Teretere team
Years 0-1 blog
2026
Embedded Files
swa_a4_ntj-for-parents_mar2024 (2).pdfKia ora Parents and Guardians,
Project Jonah is looking forward to visiting your child’s school soon to deliver an engaging marine education session. You may have heard of Project Jonah; we are a marine mammal welfare charity that is best known for responding to whale and dolphin strandings throughout New Zealand/Aotearoa. We also campaign for greater protection of whales and dolphins, train members of the public to help at strandings and teach and inspire children/tamariki how to look after our marine environment. We believe that the more tamariki know about the amazing marine mammals that live right here on our coastline, the more they will want to help and protect both them and the oceans they call home. During our session, your tamaiti/child will discover fascinating facts about the Paikea/Humpback whale. Afterwards, can they tell you: How much a Humpback weighs? How far this species can swim in a year? Can they sing like a Humpback? Ask them about their experience seeing a life-sized Humpback whale and, if they went inside, what it was like! To learn more about our work and explore a variety of engaging educational resources, please visit www.projectjonah.org.nz.
Ngā mihi nui,
Mina Holder
Education Coordinator
Thursday 24 September
Kia ora e te whānau,
The last few weeks of term have absolutely flown by! We want to say a huge thank you to all of our parents and whānau for your incredible support throughout the term.
This term, we sadly say goodbye to Whaea Kayla. Kayla has won a position at Te Mātaitihi School in Halswell. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to join a brand-new school as a foundation teacher. We are sorry to see her go, and thank her for all her wonderful support and help over the past term. Whaea Alison, who is also an experienced teacher, will be taking over Kayla's position.
Outdoor art: First, a huge thank you to Rebecca and Nick Mills, who kindly donated the posts for our outdoor art project, and to Scott Ball for picking them up and delivering them. A massive shout-out also goes to Stacey Methven, who kindly donated her time and expertise to add the final touches to our Teretere pencils-keep an eye out for them popping up on display outside in the near future! The tamariki have taken immense pride in painting them.
We also wrapped up the week with our school and sibling photos, capturing some lovely smiles. We wish you all a safe and happy school holidays!
Small soft toy animals required
We would love any small, clean soft toy animals for "Learning through play" - for our 'Veterinary surgeries' for next term. Please give these to your child's teacher. Thank you.
Pack In, Pack Out
Our school is proud to be a Pack In, Pack Out environment. By practicing Kaitiakitanga (guardianship), we work together to protect and care for Te Taiao (our environment) by keeping our school grounds clean and reducing landfill waste.
Here is how you can help us care for our environment every day:
Pack In: Send snacks and lunches in reusable containers, silicone pouches, or cloth wraps. Please try to minimize single-use plastic, foil, and pre-packaged wrappers.
Pack Out: All food scraps, packaging, and waste brought to school will return home in your child’s lunchbox at the end of the day.
Sending waste home gives you a clear picture of what your child is eating during the day, while helping our whole school community minimize waste and protect our environment and awa (stream).
Baby Photo required
Please send a copy of a photo of your child as a baby to your ako class teacher. We will share this as part of our sexuality unit during early next term. Please don't send the original photo if you are sending a hard copy. Thank you
Named clothing
Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time. Please send a NAMED jacket to school every day this term. This does not need to be a school one. We play outside every day unless it is very wet.
School navy blue bucket hats - term 4
In terms 1and 4, all children are required to wear a NAMED navy blue bucket hat when outdoors. No hat = no play. Some families sew something small on the outside of their child's hat so it is easily recognisable. Please keep the hat in a side pocket of their bag for easy and frequent access. No caps please, as these do not cover the back of the neck and they are not part of the school's SunSmart Policy. Please apply sunscreen to your child before school.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesday: 16 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through. The cost of this will be added to your school account. TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Monday 12th October - First day of Term 4
Friday 16th October 9.15am - Mihi whakatau - for all new families to ASP - all welcome.
Monday 26th October - Labour Day holiday (school is closed).
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, Alison and Kayla
Teretere team
Health meeting | Relationships & Sexuality Education - Navigating the Journey
We are required to advise you of our next Health unit, which we will be teaching early next term. Please see the flyer below. This is taught at an appropriate level for Year 0-1 tamariki. If you have any further questions, please speak to your child's teacher.
Tools
If you have any old tools such as screwdrivers, we would love them for 'Learning through Play' next week. This will be for deconstruction (taking apart donated old printers). Please give these to your child's teacher. Thank you.
School items
If your child brings items from school to home, please return these to the teacher with an apology. This is a life skill that needs to be discussed and modelled by adults. This is school property and children need to learn that they cannot take other people's property. Thank you for your support with this.
Named clothing
Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time. Please send a NAMED jacket to school every day this term. This does not need to be a school one. We play outside every day unless it is very wet.
Tuning into kids Rolleston: Te Rau Horopito
Tuning into kids is a free, in person group. This group will start in term three and finish term four. Six sessions starting 9 September on Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:30pm at Te Rau Horopito School, Rolleston.
20 spaces available.
Parents/caregivers attend without children.
Link to register:
Tuning in to Kids Registration - Mana Ake
Early pick-ups
If you need to collect your Year 1 child early from school, please make sure to sign them out at the office first before picking them up. This helps us ensure all children are accounted for and our attendance records remain accurate. If your child requires a regular early pick-up schedule, please note that this needs to be pre-approved by Claire, our principal.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesday: 16 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Wednesday 16th September from 8.30am-9.00 am; Sexuality and Relationship Education parent meeting in the staffroom. This meeting is for parents | caregivers only.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through. The cost of this will be added to your school account. TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Monday 12th October - First day of Term 4
Friday 16th October 9.15am - Mihi whakatau
Monday 26th October - Labour Day holiday (school is closed)
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
Thursday 10 September
Kia ora e te whānau,
The tamariki in Teretere have had an incredible week of learning, highlighted by our fantastic trips to the Airforce Museum and Olympia Gymnastics! A massive thank you to all of our wonderful parent helpers—without your support, these rich learning experiences simply wouldn't be possible for our students.
Looking ahead, tomorrow (Friday 11 September) is a non-uniform day. Students are invited to wear non-uniform clothes and bring a donation to support those affected by the recent floods in Nepal.
Consultation Survey
The Board is developing a new 2-year strategic plan to be implemented from January 2027. We want to get a sense of what is most important to our stakeholder community. Please complete these questions to help us understand your views and aspirations for our school and tamariki.
Complete the following survey for the Board by Friday 11th September - Consultation Survey.
We also sent home a Year 0/1 Consultation a few weeks ago to be filled in. Please return this directly to the office by Friday 11th September. A copy can be found here. Thank you to those who have already completed these.
Health meeting | Relationships & Sexuality Education - Navigating the Journey
We are required to advise you of our next Health unit, which we will be teaching early next term. Please refer to the attached flyer above (#s 4 and 5). This is taught at an appropriate level for year 0-1 tamariki. If you have any further questions, please speak to your child's teacher or attend our meeting on Wednesday 16th September from 8.35 am - 9.00 am in the staffroom. This meeting is for parents/caregivers only. The flyer is also in your child's class if you cannot make the meeting.
Tools
If you have any old tools such as screwdrivers, we would love them for 'Learning through Play' next week. This will be for deconstruction (taking apart donated old printers). Please give these to your child's teacher. Thank you.
School items
If your child brings items from school to home, please return these to the teacher with an apology. This is a life skill that needs to be discussed and modelled by adults. This is school property and children need to learn that they cannot take other people's property. Thank you for your support with this.
Named clothing
Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time. Please send a NAMED jacket to school every day this term. This does not need to be a school one. We play outside every day unless it is very wet.
Tuning into kids Rolleston: Te Rau Horopito
Tuning into kids is a free, in person group. This group will start in term three and finish term four. Six sessions starting 9 September on Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:30pm at Te Rau Horopito School, Rolleston.
20 spaces available.
Parents/caregivers attend without children.
