Building Learning Relationships
Teachers and children spend time together getting to know each other each year. Each year begins with many opportunities to build relationships within the class, and to establish boundaries for behaviour in the classroom and in the playground.
The St Teresa’s School Curriculum is based on the individual needs of each child. Throughout the year, teachers spend time frequently gathering information about learning needs through:
- Observations of your child’s learning strategies
- Observations of your child’s social strategies
- 1:1 conversations
- 1:1 assessments
- Written work samples
- Conversations with other the child’s parent(s)
- Conversations with other teachers
- Standardised assessments
- Teacher evaluations in relation to the New Zealand Curriculum
In response to these assessment oppotunities, your child’s teacher plans activities that will help them to grow as learners – spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. The teachers often plan collaboratively with other teachers so that they can benefit from the experiences of others, and plan rich learning experiences. Planning follows requirements within the New Zealand Curriculum and the New Zealand Religious Education Curriculum. Supporting documents provide extra information for teachers to plan each child’s next learning steps.
Learning activities are responsive to your child’s cultural background, skills, needs and interests. Sometimes your child works 1:1 with a teacher, and at other times they work independently or collaboratively with other children. Learning activities cover Religious Education, and each of the eight learning areas within the New Zealand Curriculum: English, Mathematics and Statistics, Social Sciences, Sciences, Health and Physical Education, Technology.
The teachers continually carry out reflections and self-evaluations of their teaching and learning programme. They share evidence and experiences and achievement data with other teachers, problem-solving learning challenges and innovating on practice. The learning programmes respond to this self-evaluation, with changes being made to the content and structure of teaching.
Home-School Learning Partnerships
Parents are always welcome in our learning spaces. Teachers welcome emails, phonecalls and meetings if you want to share something about your child’s learning or social needs. We ask that you respect this relationship, and always demonstrate our school rules: Be caring, Be respectful, Be Safe, Be Your Best when communicating with a teacher. It is not always possible for the teacher to meet you immediately, so please email them or phone to set a time.
Teachers regularly communicate with families through email – letting them know what has been going on, and what is coming up in the learning programme.
Teachers and students also prepare opportunities to share their learning with their family. The children are part of this process, and as they get older and more able – they participate in writing parts of their own reports, and presentations. Families receive at least two written reports each year, detailing your child’s achievement and progress.
Reporting of School-Wide Progress and Achievement
The Principal shares school-wide achievement, successes, and challenges with our school community, through the school newsletter. Families are given regular opportunities to give feedback, and to attend fono, hui, meetings, and assemblies to share and celebrate learning.
The Principal also reports on progress and achievement to the Board of Trustees. These reports detail school-wide achievement, progress against targets, and the progress and achievement of specific groups of students who, historically have not succeeded as well within our school system. These students are referred to as “priority learners” in the New Zealand Education system.