CLASSROOMS AND TEAMS – 2024

With the term racing by quickly much of our planning for 2024 is well underway. Next year we will see a 7th class added to the Rākau Team to ensure class numbers don’t get too high. This is a resourcing challenge, but one we feel is important to ensure the best learning environments we can provide for our tamariki. We are also looking forward to the school being delivered two new classrooms (buildings) in the first half of next year. We had been expecting them to arrive over the summer break, but if you’ve ever built even a garden shed, you know these things don’t always go to plan. With these classrooms arriving, we are taking the opportunity to shuffle how our teams are located around the school. Over time teams have been spread which has an impact on the way our teachers are able to work together. As a result, we have a ‘Moving Day’ coming up on Wednesday 13th December (the last week of term). Many of our classrooms will be moving furniture from one space to another. This is a big undertaking and we really need your help. During the week I sent out a survey asking for parents to volunteer if you could be free till lunchtime on that day. Thank you to those who have already responded. If you can support us on the day….or even a few hours on the days leading up, please complete this survey and indicate what you can do. It’s a time where many hands really will make light work!

TEACHING TEAMS

In 2023 we will be farewelling teachers and welcoming four new faces to the team. Lindsay Crisp is finishing as a full-time class teacher this year. We will still have Lindsay involved at school, but we’ll learn more about that next year. Hannah Thompson and Anna Mason have both been on maternity leave, and have let us know they won’t be returning full time, and Hannah Newton has also made the decision to extend her overseas experiences and won’t be returning from her leave. We are also losing Whaea Charlotte, who will be around the school in Term 1 next year, but will then head off overseas – so Charlotte won’t be a classroom teacher next year. With these classroom teachers not returning or changing roles, we will take the time to acknowledge them properly at the end of term, but we will very much miss the contribution that everyone has brought to Matua School.

Next year we welcome four new teachers to the team. Lauren Ripper and Alison Barclay are two experienced teachers who join us from Bellevue School. Brenda Wright is currently working in Waihi and Lisa Meaclem is moving to Matua from Mount Primary. Anita Lowe is one of our current staff who will also be taking on a full time position next year. We are excited to welcome this group of new teachers to Matua School. The teaching teams for 2024 are as follows :

SCHOOL INFORMATION

COMMUNITY NOTICES

MATUA COMMUNITY MARKET

The Welcome Market is not just another market; it’s a vibrant, destination market that is family-friendly, where parents can spend quality time with their children and we get to bring community together. We believe it’s a great opportunity for our school community to come together and enjoy the best that our local small businesses has to offer. We have some awesome themes coming up, and our Christmas market on the 23rd December is looking like a fun filled day – we have a dress up day – come in costume of whatever you like and join our Christmas festivities.

We have spaces available for children to participate in having stalls. We feel this is a great way to encourage entrepreneurial mindsets within children, to come and raise some pocket money, or showcase their talents.