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Job Positions Job Positions Classroom Teacher (2 positions) 2026 Full-time, Permanent Position Commencing Term 1, 2026 Please fill out our online Job application form. https://forms.gle/2xA1qaFhD8Khf6NRA Please email your CV and cover letter to principal@kokopu.school.nz Kokopu School is a growing, vibrant rural school located in a close-knit community. We are seeking enthusiastic and dedicated teachers to join our team. ; Positions include; *Year 0-1 classroom *Year 3-4 or 5-6 classroom We are looking for someone who: Fosters and maintains positive relationships with students, staff, and whānau. Has outstanding and positive behaviour management skills. Provides high-quality teaching and learning opportunities that engage and inspire students. Collaborates effectively with others to promote the best outcomes for all students. Actively contributes to the wider life of the school and its special rural character. This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a school with a supportive, fun and welcoming staff and community, where you can make a meaningful impact in the lives of Tamariki. Applications close: 18th October 3.30pm.

The staff at Kokopu School have high expectations of learning and behaviour. They are committed to making learning motivating and successful for every student. OUR STAFF Kia ora and welcome to our wonderful school. Through high expectations, Kōkopu staff are committed to providing uniquely rural, fun and engaging programs that encourage children supporting others and bu Principal Yaron Overeem Room 3 - Year 5-6 Teacher Ratama Weavers Room 2 - Year 2 Teacher Anna Boaz Office Administrator Bexs Waterhouse Teacher Aide Glenis Delemare After School Care Worker Kyrill Villafuerte CRT & Relief / ASC COL Jennifer Hibbert Room 5 - Yr 4&5 Teacher Gemma Turketo Room 1 - Year 0-1 Teacher Jo Woods Teacher Aide Rachel James Caretaker Ray McIntosh Room 6 - Year 7-8 Teacher / SENCO Paul Ruddell Room 4 - Year 3-4 Teacher Lisa East / Rhonda Sparrow Office Administrator Vicki Lye Teacher Aide Nadene Slabbert After School Care Worker Loida Pyle Board of Trustees Jeff Burson – Presiding Member Yaron Overeem – Principal Lucinda McBeth – Health and Safety Toni Hughes – Member Tama Weavers – Staff Rep Ross Harper – Property Kirsty Tuhiwai – Member

Quiz Night This is an amazing fundraiser for the school held in the 3rd term (2025 date to be confirmed)

Writing At Kokopu School we use the Write That Essay program to teach writing from year 2-8. It is a system that teaches children the rules, structures and patterns of writing. Click the link to view an explanation of each year level writing expectations and what area means. Writing Overview Goals and Explanations for parents The easiest way to support your child(ren)’s writing at home is by providing them with authentic situations for them to write. This could include writing shopping lists, emails or letters to friends and family or starting a diary to capture everyday life. Some of the most common questions we have are around spelling and children not wanting to write at home. If your child(ren) is avoiding writing at home try to use materials and tools that support both their thinking process and the physical act of writing: Use wide lined paper which help them line up and space their letters Use a whiteboard, which allows them to easily erase and try again Use a keyboard, which also allows children to easily edit All year 4-8 students at Kokopu School have a Writers Toolbox login. It is a great tool for practising what is learnt in class. Pobble 365 provides a daily interesting picture, writing prompt and philosophical questions to spark an idea for children’s writing. This is a great tool for keeping writing flowing during the school holidays. Storybird lets anyone make visual stories in seconds. Storybird curates artwork from illustrators and animators around the world and inspires writers of any age to turn those images into fresh stories. YEAR 1 Make writing fun Help your child write an alphabet letter, then go letter hunting in your house or in a book to find that letter Let your child see you writing – you can use your first language Encourage them to write shopping lists or make birthday cards Water and a paintbrush on a dry path or a stick in the sand are fun ways to write letters and words. Here’s a tip: don’t worry if your child’s letters or words are sometimes backwards or misspelt at this age. The important thing is that they have fun writing at home and are making an effort. Give them reasons to write Write to each other. Write notes to your child and leave them in interesting places, like their lunch box. Ask them to write a reply Help them email, text or write to family, whānau or friends Work with them to put labels on special things – like the door to their room or their toy box. Here’s a tip: display their work. Put it on the fridge. Be proud of it. Share it with others. Talk about their writing Talk about the letters in your child’s name and where the name comes from. Help them create a scrapbook with pictures. Encourage them to write stories under the pictures and talk to you about them. Ask them to write about pictures they draw on paper or on the computer. Or get them to tell you the story and you write it under the picture. