WGS Newsletter - 4 September - Term 3

Dear Parents / Whanau, 

Many families have had a rough few weeks with many different flu bugs and some very serious illnesses. We appreciate your communication with us and keeping your children home when they have been unwell. Several children have had relapses so do make sure they are better before returning to school. 

Attendance / Absences
For those of you that have been following our school information you will know we have strict rules from the Ministry of Education around attendance procedures. 

This has come about by seriously low attendance in schools across the country, as low as 55% of all children attending school regularly. 

We are required to send letters at 5, 10 and 15 days of absence, in spite of your great communication with us and in many instances medical certificates. 

I know this feels hard and unnecessary when you have communicated with us and you may feel aggrieved with the school when you receive the letters.  Please be assured we understand this and there is no judgement; we are simply complying with our regulations. 

We are grateful to those of you that are communicating with us around other circumstances of absence. We know there are circumstances that cannot be avoided. 

Term 4 last year and term  1 this year we had a noticeable increase in attendance. It does flow on to achievement and connection for children.

Remember, if you are going to be away please notify us through the school app or for holidays and other special events see me to arrange this. 
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School Production 
You will have been seeing Facebook posts and Room 15 Newsletter item today showcasing the work that is going on to bring our Production  together. 

Our students are involved in the making of props, designing their own costumes, supporting each other in learning about stage directions etc. We are seeing the wonderful skills of our tamariki that are so familiar to them through their Learning through  Play. 

It is great to see them applying all their skills including communicating with each other,  problem solving , and managing themselves etc. 

The theatre experience is an important part of this work. We are visiting the St James theatre next Thursday,  1.30pm to be orientated around the theatre and learn how a theatre works, the  rooms they will be dressing in, where the props go and the technical terms of a theatre. 

We will travel to and from the theatre on buses. 

Week 10 - Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent at the theatre.  We will put the times and details on the App closer to the time. 

Enjoy your weekend 
Nga mihi 
Linda Fraser 
Principal

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Wacky Wig/Hair Wednesday - 16 September

On Wednesday 16th September we will have a Wacky Hair / Wig Day to support the Child Cancer Foundation. 
This is a fantastic cause that supports brave children and their families. Here is what you need to know:

Wednesday 16th September: This is a normal uniform day, but everyone is encouraged to style their hair in a wacky, fun way!
Please do not feel any pressure or expectation to buy or wear a wig. Normal hair styled crazily or fun hair accessories are all perfect.
Donation: We are asking for a gold coin donation on the day to help us raise funds for the Child Cancer Foundation.
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Thank you so much for your support, and we cannot wait to see all the creative and wacky hairstyles on the 16th of September!

Production Preparation is Underway! Room 15 has been working hard behind the scenes as we prepare for our upcoming school production, and the excitement is really starting to build! Room 15 is developing reading, oral language and communication skills as they practise scripts and learn to use expression and confidence when performing. Through dance, they are exploring movement, rhythm, timing and expression, while their prop-making has encouraged creativity, problem-solving and purposeful design as they turn everyday natural materials into part of our production.
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We also have a very special pair in Room 15 who have taken on the important role of Head of Props for the entire production! They have a serious job on their hands, learning to coordinate which props are needed for each scene, who is responsible for them, and when and where they need to be on stage. It has been fantastic to see them taking on this responsibility and developing their organisation, communication and leadership skills.

It has been wonderful to see Room 15 becoming more confident in their roles, supporting one another and eagerly sharing their ideas. There is a real buzz in the classroom as they count down to performing for our school community and seeing all their hard work come together!

Production: Maui Unmasked
Everyone is hard at work at West Gore School to make sure this production is the BEST!

An "order" form will be sent home during the course of next week to order your tickets and it can be paid via cash or bank payment. Tickets will be issued upon receipt of payment and sent home with your child. 

Costs will be as follow:
Adults - $10
Students - $5
(pre school children free)

The team has been hard at work behind the scenes for this year's Home & Garden Tour. It is promised to be another fantastic event. Tickets are now available!

As per usual we need all hands on deck and we are asking you for your help with the following:

• Share and tell your friends about our awesome event;
• Help out when we have our working bee or on the day;
• Donate some of your yummy baking to sell at one of the houses;
• Sell raffles where we have the most amazing prices to be won! 

