We recognise that this year we have needed to have ongoing transitions throughout the year due to greater roll growth than expected. This was never our intention, and we appreciate that it is not optimal. Our roll growth is continuing, and as such we have made changes to our teams and learning spaces for next year, to allow for continued growth through the year without constant transitions.
Next year we will be organised into three teams:
Year 0-2 team: this team will be called Koru Hub, and will be based in the current Koru Hub block. Initially the team will be based in the first two learning suites, Kowhai (yellow carpet) and Karaka (orange carpet). The end suite, Kakariki (green carpet), will initially be used by the whole school as an additional breakout space for group work. As the numbers grow in Koru Hub, with new five year olds continuing to join the hub, the team will expand to use Kakariki as their third learning suite. Amaria and Lisa will be co-leaders of this team (Lisa will be leading but not directly teaching in the team), and Jemima, Natalie, Steph, Matt, and Esther will be teachers in this team. Another teacher will join the team part way through the year as numbers increase.
Year 3-4 team: this team will be called Harakeke Hub, and will be based in the current Harakeke block, in Kikorangi (blue carpet) and Mawhero (pink carpet). The team leader will be Kristen, with Sonali as assistant team leader. The other teachers in this team will be Derek, Zelda, Cam and Zoe. In order to manage numbers across the teams, there will be a small group of year 2 students who will also join this team. We will be communicating with the parents of this group of year 2 students directly.
Year 5-6 team: the name of this team will be co-constructed with the teachers and students in the team. The team will be based in the hall and library, and also using other quiet learning spaces around the school, as we have done this year. We are currently working with teachers and students to choose furniture and resources for the hall space that will meet our needs and make it an engaging, comfortable space to learn. Kalesha and Demelza will co-lead this team (Demelza will be leading but not directly teaching in the team), and the other teachers in the team will be Kieron, Andy, Michelle and Gar Kee.
This organisational structure will leave room for growth within teams, meaning we will not need to transition students throughout the year as we have done this year. However, this does not mean that there will not be any transitions between teams at all; if roll growth growth continues through the year, we may need to transition a small group between teams towards the end of the year, but this will only be done where absolutely necessary.
Our leadership team for next year will be Urs as acting principal, with Demelza and Lisa as acting associate principals. Lesley will support the new leadership team throughout the year.
We welcome three new teachers to our teaching team for next year. Matt Hutchinson will be joining us from Pukerua Bay School. Gar Kee Wu will be a beginning teacher with us. Esther Koh will also be joining our team. She is a beginning teacher in New Zealand who has experince in early childhood in New Zealand and with training teachers to teach English in Malaysia.
We are currently going through an appointment process to recruit an additional teacher to join the team. This teacher will provide additional release for teachers and leaders in the first part of the year, and they will later join the year 0-2 team as their roll grows.
We are very excited about our fabulous team for next year; we can't wait to get started!
Warm regards, the Amesbury team.