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. If you don’t understand what your child’s picture or story is about, ask them to tell you about it. Encourage writing Have felt pens, pencils, crayons, and paper available Put magnetic letters on the fridge and ask what words they can make with the letters. YEAR 2 Make writing fun Encourage your child to write whether it is on paper or on the computer. It is OK for you to help and share the writing. Give lots of praise Enjoy the message and don’t make your child anxious about spelling or neatness Make a photo book and get your child to write captions Scrapbooks are fun, too. Old magazine or newspaper pictures about a favourite subject, dogs, your family, motorbikes or the latest toy craze, pasted on to blank pages with room for captions or stories, too Play with words. Finding and discussing interesting new words can help increase the words your child uses when they write. Look up words in the dictionary or on the Internet or talk to family and whānau to find out more about the meaning and the whakapapa (origins) of the words. Here’s a tip: talk a lot to your child while you are doing things together. Use the language that works best for you and your child. Give them reasons to write Write lists: ‘Things I need from the shop’, ‘Games to play when I am bored, ‘Things I want to do in the holidays’. The last one can be cut up and go into a box or bag for a lucky dip when the holidays finally arrive Write out recipes or instructions for other people to follow (especially fun if the instructions are for an adult) Keep a diary, especially if you are doing something different and exciting. Your child can draw the pictures or stick in photos. Their diary could be a web page on the computer Write letters, cards, notes and emails to friends and family and the Tooth Fairy (you might write replies sometimes, too) Cut out letters from old magazines and newspapers to make messages write secret messages for others to find in their lunch box or under their pillow. Here’s a tip: display their work. Be proud of it. Put it on the fridge or share it with others. Talk about their writing Make up a different ending for a favourite story together and get them to write it down Ask them to write about pictures they draw. Get them to tell you the story Keep writing fun and use any excuse you can think of to encourage your child to write about anything, any time. Here’s a tip: don’t worry if your child’s letters are sometimes backwards or words are misspelt at this age. The important thing is that they have fun writing at home and are making an effort. YEAR 3 Writing for fun Talk about interesting words with your child, especially ones that are fun to say, like “hippopotamus” or “ringaringa”. Short and simple games could involve finding how many little words can be found using the letters in the word ‘elephant’ Work together on the small word games found in the children’s section (or word section) of the newspaper Make up a story or think of a pakiwaitara (legend) or traditional tale and act it out with costumes and music, write down the names of the characters or tīpuna (ancestors) Make up a play with your child. You could help your child to write the play down. Use puppets they design and make themselves to give a performance to the family Here’s a tip: keep writing fun and use any excuse to encourage your child to write about anything, any time. Writing for a reason Writing for a real purpose can help your child want to write. For example, writing invitations, typing emails or writing and posting small notes Personalising notes by cutting, decorating, sticking or stamping are great skills for coordinating fingers and being creative. Postcards are a good size for a sentence or two and they are cheap to post, too Encourage your child to write what they need to pack for a holiday, dictate your shopping list to them, or get them to write a list of jobs that need doing. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. If you don’t understand what your child’s picture or story is about, ask them to explain. Supporting your child’s writing Talk to your child about what you are writing. Let them see you making lists, writing emails, filling in forms Keep envelopes, banking slips, forms you don’t need so that your child can do their own ‘grown up’ writing Display your child’s writing where others can admire and read it Play with words. Find and discuss interesting new words (this can help increase the words your child uses when they write). Look words up in the dictionary or on the internet or talk to family and whānau members to learn the whakapapa (origins) of the words. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Show your child that you write for all sorts of reasons. Let them see you enjoying writing. You can use your first language – this helps your child’s learning, too. YEAR 4 Write for fun Writing about their heroes, sports events, tīpuna (ancestors), hobbies and interests helps your child to stay interested in what they are writing about Help your child to leave messages in sand on the beach, send a message in a bottle, do code crackers, word puzzles, crosswords, word finds – these are all fun to do together Make up a story or think of a pakiwaitara (legend) and act it out with costumes and music. Write down the names of the characters or tīpuna (ancestors) If you or someone in your family has a computer, encourage your child to use it to write, email and publish or print for pleasure (emails, birthday cards, poems, jokes, letters, pictures with captions). Or you could use a computer at the library. Here’s a tip: keep writing fun and use any excuse you can think of to encourage your child to write about anything, any time. Talk about your child’s writing Get your child to talk about their writing and share it Cut out words and letters to make stories, codes, poems, puzzles and more… Play word games together Play with words. Thinking of interesting words and discussing new ones can help increase the words your child uses when they write – look words up in the dictionary or on the Internet or talk with family/whānau to find out more about where the words come from. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. If you don’t understand what their story is about, ask them to tell you more about it. Use questions they will want to answer. Write for a reason Get your child to help write the shopping list, invitation lists for family events, menus for special dinners, thank-you cards when someone does something nice Postcards are a good size for a sentence or two and they are cheap to post, too. Have a special place to keep your child’s writing at home (notice board, fridge, folder). You might frame a piece of writing and hang it up, too. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Show your child that you write for all sorts of reasons. Let them see you enjoying writing. Write to them sometimes, too. You can use your first language – this helps your child’s learning, too. YEAR 5 Make writing fun Help your child write about their heroes, sports events, tīpuna (ancestors), hobbies and interests. This helps them stay interested in what they are writing about Play word games and do puzzles together to help your child learn more about words and spelling Have interesting paper and pens available or help them make a special book to write in Write to your child, or give them jokes, cartoons or short articles you think they’ll like to read from the newspaper Play with words. Thinking of interesting words and discussing new ones can help increase the words your child uses when they write – look words up in the dictionary or on the Internet, or talk to family and whānau members to learn more about the background and the whakapapa (origins) of the words. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Show your child that you write for all sorts of reasons. Let them see you enjoy writing. You can use your first language – this helps your child’s learning, too. Talk about your child’s writing Talk about ideas and information they are going to write about. Talk about experiences, diagrams, graphs, pictures, photos and material that your child is planning to use for school work. Discussing the information and main ideas can help their planning for writing and their understanding, too Share enjoyment of their writing. Read and talk about the writing that your child does. Give praise for things they have done well to support their learning. Play with words. Thinking of interesting words and discussing new ones can help increase the words your child uses when they write Share your own writing with your child – lists, planning for family events or an email. You can help them to see that you too use writing for different purposes. Here’s a tip: keep writing fun and use any excuse you can think of to encourage your child to write about anything, anytime. Write for a reason Encourage your child to write emails, invitations, thank you letters, poems, stories or postcards to friends, family and whānau – make it fun. Ask your child who they would like to write to. It is helpful if what they write is given or sent to others Ask them to write a story to read to a younger sibling A diary or journal – on paper or on a computer – can help your child to write about their experiences and their own feelings about things that have happened at school, at home, in the world, on the marae, at sports events and on TV. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. If you don’t understand something they are writing about, ask them to explain. YEAR 6 Make writing fun Encourage your child to write about their heroes, tīpuna (ancestors), sports events, hobbies and interests to help keep them interested in what they are writing about Play word games and do puzzles together. Games and puzzles such as crosswords, tongue twisters and word puzzles help build your child’s knowledge of words, spelling, thinking and planning skills Start a blog about a family interest. Find a topic you’re both interested in and set up your own blog. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Show your child that you write for all sorts of reasons. Let them see you enjoying writing. Use your first language – this helps your child’s learning, too. Write for a reason Encourage your child to write: Suggest your child is responsible for the weekly shopping list, equipment list for weekends away and holidays, task lists for the week Encourage your child to write to others – emails, letters, texts, postcards. It will help if some of what your child writes about is for others Short stories or a journal – on paper or on a computer – can help them to write about their experiences and their own feelings about things that have happened at school, in their family, on the marae, in the world, at sports events and on TV Report on a new baby or pet addition to the family. This might be a slide show, scrapbook, page on the computer Make an argument in writing for a special request – trip, event, present etc Draw up written contracts for agreed jobs; eg Every day I will…(make my bed, do one lot of dishes, and when I complete the contract I can choose…). Here’s a tip: keep writing fun and use any excuse you can think of to encourage your child to write about anything, anytime. Talk about your child’s writing Talk about ideas and information they are going to write about. Talk about experiences, diagrams, graphs, photos, treasures and taonga, waiata, pictures, whakapapa and material that your child is planning to use for school work. Discussing the information and main ideas can help their planning for writing and their understanding, too Share enjoyment of their writing. Read and talk about the writing that your child does. Give praise for things they have done well and say what you liked and why – this all supports their learning Play with words. Thinking of interesting words and discussing new ones can help increase the words your child uses when they write – look words up in the dictionary or on the Internet to find out more about what they mean. Talk to family and whānau members to learn more about the background and the whakapapa (origins) of the words Share your own writing with your child – lists, planning for family events, song lyrics or letters and emails. You can help them to see that you too use writing for different purposes. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. Use it as a way of starting conversations. Listen to their opinion, even if you don’t agree with it. YEAR 7-8 Make writing fun Encourage your child to listen for and use interesting words. Having a wide range of words will help your child create stories which will increase in complexity Use technology. Text messages and emails are a form of writing even if the language is not always standard English Use computers if your child isn’t keen on writing. They don’t have to think about the presentation of their work and editing does not require a complete re-write. Spell-check helps, too Play card and board games and complete difficult crosswords and word puzzles Create a message board such as a white board, blackboard or pin board. The messages might be instructions, reminders, or praise for a job well done, as well as examples of work. Encourage your child and other family members to respond with messages, too. Here’s a tip: make writing fun and use any excuse you can think of to encourage your child to write about anything, any time. Talk about writing with your child Talk with your child about their day. Talking helps them to organise their thinking and is an important first step for any writing Talk about new words your child is not familiar with, using a dictionary to find out more – there are dictionaries online Be a positive audience for your child. Always respond to the effort behind the message and the message content first (regardless of how the message is written) and the presentation second. Keep in mind what your child is currently learning to do and comment just on that Keep a holiday journal. Before the holidays ask your child to write a list of possible activities they want to do that keep to your budget and get them to draw up an activity plan. Remember to include any events or activities you have to attend; e.g. school camp, noho marae, church, doctor, sports training, family/whānau reunion. Your child could write a list of what to pack. Here’s a tip: talk about what your child writes. Be interested. Use it as a way of starting conversations. Listen to your child’s opinion, even if you don’t agree with it. Keep them interested Encourage your child to read. Reading and writing are linked and success in one is likely to lead to success in the other Buy interesting stationery for your child to use. Coloured pens and pencils can be an incentive to write together with special paper or books. Give a diary, book or notebook as a present Plan for them to be able to use a computer for writing – at home or the library Look for real reasons for writing. Encourage your child to read and write letters, messages, postcards, invitations, lists, rosters, thank-you notes, recipes, emails. Start with postcards to family and friends – encourage your family to write back Make lists for a particular reason; eg shopping lists or jobs to be completed Encourage your child to write on their own – on paper or on the computer. Poems, songs, waiata, short stories or a diary or journal. A journal can be a way for your child to keep track of their thoughts, ideas or a particular interest. For example, keep a journal of their sports training, kapa haka practice or compile favourite recipes It might be fun to write to a favourite author or kaumātua to ask what helps them to write their stories and compositions. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Show your child that you write for lots of reasons, eg replying to an email, writing a shopping list, invitation or letter, writing for your work or your own study. Use your first language – this helps your child’s learning, too.

Emergency Management Emergencies Emergencies can be a variety of things including, pandemics, fires, earthquakes, and lockdowns. The signal for an evacuation, such as fire, is a continuous ringing or evacuation message. We meet on the tennis courts close to the PE Shed. A roll of all students, staff and visitors is taken. In case of an earthquake we Drop, Cover and Hold until it is safe to exit the buildings. A lockdown or shelter-in-place may be signalled by the principal or their delegate, and authorities such as the New Zealand Police. If required, parents will be contacted to come pick up their child when it is safe for everyone. Even though tsunamis don't affect the school, parents may be affected in their ability to pick up their children. We will hold children at school until someone is able to pick them up. or arrangements are made. Communication During an Emerge ncy, Disaster, or Crisis We have developed a communication plan that identifies who is responsible for communications, which communication methods we will use, and who we will contact and liaise with in the event of an emergency, disaster, or crisis. The principal is in charge of overseeing emergency communications, but may delegate this to other board or staff members. Communicating with staff and students We have a plan for communicating with staff during an emergency, disaster, or crisis. We also consider how to share appropriate information with students to help them deal with the event. Communicating with whānau In an emergency, disaster, or crisis the school contacts parents/caregivers/whānau when it can, using the emergency contact details provided, and releases information to the school community as appropriate. Depending on the circumstances, our available communication options may include: texting/messaging or phoning parents/caregivers The school website has a dedicated emergency communication page for ongoing emergencies. https://www.kokopu.school.nz/specialnews Social Facebook and school app are also used putting up signs emailing parents/caregivers informing local media outlets. Parents/Caregivers must follow any instructions issued by the school, including not coming to the school to see or collect their children if advised. This is particularly important when the school is in lockdown under police instruction. Our communications with whānau explain how parents/caregivers can be reunited with their children in the event of school closure . Other communications Our communication plan includes procedures for notifying and liaising with the appropriate emergency service organisations and other relevant services and stakeholders to gain advice, support, and discuss logistics. We also consider how to manage media enquiries . At our school, the designated media contacts are the board chair and/or principal. The board chair and principal may work closely to prepare a response to a media enquiry, and determine together who speaks to the media.

