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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. This means anyone can enrol. Kokopu School is a full primary school catering for students in years 1 - 8. (Including intermediate) We have no zone attached to the school and 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 below online form. 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.

ERO Reports The Education Review Office evaluates and reports on the education and care of children and young people in all early childhood services and schools. Click to view Kokopu School’s latest Education Review Office report. Click to view

Kokopu School History The following was compiled for the 105th Jubilee in 1989 In 1912 there was one school situated between the Kara and Kōkopu districts. It was situated on Mr M. McKinley's property at the Kōkopu end of McKinley Road. Children from both districts attended the one school. This school was then moved to a site adjoining the Kara District Hall, and a teacher's dwelling was erected as well in 1913. The Kara residents decided to work timber from Mr Henry Cleary's property (later to become Colonel Wood's property). Mr F Watts was the carpenter. He married Miss Cope, and her brother was one of the timber workers. Some time after the project was started, Mrs Watts died suddenly. A messenger was sent to the timber workers to relay the news, only to be met by the workers carrying out her brother's body. He had been killed earlier that morning when a log rolled on top of him. When a tragedy like this happened on those days, the relatives were shown great respect. It was some time before the work continued. Nor was the completion of the work without its problems! William and Henry Wrack were the wagon men employed to cart the logs to the mill and the timber back to the building site. (These two brothers have streets named after them in Kensington, Whangarei. Wrack Street and Henry Street) While one of the brothers was jacking logs on to his wagon, the jack slipped and speared the upper part of his arm. The jack had to be dismantled and he was taken to hospital in Mr Nobe's wagon. The buildings were finally completed in 1913. Mr Brennan came to teach in the Kara school on it's new site. Kokopu School was opened on February 2, 1914, with Mr Kruger as the first Headmaster and a roll of thirteen pupils. These children came from the Guignier, Leca, Snelgar, Waymouth, Kokich and Baker families. At first is was a part time school with Kara. The six days a week were shared between the two schools. This meant that pupils often had to attend school on Saturdays! In August, 1914 the Great War broke out. This took all the young men from the valley including the Kara school teacher. Twelve men left during the war period. They were Donald Stuart, Melven Cleary, Jack and Charlie Nelson, Willie Dent, Harold, Ned and Henry Smith, George and Charlie Matthew, Bert Attwood and William Miller. The Matthew brothers failed to return home. During this time, Mr Kruger came to teach at the school, but because he was a German, problems arose through prejudices on both sides, and he had to leave the district. During Mr Kruger's term at the school it was changed to a half time school, three days at Kara and three at Kokopu, taught by the same teacher. This state of affairs remained for over twenty years. The next teacher was Mr Izod, a middle-aged man who had been a good athlete in his younger days. He played games with the children. It took a number of good strong boys to stop him from making a touchdown when he had the football in his hands. He had a big beardie dog who joined in the game too. The dog was really good in a tackle! He beat the boys for the ball! It was a sad day for the children at the end of 1918 when the teacher and his dog left the school. This was the end of the war. The soldiers returned with the plague aboard the boat. Donald Stuart returned home a very sick man. He stayed in Kara with his mother and brother, Murdock, for some time, then was admitted to hospital and died on Easter Monday, 1921. The next teacher was an Irishman by the name of Michael Daniel Regan. He came to teach the children, but had an alcohol problem. Many a morning the children arrived at school and found that there was no teacher to teach them. One morning a prefect sent the children home and a week later there was an enquiry held by an education board official, the school committee, and the teacher and the children. It ended with the teacher being dismissed. At the end of 1919, Lewis Cheeseman came to teach. He was from a well known family in the north. His wife died suddenly and a relieving teacher took over for a short time. His name was Mr Oswald Guest, and he was single. He left early in 1921. The next teacher was the first lady teacher that the school had ever had. She was Mrs Dyer. She had three sons and two daughters. Her husband was a Wayby farmer. Val(Pip), her youngest son, has been teaching school for many years at Tikipunga. In 1925, Mrs Dyer gave up teaching through ill health. She was succeeded by another lady teacher, Mrs Lennane. Her husband was a farrier and he took over the blacksmith's shop in Maungatapere for a time while his wife taught the two schools, Kara and Kokopu. In 1928, Mrs Lennane left and Mrs Brewer came. Her husband was a farm hand and proved a valuable asset to the district. The Depression in 1930 made things very hard for those leaving school because there was no work available. The local farmers were self sufficient, growing their own meat and vegatables, but many of the older identities remember the townsfolk who were forced to seek work, food, and shelter for their