child’s progress. We hope you found it a useful experience to hear from your own child speaking about their goals and learn some more about the new reporting system , how it relates to your child, extra support they may require and to celebrate their strengths. 
If you wish to meet with your child’s teacher or myself at any other time please feel free to make an appointment through the school website or Anneke in the office can help.

Attendance / Illness
We are in the middle of many winter bugs. If your child is unwell please keep them at home. 
We notice we still have several children not attending school for a variety of unexplained events and  unjustified reasons. Remember, your child should be at school unless they are unwell or for a justified reason.
Overseas trips must be notified to me in advance. In most instances these are unjustified but I do need to record the details for the Ministry of Education.  

Children with more than 5 , 10 and 15 days of absence in each term are reported to the Ministry of Education regardless of the reason. You will receive a letter advising you of your child’s attendance. 

The Attendance Service will be involved when absences reach a certain level. This service is in place by the Ministry of Education to provide extra support beyond what the school can offer. They will access other agency support if necessary to help return your child’s attendance to regular levels. This is a proactive helpful service that supports families and the school.

New Entrant Open Day – Wednesday August 19 from 9am – 10.30am 
Please inform your neighbours, family and friends of this opportunity coming up where they can see the school in action, connect with our staff and be informed about our programmes and opportunities at West Gore School.

Have a great weekend and stay warm.

Nga mihi
Linda Fraser
Principal​

There are two policies that need to be reviewed this week. It is "Communicating with Parents and Whanau" and "Student Attendance". 

Please head over to School Docs and review these policies:

Communicating with Parents and Whānau
At West Gore School, effective communication between home and school is essential for supporting student learning, wellbeing, and safety. We encourage all parents and caregivers to review our Communicating with Parents and Whānau Policy on SchoolDocs to ensure they understand how the school shares information and how families can communicate with us effectively.

A key part of this policy is the importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date contact information. Current phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and emergency contacts enable us to contact families promptly regarding student wellbeing, attendance, learning progress, emergencies, school events, and other important matters. In emergency situations, having correct contact details is particularly vital.

If any of your contact information has changed recently, please notify the school office as soon as possible. We also ask parents and caregivers to ensure any relevant care arrangements or court orders that may affect school communications are kept up to date.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure clear, respectful, and effective communication for the benefit of all students. The policy can be accessed through our SchoolDocs website.

Please ensure that you have the West Gore School App installed on your phone.

Student Attendance
At West Gore School, regular attendance is essential for student learning, achievement, wellbeing, and maintaining strong connections with school life. We encourage all parents and caregivers to review our Student Attendance Policy on SchoolDocs to ensure they understand both the school's processes and their responsibilities.

It is important to note that under the Education and Training Act 2020, parents and guardians have a legal responsibility to ensure their child attends school every day that the school is open, unless there is a valid reason for absence. Families are also required to notify the school as soon as possible if their child will be absent or late and provide a reason for the absence.

Our school closely monitors attendance and works alongside students and families to address any barriers that may affect regular attendance. Strong attendance habits support academic success, social development, and student wellbeing.

If your child is experiencing difficulties that may impact their attendance, we encourage you to contact the school early so we can work together to provide support.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every student has the best opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. The policy is available for review through our SchoolDocs website.

Welcome back to term 3. While a wintery holiday break, our tamariki have returned happy and excited to get back into their work, reconnect with their friends and look forward to the activities and programmes of term 3. 

Parent Interviews -  Wednesday 29th  & Thursday 30th 

We would encourage you to book an appointment and come in to speak with your child's class teacher so they can explain  further aspects of your child's achievement and clarify any aspects of our new reporting. It is an opportunity to gain a fuller insight as to your child's progress and successes.
On the school app, click on "Interviews" and follow the prompts. If you have any trouble booking, cancelling and re-booking, please see Anneke in the office. 
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We look forward to meeting with you next week. 

Te Mana o Te Hā – Smoke/Vapefree Science Showcase - Year 5 & 6 students
 Te Mana o Te Hā is an interactive science showcase designed for students in Years 5–13. This engaging, hands-on experience helps young people explore the real impacts of smoking and vaping, from how nicotine affects the body, to the ways it is marketed, and the wider environmental and social harm.
 Through a series of practical activities and eye-opening demonstrations, students are encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and make informed choices. The programme also supports positive conversations at home, empowering rangatahi to make healthy decisions and take a leadership role within their whānau and community.
 
Whānau are warmly invited to come along and experience the showcase for themselves between 3.15pm–5.30pm on Tuesday 28 July at St Peter's College Gore.

Academies - Room 12, 14 & 15

Academies are always a highlight for our senior students with an opportunity to work in an area of interest or passion for an afternoon each week. 
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This year we have the following on offer: swimming, ice skating, ukulele, drama, woodwork and art.  

Life Education - Week 3 
Pip and Harold are always welcome visitors in the school.  

The focus of the visits are as follows: 
Year 1 -3 - Friendships 
Year Year 4-6 - Resilience , Change and Stress
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Please let Anneke know if you would like to meet with Pip afterschool and see in the Life Education bus and chat about the programmes she offers. 

