Kia ora koutou
Term four has kicked off with a hiss and a roar and we're looking forward to a busy and enjoyable end to the year. It's been a busy and rewarding couple of weeks for the Board as well.
ERO
As mentioned in our last newsletter Muritai hosted the Education Review Office (“ERO") officers in the second week of term and we're sure it will come as no surprise that their report was nothing short of glowing. ERO reviews come every 3 to 5 years and, as they are the government's assessment of how a school is doing, they are obviously extremely important, not just for the school but for the whole community. All of the staff worked tirelessly to prepare for the review though one of the great strengths of the school is that this preparation was merely to make sure the ERO were able to see what we are doing rather than try to manufacture things we are not.
The Board and senior staff met with the ERO officers last Thursday to discuss their findings which were overwhelmingly positive. They describe a school which is healthy and progressive, teaching staff who are encouraged and extended and students who are safe and engaged, who are enjoying learning and who have a clear understanding of their learning journey. They described the individual students they met as "impressive" which is high praise indeed. It was encouraging also for ERO to observe that the few areas they identified for future development were already being targeted by the school and appropriate strategies development were already in place. A full written report will be presented before the end of the year and we will release it as soon as it is available. In the meantime we're sure you will join with us in congratulating the management and staff and thank them for their extra work in helping us present our school so well.
SURVEY
ERO were impressed with the level of forward planning in place and, as we've previously mentioned, an important part of this process is gaining your feedback and opinions on the culture and direction of the school. One of the main ways we do this is the annual parent survey which has been available to be completed online for the last month or so. As we approach the end of the year and accelerate planning for 2011 and beyond we would greatly value your feedback and encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say. The survey will close on Friday 5 November so please jump online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K8T6665 and contribute.
CARNIVAL
A couple of other areas greatly needing your contribution is the Eastbourne Carnival and the Board of Trustees elections. Whilst the latter may involve just a few, the Carnival happening on 28 November really does need as many helpers as we can get. The Carnival Committee have been literally been working day and night to bring the event together and now need the full support of the community to get us over the line. This is the school's main fundraising event and only comes around every couple of years so we would encourage you to sign up now if you haven't already. They've made it easy for everyone this year by enabling you to choose your job online. Simply go to http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and use the code ZRBGW to book in for the job of your choice. There's a full range of ways you can help from pre–carnival day jobs, and jobs both before and after the carnival begins (so you can spend the full day enjoying the carnival with your family), as well as ways to help at varying times throughout the day. Check out the website at www.eastbournecarnival.org.nz and support the school by getting involved.
BOARD OF TRUSTEE ELECTIONS
You will have received nomination forms this week for the upcoming elections. Please give the opportunity to have a role on the Board serious consideration. Being part of the Muritai School Board is an incredibly valuable and rewarding job and provides a real opportunity to be involved in your children's education at a core level. There are 3 vacancies to fill and 2 of these are initially only until September next year so there is a unique opportunity to 'dip your toe' in the governance waters without having to feel you're committing yourself to the great unknown for 3 years. Check out the excellent video on MuritaiTV which is posted on this blog post to your right, if you want to know more or get in touch with our chair Stuart Stock either on 5620984 or stu.stock@mac.com who will be more than happy to talk to you about it.
ACTIVITY FEES AND DONATIONS
Finally, there are a few families who have not paid their activity fee and/or donation for 2010. A major contributer to the success of the school is the ability to have smaller class sizes and better resources than would ordinarily be possible in a state funded school. These resources and additional staff are funded by your donations and any shortfall leaves us forced to reconsider these resources. As a Board we try to balance resourcing ideals with minimising the financial burden to parents and believe that the current level of donation and activity fee achieves this. If you have concerns or queries we are more than happy to talk to you and would encourage you to contact Stuart Stock or Andrew Bird to discuss. If not can we please encourage you not to leave it until the last minute to pay as we need to make strategic decisions for 2011 which are impacted by the level of contributions.
So there you have it. It's going to be a huge final term with loads on and loads of opportunities for you to get involved. We realize the run up to Christmas can be a busy time anyway but please take the chance to contribute to the school and to help it continue to be the amazing place it already is.
Naku noa, na
Stuart Stock, Olivia Paterson, Lisa Allen, Andrew Bird