Reading How You Can Help at Home Research shows that the single most effective way to improve a child’s reading ability is by reading! It is recommended that Primary aged school children should read at home every day for 20 minutes. This time should be an easy and fun process, not one which creates a daily battle. The easiest way for this to happen is to make reading an enjoyable experience for all involved by mixing up the reading that takes place. This might include: Your child(ren) reading to you You reading to your child(ren) Taking turns to read a page each Your child(ren) reading silently Your child listening to an ebook At Kokopu School we use the better start literacy approach in our junior school. It is based on learning to sound out letters, groups of letters and whole words. Click the link to see online versions of the Better Start Literacy readers your child will bring home. On the back pages are extra activities and ideas you can do at home. Storytime (formerly Children’s Treasure Chest) has hundreds of New Zealand’s best children’s stories by some of our most celebrated writers including Lynley Dodd, Joy Cowley and Tessa Duder. The collection is organised by topic, title and listening age so you can easily find the right story for your little ones (or they can find it for themselves!) Listen to the full collection on our dedicated Storytime website Read the NZ School Journals online. These are the same journals that our students use at school. They are full of interesting article, stories and poems. Search for something of interest or a year. Online version are from 2016 onwards. YEAR 1 Make reading fun Reading at home should be fun and easy. It should be something you both look forward to and a time for laughter and talk. Share the reading, take turns or see whether your child wants to read or be read to today All children like to be read to, so keep reading to them. You can read in your first language Visit the library together and help them choose books to share Read emails from family or whānau aloud Play card and board games together. Here’s a tip: talk a lot to your child while you are doing things together. Use the language that works best for you and your child. Talk about reading Ask about the sounds of letters and groups of letters. Eg sh, tr, mop, top, pop… Talk about pictures in books Sing waiata and songs, read poems and make up rhymes together (the funnier the better) Be a role model. Let your child see you enjoying reading and talk about what you are enjoying Point out words on signs, shops and labels Play word games like “I spy” and “Simon says” Make it a special time together Reading is a great chance for you and your child to spend special time together. Make reading: quiet and relaxing a time to sit close to your child 10–15 minutes without interruption, away from the TV an enjoyable, interesting and special time a time to praise your child for making an effort Here are some tips: if your child is stuck on a word wait a few seconds, give them a chance to think. If they are still stuck, help them to try to work the word out by saying, “read the sentence again and think what would make sense”. Ask “could it be …?” (and give a word that might fit). The pictures also help them check they have got the right word. If they still can’t work out the word, tell them and praise their efforts. Remember, reading should be fun. Help your child to link stories to their own life. Remind them about what they have done when a similar thing happens in the story. YEAR 2 Make reading fun Reading at home needs to be fun and easy. It should be something you both look forward to, a time for laughter and talk. Find a comfortable, quiet place away from the TV for the two of you to cosy up and read for 10–15 minutes If you or your child start to feel stressed, take a break and read the rest of the story aloud yourself – keep it fun Make some puppets (from old socks or cardboard tubes, or use cut-outs on sticks etc.) that you and your child can use to act out the story you have read. Or dress up and make it into a play Play card games (you can make the cards yourself) Read songs, waiata, poems and rhymes and sing them together, too. Here’s a tip: when they are reading, your child will still be coming across words they don’t know. When this happens, you could remind them to think about what they already know to do when they get stuck. If that doesn’t help you might ask “What word would make sense that starts like that?” or “What do you know about that word that might help?” If they still can’t work it out – tell them the word and praise their efforts. Take your child to the library help them choose books to share find other books by the same author or on the same topic (or look for more information on the web – you might have to be the reader for this one). Here’s a tip: help your child to link stories to their own life. Remind them about what they have done when a similar thing happens in the story. Talk about reading Talk about the story and the pictures, other stories you have read, and experiences you have both had that are like those in the story Sometimes you can be the listener, sometimes the reader and sometimes you can take turns. They might like to read to the cat, the dog, their teddy or a big brother All children like to be read to, so don’t stop reading to them no matter how old they are Encourage your child to read all sorts of things, for example, the TV guide in the newspaper, street signs and food labels. Simple recipes are great and you get to eat what you’ve read about, too! Here’s a tip: talk with your child all the time and give them time to talk with you. You can use your first language. YEAR 3 Make reading fun Have fun singing along to karaoke songs or playing board games together Read to your child every day. You can use your first language Have a pile of reading materials available. For example, library books (non-fiction and fiction), kids’ cookery books, simple timetables, newspapers and magazines, catalogues and any other reading that supports your child’s current interest Encourage your child to retell favourite stories or parts of stories in their own words. Play card games (you can make the cards yourself) and board games together. Here are some tips: when they are reading, your child will be working at solving