Newsletter - Issue 07 - May 26

Tēnā koutou katoa nga mihi ki te whānau o Te Kura Takawaenga o Ōtātara

I read with some dismay a recent article in our local media which bemoaned the lack of volunteers within our local sporting scene. This was further added to by the fact that there is still no shortage of those youngsters who want to play, nor is there a lack of adults wanting to play their preferred sport. The problem lies in the fact that there are fewer people  putting up their hands to keep the clubs and organisations going. And where would we be without those volunteers?

I know that we potentially live in a much busier time than we have ever experienced before however those that are involved in administration and organisation tend to be busy too, yet there they are toiling away diligently behind the scenes. Food for thought, right?  Here's some more food for thought.

"The greatest gift that you can give a child is encouraging them to be compassionate citizens that understand the power their actions have to help others and improve the world around them", Ellen Sabin.

If we attend to those who may be the administrators, organisers,  coaches and referees of the future then there may well be not such an issue in the future. How do we do that? Without doubt it is by instilling into our rangatahi the notion of service. Of doing for others before we do for ourselves. After all, isn't that the most important thing of all? As well as making a difference for others there is a wee bit of truth in the notion that there is a 'helpers high' - that feeling we get when we do something kind. A great way of releasing dopamine, that feel good chemical causing a sense of euphoria. We can encourage that in our tamariki by creating little opportunities for them to consistently give either their time, their talents or their taonga / treasures. As those dopamine hits don't have a forever value it is important that we practice such things daily. Creating this habit can't be a bad thing at all, right?

What are some of the easiest things to do to promote that sense of charity, that sense of purpose and service and that sense of giving? Try some of these...

• create cards for someone they love or admire.
• take some baking or kai to elderly neighbours
• mow someone's lawns for free or do some gardening for them
• donate some now unused 'stuff' to a charity
• organise a neighbourhood game for the other kids
• read to a younger child
• ask them to say something nice to a classmate each day

...and so on, and so on and so on! The list is endless really and no matter what you do, even if only once, it will make a difference to someone. The best thing you can do? Help out a local organisation and involve your whanau in that...even if only in the smallest of ways. They will do what you do!

Ngā mihi nui,

Marty Hantz
Tumuaki / Principal 
Te Kura Takawaenga o Ōtātara Taradale Intermediate

Frankie upholds the school’s capabilities daily, she consistently demonstrates a positive attitude towards her learning, shows initiative, and can confidently take lead roles when required. Since arriving at TIS Frankie has built positive relationships with her classmates. She is able to work interdependently, this is seen in the way she can seamlessly slot into any group and work collaboratively when required. Frankie strives for accuracy and takes risks in her learning, learning for her mistakes and listening to feedback. She has a strong work ethic and produces work to a high standard. We are lucky to have her in Room 8 and Mohaka Whanaukura. I look forward to seeing what amazing things Frankie goes on to achieve during her time at TIS.

Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio, mā te mōhio ka mārama.

Seek and discover, discover and know, know and become enlightened​​​​​​​

Without a doubt, Indy is truly deserving of this award. What we admire most about Indy is her quiet determination, the way she keeps showing up, giving her best, and doing it all with such humility. She shows manaakitanga in the small, everyday moments in our class and within our team. She checks in on others, offers help without fuss, and makes sure people feel seen and supported. Indy leads in her own gentle, steady way. Her respect, kindness, and calm presence speak loudly to us all and she doesn’t expect any recognition or reward for her efforts. Indy always stays true to who she is, and that draws others to her. Alongside her warmth, Indy brings real zest and grit. A spark that keeps her pushing forward, trying again, and embracing challenges with quiet courage. Kaweka is truly lucky to have Indy in our whanaukura.

“Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka.” The kumara does not speak of it’s own sweetness.

Jake has stepped up this year and shown a real willingness to challenge himself. A great example of this was his decision to enter the ANZAC Speech Competition. Jake put in personal time and effort to prepare, and his hard work paid off witha third‑place finish in this local competition.

Jake’s passion for sport is clear in everything he does. As one of our class PE monitors, he enthusiastically organises equipment and sets up activities without hesitation. He is also a committed Sports Challenge participant, consistently proving how deserving he is of being in this group. Recently, when his partner was away during a planning session, Jake stayed calm, focused, and carried on without any fuss.

Jake was recently recognised by one of his Year 7 peers and awarded the class taonga for the respectful way he interacts with others.  A nice way to build Jake’s mana.

Ka mau te wehi, Jake — what a great year you are having!

Ayla, from the moment you walk into the classroom, your positive energy, warm smile, and mature attitude set the tone for those around you. No matter the challenge placed in front of you, you face it with determination and resilience, always giving your best and refusing to give up.

Ayla, you are a natural leader who uplifts others effortlessly. Your friends gravitate towards you because of your kindness, loyalty, and the genuine care you show toward everyone around you. Whether supporting a classmate, encouraging a friend, or speaking respectfully with staff, you carry yourself with a level of maturity far beyond your years.

Your hard work, perseverance, and willingness to push through difficult moments are qualities that will take you incredibly far in life. You are someone others look up to - not only because of your achievements, but because of the person you choose to be every single day.

We are incredibly proud of the role model you have become and the positive influence you continue to have within our kura. Ayla, your future is exceptionally bright, and there is no doubt that you are destined for amazing things.

“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.”
My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective.