Link to register:
Tuning in to Kids Registration - Mana Ake
Early pick-ups
If you need to collect your Year 1 child early from school, please make sure to sign them out at the office first before picking them up. This helps us ensure all children are accounted for and our attendance records remain accurate. If your child requires a regular early pick-up schedule, please note that this needs to be pre-approved by Claire, our principal.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesday: 16 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Wednesday 16th September from 8.30am-9.00 am; Sexuality and Relationship Education parent meeting in the staffroom. This meeting is for parents | caregivers only.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through. The cost of this will be added to your school account. TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Monday 12th October - First day of Term 4
Friday 16th October 9.15am - Mihi whakatau
Monday 26th October - Labour Day holiday (school is closed)
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
Thursday 27 August
Kia ora,
The tamariki have had a wonderful week of learning including the Court Theatre perfomance of Kura Kōrero and a visit for Teretere 1 and 2 of Oscar the dog to inspire our information report writing. We are looking forward to some better weather soon - not sure if it will be in time for tomorrows non-uniform day as part of Daffodil Day.
Thank you to the parents who have offered to help for our trip. Unfortunately we will not be able to take everybody. We will be in contact with you next week about this.
Consultation Survey
The Board is developing a new 2-year strategic plan to be implemented from January 2027. We want to get a sense of what is most important to our stakeholder community. Please complete these questions to help us understand your views and aspirations for our school and tamariki.
Complete the following survey for the Board by Friday 11 September - Consultation Survey.
We also sent home a Year 0/1 Consultation a few weeks ago to be filled in. Please return this directly to the office. A copy can be found here. Thank you to those who have already completed this.
Tools
If you have any old tools such as screwdrivers, we would love them for 'Learning through Play' next week. This will be for deconstruction (taking apart donated old printers). Please give these to your child's teacher. Thank you.
Ooshies and toys
We have had a number of items go missing. From next week, children are not to bring these toys or other toys to school. If they want to do trading please do so outside of school hours (parents take items home). The children have been told about this. Thank you.
School items
If your child brings items from school to home, please return these to the teacher with an apology. This is a life skill that needs to be discussed and modelled by adults. This is school property and children need to learn that they cannot take other people's property. Thank you for your support with this.
Named clothing
Please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time. Please send a NAMED jacket to school every day this term. This does not need to be a school one. We play outside every day unless it is very wet.
Tuning into kids Rolleston: Te Rau Horopito
Tuning into kids is a free, in person group. This group will start in term three and finish term four. Six sessions starting 9 September on Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:30pm at Te Rau Horopito School, Rolleston.
20 spaces available.
Parents/caregivers attend without children.
Link to register:
Tuning in to Kids Registration - Mana Ake
Gastro bug
We have noticed a gastro bug currently going around our New Entrant classes. If your child shows any symptoms, please keep them at home and ensure they remain off school for at least 48 hours after their last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. This prevents the bug from spreading around our hub and to staff. Thank you for your support.
Early pick-ups
If you need to collect your Year 1 child early from school, please make sure to sign them out at the office first before picking them up. This helps us ensure all children are accounted for and our attendance records remain accurate. If your child requires a regular early pick-up schedule, please note that this needs to be pre-approved by Claire, our principal.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support
Red and green milk bottle tops
We require any clean red or green milk bottle tops. If you have any, please give them to your child's teacher, as we use them for structured literacy in our new class. We do not require blue. Please give these to Whaea Sophie in Teretere 6. Thank you.
Library
This term, it will be held on a Monday (subject to change). Children may now get out three books. They can have them for two weeks, but most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where they can be returned. Lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesday: 9 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Friday 28th August - Daffodil Day - gold coin donation is appreciated. This will go to the Cancer Society. Dress up in yellow and green (or wear school uniform).
Tuesday 8th (Teretere 1, 2 & 6) and Wednesday 9th September (Teretere 3, 4 & 5): Trip to Olympia Gym and Air Force Museum. The cost of this will be added to your school account. A notice was sent out via Hero on 24/08.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through. The cost of this will be added to your school account. TBC
Thursday 24th September at 8am; Sexuality Education parent meeting in Teretere 3-5. This meeting is for parents | caregivers only. Kelly Club is available for before school child care. Date: TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Monday 12th October - First day of Term 4
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
Thursday 13 August
Kia ora,
Ooshies and toys
We have had a number of items go missing. From next week children are not to bring these toys or other toys to school. If they want to do trading please do so outside of school hours. Thank you.
Gastro bug
We have noticed a gastro bug currently going around our New Entrant classes. If your child shows any symptoms, please keep them at home and ensure they remain off school for at least 48 hours after their last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. This prevents the bug from spreading around our hub and to staff. Thank you for your support.
Early pick-ups
If you need to collect your Year 1 child early from school, please make sure to sign them out at the office first before picking them up. This helps us ensure all children are accounted for and our attendance records remain accurate. If your child requires a regular early pick-up schedule, please note that this needs to be pre-approved by Claire, our principal.
Named clothing
As we start a new term, please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support
Red and green milk bottle tops
We require any clean red or green milk bottle tops. If you have any, please give them to your child's teacher, as we use them for structured literacy in our new class. We do not require blue. Thank you.
Library
This term, it will be held on a Monday (subject to change). Children may now get out three books. They can have them for two weeks, but most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where they can be returned. Lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 5 August, 19 August, 9 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Friday 14th August: Quiz hamper Non-Uniform day (THT). Please bring a new non-perishable item suitable for a hamper e.g. coffee voucher, chocolates, fancy crackers etc. No alcohol please.
Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm "Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours" course for parents/whānau. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory, or neurodivergent challenges. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. Free to attend.
Wednesday 26 August - Court Theatre show: He Kura Kōrero. This will be charged to your account.
Friday 28th August - Daffodil Day - gold coin donation is appreciated. This will go to the Cancer Society. Dress up in yellow and green.
Tuesday 8th (Teretere 1, 2 & 6) and Wednesday 9th September (Teretere 3, 4 & 5): Trip to Olympia Gym and Air Force Museum. More information to come.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
Thursday 30 July
Ahoy! As we read our way through book week, It's been so lovely to see the children and teachers excited about all the reading magic and challenges happening at school this week.
Teretere 3/5 Hui
Friday 7th of August is Teretere 3 and Teretere 5's hui. Parents/Caregivers and family are welcome to attend.
Gastro bug
We have noticed a gastro bug currently going around our New Entrant classes. If your child shows any symptoms, please keep them at home and ensure they remain off school for at least 48 hours after their last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. This prevents the bug from spreading around our hub and to staff. Thank you for your support.
Early pick-ups
If you need to collect your Year 1 child early from school, please make sure to sign them out at the office first before picking them up. This helps us ensure all children are accounted for and our attendance records remain accurate. If your child requires a regular early pick-up schedule, please note that this needs to be pre-approved by Claire, our principal.
Named clothing
As we start a new term, please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace, and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake, please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time.
Attendance
To help us maintain a safe and supportive learning environment, please note our guidelines for early pick-ups and school leave:
Sign in/out procedure: If you need to collect your child early, please always sign them out at the office before heading to their classroom. If arriving late, please sign in at the office and collect a 'ticket' from Justine to give to your child's teacher.
Holiday or weekly leave: In line with Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, any leave during term time (such as family holidays or leaving 'early' on certain weekdays) requires prior permission from the Principal. Please email Claire for approval.
Medical appointments: Where possible, please schedule appointments at the start or end of the school day to minimise disruption to your child's learning.
Thank you so much for your cooperation and support.
Book week
On Friday, 31st July we will have a "dress up as your favourite book character" day. Bring your named book to share. This will be part of the oral language programme, and your child will be asked to share their favourite part, character, etc. Please do not bring any precious books.
Read in the most unusual way - Book Week Challenge
Home challenge: can you read in the most unusual way or place? Can you read on a boat? Can you read near a moat? Post yourself, friends, and family reading on your child's 'Learning at Home page' on Hero to be in for a chance to win.
Fun Run
On Thursday, 6th August, the Junior 'cross country' Fun Run will be held at school | kura from 1.40 pm. Please ensure your child wears correct footwear every day, as we are running most days. On the day, we kindly ask that you do not run with your child or stand in front of the runners, as this stops the flow. Children have already practised the course many times. We have big buddies to help those who require support. Please monitor any preschoolers. Children will return to their class at the end of the fun run for the roll, and then we will welcome you into classes to share some learning. Postponement date: 13th August.
Red and green milk bottle tops
We require any clean red or green milk bottle tops. If you have any, please give them to your child's teacher, as we use them for structured literacy in our new class. We do not require blue. Thank you.