families in the country. In the early 1930s, Mrs Brewer left and Miss McDonald taught for a short time. She was succeeded by Mr Jim Wilson, who rode his motorbike out from town each day. The Kara school was closed down in April 1937 and about this time the original Kokopu school was moved to Waiotemarama and a larger school was brought from Maungatapere. World War Two began is 1939, taking young men away from the district once again. Mr W. Attwood's son, Tom was killed in action. During the war years, there were two more lady teachers, Mrs Kokich and Mrs Spehr, and at the end of the war the children were taught by a Returned Serviceman, Mr Neville Ward, who had served in the islands. In 1942, the Kara school house was brought to Kokopu and in 1950 work was begun on the Kokopu Block. A road was put through from Kokopu to Maungatapere and called the Kokopu Block Road. Returned Servicemen were settled there in 1952. The Kara school was put up for tender and purchased by the Dent brothers, who removed it on to their property. The Education Board recommended that the Kokopu school have a new school built and playing fields brought up to standard, with a school bus taking secondary children to the main road to connect with another into Whangarei, and returning, picking up primary school children and bringing them to Kokopu. Peter Buisman, a local farmer, drove this bus for twenty three years. School History 1958-1989 These 31 years have witnessed a variety of changes in the school and Kara-Kokopu District. In 1958, two brand new classroom were opened, and thanks to community involvement, the learners swimming pool was also built and opened. The original school house, constructed with upright weather boards, was replaced in 1959 when a new house was erected on the present site, west of the school. The original house can be seen near the road about 3 kms east of school. The school roll has fluctuated dramatically, being a 2 teacher school in 1958, increasing to 3 teachers in 1963 for 2 years, then levelling out a 2 teacher school until 1985, when the roll exceeded 50 pupils, and a 3rd teacher was again employed. A new classroom was transported from Auckland in 1986 and resited at Kokopu, testimony to an expanding community. A contributing factor to the increase in the school roll has been to subdivision of traditional farms on Kara Road, allowing greater diversification into horticulture. In conjunction with a growing community there have also been vast improvements to roads in the district. The Kokopu Block Rd was sealed in 1987 and later Kokopu Rd was sealed from the intersection with Block Rd to as far as the school. Kara Road is due to be sealed this year. Children in the district have been transported to school by bus. The days of Peter Buisman driving the Departmental Bus have gone, with a private company contracted in 1980 to take over the run. It was very convenient in those days when the bus was parked in the bus shed next to school, as the teacher was able to drive the children to sports days and take cultural and educational trips without having to rely on parents for transport. Improvements made around the school include erecting a flying fox, fencing the top field so the children are able to play without the worry of standing or landing in sheep manure, planting trees, shrubs and gardens, improved drains, a new water tank and an upgraded water pumping system which has allowed the teacher time to "teach" rather than call on his small motor expertise down by the river. A new administration block with library facilities was installed in 1981 and a covered walkway built to link it with the old staffroom which is now used for storing teaching resources. A skyline garage was erected in 1980 and to complete the compliment of buildings, our third classroom was resited in 1986. Teaching aids used in the classroom have kept pace with technology, making the classroom a more interesting place for learning. From the early 1970's equipment such as Over Head Projectors, listening posts, film and slide projectors, cameras, calculators, video camera and TV monitor and most recently a Commodore computer have all been acquired. These improvements have been subsidised by the various school committees, from funds generated by the "Working Bees". Up to the present day, the children have all had their part to play in cleaning the school, however in 1986 the cleaner's hours were increased from 5hrs per week to 15hrs, so a cleaner had to be employed to vaccum, dust and clean windows, floors and toilets. The grounds and building exteriors have continued to be maintained by parents at the "Working Bee". Many of the traditional school events have continued to be highlights on the school calendar. Picnics have been held at various beaches including Ruakaka, Ngunguru, and Wellington's Bay. The Calf Club Day is still enjoyed by children and adults. The Sports Days with other small schools in the district have been a feature, as has the annual cross-country meeting. Of course the dances at the Kara Hall have provided much enjoyment over the years, and the charm that the hall gives that little bit of "magic" to the popular end of year concert. Added to these have been the Guy Fawkes evening, and the annual School Camp which has been a popular highlight for senior pupils since 1975 when the children visited Port Waikato. Throughout the past 105 years the school has enjoyed a close working relationship with the community, giving a firm basis for a well rounded education. The extended-family quality of the school reflects the close-knit community spirit and this has ensured a memorable association for past, present and future pupils, parents and teachers.

