Welcome to Term 2! We hope you all had a wonderful rest over the break and have come back full of energy for learning! We've got an exciting term ahead, full of a wide range of learning opportunities from our Foundation Knowledge and Capabilities, to Cross Country, Book Week and Matariki. More about these below.
Last term we started a five-part series diving deeper into our BIG 5 Balanced Curriculum model and what that means for your child. We have explored Foundation Knowledge and Concept, this week we explain Capabilities.
Our third BIG 5 focus is on Capabilities – the "how" of learning. While knowledge gives our children the "what", capabilities equip them with the essential attitudes, dispositions and skills to use that knowledge effectively, navigate challenges, and drive their own progress. We have refined these into five core capabilities: Determined, Self-Aware, Collaborative, Thinker, and Take Action. These capabilities are woven throughout every aspect of our curriculum.
These capabilities help our learners embrace the "Learning Pit," fostering resilience when faced with difficulties. They learn to set goals, understand their own learning styles, work effectively with others, think critically to solve problems, and apply their learning in meaningful ways. By nurturing these capabilities, we ensure our students not only gain knowledge but also develop the essential life skills to adapt, innovate, and lead their own successful learning journeys.
Below are some examples of how these are implemented in different villages. Tomorrow you will receive the Term 2 Village Comms for your child's year level which will outline the capabilities focus for term 2, along with details on the other BIG-5 for the Village.
Teaching our youngest learners about the ‘Self-Aware’ capability is about first understanding ‘me’. At this developmental stage, the learners are transitioning from intuitive play to more intentional social interactions. Our goal is to help them recognise their own strengths, manage their emotions, and understand their place within the Hub. When this happens, we can then start to understand how to contribute within the group and our responsibilities to the Hub group in which we belong. This term we have explored the ‘Self-Aware’ capability through using our MITEY resources and tools. To be ‘Self-Aware’ we need to be able to understand and identify feelings. We have also learnt about the learning pit, and are proud of the way that we are learning to be comfortable being stuck - it’s ok to need help or to not know yet. As self-aware learners we feel ready to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’ next term as we focus on the ‘Collaborative’ capability.
Last term our Year 5 and 6 learners dove into the Capabilities of 'Thinker' and 'Self-Aware' within an immersive science context. As Thinkers, learners moved beyond surface-level facts to foster a "Big Understanding" of complex topics such as the invisible forces of magnets, the delicate balance of ecosystems, and the properties of light. They actively made connections across the curriculum, using their reading and writing sessions to research and document findings, which they then applied critically during hands-on experiments. Alongside this academic growth, they have practiced being Self-Aware by identifying the environments and habits that help them learn best. This maturity has been evident in their collaborative respect, as learners practiced taking turns and showed great stewardship toward the scientific equipment used to bring their inquiries to life. By weaving these capabilities into our investigation of the natural world, our students are developing the essential dispositions to navigate challenges and lead their own successful learning journeys. Looking ahead to next term, we are excited to shift our capability focus toward becoming more Collaborative and learning how to Take Action within our community and environment.
For Term 1, our School achieved 82%. That means 83% of our students achieved an attendance rate of 90% or higher. Ka Pai!! You can check your child's attendance via the Edge App. Simply click on 'Attendance' under your child's name and view Year-to-date (YTD) or by Term.
The government's target is that 80% of all students achieve an attendance rate of 90% or over. Here is our Attendance Management Plan which outlines our policies and procedures for achieving this target.
Grab your blankets and beanbags and join us for a fun family Movie Night on Friday 1st May with Minecraft The Movie on a large outdoor screen. Tickets are $5, under 5yr olds are free. Purchase tickets via Kindo. Your Kindo confirmation email is your ticket, please be ready to show this for entry on the night. Last time this event sold out so make sure you get in quick!
Everyone is welcome so bring along your friends and family for a fun night! Please note, all children must be supervised by an attending adult.
There will be food trucks on site for easy food options. Check out the menus below:
Are you ready for another great Stonefields School Book Week? A whole week to celebrate books, stories and reading!
We have got some fabulous authors lined up to come and speak to our learners, lots of games and competitions, the super exciting Scholastic Book Fair and the Whakamana Rocks Reading Challenge. And, of course, we can’t forget our book character dress up day! This year we’re going to do things slightly differently and each hub will have a theme for the dress up day, so watch out to find out what your theme will be.
Let’s see which of our Whakamana Rocks can read the most books in one term!
Will it be Māhoe who seek challenges and will encourage each other to read every day?
Or will it be Tūhua who are self aware and know what they like to read and find new great books they will love?
Maybe it will be Reti, the creative thinkers who enjoy finding new ideas and perspectives in books?
Or perhaps it could be Punga Punga who are determined to read heaps of awesome books?
During Term 2, all our learners will be challenged to keep a record of all the books that they read themselves, or that someone reads to them, and every book counts towards the Whakamana Rocks Reading Challenge. Please help your kids fill in the reading log during the holidays.
The winners will be announced in Week 8, at the end of Book Week. Who will it be?
As the temperature gets cooler and the price of petrol gets higher, we've got a great incentive to keep you walking, biking or scootering to school. Walk (bike or scooter) to School on Wednesday and on arrival we'll warm you up with a cup of hot chocolate!
Don't forget your reusable cup!
We're continuing to monitor the government's plan should there be a shortage of fuel. Now would be a great time to start organising a walking school bus, or simply a group of neighbours to walk, bike or scooter to school together.