Polyfest - Invercargill, Stadium Southland, Monday August 24th 

All children will be travelling to Invercargill on buses. All children will be on stage and participating . The performance group will lead with the rest of the school supporting in some waiata. 

This is always a wonderful event to attend so we encourage you to support our tamariki in Invercargill. 
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More detailed information will be available soon. 

School Production  - September 23th St James Theatre 
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We are excited to inform you we will be doing a school production, involving all children in the last week of term. Save this date and we will inform you of the details and progress reports as we go along. 

Attendance / Lateness 
While we understand there are several winter bugs affecting many children we do require all children to be at school if they are well. 

If your child is late to school or they need to leave for an appointment during the day, please come into the office and sign them in or out. 

Anneke is required to keep accurate records throughout the day as well. 

There is also a safety issue in the event of an emergency if your child has not been properly recorded as present or absent.  
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Thank you for your help in keeping your child safe.

Open Morning - Wednesday 19th August

Please see the attached information about our NE Open morning coming up.

Let your neighbors & family know they are very welcome to come along and see our new Entrant class in action and hear from our Principal and class teachers about the programme and what West Gore school has to offer. 

We look forward to seeing you all in and out of the school at our various events during the term. 

Nga mihi 
Linda Fraser 
Principal

​Culture Festival  'Under One Sky' 

We were blown away with our wonderful cultural community evening last night. What a special community we have, and what a gift to come together to share food, traditions, stories and connection. 

Our children were amazing and loved the opportunity to try such a variety of beautifully presented food made by families. The explanations provided as to why the kai  was special were interesting and told far more than the words. The deep connection to family,  love and culture was reflected. 

 The  introduction by Laya and Ava focusing us on Matariki brought us back to our bi cultural heritage which was a special start to the evening. 
Our evening was uplifted by the clever & fun Chitty, as she compared and interviewed our wonderful performers. Our children were delightful and across the showcase showed their passion, knowledge and connection. 

Enjoy our wonderful photos taken by Aditya, one of our parents. They tell the true story of the wonderful time together. 

As the term draws to a close today we are grateful for your support and help during the term. We have tired children who have given their wee hearts to a full term of work. So many have made amazing progress and are feeling so proud of their work.  

A special thanks to our teachers who have navigated a challenging term with brand new reporting of a curriculum that we have so recently implemented and are still learning so much about. You are very fortunate to have a wonderful team working very hard for your children. 

Our support staff who support our children in their learning and a multitude of needs, our administration team and cleaning and caretaking are the glue that holds everything together. 

We have a wonderful school that has a beautiful culture of care, diversity and positive energy. 
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A couple of reminders: 
> Term 3 starts :  Monday July 20th 
> A chance to sort uniforms over the holidays and ensure we have everyone looking spick and span for the beginning of the term 

Have a wonderful holiday break and we look forward to seeing you all back on July 20th 

Nga mihi,
 
Linda Fraser 
Principal 

Kia Ora Everyone,

A quick note to you all as you begin the Holiday period.

As you all know School Reports are out. Prior to their release there were messages on the School App regarding the upcoming Teacher Interviews scheduled for early next term as well as detail around the new Curriculum reporting to parents.

The Board acknowledges and is very appreciative of the thorough assessment and considerable time given to writing and formatting these reports for you. Much time and Professional attention has been given by our School Leadership and Teaching staff in meeting the demands of such significant change and moving forward with it.

Principal Linda Fraser set out these new guidelines and benchmarks, known as descriptors in her Newsletter Week 9. A good plan would be to re-read these details before heading to your interviews.

A special Morning Tea was held this week to acknowledge and celebrate the 17 years of full time work teacher Jill Robb has devoted to our School. A commitment of such standing to our tamariki, whanau, and the many colleagues and friends has brought so much to our School. Jill will continue with us on a part time basis so we will enjoy an ongoing benefit from her expertise, presence and significant relationship with our tamariki.

Last night our School Cultural Festival was held. To conclude our term on such a positive and high note with such involvement of our School Community was a delight to all those who attended and participated.

Delicious food from the Nations of our students was prepared and shared and was followed by a relaxed look at school displays. Then performances in the hall rounded out an engaging and uplifting event for everyone. We believe in the importance and significance of our school existing within a wide community of students, whanau, extended family and staff all having a real role in making West Gore School a great place to be. A big thank You to all of the staff involved in this special event. The feedback so far received about our festival has been wonderful.

We commence our next term welcoming new families to our school. Details of this special assembly will follow.

So to everyone, all on the Board of trustees wishes you a great holiday.

Have fun, keep safe- and see you all next term.
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Susan Hasselman
Presiding Member

Te Mana o Te Hā – Smoke/Vapefree Science Showcase

Our Year 5 & 6 Students will be attending this Showcase next term, how lucky are they!
 