Library
This term, it will be held on a Monday (subject to change). Children may now get out three books. They can have them for two weeks, but most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where they can be returned. Lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 5 August, 19 August, 9 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Week 2: Monday 27th July onwards - Book Week. On Friday, 31st July, dress up as your favourite book character and bring in your named book to share.
Tuesday 28th July: Performance as part of Book Week - 'Treasure Hunt'. The cost of this show will be added to your school account.
Thursday 6th August, Junior 'cross country' Fun Run - at school | kura, 1.40 pm, followed by some time in the classroom. Postponement date: 13th August.
Friday 7th August: Teretere 3 (Deb & Lesley) and Teretere 5's (Nicole) Hui at 9.10 am in the hall. All welcome.
Friday 7th August - THT Movie Night - 5pm -6.30pm 9 (Junior school)
Monday 10th August: Teacher Only Day (school closed).
Friday 14th August: Quiz hamper Non-Uniform day (THT). Please bring a new non-perishable item suitable for a hamper e.g. coffee voucher, chocolates, fancy crackers etc. No alcohol please.
Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm "Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours" course for parents/whānau. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory, or neurodivergent challenges. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. Free to attend.
Friday 28th August - Hato Hone St John are visiting Teretere classes. Cancelled.
Friday 28th August - Daffodil Day - gold coin donation is appreciated. This will go to the Cancer Society. Dress up in yellow and green.
Tuesday 8th (Teretere 1, 2 & 6) and Wednesday 9th September (Teretere 3, 4 & 5): Trip to Olympia Gym and Air Force Museum. More information to come.
Monday 21st/Tuesday 22nd September - School Photos - day TBC
Thursday 24th September Jonah Whale walk through TBC
Friday 25 September - Last day of Term 3
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
Thursday 16 July
Kia ora,
Welcome Back! A huge welcome to Whaea Sophie, Whaea Kayla and the new learners and whānau who have joined the Teretere team. Happy school days to you.
Named clothing
As we start a new term, please ensure all items of clothing are clearly named. Some items are expensive to replace and jerseys/jackets are important to have in winter. If you have come across a clothing item that your child has picked up by mistake please return it to the owner or a Teretere teacher. Also, drink bottles may need to be renamed as they fade over time.
Book week
We have our annual Book Week in Week 2. On Friday, 31st July we will have a "dress up as your favourite book character" day. Bring your named book to share. This will be part of their oral language programme, and your child will be asked to share their favourite part, character, etc. Please do not bring any precious books.
Read in the most unusual way - Book Week Challenge
Home challenge: can you read in the most unusual way or place? Can you read on a boat? Can you read near a moat? Post yourself, friends, and family reading on your child's 'Learning at Home page' on Hero to be in for a chance to win.
Fun Run
On Thursday, 6th August, the Junior 'cross country' Fun Run will be held at school | kura from 1.40 pm. Please ensure your child wears correct footwear every day, as we are running most days. On the day, we kindly ask that you do not run with your child or stand in front of the runners, as this stops the flow. Children have already practised the course many times. We have big buddies to help those who require support. Please monitor any preschoolers. Children will return to their class at the end of the fun run for the roll, and then we will welcome you into classes to share some learning. Postponement date: 13th August.
Old printers
We require two old printers for deconstruction this term (minus the ink cartridges, please). If you have one you are throwing out, please speak to your child's teacher first before bringing it in. Thank you.
Red and green milk bottle tops
We require any clean red or green milk bottle tops. If you have any, please give them to your child's teacher, as we use them for structured literacy in our new class. We do not require blue. Thank you.
Inquiry
As part of our Inquiry, we will be looking at how we travel to school. Please provide a printed photo of the front of your house, including your letterbox (number). This will not be returned, so please don't bring anything special.
Map (Teretere 1-5 only)
Please bring your map back to school this week (week 1) and give it to your child's teacher. If your child was absent and you did not receive a map at the end of last term, please print a Lincoln map and highlight the route your child takes to school.
Library
This term, it will be held on a Monday (subject to change). Children may now get out three books. They can have them for two weeks, but most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where they can be returned. Lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Message from Whaea Kayla
Kia ora, ko Kayla Te Aika tōku ingoa.
He uri ahau nō Ngāi Tahu.
I have over 10 years of teaching experience across all year levels in both mainstream and bilingual settings and was previously a Team Leader. I’m passionate about supporting junior learners as they develop confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning. I’m excited to be joining the Ararira Springs team on a part-time basis. Outside of teaching, I’m a proud mum of two tamariki. I enjoy cooking, camping, and creating lasting memories with my whānau.
Kayla's details can be found on the kaiako tab above.
Learning
Literacy: Factual writing. Oral language. Poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home. Fractions (halves and quarters), Measuring (length, height, mass) Counting to 30 in Te reo.
Wellbeing: Berry Street Education Model - Circle time,Ready to learn strategies. Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind. P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: gymnastic skills; long-distance running.
Māori: Learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Pronunciation. Parts of the body, classroom instructions, weather.
Inquiry: Exploration - Explorers - Sir Edmund Hillary, focusing on journeys, transport (including flight), and the origins of lunchbox food. Building curiosity and understanding about exploration through transport and sustainability.
Topic (Teretere 6): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Kayla) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 5 August, 19 August, 9 September. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Monday 20th July: first day of term 3
Friday 24th July: Mihi whakatau at 9:15 am - drop your child off as usual and then meet in the library (behind Teretere 6), meeting place: TBC. This is for all new children and whānau, including Sophie, Kayla and those in Teretere 6, plus families | whānau who started mid-cohort in Teretere 5 with Nicole. All welcome.
Week 2: Monday 27th July onwards - Book Week. On Friday, 31st July, dress up as your favourite book character and bring in your named book to share.
Tuesday 28th July: Performance as part of Book Week - 'Treasure Hunt'. The cost of this show will be added to your school account.
Thursday 6th August, Junior 'cross country' Fun Run - at school | kura, 1.40 pm, followed by some time in the classroom. Postponement date: 13th August.
Friday 7th August: Teretere 3 (Deb & Lesley) and Teretere 5's (Nicole) Hui at 9.10 am in the hall. All welcome.
Monday 10th August: Teacher Only Day (school closed).
Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm "Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours" course for parents/whānau. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory, or neurodivergent challenges. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. Free to attend.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole, Sophie, and Kayla
Teretere team
26th June
Kia ora,
We are thrilled to announce that Sophie Lucas will begin the new Teretere 6 class at the beginning of term 3. Sophie has been teaching in Kaiapoi (maternity leave cover). Teretere 6 will use the front part of the library as their space and will mainly be working with Angela, Nicky, and Tash. Whaea Kayla will also join the team to release teachers. Welcome to ASP, Sophie and Kayla. We are looking forward to working with you.
We are all looking forward to the school's Matariki celebration this Friday from 5.30 pm. We are still looking for volunteers to set up or pack down. Please email: tht@ararira.school.nz if you can help. On Friday, please wait behind the cones at 5.30 pm. Our school's Kapa Haka group will welcome you before moving on to activities. Just a reminder that you are responsible for supervising your own child/ren on the night, as there are fire and other items that need adult supervision. Bring your own mugs for hot drinks, and extra marshmallows for toasting if you wish. Wrap up warm! Children can collect their lanterns from the classrooms from 6.40 pm. This will contain a tealight. As an Enviroschool, we reuse these every year. Please return the tealights on the night or bring them back to school on Monday morning. Thank you.
School items
Several children are accidentally taking home school items. Can you please check bags and reading folders over the winter break, and return any items?
Holiday homework
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Firewise: create your family | whānau plan and check fire alarms.
There are three things you can do to get out quickly and safely if a fire occurs in your home.
1. Install working smoke alarms in lounges and family living areas, halls, bedrooms, and sleep-outs to alert you to the fire. If you are asleep, you cannot smell smoke.
2. Have an escape plan so that every family or whānau member knows two ways to get out of every room and knows where to go to the safe meeting place outside.
3. Practise getting out of every room FAST when the smoke alarm goes off or if someone shouts ‘FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!’
Please also refer to the Hero notice sent on 25/06 with further family 'Firewise' activities. You can share your learning with your child's teacher on your child's 'Learning at home' page on Hero.
Old rugs
Teretere 3-5 requires some large old rugs to sit on outside. These need to be quite big to fit several children on them. If you have something suitable that you are throwing out, please pop in to see Ally, Nicole, or Deb before the end of this term. Thank you.
