MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
This year the St Joseph’s School Board will hold our triennial elections. There are five parent representative positions which must be filled. Now is the time to think about either standing for election or nominating someone who you think will represent you and your whanau.
Over the coming weeks, information will be sent home outlining the election process. The information will include the key dates for the election, how to nominate a person, a nomination form, and the criteria of who is not eligible to stand for the school board. Nominations will open Friday 18th July and close Wednesday 6th August.
We look forward to welcoming our new board members to our team in term three.
INTRODUCTION TO SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS – ONLINE
Every three years all public schools in Aotearoa hold elections for their School Boards, and this is going to happen again in 2025.
The School Board is a key part of our St Joseph’s School because they do a lot of important things behind the scenes that while they may not be visible, are really important to keeping our school running.
Our School Board write our strategic plan, consult with our community about things that matter, make sure our finances are being spent wisely and ensure that we are giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi within our school.
Our board is made up of five parent vacancies, the Principal/Tumuaki, a staff rep elected by the staff, and four selected proprietors’ reps. The board needs to appoint a Returning Officer, who is responsible for the running of the election and we have appointed Election Pilot as the Returning Officer and for the election to be provided online. They have been assisting schools with elections for over 20 years and have been the only election provider accredited by the Ministry of Education to provide online election services since online elections started in 2022.
Important things like the nomination and voting forms will be sent to you by email directly by Election Pilot. If we
don’t have an email address for you, don’t stress because Schooled Election Pilot will send these out to you by post so you won’t miss out.
There are a lot of rules around School Board elections that need to be followed and the main ones are the Education and Training Act 2020 and the Education (Board Elections) Regulations 2022. Your name and contact details have been provided to Election Pilot to enable them to deliver election services for our school as required by legislation. They will use your contact details for the provision of election services for St Joseph’s School only and your details will be deleted 60 days after the election date as required by legislation.
If you have any questions about the election process, then the best people to talk to are the team at Schooled Election Pilot. You can contact the Returning Officer directly on 0800 VOTENZ (0800 868 369) or election@electionpilot.nz.
We will continue to keep you updated through the various stages of the election process.
Our election date is Wednesday 10th September.
EDUCATION REVIEW OFFICE (ERO) PARENT AND WHAANAU SURVEY
Researchers at the Education Review Office (ERO) are doing some research about school attendance. They want to hear your thoughts about what makes a difference.
Please help by clicking on this survey link: Parent and Whānau Survey
2026 COHORT ENTRY ENROLMENT (for Year 0/1) CONSULTATION
We are currently seeking feedback from our whānau, staff, and the community of local preschools on the proposed implementation of a Cohort Entry Policy at St Joseph’s School Pukekohe.
What is Cohort Entry?
Cohort entry allows new entrants to start school in groups at specific times during the year, rather than individually on or after their fifth birthday. Under this policy, new entrants will start school in cohorts after they have turned five, with two entry points per term: one on the first day of term and one at the mid-point of the term. These dates are set by the Ministry of Education.
Benefits of Cohort Entry
Cohort entry aims to help children settle better into school. Starting as a group at the beginning or mid-point of the term allows for a consistent and progressive induction process, rather than repeating the induction multiple times throughout the term. This ensures that all children receive the same information and support simultaneously, fostering a sense of community and teamwork.
Research indicates that starting school alongside peers helps children build relationships and support a smoother transition into school life. It also enables teachers to better address the social and emotional needs of children as they adjust to a new environment.
Schools that have adopted cohort entry report that it provides children with the best start to their school journey. It reduces disruptions for new entrant teachers, who can prepare for groups of children arriving on specific dates rather than individually throughout the year (referred to as Continuous Entry).
We Value Your Feedback
We invite you to share your thoughts on the proposed change to our New Entrant Enrolment Process.
Please submit your feedback to principal@stjosephs.co.nz by 12pm on Monday 9th June.
We will inform you of the outcome of this consultation in Term 3.
SCHOOL POLICIES
A link to our school policies can be found on our school website or through www.schooldocs.co.nz
- Go to www.schooldocs.co.nz/
- Click Search for your school
- Start typing the school’s name (St Joseph’s School Pukekohe) and then select it from the dropdown list.
- Enter the community username: stjosephspukekohe and password: mission.
In Term 2, the Board, staff and community are asked to review the following policies: Planning and Preparing for Emergencies, Disasters, and Crises (board), Communication During an Emergency, Disaster, or Crisis (board), Emergency Closure (board), Emergency Management, Disaster Management, Crisis Management.
If you would like to contact the Board directly at any time, please do so through our email address schoolboard@stjosephs.co.nz
St Joseph’s School Pukekohe Development Trust
We are looking for parents to join our St Joseph’s School Development Trust.
You do need to have an understanding of property, finance, business, and/or law.
Please register your interest with our principal Ursula Hall. principal@stjosephs.co.nz
The St Joseph’s Development Trust will meet next week on Wednesday 11 June at 6:00 pm in the boardroom.
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