There are many ways that we celebrate the success of our ākonga/students at Tahatai Coast School. A lot of what we celebrate revolves around our five key Explorer Values.
Certificates are given to the ākonga/student based on the Tahatai Explorer Values. When an ākonga receives a certificate, they also receive two Whare tokens.
| Explorer Values | ||
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| What this means to the ākonga at TCS | What this means to the adults at TCS | |
Te Hiranga Whaiaro /Personal Excellence  |
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Haepapa / Responsibility  |
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Tika / Integrity |
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Whākaute / Respect  |
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| Te Manawanui / Perseverance |
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At Tahatai, we have an open door policy, in that parents/caregivers can email their child’s kaiako/teacher at any time during the year to arrange a hui/meeting to discuss their child’s learning, social development and/or to raise any concerns or celebrations you may have.
We endeavour to keep our whānau fully informed of their child’s progress and hui/meetings are held at set points throughout the year.
We start the year with Whānau Hui/Meet the Teacher. Times for these hui are booked through School Interviews and are in 10 minute slots. These hui are a great opportunity for whānau to share any insights into their child's learning, family circumstances and/or behavioural concerns. Teachers also use this time to introduce themselves, discuss classroom expectations and give whānau an overview of the learning that will occur during the term and how they can support their child with their learning at home.
Formal reports are sent home at the end of Terms 2 & 4. These cover the curriculum areas and include how an ākonga/student is tracking in reading, writing and mathematics, and developing in the ‘Explorer Skills’ and ‘Explorer Values.’
We also hold ‘Teacher, Parents/Caregiver and Student Conferences’ at the end of Term 1 and at the beginning of Term 3. Again, these conferences are booked through School Interviews but are in 15 minute slots. In Term 1, recent assessment is discussed, goals are shared, an outline of the learning in Term 2 is given and the ākonga share some of their learning. In Term 3, the Term 2 reports are discussed and goals set for ākonga. Recent assessment data is discussed and an outline of the learning the ākonga will have in Term 3 is given.
We hold whole school assemblies on a Monday afternoon every fortnight. These assemblies are a great time to share whole school messages and to come together as a group to sing. Towards the end of each school term, we have Celebration Assemblies. These are held at two separate times, one for Years 0-2 and the other for Years 3-6. These assemblies are to celebrate the successes the tamariki have had across the curriculum areas. Usually there are arts performances by groups of ākonga.
When an ākonga/student joins us at Tahatai, they are put into one of the four school Whare (Mōtītī, Matakana, Tūhua or Whakaari).
The focus for Whare points inside and outside the classroom are the Tahatai Coast School Explorer Values. Two points are given when an ākonga/student receives a values certificate and one point is given in the playground for showing the values. The tamariki/children enjoy putting their tokens in the token cabinet and checking out their Whare totals that are updated every week and displayed on the window of the boardroom, near the astroturf.
At school sporting events such as cross country, athletics and swimming, the main focus is on participation and Whare ‘spirit.’ Points are given for everyone that participates in these events, the way in which the ākonga/students support each other and for dressing up in their Whare colours. Points are also given for place getters but we aim to find a balance between having fun, school ‘spirit,’ participation, and having the capable athletes excel.
At the end of the school year, the final totals and placers are announced at a school assembly and the winning Whare has the name of the Whare added to the ‘House Treasure.’