Sickness
We have had a vomiting bug and possible 'hand, foot and mouth' in the hapori this week. Please follow the advice of your healthcare provider or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) regarding when it is safe for your child to return to school.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); doubles to 10 e.g. 3 + 3; addition and subtraction on number lines. Writing numbers to 20 (and then to 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games, long-distance running.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories). Matariki - Matariki this year is around the 13th-15th June. You can find out more information about Matariki here.
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? Aoraki's Waka. The Taniwha and the Rakaia River. This includes visual art - landscapes (drawing and dye).
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link or this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Monday 20th July: first day of term 3.
Friday 24th July: Mihi whakatau at 9:15 am - drop your child off as usual and then meet in the library (behind Teretere 6), meeting place: TBC. This is for all new children and whānau, including Sophie, Kayla and those in Teretere 6, plus families | whānau who started mid-cohort in Teretere 5 with Nicole. All welcome.
Week 2: Monday 27th July onwards - Book Week. On Friday, 31st July, for Teretere only - dress up as your favourite book character and bring your named book to share.
Tuesday 28th July: Performance as part of book week: Treasure Hunt. The cost of this show will be added to your school account.
Thursday 6th August, Junior 'cross country' Fun Run - at school | kura, 1.40 pm. Postponement date: 13th August.
Friday 7th August: Teretere 3 (Deb & Lesley) and Teretere 5's (Nicole) Hui at 9.10 am in the hall. All welcome.
Monday 10th August: Teacher Only Day (school closed).
Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm "Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours" course for parents/whānau. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory, or neurodivergent challenges. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. Free to attend.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Angela, Ally, Nicky, Tash, Lesley, Deb, Nicole and Sophie
Teretere team
12th June
Kia ora,
We've had a busy few weeks in Teretere. A huge welcome to all the new children and whānau who started last week. Happy school days to you.
We wish Whaea Lesley and her whānau a wonderful trip back to the U.K. Whaea Deb will be taking the Teretere 3 akomanga class during Lesley's leave of absence. Deb's email address is above under 'Kaiako' if you require this.
Signwriter
We are producing some outdoor artwork over the next two terms. Do you know of a signwriter who would be available to gift their time to write some words onto three wooden poles? Please see your child's teacher if you know of anybody. Thank you.
Reading books
Please keep all reading books in folders. Books are collected back in on a Wednesday or Thursday. Your child will not receive another book unless the previous book has been returned. It is important that these are returned weekly, as we have other reading groups wanting to use them, and we have limited copies. Please see your child's reading teacher if you have any questions. Lost or broken books will need to be paid for. Thank you for your support with this.
Pre-cut soft drink bottles are required for lanterns
We will be making lanterns over the next two weeks. Each child needs one clean pre-cut soft drink bottle (e.g., a Coke bottle - see photo above). It would be helpful if you could cut the top part off the bottle. Please write your child's name on the bottom with a permanent marker. We will be decorating them in class starting from Monday, 15th June. If you have any spare bottles, please also bring them in on/before Monday, 15th. Many thanks. Thank you to those who have already brought this in. Teretere 1 (Nicky and Tash) already have enough bottles, thank you.
English Curriculum Whānau Hui (parent|whānau information evening)
This will be held on Tuesday 16th June from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Kaunuku 1–2 (next to the library). We’ll be sharing updates on the new curriculum and discussing our approach to reading, writing, and oral language. Don't worry if you can't find a babysitter - children are welcome to attend with you.
School-wide THT family|whānau Matariki event
The matariki event is on Friday, 26th June, 5.30 pm-7.00 pm. If attending, children must be supervised by an adult. This is one of the highlights of our school year. We are still looking for many volunteers to help either before, during, or just after the event. Please email: tht@ararira.school.nz if you can help. Many hands make light work.
Sickness
We presently have COVID, whooping cough, a vomiting bug, diarrhoea, general cough and colds, and the flu in our hapori. Please follow the advice of your healthcare provider or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) regarding when it is safe for your child to return to school. Whooping cough is a contagious illness; you mustn't send your child to school if they are unwell with these symptoms (see more information below). Please remember to notify the office before 9 am if your child is away and the reason.
Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours: A course for parents|whānau. Understanding the "why" behind meltdowns, overwhelm and big emotions. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory or neurodivergent challenges. You'll walk away with practical ideas and a greater understanding. Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm. Free to attend for parents/whānau (please register). This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. See flyer below.
Library
Library day this term is on a Monday. Please return your books to the class. Ask your child's teacher where they would like them put. Children may have books for two weeks, but most children have them for one week. The library system sends out overdue reminders. If you think you have already returned the book, feel free to look for it in the library before school.
Reporting
School reports from the year 0-1 team will be sent to you on Hero, depending on when your child started school. Those children who started last year will receive a report on Reading (Structured Literacy), Writing and Maths at the end of this term. Those children who started in January will receive a report next term, etc. We are following the MOE guidelines, and reports will look different from previous years.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape. Refer to your child's structured literacy book for further information. We have also been learning about writing simple facts and opinions.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers); money (learning to recognise and name coins and notes); Fractions of shapes and the symbols (1/2 and 1/4); Days of the week order, including what day comes before or after a given day. Writing numbers to 20 (and then 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games; long distance running.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local pūrākau (traditional stories).
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? Aoraki's Waka. The Taniwha and the Rakaia River. This includes visual art - landscapes (drawing and dye).
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Tuesday 16th June: English Curriculum Whānau Hui (parent|whānau information evening) from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Kaunuku 1–2 (next to the library). We’ll be sharing updates on the new curriculum and discussing our approach to reading, writing, and oral language.
Friday 26th June: School-wide THT Matariki family|whānau event from 5.30 pm. If you wish to attend this event, children must be supervised by an adult. Bring: a mug per person, for hot drinks. If you have a preschooler, you may like to make your own lantern at home. Please see the school newsletter for more information. We will also be looking for many volunteers to help either before, during, or just after the event. Please email: tht@ararira.school.nz if you can help. Many hands make light work.
Friday 3rd July: last day of term 2.
Monday 20th July: first day of term 3.
Friday 24th July: Mihi whakatau at 9:15 am - drop your child off as usual and then meet in the library (behind Teretere 6), meeting place: TBC. This is for all new children and whānau, including those in Teretere 6 and those families who started mid-cohort in Teretere 5 with Nicole. All welcome.
Thursday 20th August, 6.30 pm "Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours" course for parents/whānau. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre. Free to attend. Please register using the QR code on the flyer below.
Thursday 6th August, 1.40 pm Junior 'cross country' Fun Run - TBC (at school | kura). Postponement date: 13th August, TBC. We kindly ask that you do not run with your child or stand in front of the runners, as this stops the flow. Children have already practised the course many times. We have big buddies to help those who require support. Please monitor any preschoolers. Children will return to their class at the end of the fun run for the roll.
Friday 7th August: Teretere 3 (Deb & Lesley) and Teretere 5's (Nicole) Hui at 9.10 am in the hall. All welcome.
Monday 10th August: Teacher Only Day (school closed).
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Tash, Angela, Lesley, Deb, Ally and Nicole
Teretere team
Parenting through Big Bursting Behaviours - course for parents/whānau.
Thursday 20th August, 6.30pm. This is held at the Dunsandel Community Centre.
Understanding the "why" behind meltdowns, overwhelm and big emotions. A practical, down-to-earth workshop for parents and caregivers supporting children with emotional regulation, sensory or neurodivergent challenges. You'll walk away with practical ideas, a greater understanding, and practical strategies you can use at home. Free. Use the QR code to register.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
We have been made aware that whooping cough is present in the wider community and wish to remind you of symptoms to look out for:
Whooping cough spreads easily between people by coughing and sneezing.
A person with whooping cough is likely to be infectious from the week before they start coughing when they have cold-like symptoms, to 3 weeks after the cough begins. This is when they can give whooping cough to other people.
Symptoms of whooping cough
Whooping cough causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months which is why it is sometimes called the ‘100 day cough’.
The symptoms of whooping cough usually appear around one week after infection.
The first signs of whooping cough are usually in the first 5 to 10 days. This is when you are most infectious. The symptoms are similar to a cold, with:
a blocked or runny nose
sneezing
a mild fever
ongoing spasms of coughing.
