We held our final meeting for the 2016 – 2019 Board of Trustees earlier this week.
At this meeting we recognised the many achievements of the trustees who have worked tirelessly in their governance role over their period of time on the board.
I would like to offer my sincere thanks to each and every one of you:
Brett Calkin who has served on our board for 9 years, the last 6 years skilfully completing the chairperson role and managing personnel.
Tim Foss and Philip Steer have each served for 6 years. Tim has been the deputy chairperson and his specific portfolio has been efficiently managing the finances. Philip held the projects and community role successfully before moving into policy. Mike Campbell and Andrew Hill have served for almost 3 years – effectively managing the project management and property portfolios. Rachel Buckley was co- opted onto the board just 12 months ago – her speciality portfolios have been grant applications and community matters. Carlee Hodge has been the elected staff representative and Amanda Redley the minute secretary.
Helen Griffin and Reece Hawkins also attend board meetings to offer support and advice to the board.

What a highly talented group of people – I am honoured to have worked alongside you. Among their many achievements, the school is financially secure and this has allowed the board to contribute significantly to the Ministry of Education allocations when we have completed property upgrades. There is no way our physical learning environments could be so appealing without this injection of funds.

Huge congratulations to Mrs Gifford Moore and her incredible Kids’ Lit Quiz team! The quiz is held in one division and our Year 6 team competed against all other Year 5/6’s AND all the Year 7/8 teams. Of 44 teams – we placed 10th overall. Even more exciting, we were the FIRST Year 6 team overall – edging out College Street in a tiebreaker!

The children each received a Whitcoulls gift voucher (for winning one of the rounds outright) and a book for being the top placed Year 6 team.
Ella-Marie, Jonny, Grace, Silas and Priscilla – ka aroha ra!!!!!

Welcome to Term 2! I trust that you all enjoyed some family time over the break. It was lovely to see the children excited about being back to school this week (and I know that for SOME of you at least, you were pretty happy to be sending them).

A special welcome to our newest families – we have had 8 new children start this week, I am confident that you will enjoy being part of Hokowhitu School and our amazing school community.

Today marks the end of Term 1 here at school - how time flies when you are having fun! Reflecting on this first term, we have achieved lots already. 38 children have enrolled at school over this term, the staff now know all their learners well, we have had 2 opportunities to meet with whānau, EOTC week was just fantastic, learning programmes are in full swing, everyone has had the opportunity to participate in swimming programmes and either a triathlon or a duathlon, loads of our children have completed summer sports and even more have registered for the winter codes, we’ve had visits from some of our local kindergartens (and some children have been back to visit them), things are now in full swing with professional learning within the Palmerston North East Kahui Ako etc.

Term 2 events will include school and interschool cross country events, a parent evening for Year 1 and 2 parents outlining the MSL approach to teaching literacy at our school (8th May), marae visits for everyone, a pie selling fundraiser, Board of Trustees triennial elections, and our school-wide inquiry focus is ‘Komitimiti’ - blending and coming together. A term calendar will come home early next term with specific dates.

Another date you may want plenty of warning for is that the Board has approved closing the school on Friday the 31st May for a Teacher Only professional learning day. This is the Friday prior to the Queens Birthday public holiday on the 3rd June.