unfamiliar words by themself. If they need help you could ask them to work their way across the word looking for things they know that might help. At this level, reading involves bringing everything they know together to solve problems and build understanding. If they can’t work it out, tell them the word and carry on with reading. If you or your child starts to feel stressed by what they’re reading, take a break and read the rest of the story aloud yourself. Keep it fun. Make it real Reading makes more sense if your child can relate it to their own life. Help them to make connections between what they are reading and their own lives and experiences. For example, “that’s a funny story about a grandad. What does your grandad do that makes you laugh?”, “We saw a big mountain in that book, what is our mountain called, and where did the name come from?” Look for opportunities for your child to read wherever you are, for example, signs, advertising billboards, junk mail, recipes Show your child that reading is fun and important to you by letting them see you reading magazines, books, newspapers. Find out together Visit the library often and help your child to choose books about topics that interest them Talk with older people or kaumātua in your family about interesting stories and people from your child’s past that you could find out more about together Ask your child questions (and support them to find the answers) to widen their reading experiences. For example, “What’s the quickest biscuit recipe?”, “What time is the next bus to town?” Help your child with any words that they don’t understand. Look them up together in the dictionary if you need to. YEAR 4 Read and talk together Get your child to tell you about what they are reading. Who is their favourite character and why? Is there anyone like that in your family? What do they think is going to happen? What have they learnt from their reading? Does it remind them of any of their own experiences? Help your child with any words they don’t understand – look them up together in the dictionary if you need to Read recipes, instructions, manuals, maps, diagrams, signs and emails. It will help your child to understand that words can be organised in different ways on a page, depending on what it’s for Read junk mail – your child could compare costs, make their own ‘advertisements’ by cutting up junk mail or come up with clever sentences for a product they like. Here’s a tip: talk a lot to your child while you are doing things together. Use the language that works best for you and your child. Read with others If your child has chosen something to read that is too hard at the moment, take turns and read it together Reading to younger brothers or sisters, whānau or grandparents will give your child an opportunity to practise reading out loud Encourage other family members (Aunty, Grandma, Koro) to read to and with your child Playing board games and card games is important, too Choose games that everyone wants to play. Make them challenging, not too easy. Here are some tips: keep the magic of listening to a good story alive by reading either made-up, retold or read-aloud stories to your child – with lots of excitement through the use of your voice! When they are reading, the most common difficulty your child is likely to have is working out the meaning of new words, phrases and expressions. To do this your child will use their knowledge of words and word patterns (eg prefixes, suffixes and root words) to help build meaning. You may need to remind your child to read back and forward for clues to help their understanding of what they are reading. Talk with your child about the meaning. Take your child to the library Help your child to choose a variety of books they want to read Help them look for books about topics they’re learning about at school Get your child to choose a book that you can read to them (listening to you read helps them with their reading) Encourage your child to retell favourite stories or parts of stories in their own words. Here’s a tip: help your child link stories to their own life. Remind them about what they have done when a similar thing happens in the story. YEAR 5 Talk about their reading Ask your child what they are reading and talk about their ideas: What is the ‘picture’ they have of particular characters? Are there people like that in your family or whānau? What do they want to find out from the book? What are the important messages? What do they think is going to happen next? What else do they need to know to understand the story or topic? Talk about books on similar topics. This helps your child to pull together ideas from different places Talk about different types of stories that are read or spoken. Newspaper articles, internet sites, whakataukī (proverbs), comics, bible stories, songs, waiata or novels will each have different points you can talk about together. Find a newspaper article you’re both interested in and talk about what it means to each of you Help your child to share their thinking. Get them to share opinions and talk about why they think that. Listen, even when you don’t agree with their ideas. Here’s a tip: give your child space and time to read. Reading longer books they have chosen needs plenty of time. Read together Find out information together from different places. For example, manuals, dictionaries, the Internet, magazines, television guides, atlases, family tree information, whakapapa Play games that involve reading in a fun way Encourage your child to read to others Younger brothers and sisters, whānau or grandparents are great audiences for practising smooth and interesting reading out loud Visit the library regularly. Help your child choose books they’re interested in (about hobbies, interests or who they are and where they come from) or encourage them to get books out that are about what they are studying at school. They may need you to help by reading to them, as well Find books of movies or TV programmes. It can help your child to learn different ways to tell the same story if they read the ‘stories’ they have watched. Here’s a tip: help your child to link stories to their own life. Remind them about what they have done when a similar thing happens in the story. Be a reader yourself Talk about what you are reading and why you are enjoying it or what