It is the end of Term 1...

Dear Parents / Whanau, 
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Well, term 1 is done! It has been a very short but very busy term. 

So many highlights with Year 6 Camp, Athletics - West Gore  School, Eastern and Southland that so many of our tamariki did so well in; Swimming and of course a solid term of learning.
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​We are delighted with the progress so many of our students have made in their phonics, handwriting, writing, reading and mathematics during the term.

As you already know there have been so many changes with the Maths and English curriculum  and our teaching staff are the real heroes. They have implemented so many changes over the last three terms. We are very proud of the progress so many of your children have made in these areas.

Because of the demands of the new curriculum and the higher levels across the board for all students in NZ,  many of our students have or are receiving extra support to bridge the gap for their year curriculum. 

​Our  Learning Support Coordinators are working very hard with our Teacher Aides to develop and deliver these programmes. We are proud of this work and the professional development providers working in our school are very complimentary of the focus and success of our students. 

Fuel Crisis 
​The Government has put out a 4 stepped plan. We are at step 1 currently with no restrictions. The Ministry of Education has said they have no intention for online/ home schooling at this time. It would be a very last resort to do this. The Ministry of Education is  monitoring the situation and has advised if there is any dramatic change they would give us notice.

Our Board of Trustees met last week and some key areas of focus were: 
1. Approval of the Budget for 2026
2. Policy and Procedures , please see the School Doc information in the newsletter and review the policies. This is one way of being up to date on how things run in our school. It only takes a minute or two to review  a policy and have your say. 
3. Attendance - it is a legal requirement for us, under our Attendance Management Plan to follow up with you  when your child has had 5, 10 or 15 days absence over the term. This is regardless of sickness or explained absences. 
We still have several children away for unjustified absences, ie going to town, recreational trips away, visiting friends, family etc.

In New Zealand, school attendance is a legal requirement under the Education and Training Act 2020, and the Ministry of Education (MoE) is now monitoring every absence with unprecedented detail. 
Schools are strictly required to record and report "Response Activities" through their student management systems, which submit this data to the Ministry weekly. This means that for every absence, we have a legal responsibility to investigate and follow up with whānau. 

While we understand that illness occurs, medical certificates may be requested for extended or frequent absences to justify why a student is not in class. 
If your child is sick, of course they should be at home. We also do not want sick children in our classrooms. 

Remember why we are in this situation, Nationally, we have just over 50% of our school age students, Year 1 -13,  attending school regularly. 
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Let’s work together to get our West Gore children to school regularly.

After School Pick Up 
We would please ask you are prompt to school in the afternoon to collect your children. All children need to  leave the grounds by the 3.10pm bell. 

If you are here with your children you are welcome to enjoy the grounds or your children may return with your guidance after they have been home. 

Uniform 
The holidays is a great time to sort our uniforms. We have uniforms so many of you have kindly donated back to us so others can continue to wear. Come in and have a look and see if the size you require is available. We would love to receive any uniform pieces your children have grown out of. 

Please ensure your child is wearing the correct uniform.
No Canterbury pants or shorts  please. 
Navy socks

Thank you for your support during this term. We hope you can enjoy some special time with your whanau over the holidays. The fuel situation may restrict travel but we have so many lovely playgrounds, pool, ice skating rink, Dolamore Park, Art gallery etc. in our own town. 
We will see you back on April 20th!

Nga mihi 
​
Linda Fraser 
Principal ​