School Newsletter
Term 3 - 20 August 2026

Kia ora e te whānau | Greetings all

You may have seen in yesterday’s media the Government’s decision to invest in changing open-plan classrooms. We appreciate these announcements can raise questions about our school, especially when terms like “failed experiment” are used. We want to reassure you of the real value of modern, flexible learning spaces like ours and how we use them for the best possible learning gain. We believe that learning outcomes cannot be defined by the size of walls; what matters is how they’re used, by skilled teachers, with clear intent and strong teaching practices. All children learn differently and there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the best learning environment. The importance is flexibility. Flexibility to use a space in different ways, at different times, depending on the learning and the children's needs. In fact, I'm looking forward to having Education Minister Erica Stanford visit our school in early September. 

You may also like to read this piece we put together for a publication on good practices in modern learning environments.

Tomorrow we will be having our Fale Celebration. We invite our whole school community to join us from 3pm for an afternoon of food, dance, and music to celebrate our Fale and Pasifika culture. See you then!   

Also over the weekend, the local residents association is putting on "Lightfields", a magical theatre of light at the Stonefields Wetlands. Check out the details below.  

Ngā mihi nui,
Sarah and the team

Year 0-2

The Year 0-2 village has been building knowledge in maths. Our Year 0-1 learners are learning to form numbers correctly, skip count in 2’s and 5’s and add numbers to 20.  Our Year 2 learners are showing great determination in solving multiplication questions. We use maths equipment to help us understand new concepts so we can gain new learning and make meaning.

Year 3-4

Over the past few weeks, our Year 3-4 authors have been crafting high-stakes adventure stories, using rich characters, suspenseful dialogue, and vivid vocabulary to bring their published narratives to life. In reading, they’ve sharpened their summary and comprehension skills to unpack story themes. Alongside our literacy work, some hubs have also kicked off a new maths focus on fractions, diving into equivalent values and simplifying fractions with great enthusiasm!

Year 5-6

This term, the Year 5–6 Village has had a strong focus on speech writing and presenting, connected to our theme: “Our Roots, Our Voices, Our Futures”. Many of our ākonga chose to write a traditional persuasive speech. During the first few weeks, they researched their topics, planned, and drafted their speeches. In Week 4, they had the opportunity to present their speeches to their literacy groups, developing confidence and using their voices to share ideas that matter to them. Congratulations to Anika and Dihini our speech finalists who went on to represent the school at the Remuera School's Speech Competition.

Our Reading learning has focused on the history of Aotearoa, including the Pink and White Terraces and the Auckland Floods. Learners have developed their critical thinking and discussion skills, while also working on reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and identifying language that creates impact. We are now moving into exploring poetry, where ākonga will dive into figurative language to bring their creative writing to life.

In Maths, both year groups have been developing their understanding of multiplication, division, and fractions through our Math No Problem learning. Ākonga have been building their mathematical strategies and applying their knowledge to solve problems. Alongside this, learners have been exploring data, learning how to collect, create, and analyse various types of graphs. Recall of multiplication and division facts is an easy way for you to support your learner at home. 

Intermediates - Exploring Our Futures

This term, our Intermediate learners have been diving into the world of careers. We are exploring future pathways while highlighting the key transferable skills and capabilities our learners are already building today.

A highlight of our learning has been weekly visits from guest professionals sharing their career journeys and a "day in the life" of their work. So far, we’ve heard from a nurse, a lawyer, a forensic scientist, and a filmmaker! We were especially proud to welcome back two former Stonefields learners, who shared how "learning to learn" here helped scaffold their own successful pathways.

From collaboration and problem-solving to adaptability, our learners are connecting what they practice now with where it can take them tomorrow!

The Intermediates have also been working on their speeches and congratulations to Menushi, Hannah and Mellissa who will also be representing the school at the Remuera School's Speech Competition. We were so impressed by the calibre of speeches this year; we're in the process of capturing these on video and can't wait to share them with you. 

Wellbeing Workshop - Wednesday 26 August

Following the success of our recent Intermediate Wellbeing Workshop, we will be running the workshop again. This workshop is designed to help parent's navigate the unique challenges, growth, and changes that come with the pre-adolescent years. 

This time we also warmly extend this invitation to parents of Year 5 and 6 learners. As your children prepare for the transition to Intermediate and given the strong cross-year friendships across these level, we know these insights and tools will be equally valuable for your family. 

Date: Wednesday 26 August

Time: 7:30 AM

Location: Te Pātaka Ako (Community Hub) 

Please rsvp here

Orchestra performs with the APO

This week our senior and Intermediate Orchestra members took part in the annual Link Up Programme with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra (APO). During the last couple of months, they have been working hard on learning six pieces of music which they got to perform with the APO at the Due Drop Events Centre. They had an incredible time, performed brilliantly and came away inspired. Thank you to our parent helpers who came along too. 

If your child is interested in music lessons, we offer lessons in 12 different instruments! Please see our flyer here or get in touch with Katherine Wilcox  

Neurodiverse Community Morning Tea - Thursday 27 August

Over a third of our school community is neurodiverse or has a neurodiverse family member. This means there is a wealth of knowledge, lived experience, and insight right here in our school. We are excited to launch a new parent-led connection group for our neurodiverse families. This is a relaxed opportunity to meet other parents and whānau, share information, and chat about what is happening for our community.

To kick things off, we are hosting a morning tea after drop-off on Thursday 27 August. Whether you have questions, resources to share, or just want a friendly chat over a cuppa, we would love to see you there!  

