Welcome to Papakowhai School

Welcome!

Hi.  My name is Mark Smith and I'm proud to lead the team here at Papakowhai School.

If you're considering us as a school for your child, please drop by, email me at mark@papakowhai.school.nz or phone
​04-233 8321.
At Papakowhai School we actively encourage parental involvement and support.
Parent participation in their children’s learning is strongly encouraged; and the Staff welcomes and appreciates the expertise, enthusiasm and support parents bring to our school.
Our aim is to work together to achieve the best possible education for our children.​

Learning

At Papakowhai School we believe in child-centred learning.
  • Where learning is valued and enjoyed.
  • Where children are helped to grow from where they are at.
  • Where learning is success-oriented.
  • Where children are involved in their learning and a balance of academic, social, physical, cultural and creative activities are pursued within a supportive environment.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Thank you for all your support over the past few weeks. They have been difficult and uncertain times. Arohanui to you and all your families.
 
SCHOOL CLOSED
School will be closed on Wednesday 25th March, except to children of essential workers who still need to go to work each day, including doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and police.
 
From 25th March at 3pm school will be closed to everyone. You will not be able to access the school site.
After School Care will finish March 24th.
 
COLLECTING ITEMS FROM SCHOOL
School will be open for anyone who needs to collect books and personal items up until 3pm on March 25th. Children only are to enter the classrooms. Adults are to wait outside. Teachers can help small children rather than adults.
 
CHROMEBOOKS
If children in Years 5- 8 need a Chromebook and charger to work on at home these can be collected from the school office on March 25th between 9 and 3pm. Please see the agreement form on the website. Please print and sign this before you come to school. Please contact the office if you are planning to pick up a Chromebook.
 
Office contact:
office@papakowhai.school.nz
Phone 2338321
 
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
The school holidays are starting on Monday 30 March. The first day of Term 2 is Wednesday 15th April. School will be open again but the lockdown will still be in place. We are not providing online learning during the holiday break.
 
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING AT HOME
A trial of home learning will be available for March 26- 27. Home learning will start again on Wednesday 15th April.
 
During the school holidays teachers will not be setting work and will just check emails every couple of days.
 
During term time teachers will:
  • Check their work email every day and respond every day.
  • Will be in contact with their class by email/SeeSaw/Google every day and respond every day.
  • Make sure children have all the passwords they need to access online learning. Please contact your teacher if you are unsure how to access this.
  • Monitor online learning such as Mathletics
  • Provide some specific direction for learning for each day.
  • Give feedback to children on SeeSaw or Google or by email once a day.
  • Set work that can last for 2 hours covering Reading, Writing, Maths and Inquiry.
  • Provide some ideas about Art, Music, Health, PE ideas that children could choose to do for the rest of the day.
  • Provide some advice on how to structure the day with breaks for exercise and rest and eating
  • Encourage students to post photos or video on SeeSaw so we can see what they are learning at home
  • Respond to parents and children’s questions
 
What we need you to do:
  • Set up home routines as a family
  • Provide some exercise, art, music, cooking, games activities for your children.
  • Contact us if you have a problem. If you can’t contact your child’s teacher directly you are welcome to email me.
  • Don’t stress about the learning part, just enjoy being together as a family and do what you can when you can.
  • Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.
 
Please look after yourselves.
 
Ngā mihi
Mark Smith
PRINCIPAL
mark@papakowhai.school.nz