After about one week, symptoms include:
uncontrollable coughing fits that last for a few minutes
coughing that leads to vomiting
a thick mucus that can make you vomit or choke.
Sometimes people will make a 'whoop' sound when gasping for breath between coughs. This is a common sign of whooping cough but is not always heard.
As this is a contagious illness, it is important that you do not send your child to school if they are unwell with these symptoms and you seek medical advice.
28th May
Kia ora,
We've had busy few weeks in Teretere. We have had a lot of pre-school visits and some visits for our new tamariki, starting with Whaea Nicole next week. Due to enrolment numbers, we will now start a new class at the beginning of term 3. We are presently advertising for this position.
Pre-cut soft drink bottles are required for lanterns
We will be making lanterns over the next two weeks. Each child needs one clean pre-cut soft drink bottle (e.g., a Coke bottle - see photo above). It would be helpful if you could cut the top part off the bottle. Please write your child's name on the bottom with a permanent marker. We will be decorating them in class. If you have any spare bottles, please also bring them to the classroom teacher. Many thanks.
Parent help
If you are able to parent help during the week, please see your child's teacher. Our ideal time is from 11.30am-12.30pm Monday to Thursday, but we can be flexible with this.
Curiosity Clubs
These are clubs that children opt into to learn new skills and are run on Fridays in the afternoons. If you are available to run a group or assist a teacher with these, please see the teachers this week who work on Fridays - Ally, Angela, Tash, Nicole and Debra. Thank you.
Sickness
We presently have covid, whooping cough, a vomiting bug, general cough and colds, and the flu in our hapori. Please follow the advice of your healthcare provider or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) regarding when it is safe for your child to return to school. Whooping cough is a contagious illness; you mustn't send your child to school if they are unwell with these symptoms (see more information below). Please remember to notify the office before 9 am if your child is away and the reason.
Berry Street Education Model (BSEM)
At Ararira Springs, we are committed to fostering a learning environment where every child feels safe, supported, and ready to thrive. To support this, our kura has adopted the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) – a trauma-informed, strengths-based framework designed to boost student wellbeing, engagement, and academic growth.
Why Schools Use It
Schools implementing BSEM often see improvements in student attendance, classroom behaviour, and academic achievement. It is designed to be a “whole school” approach, meaning every adult – from the principal to the support staff – uses the same language and strategies to help support your child. Our journey is already underway: all staff completed intensive training in the Body and Relationship domains in January 2026, and we look forward to completing the full model training in January 2027.
How it Connects to Our Kura
The BSEM doesn’t sit in isolation; it weaves perfectly into our existing wellbeing programme. By focusing on the ‘Body’ domain, we enhance our use of the Zones of Regulation, giving students concrete tools to move from dysregulation back to a ‘Ready to Learn’ state. Furthermore, this model breathes life into our school’s wellbeing model: Te Whare Tapa Whā. By nurturing taha hinengaro (mental health) and taha whānau (social connection), we ensure the walls of our students’ wellbeing – physical, mental, spiritual, and family – remain strong and balanced.
Key Aspects for our Whānau
Strengths-Based Approach: We focus on what our learners can do. By identifying individual character strengths, we build student stamina and confidence rather than just managing behaviour.
Safety & Regulation: You may hear your tamariki talk about mindful breathing or morning and afternoon circles. These are BSEM strategies used to create a calm, predictable classroom rhythm.
Relational Trust: We believe that learning happens through connection. BSEM reinforces our commitment to building deep, trusting relationships between staff and students.
Proven Impact: Research shows this model leads to improved student motivation, better classroom atmosphere, and improved academic outcomes.
The Domains we are Mastering:
Body: Learning to manage physical stress responses and self-regulate.
Relationship: Building attachment and trust through positive, consistent interactions.
Stamina (deeper focus in 2027): Developing the emotional intelligence to persist through challenges.
Engagement (deeper focus in 2027): Cultivating a classroom culture that sparks a genuine love for learning.
Try These at Home
Here are a few specific BSEM-inspired strategies you can use with your tamariki to support their regulation and connection:
“Ready to Learn” Check-in: Ask your child what “Zone” they are in. If they are feeling “fizzy” or frustrated, try a 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding activity together: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.
Brain Break – Forehead Signature: For a quick reset, have your child try to “write” their name in the air with their forehead. It’s silly, requires focus, and helps shift their mental state.
Positive Primers: Start a task with a “micro-moment” of joy. This could be sharing one thing you are grateful for or doing a 30-second “dance party” to a favourite song to get the “feel-good” chemicals going before homework.
Strength Spotting: Instead of just saying “good job,” try naming the specific strength you saw: “I noticed your persistence when you kept trying that tricky puzzle!”
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape. Refer to your child's structured literacy book for further information.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number (including teen numbers), geometry (2D and 3D shapes and describing attributes e.g. how many corners, sides etc). Fractions of shapes and the symbols (1/2 and 1/4); Days of the week order, including what day comes before or after a given day. Writing numbers to 20 (and then 100) correctly. Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset. Breathing exercise to calm our body and mind.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn are on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (an example is also on the same tab), waiata, and local purakau (stories).
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? Aoraki's Waka. The Taniwha and the Rakaia River. This includes visual art - landscapes (drawing and dye).
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link, to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Monday 1st June: King's birthday (school closed).
Tuesday 2nd June: The rest of Teretere 5 start kura | school with Whaea Nicole.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel, Deb and Tash) will be taking the hapori classes on Wednesday, 10th June. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
Tuesday 16th June: English Curriculum Whānau Hui from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Kaunuku 1–2 (next to the library). We’ll be sharing updates on the new curriculum and discussing our approach to reading, writing, and oral language. Don't worry if you can't find a babysitter - children are welcome to attend with you.
Friday 26th June: School-wide THT Matariki event (evening). Please see the school newsletter for more information. We will also be looking for many volunteers to help either before, during, or just after the event. Please email: tht@ararira.school.nz if you can help. Many hands make light work.
Friday 3rd July: last day of term 2.
Monday 20th July: first day of term 3.
Friday 24th July: Mihi whakatau at 9:15 am - drop your child off as usual and then meet in the library. This is for all new children and whānau, including those who started mid-cohort with Nicole.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Tash, Angela, Lesley, Deb, Ally and Nicole
Teretere team
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
We have been made aware that whooping cough is present in the wider community and wish to remind you of symptoms to look out for:
Whooping cough spreads easily between people by coughing and sneezing.
A person with whooping cough is likely to be infectious from the week before they start coughing when they have cold-like symptoms, to 3 weeks after the cough begins. This is when they can give whooping cough to other people.
Symptoms of whooping cough
Whooping cough causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months which is why it is sometimes called the ‘100 day cough’.
The symptoms of whooping cough usually appear around one week after infection.
The first signs of whooping cough are usually in the first 5 to 10 days. This is when you are most infectious. The symptoms are similar to a cold, with:
a blocked or runny nose
sneezing
a mild fever
ongoing spasms of coughing.
After about one week, symptoms include:
uncontrollable coughing fits that last for a few minutes
coughing that leads to vomiting
a thick mucus that can make you vomit or choke.
Sometimes people will make a 'whoop' sound when gasping for breath between coughs. This is a common sign of whooping cough but is not always heard.
As this is a contagious illness, it is important that you do not send your child to school if they are unwell with these symptoms and you seek medical advice.
14th May
Kia ora,
It was great to see so many children at the 'Te Hapori Tautoko' school disco last Friday. This was run by our parent community group. The next event coming up is on Friday, 26th June. This is a FREE school community Matariki event run by our parent group Te Hapori Tautoko (THT) for families at ASP. Please look out for further information in the next few weeks, as this is one of the highlights of our school year. We will also be looking for many volunteers to help either before, during, or just after the event. Many hands make light work.
Wellbeing week
We hope you enjoyed taking part in some of the wellbeing activities that were shared earlier in the week.
Parent help
If you are able to parent help during the week, please see your child's teacher. Our ideal time is from 11.30am-12.30pm Monday to Thursday, but we can be flexible with this.
Curiosity Clubs
These are clubs that children opt into to learn new skills and are run on Fridays in the afternoons. If you are available to run a group or assist a teacher with these, please see the teachers this week who work on Fridays (Ally, Angela, Tash, Nicole and Debra). Thank you.