Te Mana o Te Hā is an interactive science showcase designed for students in Years 5–13. This engaging, hands-on experience helps young people explore the real impacts of smoking and vaping, from how nicotine affects the body, to the ways it is marketed, and the wider environmental and social harm.
 
Through a series of practical activities and eye-opening demonstrations, students are encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and make informed choices. The programme also supports positive conversations at home, empowering rangatahi to make healthy decisions and take a leadership role within their whānau and community.
 
Whānau are warmly invited to come along and experience the showcase for themselves between 3.15pm–5.30pm on Tuesday 28 July at St Peter's College Gore.
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Kia ora Parents / Caregivers, 

We are rapidly coming to the close of another term but some very important events before that.

Staff Farewell - Jill Robb
A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful class teacher, Jill Robb, as she steps down from her full-time teaching role. We are incredibly fortunate that Jill will remain a vital part of our school community providing release teaching.

Jill’s passion for teaching and deep love of books inspires our students every single day. Her thoughtfulness, kindness, and steady, friendly presence create a nurturing environment where both children and colleagues feel truly valued. Jill is a natural problem solver who approaches every challenge with well-grounded common sense.

Thank you for everything you have given to full-time teaching, Jill, and we look forward to your continued presence in our classrooms!

We are delighted that Juliearna Napier will take up the full-time teaching position in Room 2. Juliearna is currently the release teacher in Room 3 and 4 and no stranger to our Junior children. This makes this a very smooth transition for our children. We are very grateful to Jill, Juliearna and Margaret Norton for their continued teaching and expertise in our Junior classrooms. 

Reporting 
> Your children’s reports will be sent home on Tuesday 30th June,  the last week of term. 
>  If you require reports to be sent  to another parent and you have not notified us please let Anneke know in the office. These will usually be emailed. 

>  Parent teacher interviews will be held early next term, Wed 29th & Thursday 30th. These will be very important to discuss your child’s progress so you have a clear understanding of how they are tracking. You will be able to book appointments with your teacher through the School App. We will let you know when the bookings are open. 

What you need to know about our current reporting? 
Your child’s progress will be assessed against 5 progress descriptors. 

They are : Emerging, Developing, Consolidating, Proficient & Exceeding 

These descriptors are used to grade each individual child’s attainment with their Year level in the New Zealand Curriculum. 

Children will be assessed on what they have been taught so far this year. The reports reflect approximately 14 weeks teaching  and learning so this is a limited amount of the years’ curriculum. 

Your child’s assessment at this time will mainly be in the developing and consolidating areas as they cannot be proficient in a curriculum they have not covered unless they are clearly working beyond their current year level expectations. 

It may look like your children’s learning has gone backwards, but really it is because the curriculum at each year level has got harder with greater expectations.  

The comments are very important because they will tell you what your child is achieving and what their next learning steps are.  We are proud of our children’s achievement with so many children making significant progress. 

The big message is that the goal posts have shifted and it will take time to move our learners closer to them. 

Enjoy your reports, celebrate your child’s achievement and what they have achieved to date. 

Cultural Festival
We are excited to welcome all families to our Cultural festival on Thursday July 2nd, 5 - 7 pm 
This is a special celebration where all families come together and we celebrate who we are. 

Sharing food together is an important part of this. This will be followed by a time to view children’s work and a concert to conclude our evening. Further information will be coming home over the next week so please look out for this. ​

Uniform  
Thank you to those of you that send your children to school each day looking fabulous in our correct uniform. 

However, we have many children wearing all sorts of items that are not our regulation school uniform. This affects how people see us and reflects on the culture of our school. 

We want to look good and be proud of our presentation and who we are at West Gore School.   

Please note: 
> Extra tops for warmth can be worn under the long sleeve t-shirt so they are not seen;
> Pants/ shorts must be navy, no flairs, jeans, Canterbury pants and other branded pants ;
> Navy socks / tights only;
> No jewelry, nail polish, elaborate hair decorations or makeup (except cultural and studs / short earrings);
> No Croc footwear, only black or sport shoes.

Teachers will check uniforms and inform you via a written slip if required.  Let’s work together to get this sorted quickly as this is time consuming and takes time away from learning for our teachers. 

 Please send a change of clothes for playing on the fields please. Our grounds are exceptionally muddy and we want our classrooms to be clean and show respect for our lovely cleaner, Kristine.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Ngā mihi

Linda Fraser
Principal​

We had a wonderful day celebrating our students today! We were absolutely delighted to welcome several new tamariki and their families into our school community.

We also took the time to celebrate our latest learning milestone. Over the past two weeks, our students have been focusing heavily on Communication. It has been fantastic to see them working hard on their listening and speaking skills, and we are incredibly proud of everyone recognized today.
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A very warm welcome to our new students, and well done to all our certificate winners!

A huge thank you to Craig and Jamie from the MLT Rugby Ambassador Programme for delivering an engaging and energetic session with our students. Opportunities like these help our tamariki build skills, confidence, teamwork, and a love of sport.
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We are incredibly grateful to MLT for sponsoring this programme and making experiences like this possible for our students!