Pre 2025 Start - Welcome Back
Welcome to 2025
Greetings to all parents, whānau, students, and staff.
We eagerly anticipate the start of our 2025 school year in one more sleep. We want to offer a very special welcome to our new students, whānau, and staff joining Riverview School in 2025. We look forward to welcoming everyone back, whether new or old. Tomorrow morning, Monday 03 Feb, we will continue to uphold our HEARTWISE welcome with a mihi whakatau to welcome new students, staff, and whānau at approximately 9:10 am on the green.
As we embark on this new year, I would like to share my vision for Riverview School from this year with all of you. I aim to provide clarity, transparency, and assurance about our school's direction (shared below under the 3 Cs).
As you may have noticed, we have changed the format of our newsletters to digital. This allows us to share better what is happening at school by having galleries, videos, polls, a calendar, and more. We are pleased to be able to offer the newsletter in most languages. Please select the TRANSLATE button at the top of the page and choose your preferred language. We hope this makes reading the newsletter easier and more enjoyable. Please watch the online calendar (link at the top), as this will have all our known 'dates' throughout the year.
This year, all teachers across New Zealand will receive increased Classroom Release Time. All teachers will be released one day every two weeks. We have employed release teachers in the same class each release to ensure consistency. These teachers have also undergone training for our structured literacy and maths programmes.
Over the summer, there were some difficult times for some. Our hearts go out to all who had challenges during the last six weeks, and we offer any support we can if needed. Please ask.
Finally, a group of outstanding children created a new learning resource last year. Below is an example of the awesome resource they developed and will use this year.
Ngā mihi
Eamonn
Term One - Concept and Focus
Core Learning Concept: Culture and Belonging
Enviro Focus: Me in my Environment: Zero Waste, Vision Mapping
Māori Concept: Ukaipō / Manaakitanga: Belonging and connection to place / extending aroha / helping
Events: (Please see the calendar for more dates and events).
- School Starts / Mihi Whakatau (03/02)
- Water Safety Sessions (10/02 - 14/02)
- Welcome Back Evening / Meet the Team (13/02)
- Yr 3 / 4 Swimming Sports (27/02)
- Goal Setting with the Teacher (04/03 and 05/03)
- How Far Will Bo Go? (07/03 and 08/03)
- Yr 5 / 6 Swimming Sports (12/03)
- Photolife (13/03)
- Road Safety Week (17/03 - 21/03)
- Year 5 EOTC Week and Year 6 Camp (07/04 - 10/04)
(note: some dates may change - please keep an eye on the calendar)
2025 - Riverview School - 3 Cs
This year, we have reviewed our Strategic Plan. We decided to look at the overarching goals more holistically in a way that captures the essence of who we are, ties in HEARTWISE, learning and working together for the success of our tamariki and the school. Our core goals for 2025 - 2027 are:
Connections (for success in Learning): Mahi Tahi—Working Together
At Riverview School, we aim to develop effective communication and community engagement. Positive home/school relationships will enable all parents and whānau to support learning actively.
Culture (for success in Learning):
We aim to develop clear expectations and programmes to support all children based on our HEARTWISE Values.
The school culture around Te Ao Māori and Hauora will be reinforced and linked with the HEARTWISE Values.
At Riverview School, Tikanga, Te Reo & Te Āo Māori will be valued and interwoven in the bi-cultural / multi-cultural, inclusive life of the school.
Curriculum (for success in Learning): Akoranga - Learning
Our aim is that each Riverview Learner will progress, accelerate and achieve to their highest possible educational, social and emotional potential, through use of reliable achievement data, targeted planning and quality teaching and learning.
These are specifically in this order, as we believe that without a foundation of a strong connection with whānau/families, our hapu, the wider community and other stakeholders, we cannot successfully support children to succeed. It then flows to the importance of developing and maintaining the school's culture, based on the HEARTWISE Values, and each child's identity as a New Zealander, intricately linked with the bicultural/multicultural society we have.
Finally, with those foundations, we are able to develop a school curriculum that benefits all tamariki.
We have also reviewed the data from our assessments in 2024 and have 'Target Learners' whom we will carefully monitor, give additional support to, and report on the 'actual' impact our teaching and learning has had on them. We will also review information carefully and regularly to assess the 'actual' difference our teaching and learning is having on the tamariki.
We have released Miss Katrina Cooper to undertake targeted intervention in Better Start to Literacy (BSLA) to accelerate the learning of tamariki who need further support.
Next week, each teacher will send home an A4 piece of paper as homework for our parents. This is to gather as much information about our children as possible from you. We will be requesting that parents share information such as:
- What is something really special about your child?
- What is something they are amazing at?
- What is something we may not know that could better support them?
- What challenges may they face?
Staff News
Last year we said farewell to some of our amazing staff. We would like to say a special welcome to the following people who are now the newest members of the "Riverview Whānau"
- Room 9: Mrs Jeanine Walker
- Room 12: Mrs Jill Raines
- Room 15: Mr Colin Mann
- Finance Officer: Mrs Wopkje Pekel-Grijpstra
- Resource Teacher of Literacy (RTLit): Mrs Debbie Harrison
Whilst we have Debbie based at Riverview School, it does not give us priority for the services. There is a robust process to ensure that all tamariki across the Bay of Islands receive the opportunity to have extra support.
Attendance
Throughout 2024 we regularly communicated the importance of regular attendance, and the impact on learning. Every hour and every day of school counts. Attendance has a strong impact on connection, engagement, learning and consequently achievement. This year we have a goal of an overall attendance of 90% or more and at least 75% regular attendance for the whole school. (This is regularly attending school / days in a row).
We will again be reaching out to whānau/families, whose children's attendance is low, whether from illness, holidays or unjustified.
School Property
At the end of the year, we had the new (temporary class) delivered. Unfortunately, this is not completed, however, it is anticipated that this will be finished mid-Term 1. There will be a deck, and cover added on in due course. The children who were to move in there as Room 19, will be in Room 7. Those children who were to be in Room 7 will be in Room 4.
Classes / Teachers / Staff
Rainbow Room Targeted Learning Intervention Teacher: Katrina Cooper
Release Teachers:
Chouli Stone, Jenny Henderson, Paula Walker, Frances McGregor, Toni Mason (we back from teaching Room 5)
Te Reo Māori teacher
Mrs Leone Cooper
Support Staff:
Judith Payton Office Manager
Karensa Baker Receptionist
Jo England Resource Manager / Receptionist
Wopkje Pekel-Grijpstra Finance Officer
Jan Dick Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Paul Mikkelsen Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Sarah Fossett Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Petra Backhouse-Smith Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Darren Kitchingman Learning Support Assistant (LSA)
Melanie Grogan Learning Support Assistant (LSA
Adrian Cookson Caretaker
Kirk Thomas Assistant Caretaker
Shelley Robinson OSCAR Director
COMMUNITY CORNER - EVENTS and NEWS
NETBALL 2025
Welcome Back to Our Amazing Volunteers!
As the Kerikeri Netball Centre competition kicks into gear, we’re excited to welcome back all our incredible coaches and umpires! To start the season strong, we’re hosting a series of workshops designed to support and prepare you for the year ahead.
We also want to hear from you! Tell us about your goals for 2025 and how we can support you in achieving them. Please make sure to register for the workshops so we can gather this information in advance and tailor our support accordingly.
Welcome Back to Coaching Workshop : 11:30am - 2:30pm 15th February 2025
Welcome Back to Umpiring Workshop : 6:00pm - 8:00pm 27th February 2025
Click on the links below for more details-
Looking forward to another great season with you all.
Kerikeri Netball Centre Exec Team