Sickness
We presently have whooping cough (see below), a vomiting bug, general cough and colds, and the flu in our hapori. Please follow the advice of your healthcare provider or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) regarding when it is safe for your child to return to school.
Parent Portal - Helping Your Child with Learning at Home
The Ministry of Education has released a parent portal to help whānau partner with schools to support their child’s education. From Minister Stanford: “Education is a partnership of what happens in the classroom and what happens at home. Parents, caregivers, and whānau play an important role in supporting their child’s learning and development. The new webspace is designed to make it easier for parents, caregivers, and whānau to access clear and up-to-date information on the school curriculum, assessment practices, and ways they can complement their child’s learning.”
Click here to access the Parent Portal (we recommend you bookmark it).
Click here for more information about the parent portal.
The ‘School Shorts‘ podcast (4 May 2025) explains more. There are also other great podcasts to listen to.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words and parts of a poem); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home. If your child can do this, the next step is writing their lower case and then their upper case letters, by holding a pencil correctly. Use the correct formation, size, and shape. Refer to your child's structured literacy book for further information.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, geometry (2D and 3D shapes and describing attributes e.g. how many corners, sides etc). There are links above to 2D and 3D videos to watch. Fractions of shapes and the symbols (1/2 and 1/4); Days of the week order. Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata.
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? This includes visual art - landscapes (drawing and paint or dye).
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I? Landscape art.
To help your child with learning at home, please use this link, to direct you to the Ministry of Education Parent Portal.
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Friday 15th May: Pink shirt day - wear pink or school uniform. A gold coin donation to the Mental Health Foundation is appreciated.
Monday 1st June: King's birthday (school closed).
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 20th May & 10th June. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
Friday 26th June: School-wide THT Matariki event (evening). Please see the school newsletter for more information. We will also be looking for many volunteers to help either before, during, or just after the event. Many hands make light work.
Friday 3rd July: last day of term 2.
Monday 20th July: first day of term 3.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Tash, Angela, Lesley, Deb, Ally and Nicole
Teretere team
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
Whooping cough
We have been made aware that whooping cough is present in the wider community and wish to remind you of symptoms to look out for:
Whooping cough spreads easily between people by coughing and sneezing.
A person with whooping cough is likely to be infectious from the week before they start coughing when they have cold-like symptoms, to 3 weeks after the cough begins. This is when they can give whooping cough to other people.
Symptoms of whooping cough
Whooping cough causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months which is why it is sometimes called the ‘100 day cough’.
The symptoms of whooping cough usually appear around one week after infection.
The first signs of whooping cough are usually in the first 5 to 10 days. This is when you are most infectious. The symptoms are similar to a cold, with:
a blocked or runny nose
sneezing
a mild fever
ongoing spasms of coughing.
After about one week, symptoms include:
uncontrollable coughing fits that last for a few minutes
coughing that leads to vomiting
a thick mucus that can make you vomit or choke.
Sometimes people will make a 'whoop' sound when gasping for breath between coughs. This is a common sign of whooping cough but is not always heard.
As this is a contagious illness, it is important that you do not send your child to school if they are unwell with these symptoms and you seek medical advice.
Pink Shirt Day / Wellbeing Week
Pink Shirt Day / Wellbeing Week
As part of our school wellbeing programme we will celebrate some of our wellbeing skills from 11th-15th May. Our school's wellbeing model is Te Whare Tapa Whā. More information on this can be found here. The Sparklers website has some great ideas you can do together as a family. Please refer to your child's newsletter regarding some of the activities they will be taking this week, as part of their classroom programme. You may like to do some of the tasks above. We will finish the week wearing pink (or school uniform), as part of 'Pink Shirt Day'.
30th April
Kia ora,
This newsletter will be sent out fortnightly. The link to this can be found on the school's webpage.
The children have settled in well and have had a great week and a half of learning. It was great to see so many parents at our learning conversations on Thursday. Nicole will meet with her parents/whānau for her ten-minute interviews from week 5.
Teretere have also enjoyed a great day of learning with our Specialist Teachers on Wednesday. You can find some more information about what they did on the tab above.
Sickness
We presently have whooping cough and the flu in our hapori.
Tuning into kids - Parent/Whānau course by Mana Ake
This free six-session programme helps parents and whānau of children aged 5–12 to manage their emotions and behaviour. You'll learn how to help your child label their feelings, regulate their emotions, and develop independent problem-solving skills. The course also offers strategies for preventing behavioural issues.
Check out the flyer at the bottom of this newsletter for enrolment details and more information.
Attendance
Regular participation in daily classroom activities plays a significant role in a student's school success. To ensure your child's absence is recorded correctly and their social development and learning remain a priority, please observe the following guidelines:
Attendance Reporting: We are required to report attendance data to the Ministry of Education weekly. Regular attendance is vital, as frequent absences can impact both academic progress and social development with peers.
Absences: If your child is unwell, please notify the school office by 9:00 am. While you are welcome to inform the classroom teacher as well, notifying the office directly ensures the message is received even if the teacher is absent or busy with other students. Please follow the advice of your healthcare provider or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) regarding when it is safe for your child to return to school.
Appointments: To minimise disruption to learning, please schedule medical and other appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
Further information regarding attendance can be found here.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy; learning the names and sounds of our alphabet letters. Please revise this frequently at home.
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, geometry (2D and 3D shapes and describing attributes e.g. how many corners, sides etc). There are links above to 2D and 3D videos to watch. Using positional language to describe the position and movement of objects (e.g., above, below, left, right, in front, behind, top, bottom, inside, outside, on, under, next to, etc.). Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata.
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? This includes visual art - landscapes (drawing and paint or dye).
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Thursday 7th May: Te Hapori Tautoko (THT) parent group meeting at 7pm in the staffroom. All very welcome. This is a great way to meet new whānau in our school community.
Friday 8th May: Teretere 1 and Teretere 2's Hui at 9:10am. This is held in the hall. All welcome.
Friday 8th May: School disco - Years 1-4, 5:30 - 6:30pm, for tamariki at ASP only. Bring a named water bottle. Door sales only - $3. Correct change is appreciated. This is run by our parent group - THT.
Monday 11th-Friday 15th May: Wellbeing week.
Wednesday 13th May: BOT meeting at 6.30 pm in the staffroom. All welcome.
Friday 15th May: Pink shirt day - wear pink or school uniform. A gold coin donation to the Mental Health Foundation is appreciated.
Monday 1st June: King's birthday (school closed).
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 20th May & 10th June. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Tash, Angela, Lesley, Deb, Ally and Nicole
Teretere team
23rd April
Kia ora,
We hope you all had a wonderful break with your whānau. It has been great to see your children back after lots of rest and whānau time. This post will come out every fortnight. The link to this is on the school webpage.
A huge welcome to Whaea Nicole and the new Teretere 5 learners and whānau. We hope you've had a great first week so far, and we look forward to seeing you all at the Mihi Whakatau tomorrow.
On Tuesday, we had the Museum Outreach team visit us, and we explored the topic 'Navigating the Pacific' as an introduction to our inquiry topic, 'exploration'. The children had a great time. Teachers will put up photos of some of the things they discovered over the next few days. Just click on your child's class above under 'Photos of our learning'. Thanks, Whaea Tash, for organising this.
Mihi Whakatau
On Friday, 24th April (9.15am), we have a special Māori welcome to all new staff, learners and whānau to our kura | school. This is also for children and whānau who started partway through term 1. Please drop your child off as usual and meet in the library. A teacher will bring your child to you after they have taken the roll and completed the first part of the morning routine. Please remind your child that you will leave after going to the staffroom for a drink, as it is still a regular school day. All very welcome.
Learning conversations
On Thursday, 30th April, school will finish early at 1.30pm (lunchtime), so we can complete our learning conversations. This is a discussion regarding your child's learning and any next steps. These can be booked on Hero. Information was sent out on Hero on 22nd April. If your child is in Whaea Nicole's ako class, these will be completed later in the term, around weeks 5-6.
Emergency food
As part of our planning procedures, we need to keep a supply of snacks in each classroom in case of an emergency. Please bring 2-3 individually wrapped snacks (e.g, snack pack of chips or crackers, muesli or snack bar, etc.) per child. If your child has special dietary requirements, please could you provide snacks for your child in a clearly named ziplock bag so they can be easily identified. These can be dropped off with your child's ako teacher. Thank you to those who have already provided this.