is challenging about it. Read a book to your child that they might find difficult but want to read, and talk about it as you read. Use your first language whenever you can – it can help your child’s learning Read the same book or magazine as your child. You can then share your ideas about what you have read. You could talk about why the authors made the choices they did when writing the story. Here’s a tip: keep the magic of listening to a good story alive by reading either made up, retold or read-aloud stories to your child – with lots of excitement through the use of your voice. YEAR 6 Make reading fun Have discussions together about books – read the books your child is reading Encourage Internet research about topics of interest – notice what they are keen on Make your home a reader-friendly home with plenty of books, magazines, newspapers that everyone can read – look for books and magazines at fairs and second-hand shops. Ask your family or whānau if they have any they no longer want Share what you think and how you feel about the characters, the story or the opinions in magazines and newspapers you are reading. It is important that your child sees you as a reader and you talk about what you are reading. Here’s a tip: encourage your child to read every day. Make reading fun and praise your child’s efforts, all the time. Read together Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do, no matter how old they are. You can use your first language When you are reading to your child, you can talk about words or ideas in the text that your child might not have come across before Children are often interested in new words and what they mean – encourage them to look them up in a dictionary or ask family/whānau about the meaning and origin. Here’s a tip: keep the magic of listening to a good story alive by reading either made up, retold or read-aloud stories to your child – with lots of excitement through the use of your voice! Keep them interested Help your child identify an author, character or series of books they particularly like and find more in the series or by the author Talk about the lyrics of songs or waiata, or the words of poems your child is learning, and see if there are any links to who they are, and where they come from Think about subscribing to a magazine on your child’s special interest, eg animals, their iwi, kapa haka or sport, or check out the magazines at the library, or on the Internet Go to your local library to choose books together. These might be books your child can read easily by themself. They might be books your child wants to read but are a bit hard – you can help by reading a page to them, then helping them read the next one Play card and board games together – the more challenging the better. Here’s a tip: be a great role model. Let your child see you enjoying reading – whether it’s the newspaper, a magazine, a comic, a cookbook or a novel. Read in the language that works best for you. YEAR 7-8 Make reading fun Play card and board games and do complicated puzzles Help your child to follow a recipe and cook for the family Encourage your child to read and follow instructions for playing a game, making or using a piece of equipment, or completing a competition entry form. Remember their reading doesn’t have to be a book – it could be a magazine, comic, newspaper or something from the Internet. Here’s a tip: talk a lot to your child while you are doing things together. Use the language that works best for you and your child. Talk about it Ask your child to talk about parts of a story they liked and why Talk about the key facts, characters, plot, setting, theme and author’s purpose Have them retell the main ideas or describe characters, events or facts they were interested in Ask them to show you where the story supports their thinking Be a role model. Show you read for a variety of reasons; eg to compare products advertised in brochures, to be informed on current issues, to find a phone number or a bus timetable, to relax etc Try reading the same book as your child so you can talk about it together Talk about the TV show you are watching. What were the main ideas? Talk about the order events happen in – practising this skill is important as children can find this difficult to learn. What did they like/dislike and why? Here are some tips: encourage your child to read every day. Make reading fun and praise your child’s efforts, all the time. Help your child to link stories to their own life. Remind them about what they have done when a similar thing happens in the story. Read to your child Just because your child can read doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy listening to someone else reading. It could be a non-fiction book on a topic they like, a magazine, a newspaper, a short story or a longer book read in instalments. It could also be a more difficult book/article that your child needs your help to read and understand You could also listen to audio stories together – you can borrow these from the library or download from the internet Encourage your child to read the lyrics to their favourite songs, waiata or haka. Talk about why the composer wrote the song. What were they trying to say? Search the internet for more information Here’s a tip: keep the magic of just listening to a good story alive by reading either made up, retold or read-aloud stories – with lots of excitement through the use of your voice. Keep them interested Find books or magazines about your child’s interests. Reading about their favourite sport, player, team or kapa haka group or an issue they are interested in will help them to be an expert on a particular subject Find books that relate to TV shows or movies they know, or the area they come from. Knowing some of the ideas, characters or ancestors/tīpuna before you start reading can make it easier to understand a book. Talk about how the book differs from the TV show or movie and how it builds on what they already know Join the library and visit regularly to help your child choose books that interest them – you may want to encourage your child to read different types of books including non-fiction stories. Here’s a tip: be positive whenever your child is reading, no matter what they are reading. Respect your child’s opinion as it shows they are thinking about what they read.