Raffle cards will go home during week 9 of this term and the return date will be after the school holidays. 

📚 Book Fair Reminder: Week 9!
Our school Scholastic Book Fair is running from Tuesday 15 September to Friday 18 September in Room 10. Come along and browse some fantastic books!

• When: 8:30 am – 9:30 am & 2:30 to 3:30 pm daily
• Payment: Cash & EFTPOS available

Volunteer Helpers Needed: We need volunteers to help run the fair during the opening times. If you can assist, please contact Anneke in the office with the days and times you are free. Thank you for supporting literacy in our school!

Policy Review: Concerns and Complaints

West Gore School is currently reviewing its Concerns and Complaints Policy, and we invite parents and caregivers to take part in the review process.

This policy outlines how the school creates a safe and respectful environment where concerns or complaints can be raised, heard, and addressed fairly. It explains the processes we follow to ensure matters are managed with care, confidentiality, and respect for everyone involved.

Your feedback helps us ensure our policies remain effective and meet the needs of our school community. We encourage you to log in to SchoolDocs, read the policy, and complete the review survey by selecting "Start your review."
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and support the continuous improvement of our school.
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To access the policy: Visit SchoolDocs and navigate to Concerns and Complaints Policy under the current review section.

Kia ora everyone,

The Term has started with a hiss and a roar and will carry on in the same energetic and productive way.
At the last Board meeting it was great to hear that 90% of our parent and whanau community attended the School Interviews. There had been a lot to take in regarding the new curriculum and reporting requirements and it appears everyone is up to speed with that.

Our Principal, Leadership team and teaching staff have been working through all this ongoing change so thoroughly for a long time now alongside Specialist Education providers to best serve our tamariki and their ongoing learning. A lot of work and time has been devoted to this and the Board is very grateful. We are fortunate that the clear communication to everyone regarding the new Achievement Indicators from our Principal put everyone in good stead. Always keep an eye on the newsletters from Principal Linda Fraser, she will always keep you all well informed. 

I was very disappointed to miss the Cultural Festival which was a resounding success! The participation from our families and the atmosphere created from the gathering and the performances was a joy to everyone there. This was an event our whole community can take immense pride in. The heritage and culture of our school community makes our school so enriched. 

PolyFest followed on in this way with a large contingent of students and staff bringing energy and aroha to representing our school so well. A very big ‘Well Done’ to every student who participated and the the staff who guide and develop our Kapa Haka group. Our Kapa Haka group brings mana and pride to every event they participate in at West Gore School.

Performance of another kind is also on the radar with a School production scheduled for September 23rd 2026. Participation in this is taking all the forms of theatre, costume, acting, makeup, learning lines- a full experience for our students to enjoy and be part of. Building experience, new skills and confidence in a fun atmosphere is the goal here.

The Board is so appreciative to our Leadership and teaching staff for the wide array of activities West Gore students can enjoy. We can see at each meeting how the close attendance and training as it relates to academic achievement is applied and monitored. Given the huge amount of consistent change affecting schools nationwide our Principal and teachers work extremely hard -and on top of that devote themselves to the camps, the outings and the cultural and sporting events our tamariki are part of. The philosophy of growing the ‘whole child” is important here at school.
All of this is well reflected in our West Gore School Facebook page which is receiving some super positive feedback. Several staff contribute to keeping our page updated and full of bright informative content. Go on and share the updates to family and friends.

Over the next weeks you will see notices regarding the upcoming Home and School House and Garden Tour. Pass the information on to any you feel would be interested in going along.

The Board, alongside our Principal is also considering an online survey for our parent community to provide
feedback to the school. We will let you know how this develops. Another way to participate in how our school operates is to review school policies online via our school app/ links- school docs- West Gore school- Password -wiggie.

On feedback- you will all know how the new rules regarding Student Attendance have changed under new Ministry of Education directives. Nationwide there has been parent feedback on this issue expressing stress, disappointment and frustration. We have heard from some of our own parents too. We hear you. We appreciate you keeping us informed as why your children may be absent. All absences are reported to the Ministry as we are obligated to do. The letter system understandably raises some anxiety when parents have kept the school informed. Please be assured we know the situation when you stay in touch and we understand any anxiety and frustration. However the requirement for letters is a Ministry directive we can neither change or decline.
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My Regards To You all,
Susan Hasselman
Presiding Member