Ordering sushi or subway
Please ensure your child brings a clean container to put their items in if they have not finished eating within our 15 minute eating time. If ordering sushi, please bring a spoon or a fork, as they are not provided. These items can be ordered on the Kindo app.
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves, and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use if they get wet or have an accident. They should be able to get changed by themselves. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office, and also one at the Kelly Club if your child attends this. Please ensure your child has a warm layer (e.g. a warm jacket) at school every day, as we do try to get outside as often as possible.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Library (subject to change)
In term 2, library for all classes is on Mondays.
Library books can be kept for two weeks; however, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's ako teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for (including individual reading books).
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, geometry (2D and 3D shapes and describing attributes e.g. how many corners, sides etc); Using positional language to describe the position and movement of objects (e.g. above, below, left, right, in-front, behind, top, bottom, inside, outside, on, under, next to etc). Please revise this frequently at home.
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time; Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset.
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills: walking/dodging, fitness games.
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata.
Inquiry: Exploration - Journeys and Aotearoa History. How did early people come to Aotearoa? What are our local purakau | stories? This includes visual art (drawing and paint or dye).
Topic: Anzac Day stories.
Topic (Teretere 5): School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary. These will be updated over the term. Please also check the school newsletter.
Tuesday 21st April: Museum outreach program visiting Teretere, exploring the topic 'Navigating the Pacific'. The cost of this will be added to your school account.
Friday 24th April: Mihi Whakatau, 9.15am - meet at the library. All welcome.
Monday 27th April: Anzac Day (school closed).
Wednesday 29th April: Hoods up for Autism. We will be supporting Autism New Zealand by joining a nationwide movement for acceptance, understanding and accessibility. Tamariki can wear a Hoodie to school to show their support for people with sensory processing differences. Wear a hoodie with your uniform. If you are not participating it is school uniform as usual. A gold coin donation is appreciated.
Thursday 30th April: School finishes at 1.30pm. Learning conversations for Teretere 1-4 (book online on Hero); Teretere 5 will have their conversations during weeks 5 or 6.
Thursday 7th May: Te Hapori Tautoko (THT) parent group meeting at 7pm in the staffroom. All very welcome. This is a great way to meet new whānau in our school community.
Friday 8th May: School disco - Years 1-4, 5:30 - 6:30pm for tamariki at ASP only. Bring a named water bottle. See the newsletter for more information. This is run by our parent group - THT.
Monday 11th-Friday 15th May: Wellbeing week.
Wednesday 13th May: BOT meeting at 6.30 pm in the staffroom. All welcome.
Friday 15th May: Pink shirt day - wear pink or school uniform. A gold coin donation to the Mental Health Foundation is appreciated.
Monday 1st June: King's birthday (school closed).
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following Wednesdays: 29th April; 20th May & 10th June. Please see one of these teachers on the day if you have any questions.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Tash, Angela, Lesley, Deb, Ally and Nicole
Teretere team
26 March
Kia ora,
It has been another couple of busy and fun weeks in Teretere. Our new Teretere 5 class begins in term 2. We are pleased to announce that Whaea Nicole Robinson will start the new class. Nicole is presently teaching in Auckland and is moving down with her husband and son during the holidays. This class will share the space with Ally and Lesley.
As we approach the end of term, we've noticed many of the children are starting to get tired. To help them stay focused and happy, please prioritise a restful weekend and early bedtimes. A little extra sleep will ensure children are refreshed and ready for learning on Monday. We appreciate your support and hope you and your whānau have a wonderful Easter and term break. We look forward to welcoming you all back on Monday 20th April.
Teretere Hui - postponed
We have decided to postpone our Hui until term 2. This is due to the hui already being so full with end of term sharing and we wanted to make sure the Teretere tamariki get time to shine in their own hui. Thanks for your understanding, we will let you know what the postponement date is early next term.
Wellbeing, pepeha and math ideas
In your child's structured literacy book there are some sheets for you to work on at home over the holidays. This includes learning their pepeha, some wellbeing practices (more above) and some math ideas. These are general sheets - so if your child can already do these things, please extend them to numbers beyond 100.
Emergency food
As part of our planning procedures, we need to keep a supply of snacks in each classroom in case of an emergency. Please bring 2-3 individually wrapped snacks (eg. snack pack of chips or crackers, muesli or snack bar, etc.) per child. If your child has special dietary requirements, please could you provide snacks for your child in a clearly named ziplock bag so they can be easily identified. These can be dropped off with your childs ako teacher.
Ordering sushi or subway
Please ensure your child brings a clean container to put their items in, if they have not finished eating this within our 15 minutes eating time. If ordering sushi, please bring a spoon or a fork, as they are not provided.
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use, if they get wet or have an accident. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office and also one at Kelly Club if your child attends this.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Library
In term 1, library for all classes is on Monday.
Library books can be kept for two weeks. However, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, statistics, tally marks & games
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills and fitness games
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata
Topic/inquiry: School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary (these will be updated over the term):
Thursday 2nd April: last day of term 1
Monday 20th April: first day of term 2
Tuesday 21st April: Museum outreach program visiting Teretere. The cost of this will be billed to your school account. This will be instead of a trip in term 1.
Friday 24th April: Mihi Whakatau - all welcome.
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Angela, Lesley, Ally, Tash, Nicole and Deb
Teretere team
12 March
Kia ora,
This week we welcomed our new cohort of children to Teretere! Kia ora, Holly, Archer, Fergie, Benjamin and Gia-Lily, we are so excited to welcome you to Ararira Springs. Teretere enjoyed another exciting day of new learning with our wonderful CRT team on Tuesday, be sure to click on the specialist teachers tab to check out their photos.
Emergency food
As part of our planning procedures, we need to keep a supply of snacks in each classroom in case of an emergency. Please bring 2-3 individually wrapped snacks (eg. snack pack of chips or crackers, muesli or snack bar, etc.) per child. If your child has special dietary requirements, please could you provide snacks for your child in a clearly named ziplock bag so they can be easily identified. These can be dropped off with your childs ako teacher.
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use, if they get wet or have an accident. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office and also one at Kelly Club if your child attends this.
Sunhats: As part of the school's sunsmart policy, children are required to wear a full brim navy blue sunhat in terms 1 and 4 (no caps please - this does not cover the neck). Some parents like to sew a small item onto school sunhats (as well as naming it) so it is easily identifiable. Please keep the hat in the side pocket of your child's bag so they can access it easily. No hat = no play. Apply sunscreen to your child before school.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Library
At this stage, library for all classes is on Monday.
Library books can be kept for two weeks. However, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, statistics, tally marks & games
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills and fitness games
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata
Topic/inquiry: School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary (these will be updated over the term):
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following days:18th March. Please see one of these teachers on the day, if you have any questions.
Teretere hosting hui - Thursday 2nd April.
Thursday 2nd April: last day of term 1
Monday 20th April: first day of term 2
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Angela, Lesley, Ally, Tash and Deb
Teretere team
26 February
Kia ora,
A big thank you to all of those that braved the bad weather last week for our Community picnic, it was wonderful to connect with you all. Luckily the weather has been a little kinder since then and we’re embracing outside play and exploration as much as possible. The tamariki were lucky enough to have the CRT Specialist teachers last week, and they explored, STEAM, music, drama and PE. Make sure you check out the Specialist teachers tab to view some photos and a breakdown on what they got up too!!
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use, if they get wet or have an accident. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office and also one at Kelly Club if your child attends this.
Sunhats: As part of the school's sunsmart policy, children are required to wear a full brim navy blue sunhat in terms 1 and 4 (no caps please - this does not cover the neck). Some parents like to sew a small item onto school sunhats (as well as naming it) so it is easily identifiable. Please keep the hat in the side pocket of your child's bag so they can access it easily. No hat = no play. Apply sunscreen to your child before school.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Library
At this stage, library for all classes is on Monday.
Library books can be kept for two weeks. However, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, statistics, tally marks & games
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills and fitness games
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata
Topic/inquiry: School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary (these will be updated over the term):
Friday 27th February: New Entrant meeting at 9.15 am in the staffroom. If you missed last year's meeting, you may wish to attend. The meeting is the same as last year's.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following days: 10th March & 18th March. Please see one of these teachers on the day, if you have any questions.