Ready To Read Phonics Plus Books Below are the Ready to Ready Phonics Plus books that we use in our junior school. They are phonics-based books that work on fundamental reading skills. They work in a structured order so that students work through the phonics skills they need in a sequence. On the back page are phonics and reading skills to work on with each book. Jumping ahead is not always of benefit for your child, so please talk to your teacher about which books are best. You can also see the order in the below PDF. Kākano Overview Tupu Overview Mahuri Overview Rākau Overview

Enrol at Kokopu School now. Enrolments We welcome new students and their families to come and visit our amazing school. Give us a call, email or drop in and we will be more than happy to show you around and meet with our principal and teachers. PLEASE NOTE: We are currently not a Zoned school. Kokopu School is a full primary school catering for students in years 1 - 8. (Including intermediate) We have students that come to us from all around our local area and further afield. Whether it is your 4-year-old or you are a new family to our area, enrolling as soon as possible helps us plan our staffing and roll for the year. We have full enrolment packs available at the school office or you can use the form below. Please get in contact with us regardless. Enrolment form instructions Click on the “enrolment button” below. Complete form including all mandatory fields Select “Go to Part 2” which will automatically save the form When the online enrolment form is complete, please bring in your child's birth certificate and immunisation status so we can retain a copy. Enrol Online Here Additional Documents to sign. You can print these at home or get copies from the school office. After School Care Registration Cyber Safety User Agreement Media Release Form Additional information You can print these at home or get copies from the school office. Parent Info Booklet Stationery Year 7-8 Program Community Playgroup PRE-SCHOOL VISITS It is advisable that your child has at least two pre-entry class visits to familiarise them with their new learning environment, teacher and classmates. Please make contact with the classroom teacher to organise your visits. On the first visit, you are encouraged to remain with your child in the classroom in order to observe how the class functions. This will enable you to better support your child with their transition to school. During your next visit, you are welcome to pop in and out of the classroom. The staff room is available for you to have a cup of coffee. It is preferable to include at least one morning tea in these visits to introduce your child to the associated routines and play environment. PREPARING FOR SCHOOL In order to cope with the challenges of school life, it is important that your child develops independence in managing themselves and their belongings. You can help with this by ensuring they know how to: Use the toilet (and urinal for boys) and wash their hands Blow their nose Dress themselves Put school shoes on and off (please avoid shoes with laces unless they are self-tying ones) Manage lunch without help Recognise and manage their own belongings Pack and carry their own schoolbag Follow simple instructions Sit and listen for short periods of time (approximately 10 minutes With regard to literacy and numeracy, if your child can hold a pencil correctly, recognise their own name and write it, recognise the names and sounds of some of the letters of the alphabet, count and recognise some numbers, this is a bonus and will be further developed at school.

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Policies and Procedures Our School Documents are now available through SchoolDocs Ltd. To access the password protected link, please use the username: 1036 Please contact the school to be issued the password. View School Documents Copyright: Except where stated, the content on this site is the copyright of SchoolDocs Ltd. It may not be reproduced without written permission from SchoolDocs Ltd.

Bible in Schools Launchpad Christian Values Education (Bible in Schools) Launchpad Christian Values Education is an opt-in programme which takes place at Kokopu School every second Friday between 8:30am and 9:00am. It is held in the School Library. The programme is presented through the art of story-telling, multimedia, interactive games and activities. Each lesson has a specific learning outcome and reinforces the values found in the New Zealand Curriculum. Stories are presented from: The Bible NZ Māori History Inspiring Stories from around the World Some of the values presented are: Respect Friendship Resilience Helping others Making good choices Having courage You can watch a video here outlining the program. https://nzchristiannetwork.org.nz/directory-nzcn/launchpad The Ministry of Education requires parents to opt-in to the program. Children who do not have permission can not participate. Bible in School Permission Form