When: Thursday 27 August from 8.45am (right after school drop-off)

Where: Te Pataka Ako (our Community Hub)

Winter Uniform Expectations

We love seeing our learners wear the school uniform with pride. With the colder temperatures, we have plenty of uniform items to keep your child warm. You can purchase from the Online Uniform Shop:

• Long trousers

• Long-sleeve Polo Shirt

• Fleece or Intermediate Jacket

• We also have Winter Beanies available for $12.50. Purchase via Kindo and collect from the office. 

Please note it is acceptable for children to wear a black long-sleeve thermal, black long-pant thermal or woollen stockings underneath the uniform. All other non-uniform items should be left at home. 

We appreciate your support in ensuring your child is wearing the uniform correctly! 

School Show - Monday 21 September to Thursday 24 September.

Preparations for the show are coming along nicely. Here's a few more details to help you plan ahead.

• Every child in the school is involved in the show

• The school will be split into two casts, with each cast performing one matinee and two evening shows. Please check with your child which cast they are in. All siblings will be in the same cast.

• Cast Mahi Tahi will perform on Monday 21 September, 1pm & 6pm, and Wednesday 23 September, 6pm

• Cast Tua Rua will perform on Tuesday 22 September, 1pm & 6pm, and Thursday 24 September, 6pm

• All children are expected to perform in all three of their performances

• There will be food available for pre-ordering to help with a quick dinner before the shows. More details will be released next week.

Photolife Team and Group Photos - Monday 31 August

Photolife will be on-site on Monday 31 August to take team and group photos. Please see the timetable below. Please ensure your child arrives at the Hall at the correct time, wearing the correct uniform for their photo. If your child is involved in any of these photos, you will have received an email with the details either directly from the school or from your team manager.  

2027 Term Dates

The Term dates for 2027 have been set as follows:

• Term 1 - Wednesday 3 February to Friday 9 April

• Term 2 - Tuesday 27 April to Friday 2 July

• Term 3 - Monday 19 July to Friday 24 September

• Term 4 - Monday 11 Oct to Wednesday 15 December

Please note there are eight public holidays which fall during term time for 2027. School will be closed on the following dates: 

• Waitangi Day - Observed on Monday 8 February (Term 1)

• Easter Good Friday - Friday 26 March (Term 1)

• Easter Monday - Monday 29 March (Term 1)

• Easter Tuesday - Tuesday 30 March (Term 1)

• Anzac Day - observed on Monday 27 April (Term 2) 

• King’s Birthday - Monday 7 June (Term 2)

• Matariki - Friday 25 June (Term 2)

• Labour Day - Monday 25 October (Term 4)

What's Been Happening in Inter-school Sport

Tāmaki Rippa: Yesterday, 30 students put their Rippa skills to the test alongside our Tāmaki Cluster schools. It was a fantastic day of competition, fun and sportsmanship, with everyone showing great whanaungatanga and team spirit.

NRF Futsal Festival: Last Friday, our AIMS Futsal team took part in the NRF Futsal Tournament alongside other teams heading to AIMS in September. They put in a fantastic effort, winning 2 out of their 3 games!

We can’t wait to follow their journey, along with our Netball team, sailor, rock climber, tennis player and swimmers, as they head away to AIMS in just over two weeks.

All the best to these students as they complete their final preparations for AIMS. Kia kaha and keep up the hard mahi!

Eastern Zones Cross Country: On Monday, we wish our 22 Intermediate competitors all the very best as they take on the Eastern Zones Cross Country. Run strong, have fun and represent our kura with pride. Kia kaha, team!

Interschool Sport - Still to come in Term 3

• Tamaki Netball Y3-8 | Tuesday 15 September

Visit the sports website to see upcoming Term 4 sports, and find other important sports information: Stonefields.school.nz/sports 

Sports Coaching Sessions Update

Registrations are still open for our extension sports coaching sessions. As we are now in Week 5, new registrations will be charged on a 5-week pro-rata basis.

We’ve had a number of students keen to participate without being formally registered. As this is a trial year, we are introducing a $5 casual rate to help balance access, participation and programme sustainability.

Casual Attendance - $5 Per Session

• Registered students have priority in each session.

• Unregistered students may participate where there is capacity.

• A $5 casual fee will be charged to the student’s Kindo account.

• Coaches will record attendance and identify students as registered or casual.

Sports Available:

• Basketball

• Rippa

• Volleyball

• Football

• Hockey

If your child would like to participate on a weekly enrolled basis and receive priority in sessions, we encourage you to complete the registration form below.

Coaching Schedule: sports website 

Register Now: Extension Sports and Coaching Enrolment Form

Please note: There will be no Rippa, Football, Volleyball or Hockey sessions in Week 9. These sessions will instead take place in Week 10. 

Basketball will run as usual in Week 9.

For more information about all sports opportunities, please visit: stonefields.school.nz/sport 

• Fale Celebration | Friday 21 August | 3pm  

• New Entrant Mid-Term Cohort starts | Monday 24 August 

• Senior School (Year 5-8) Assembly | Monday 24 August | 2pm, Hall

• Wellbeing Breakfast Workshop | Wednesday 26 August | 7.30am, Te Pātaka Ako please rsvp 

• Kapa Haka practice | Wednesday 26 August | 8.20am Te Pou Manawa

• Neurodiverse Community Morning Tea | Thursday 27 August | 8.45am, Te Pātaka Ako

• Whānau Hui | Thursday 27 August | 3.15pm

• Friday Cafe | Friday 28 August | 3pm

• Photolife Team/Group Photos | Monday 31 August 

• Friday Cafe | Friday 4 September | 3pm

View our School Calendar to keep up to date with all events

Community Activities

There are plenty of sports, art, and cultural activities available in our community including school holiday programmes. Check out our Community Noticeboard for more details.

Have you ever thought about becoming a Teacher?

APTEC ad TTI