Te Kopuru School – Engaging with our community

Engaging whānau in the learning process is essential for the ongoing learning and wellbeing of tamariki at Te Kopuru School. 

Reporting to parents 

Over the last three years, Te Kopuru School has trialled the use of digital portfolios as a means of reporting student achievement to parents. These e-portfolios consist of samples of student work in the form of writing, photographs, and video presentations. Goal setting is an important aspect of the portfolio, with students encouraged to set realistic goals that are linked to their individual needs. Thirty-minute interviews involving parents, students, and their teachers are held twice a year. These are an opportunity for students to articulate their learning through sharing areas of success and concern and goal setting for next steps. Year 7 and 8 students lead these interviews. 

Staff value the outcomes of building positive relationships with parents and whānau. Parents of students in our bilingual units have the option of home visits. The kaiako go into the home and, with the student and whānau, share and discuss student achievement in an informal environment. This has produced a positive response from our Māori parents and has helped to break down school barriers and build positive and valued partnerships between home and school.

Throughout the year, parents are invited to attend curriculum-focused meetings. These meetings are aimed at upskilling parents in order to promote a positive learning environment at home. 

Students at Te Kopuru School can discuss, clarify, and reflect on their goals, strategies, and progress with their teachers, their parents, and one another. This develops their capacity for self- and peer assessment, which leads in turn to increased self-direction.

Engaging parents 

Pet and Project Day  

This an annual event where students enter show day exhibits, including baking, craft, floral exhibits, and the judging of calves, goats, and lambs. This day is hugely supported by parents. One of the highlights is the fathers’ cake auction. This is a fund-raising opportunity, but more importantly it is a fun way of bringing the dads into our school. We also utilise this event as a forum for surveying our parents on an aspect of school review. Our senior students are involved with the task of ‘meeting and greeting’ and encouraging parents to complete the survey. By targeting parents in this way, we get feedback from 60% more parents than through school newsletters. 

Performing Arts Festival 

This festival showcases local schools and community groups. Performances include kapa haka, Pasifika, kola, song, martial arts etc. This is an opportunity to educate our community through Health Promotion caravans and stalls; and also for local community members to promote their crafts. 

Other ways of engaging parents and whānau 

The community newsletter informs members of our Te Kopuru community on strategic direction and events and happenings within the school. This is distributed each term break and is a means of maintaining links within the wider community. 

Matariki is celebrated at our local marae with a two-day Wānanga and sleepover. Workshops focusing on Te Ao Māori are facilitated by teachers and community resource personnel. In the evening, students perform items and practise mihi. Arapohue School joins us in these celebrations, which enhance relationships between both school communities. The Wānanga cumulates in a hākari attended by invited kaumātua, kuia, and parents.

As part of our fundraising we host two trail bike rides. These require enormous support from our community. It is a time when past pupils, neighbours, friends, whānau, parents, and staff work cooperatively together to raise funds that enable our school to provide exciting learning experiences for our students.