Learning at Home Parent Help Helping your child learn at home is a great way to reinforce what is being learnt at school and practice some of those key skills they need. The following pages will provide information about how you can continue to support your child(ren)’s learning at home as well as links to sites that can help you. Please note, if you have any specific questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning and achievement we would encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible to discuss these queries with your child’s teacher. Reading Writing Maths As well as developing strong home-school partnerships to support our students learning, we are also dedicated to providing support and practical strategies that support parents and caregivers in their role as parents. The following links aim to provide you with resources and useful insights into the developmental stages throughout the parenting journey www.parentingplace.nz/ The Parenting Place offers support, advice, educational courses and workshops to help make your family life enjoyable and fun. www.mentalhealth.org.nz/ The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand is a charity that works towards creating a society free from discrimination, where all people enjoy positive mental health & wellbeing.

CONTACT US Visit the School ADDRESS 921 Kokopu Rd RD9 Whangarei New Zealand E-MAIL US office@kokopu.school.nz PHONE Ph: (09) 4346765 OFFICE HOURS 8:30 am - 3:30 pm You Can Also Contact Us by Form First Name Email Last Name Phone Message Submit Thanks for submitting!

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Term Dates and Bell Times 2024 Term Dates Term 1 – Thursday 1 February – Friday 12 April Term 2 – Monday 29 April to Friday 5 July Term 3 – Monday 22 July to Friday 27 September Term 4 – Monday 14 October - Friday 13th December Bell Times Start of Day 9.00am 1st morning break 10.20am to 10.35am 2nd morning break 11.35am to 11.50am lunch break 12.50am to 1.30pm End of day 3.00pm

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.

1/9 Kōkopu School Kia ora and welcome to all of our students and whānau About Kokopu School Growing Together Learning Forever Ag Day Information and Entries Kōkopu School - Since 1884 Kōkopu School is a dynamic school just 15 minutes west of Whangarei catering for students in Years 1 to 8. Our school has a strong community spirit and a friendly rural family atmosphere. We offer a wide range of exciting and inspiring learning experiences while developing tuakana teina relationships across the school. Our vision, "Growing Together, Learning Forever," and values are central to the teaching philosophy and organisation of Kōkopu School. We provide a creative, safe and exciting school environment. With small class sizes and high expectations of achievement, positive behaviour and working together. We have a strong tradition of academic, artistic and sporting success. Our students are encouraged to be ‘country kids’ through practical activities where they are challenged as risk-takers in a supportive and safe environment. Our Tuakana Teina focus (older students working with younger students) develops children that are caring, empathetic and respectful of others. Please feel welcome to visit our school to meet us or just to have a look around. RESPECT FOR OURSELVES Working hard to do our best with pride, effort and resilience. RESPECT FOR OTHERS Using our tuakana teina skills to support each other, being kind and helpful. RESPECT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT Caring for our school and community environments by working together. Our School Values Keep in Touch Newsletter School App FaceBook

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.