26 June 2013

With the shortest day of the year upon us and winter in full swing what better opportunity to cosy up in your favourite chair, sip your hot chocolate, gather the family around and read aloud the latest gripping instalment from the Muritai School Board of Trustees.  OK so maybe flicking through while throwing down a cup of coffee on your way out the door to taxi your beloved children to yet another after-school event may be more realistic but we thought it would be good to update you on the goings on of school governance either way.

Board Elections
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted and participated in the election process.  We were privileged to have 7 excellent candidates and in many ways it was disappointing to have to choose at all.  We welcome on "board" though (excuse the pun) Nick Brownsword.  Nick is a mechanical engineer by background and currently works as a consultant with a range of manufacturing businesses in the Lower North Island to assist them with operational and project management.

We were disappointed to lose Carolyn Patchett who has been an important and enthusiastic member of the board for the last year and a half.  With her education background Carolyn's input has been invaluable and she has coped exceptionally well with the herculean task of managing a family and new baby with the responsibilities of participating in the governance of the school.  We take this opportunity to thank her for her service to Muritai School.

Implementation of a Zone for Muritai School
Late last year the Ministry of Education (MoE) wrote to the Board and directed it to commence the development of a zone due to the growth in the school role.  The purpose of the zone is to allow the MoE to make the best use of the existing network of state schools and avoid or reduce the likelihood of overcrowding.  The development of a zone and associated policy provides the mechanism through which the selection of applicants for enrolment at the school is carried out in a fair and transparent manner.

All children who live in the zoned area have an automatic right to attend the school.  Existing out of zone children who attend the school will not be affected as it will only apply to new enrolments. The MoE provides a priority list for students under a ballot.  Priority for Selection of students who live outside the school's home zone is outlined below:

1) Students accepted for enrolment in a special programme run by the school and approved by the Secretary; (Muritai does not run a special programme)
2) Siblings of current students;
3) Siblings of former students’
4) Children of former students;
5) Children of an employee of the Board or Children of a Member of the Board;
6) All other students.

As part of the development of the zone the Board is required to consult the community on the proposed boundaries for the zone, and the Board will commence this process in July.  The implementation of a zone is not optional but there are a number of important decisions to make to ensure it meets its objectives.  The Board is committed to working through this process to ensure that everyone is well informed and has the opportunity to provide feedback on the policy.  

Student Achievement Data
In our May meeting the Board met with the senior leadership team and were presented our annual report on Student Achievement and setting out the team's plan towards the annual goals.  The Board was once again impressed by the level of work that goes into understanding individual and cohort achievement.  The senior leadership team provided a great overview of the priorities for the year ahead.  Parents always have the opportunity to meet with teachers to find out about student progress as well as the formal reporting milestones across the year.

Property Update
We continue to make progress towards our new library and turning the existing one back into a classroom.  The plans are out for tender and once all the relevant bureaucratic hoops have been jumped through we hope to have a better idea of when we will be able to put the first peg in the ground.  We remain hopeful that this will be some time this year.

The process has been complicated and delayed principally as a result of the earthquake strengthening work required to the main building.  As you will recall, this work, now estimated in excess of $600,000, will require financing from a special earthquake fund established by the Ministry of Education and the Board has been pushing them hard for some action in this regard.

Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, the sheer weight of the problem, combined with the massive expenditure required in Christchurch has meant that progress has been slow.  We have been advised however this week that 6 additional (up from 1!) staff have been engaged by the Ministry to review all its buildings across the country and establish a priority list.  The engineering report received in respect of the main Muritai building will be peer reviewed and the outcome of that process will determine our place on the priority list.  High priority buildings (for example un-reinforced multi-level masonry) will be strengthened first whilst lightweight single level timber construction buildings are likely to be part of a 15-20 year plan.  Obviously the Board will keep the pressure on the Ministry for action as soon as reasonably possible but we do recognise funds are limited and there are schools with significantly more serious situations than our own.

ICT
Last year's Eastbourne Village Carnival was raising money for new ICT technology to upgrade and replace aging equipment.  We are excited to receive 32 new laptops, some I-pod touches and some Chromebooks to add to our stock for the children to use at school.  The Board's goal was to match the national average of 1:5 devices and we have managed to do this.

Community surveys
Towards the end of this term we will be offering parents the opportunity to offer the Board their views on our School.  It is always good to gather information about the school and the Board will use this feedback to help planning processes going forward.  Please look out for this and jump online to contribute to the discussion.

Pou installation
It was pleasing to see the Pou restored back into the ground in a wonderful ceremony at the beginning of the term.  Following the ceremony the whanau group of 2001 recalled how much tikanga and te reo maori have progressed at Muritai over the last decade. Congratulations to Kirsten Berry, Rahania Chadwick and their team for an exceptional job on restoring the Pou and to the kapa haka group at the ceremony who once again did the school proud.

Home and School
We are so appreciative of our Home and School Committee. A dedicated group of parents have raised significant sums of money for the school and last year we were able to purchase 32 ipads, 5 scooter parks, netball poles, a new data projector and a top up on maths textbooks for year 3-8. The support of Home and School is gratefully appreciated by the Board of Trustees and provides an excellent way for parents to make a contribution to the school.

On a related final point please do take the opportunity to contact any of the board members if you do have any comments or concerns relating to any governance issue at Muritai.  Our details are on the school website and we are always keen to hear your feedback.  You don't need to wait for an annual survey.


We also are privileged indeed to have such an accessible staff and management team.  "If only they would...", "I don't understand why...", "why do they never..." is only helpful if the question is directed to someone who is able to answer it.  The teaching staff and management of the school are here to help and are only too willing to meet you or respond to an email to answer these questions for you. 

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