We'd love to hear from anyone who might have the capacity to lead a Walking School Bus from the St Johns or Mt Wellington area, even if it's only one day a week. Please get in touch with the office.
If you've had a clear out over the holidays and have some uniform items your child no longer needs, we'd love to have them! Please drop off any items in good condition to the school office.
Remember, you can order Pre-Loved Uniform anytime via our request form. If we have it in stock, it's yours. Easy!
If your child has lost an item, don't forget to check our lost property outside Te Pataka Ako! We currently have loads of shoes who've lost their owner.
We have some Staff Only Days coming up later this year, school will be closed for learners on these days. Kelly Club will be open if you require childcare.
Friday 29 May (Friday before King's Birthday weekend)
Friday 31 July
Scholastic Book Club orders for issue no.3 2026 are now open. If you wish to make a purchase, please do so before orders close on Friday, 1st May. The ordering process is completely paper-less, and the current brochure is available to view here. There will be some paper copies of the Book Club catalogue in each of the hubs and the library, should you prefer to view the catalogue in paper form.
To place your order, please register using the LOOP website. You may then order via the website, or by using one of Scholastic's apps. Please select your child's hub (class), not their year level when placing your order. Please do not return anything to school as all orders are processed through the Scholastic LOOP system. You will be emailed when your order arrives.
If you have any problems placing your order, please email anna.malan@stonefields.school.nz or phone Scholastic on 0800 266 525.
The drainage improvements to our field are well underway and whilst it looks a bit of a mess right now, the final result will be worth it! We look forward to having this completed before the winter months. Thanks for bearing with us.
Once the drainage is in, work will start on the new play area surrounding the outdoor clasroom.
Check out our Community Noticeboard for details on all our on-site after school clubs and activities. Please contact the providers directly for details.
Kia ora and welcome back to Term 2 sports! We’re excited for another action-packed term as we head into the winter season. This term, we’re looking forward to our football, hockey, and Ki-o-Rahi events, which promise plenty of energy, teamwork, and school spirit. It’s also the time of year when our winter sports really begin to take off, with teams settling into their seasons. Whether you’re playing, supporting, or trying something new, Term 2 is a great opportunity to get involved, stay active, and represent our school with pride. We can’t wait to see what this term brings!
Eastern Zones Football (Y7-8) | 8 May (Boys Y8) CLOSED
Tamaki Football (Y3-8) | Wednesday 6 May (week 3) CLOSED
Stonefields Whole School Cross Country (Y0-8) | Tuesday 19 May (week 5)
Eastern Zones Hockey Y7-8 | Monday 22 July (week 10) SIGN UPS OPEN
Tamaki Ki-O-Rahi (Y5-8) | Wednesday 24 July (week 10) SIGN UPS OPEN
We’re excited to continue our coaching programmes in Term 2! To help us streamline communication and keep group sizes well-managed, registrations are now required.
Thank you for your support - we look forward to another great term ahead! 😊
Step 1: Select your sport or sports
Step 2: Get Registered! Extension Sports and Coaching Enrolments for Term 2
Our AIMS teams and individual athletes are looking forward to an exciting development journey ahead. This year, we have netball and futsal teams taking part, alongside individual competitors in swimming, sailing, and tennis. We wish all of these athletes the very best as they prepare, train, and represent our school. Please keep an eye out for upcoming fundraisers - we appreciate your support in helping these teams and individuals on their journey.
If your child is passionate about sport and training hard in a particular code, AIMS could be a great opportunity for them in the future. We encourage you to visit the AIMS Games website to learn more about the wide range of sport opportunities available.
If you’re a business interested in sponsoring our teams, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch and we’ll connect you with the right people, sport@stonefields.school.nz
Every year Stonefields school take part in the Yummy Stickers sport promo. The more stickers we collect, the more sport gear we will have access too. Start collecting NOW - you can download your sticker collection forms here: https://www.yummyfruit.co.nz/schools/
For more information about all sports opportunities, please visit: stonefields.school.nz/sport
ANZAC Day observed | Monday 27 April | School closed
Family Movie Night | Friday 1 May | 6pm
Junior (Year 0-4) Assembly | Monday 4 May | 2pm, Hall
Stonefields School Board Meeting | Tuesday 5 May
Tamaki Football (Y3-8)| Wednesday 6 May
Puberty Information Session for Parents (Y6-8)| Thursday 7 May
View our School Calendar to keep up to date with all events
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.
Universal Communications Group (UCG), working on behalf of Chorus, will be completing fibre upgrade/works on Tephra Boulevard, Stonefields.
Proposed Work Window: 20 May 2026 to 17 Jun 2026
Daily Work Times: Weekdays (School Term): 1000 - 1500 / Weekdays (School Holidays): 0900 - 1600 / Weekends: 0900 - 1700
Estimated Duration: 5 DAYS
Temporary traffic management will be packed down one hour before our finish time.
Traffic Management Overview:
Temporary lane/road restrictions may be required
Traffic controllers will support safe pedestrian and vehicle movement
Safety signage and barriers will be installed
School and property access will always be maintained
Term 1: Wednesday 4 February - Thursday 2 April
Term 2: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Term 3: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September
Term 4: Monday 12 October - Wednesday 16 December
Public holidays during Term time:
Friday 6 February - Waitangi Day
Monday 27 April - Anzac Day (Observed)
Monday 1 June - King’s Birthday
Monday 26 October - Labour Day