Teretere hosting hui - Thursday 2nd April.
Thursday 2nd April: last day of term 1
Monday 20th April: first day of term 2
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Angela, Lesley, Ally, Tash and Deb
Teretere team
12 February
Kia ora,
What a fabulous couple of weeks we have had in the Teretere Hapori. It has been wonderful getting to know all of the tamariki and meeting all of our new families. Thank you to those who came to our Mihi Whakatau last week, it was a lovely start to the year, welcoming you to Ararira Springs. We hope we get to see many more of you at our Community picnic on Tuesday 17th February 5.30pm- 7pm.
This notice will be sent out every fortnight (alternating with the school's newsletter). Both of these places are where you will find information regarding what is happening at kura | school as well as photos and how to help your child at home. Please let your child's teacher know, if you do NOT wish for your child to have photos on our blog. The links to these (our blog and newsletter) are found on our school web page.
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use, if they get wet or have an accident. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office and also one at Kelly Club if your child attends this.
Sunhats: As part of the school's sunsmart policy, children are required to wear a full brim navy blue sunhat in terms 1 and 4 (no caps please - this does not cover the neck). Some parents like to sew a small item onto school sunhats (as well as naming it) so it is easily identifiable. Please keep the hat in the side pocket of your child's bag so they can access it easily. No hat = no play. Apply sunscreen to your child before school.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Missing: A jumper named 'Libby' and a hat named 'Renn'. Please check your child's bag and return any found items to Teretere 1. Thanks.
Library
At this stage, library for all classes is on Monday.
Library books can be kept for two weeks. However, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Learning
Over the next two-three weeks your child will be assessed by their classroom teacher. This will enable us to monitor your child and ensure their progress over the year is at an appropriate level. As we work collaboratively, some children may have a different teacher for some subject areas e.g. structured literacy. Please speak to your child's akomanga teacher if you have any questions.
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, statistics, tally marks & games
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills and fitness games
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata
Topic/inquiry: School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary (these will be updated over the term):
Tuesday 17th February: Community picnic and hangi from 5.30 pm. Bring your own picnic/food and a rug or seating. This is a great way to meet other families and a way to informally meet the wider staff. Please read the school newsletter for more information.
Wednesday 25th February: Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting - 6.30 pm in the staffroom. All welcome.
Friday 27th February: New Entrant meeting at 9.15 am in the staffroom. If you missed last year's meeting, you may wish to attend. The meeting is the same as last year's.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following days: 18th February, 10th March & 18th March. Please see one of these teachers on the day, if you have any questions.
Thursday 2nd April: last day of term 1
Monday 20th April: first day of term 2
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Angela, Lesley, Ally, Tash and Deb
Teretere team
30th January
Kia ora,
Welcome back to school | kura. We hope you all had a wonderful summer break. An especially big welcome to our new tamariki and whānau. Happy school days to you and welcome to our school family!
This notice will be sent out every fortnight (alternating with the school's newsletter). Both of these places are where you will find information regarding what is happening at kura | school as well as photos and how to help your child at home. Please let your child's teacher know, if you do NOT wish for your child to have photos on our blog. The links to these (our blog and newsletter) are found on our school web page.
Sickness/Medication
If your child is sick, please notify the office before 9 am. It is great if you let the teacher know as well, but we don't always get the message in time or may be sick or away ourselves. Please follow your doctor's or Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) guidelines as to when your child can return to school.
If your child requires medication, please bring it to the office. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from Justine or Trine at the office.
Clothing
Please ensure all items are well named. We quite often have brand new items lost that are unnamed! Your child may take their shoes on/off. Please make sure they can take them off and put them back on by themselves and are named. A spare set of clothing should be kept in your child's bag to use, if they get wet or have an accident. There is a lost property box in the foyer of the office and also one at Kelly Club if your child attends this.
Sunhats: As part of the school's sunsmart policy, children are required to wear a full brim navy blue sunhat in terms 1 and 4 (no caps please - this does not cover the neck). Some parents like to sew a small item onto school sunhats (as well as naming it) so it is easily identifiable. Please keep the hat in the side pocket of your child's bag so they can access it easily. No hat = no play. Apply sunscreen to your child before school.
Vests: a hi vis vest should be worn to and from school every day, even if you come by car. These can be purchased from places like 'The Warehouse'. Please name this well. Vests are required to be worn on all school trips. Please store this in a side pocket for easy access.
Library
At this stage, library for all classes is on Monday.
Library books can be kept for two weeks. However, most children have them for one week. Please ask your child's teacher where to put the book once you have finished reading it together. Please note that lost or broken books will need to be paid for.
Stationery
Please purchase this from Qizzle, name all items (apart from glue sticks, whiteboard pens and pencils), and bring these to the drop-in afternoon on Monday 2 February. This will enable us to prepare your child’s books. You can book a time for this via the Hero app. Please note that other families will also be present. As an Enviroschool, children from last year can bring their books in to be reused, along with their reading folder. The only new book is a handwritng book (GTE handwriting book 1) and triangular-shaped pencils and triangular-shaped whiteboard pens.
Learning
Over the next two-three weeks your child will be assessed by their classroom teacher. This will enable us to monitor your child and ensure their progress over the year is at an appropriate level. As we work collaboratively, some children may have a different teacher for some subject areas e.g. structured literacy. Please speak to your child's akomanga teacher if you have any questions.
Literacy: poetry (rhyming words); structured literacy
Mathematics: Woodin patterns (see Mathematics tab at the top of this page); finding maths within our environment ('maths eyes'); number, statistics
Wellbeing: Zones of Regulation; Te whare tapa whā (school's wellbeing model); Circle time
P.E./Fitness: fundamental skills and fitness games
Māori: learning our school's karakia (copies to learn can be found on the 'Learning from home' tab above), pepeha (example also on the same tab), waiata
Topic/inquiry: School values (Caring, Curious, Capable); Sexuality Education - Classroom | hapori rules; Getting to know one another; Being a good friend; Who am I?
Dates for your diary (these will be updated over the term):
Thursday 5th February: Mihi Whakatau (for all new tamariki and whānau) at 9.15 am. Please drop your child off as usual and then wait in the library. We will bring your child to you. All welcome.
Friday 6th February: Waitangi Day (no school).
Tuesday 17th February: Community picnic and hangi from 5.30 pm. Bring your own picnic/food and a rug or seating. This is a great way to meet other families and a way to informally meet the wider staff. Please read the school newsletter for more information.
Wednesday 25th February: Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting - 6.30 pm in the staffroom. All welcome.
Friday 27th February: New Entrant meeting at 9.15 am in the staffroom. If you missed last year's meeting, you may wish to attend. The meeting is the same as last year's.
CRT days: our specialist teachers (Megan, Alison, Annabel and Deb) will be taking the hapori classes on the following days: 18th February, 10th March & 18th March. Please see one of these teachers on the day, if you have any questions.
Thursday 2nd April: last day of term 1
Monday 20th April: first day of term 2
Please don't hesitate to pop in if you have any questions. We are looking forward to working with you and your child this year.
Ngā mihi,
Nicky, Angela, Lesley, Ally, Tash and Deb
Teretere team
17 December 2025
Kia ora,
Just a brief message before the school holidays.
An email will be sent via Hero in January with information about the ‘drop-in’ afternoon on Monday 2 February. Please keep an eye out for this. For this session, please bring your child’s named stationery and reading folder. This will allow your child’s teacher to prepare their items ahead of the start date on Tuesday 3 February.
Although school begins at 9.00am, please ensure your child arrives between 8.30am (not earlier) and 8.55am on usual school days. This helps children settle in and put their belongings away. Pick-up is at 3.00pm from the classroom door-please check with your child’s teacher on the first day to confirm the pick-up point. Kelly Club is available for care outside of these hours.
Stationery can be purchased from Qizzle. Please name all items except pencils, whiteboard pens, and glue sticks. We also ask that all clothing items are clearly named.
All medication is kept at the office. If your child requires medication, please bring this in on the first day. It must be clearly labelled, and a medical form will need to be completed. These forms are available from the office.
Your child’s teacher will send out an information sheet within the next four weeks.
Have a wonderful summer break.
Ngā mihi,
Teretere teachers
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