Welcome to the 2025 School Year!
Kia ora, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Bula, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Aloha, Kamusta, Xin chào, Nǐ hǎo, Konnichiwa, Annyeong haseyo, Selamat siang, Sawasdee ka/krap, and Namaste to everyone!
We are so happy to see our tamariki and whānau each day and look forward to a fantastic year ahead. A special welcome to the new tamariki and whānau who have joined us at Chapel Downs—we’re delighted to have you as part of our community.
We also extend a warm welcome to our new teachers: Annalise Maggs, Sophia Maher, Jesse Broskie, and Natalie Malcolm. We’re excited to have them on board and look forward to the wonderful contributions they will make to our school.
Here’s to a great year of learning, growth, and community!
Mr Van
Building Work Update
Over the summer holidays, the rest of the senior school classrooms were moved to their new location on the other side of the field. Most of these classrooms were ready for us to use from the start of the school year and the last four should be ready for us to use in the next few weeks. The school looks really different with the whole senior area now moved.
This has cleared the area where the stage one build for the junior college will go. Very soon, work will begin on preparing the site and then it will be all go as the junior college starts to take shape.
We have had two new roll growth classrooms added to our site, Rooms 42 and 43. Two of our Year 4 classes are really enjoying being in these new classrooms.
At the end of 2024, a lovely new turf was installed in the Year 1 area. The children are loving playing on this colourful new playground space.
Curriculum Refresh at Chapel Downs
Last year we trialled using Pr1ME Maths with some year groups. It was a really successful trial and we are now using the PR1ME Maths programme right throughout our school. PR1ME Mathematics is a structured maths program designed to help children develop strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It is based on the teaching methods used in top-performing countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Key Features of PR1ME Mathematics
CPA Approach (Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract)
- Concrete: Children use real objects (e.g., blocks, counters) to understand concepts.
- Pictorial: They move on to pictures and diagrams to represent problems.
- Abstract: Finally, they use numbers and symbols to solve problems mathematically.
Problem-Solving Focus
- PR1ME encourages students to think logically and apply maths to real-life situations.
Mastery-Based Learning
- Students learn each concept deeply before moving on to the next topic. This helps them build a strong foundation in maths.
Model Method (Bar Model Strategy)
- Children use simple bar models to visualize and solve word problems, making complex questions easier to understand.
Spiral Progression
- Topics are revisited at higher levels, allowing children to reinforce and extend their learning.
How Can Parents Support Their Children?
- Encourage hands-on learning with objects at home.
- Ask your child to explain how they solved a problem (this deepens understanding).
- Use real-life examples, such as shopping or cooking, to practise maths concepts.
- Stay patient and positive—helping children enjoy maths builds their confidence!
Structured Literacy is a teaching approach that helps children learn to read and write in a clear, step-by-step way. It is especially effective for all children, including those with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. We have been using a structured literacy approach for learning to read for a few years now.
Key Features of Structured Literacy
Explicit Teaching
- Children are directly taught the rules of reading and writing instead of just figuring them out on their own.
- Example: Instead of guessing words, children learn the sounds each letter makes and how they combine to form words.
Systematic and Sequential Learning
- Lessons follow a logical order, starting with simple skills and gradually moving to more complex ones.
- Example: Children first learn letter sounds, then blend them into words, then read full sentences.
Phonics-Based
- Focuses on teaching how letters and sounds work together to form words.
- Example: Teaching that "c" makes a /k/ sound and "sh" makes a /sh/ sound.
Multisensory Approach
- Children use sight, sound, touch, and movement to learn.
- Example: Tracing letters in sand while saying the sounds helps reinforce learning.
Focus on Decoding and Spelling
- Helps children break down words into sounds (decoding) and build words from sounds (spelling).
- Example: Learning that "cat" is made up of /c/ /a/ /t/ and spelling it by saying each sound.
Emphasis on Comprehension
- Once children can read words, they learn how to understand what they are reading.
- Example: Asking questions about a story to check understanding.
How Can Parents Support Their Children?
- Read together daily and point to words as you read.
- Encourage sounding out words rather than guessing.
- Use multisensory activities, like writing letters in the air or using letter magnets.
- Praise effort, not just accuracy, to build confidence.
Structured Literacy makes reading easier and more enjoyable for all children by giving them the tools they need to succeed!
Term 1
Important Dates
- 13 Feb - Meet the Whanau Evening, 6.30pm in the hall
- 7 March - Whole School Assembly, 1.45pm in the hall
- 4 April - Whole School Assembly, 1.45pm in the hall
- 11 April - Last day of Term 1, 3pm finish
- 28 April - First day of Term 2
- Term 2 - Year 3 to Year 6 classes Swimming Lessons
Year 6 Graduation 2024
SCHOOL THERAPY DOG
Introducing Pascal
We would like to introduce Pascal. He is our school therapy dog and he works in Rooms 12, 13 & 14 up to three days a week.
Pascal is a friendly, fluffy dog who has come to our school to help students with their learning, activities and emotions.
When Pascal has his blue vest on, that means that he is working and he is here to help. When he doesn’t have a vest on, it’s important to give him some space.
You might see Pascal outside in the playground sometimes, but he will always be on his lead and with an adult (not a student). This is so he stays safe and doesn’t get too excited or overwhelmed. If you see him in the playground, feel free to say hello.
2025 Enrolments
If your child is turning 5 in the next 12 months please ensure you enrol them as soon as possible. With the roll steadily growing at Chapel Downs this will enable us to keep a track of how many New Entrants we can expect in the future. Please click on the form below to enrol online