We continue to train each Tuesday and Thursday morning and are beginning to see the rewards of this mahi.  We start the morning with whanaungatanga and checking in with how each of us is feeling before moving into a quote that guides the session.  The powerful thing about the quotes is that they transfer into every part of our lives which we discuss making explicit links to learnership, challenges, feedback/feed-forward, effort, and mistakes before making our way to school for breakfast.

One heartening observation has been the number of parents turning up and training with the team.  The benefit of this is that the shared experience of the training strengthens the bond between the parent and their child and the facilitation of conversations at home.  Thank you if you are one of the parents who are joining us on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

It was wonderful to have two graduates from last year join us this week.  Katarina and Cadence are Year 9 ākonga and they both gave it everything they had last year.  Their wisdom of what is ahead was gratefully received and they modelled working hard with a positive disposition with ease.

Finally, without the support of the businesses below this programme would not happen.  We thank you all for supporting our vision and investing in the future of our community.  As always, if you require a service that one of our supporters provides, please consider using them.

Habits of Mind

Helping our learners know what to do when learning gets hard

At our kura, we are continuing to build Learnership: the capability students develop when they learn how to learn. Recently, our staff focus has been on the Habits of Mind. These are not personality traits that some children simply “have”. They are learning behaviours that can be taught, practised, strengthened, and used when work becomes challenging. 

The Habits of Mind help students move beyond just finishing the task. They help students ask:
What kind of learner do I need to be in this moment? 

When learning feels difficult, students might need to practise:

• Persisting — staying with a challenge when it becomes frustrating.
  
• Managing impulsivity — pausing, thinking, and choosing a better next step.
  
• Thinking flexibly — trying a different strategy when the first one is not working.
  
• Thinking about thinking — noticing how they are learning, not just what they are learning.
  
• Striving for accuracy — checking, refining, and caring about quality.
  
• Questioning and posing problems — being curious and asking thoughtful questions.
  
• Taking responsible risks — being willing to try, test, and improve.
  
• Thinking interdependently — learning with and from others.
  
• Remaining open to continuous learning — understanding that improvement is always possible.
  

These habits matter because challenge is where growth happens. When work is too easy, students may feel successful, but they are not necessarily growing. When work is too overwhelming, students can shut down. The Learning Zone sits between these two places: stretching, but still possible with effort, strategy, support, and reflection. 

This is why we are helping students see difficulty differently. Instead of “I can’t do this,” we want them to ask, “What habit would help me here?” Instead of rushing to finish, we want them to pause, check, adjust, and improve. Instead of waiting for an adult to solve the problem, we want them to build the behaviours that help them take the next step.

At home, you can support this by noticing and naming the learning behaviour, not just the result.

Instead of: “You’re so clever.”
Try: “You kept thinking flexibly when your first strategy didn’t work.”

Instead of: “Just try harder.”
Try: “What strategy could you change, check, or repeat?”

Instead of: “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
Try: “Let’s work out what the challenge is asking you to practise.”

Instead of: “That was easy for you.”
Try: “What habit helped you do that well?”

Our goal is not simply for students to complete more work. It is for them to become more skilful learners: young people who know how to persist, reflect, adapt, question, collaborate, and keep improving when learning becomes challenging.

How learning gets done around here:
We stretch into challenge.
We practise the Habits of Mind.
We pause, think, and choose better strategies.
We use mistakes and difficulty as information.
We build the behaviours that help us grow.

Whole School Picture

• 73.61% of our ākonga are currently Regularly Attending (91–100% attendance).
• 15.67% are in the Irregular Attendance category (81–90% attendance).
• 7.74% are Moderately Absent (71–80% attendance).
• 2.98% are Chronically Absent (0–70% attendance).

It is encouraging that nearly three-quarters of our learners are attending regularly. At the same time, our data shows that just over one in four students are currently attending below the regular attendance threshold. This highlights the importance of responding early when attendance patterns begin to slip.

Students in the irregular attendance band may only be missing one day each fortnight, but over time this can significantly impact learning, friendships, confidence, and connection to school.

Year Level Snapshot

Year 7

• 77.43% regularly attending
• 6.23% moderately absent
• 2.33% chronically absent

Year 8

• 69.64% regularly attending
• 9.31% moderately absent
• 3.64% chronically absent

Year 7 students are currently attending more regularly overall. Year 8 students show higher levels of moderate and chronic absence, particularly in the 71–80% attendance range. This is an area we will continue to monitor closely and support through proactive engagement with students and whānau.

Boys and Girls

Attendance patterns between boys and girls are relatively similar overall.

• 75.21% of girls are regularly attending, compared with 72.14% of boys.
• Boys currently have higher levels of moderate absence (9.16%) than girls (6.20%).
• Chronic absence is slightly higher for girls (3.31%) compared with boys (2.67%).

While the differences are not large, the data helps us identify where additional support and monitoring may be beneficial.

Our Focus

Regular attendance remains one of the strongest predictors of student success. When students attend consistently, they are more likely to:

• Build strong relationships with peers and teachers
• Stay connected to learning
• Develop positive routines and habits
• Experience success both academically and socially

Our current focus is to:

• Support whānau early when attendance patterns begin to change
• Strengthen routines and engagement for students
• Work alongside families where barriers to attendance exist
• Promote the importance of every day of learning

If your child is finding it difficult to attend regularly, please reach out to us. We are always happy to work together to support our ākonga.

Ngā mihi nui for your continued support in helping your child be present, connected, and ready to learn each day.