School Newsletter
30 May 2025

Kia ora e te whānau | Greetings all

Well it's hard to think what hasn't been happening at School this last fortnight! Our Intermediates have embarked on Camp; we had a fantastic turnout at our garden working bee; the raffle hampers have been made up and are waiting to be won; the Student Council are deeply engaged in multiple projects across the school; plus there are loads of sporting and hauora opportunities happening as we dive deeper into our term 2 concept. More about this and so much more below.

We loved seeing so many of you here last night for our Year 1-6 Learner-Led Conference. It was wonderful seeing the learners lead you through the provocations in their hubs and so proudly show you their learnings. What a beautiful evening!  

Ngā mihi nui,

Sarah and the team

Calling all Landscapers and Gardeners

As our raffle fundraiser continues on, we're keen to start purchasing plants and building play equipment. We wondered if there is anyone in our community who can help with this? We'd love to support your businesses! 

Student Council update

We would like to introduce you to the Student Council and share a bit about what we have been up to over the last few months.

Together we have been helping to review the value mantras and have contributed ideas towards the Stonefields School behaviour guidelines which were introduced to learners at the beginning of this term.  Each week we talk about what is working well and what we should focus on next. It is great to see everyone rising together, our mantra Right Place, Right Time - Ready for learning has improved greatly.  As Intermediate learners we are currently working on Speak Up, Stand Up - Share perspectives to problem solve.  Recent feedback shows that there are lots of examples of how learners are supporting other learners to be their best selves.  

We are also considering what we should call mufti day as we have had feedback that using this term is potentially insensitive. We are in the process of gathering feedback about names like:

• Wear what you want day

• Uniquely me day

• Student choice day

• Dress your way day

Each Student Council member is involved in a group focussed on improving something around the School.  We have four projects underway:

• One group is investigating whether we should introduce a school house system 

• One group is building a website of practical tips and tools to support senior learners mental health

• One group is working to minimise rubbish and increase kaitiakitanga | care for the environment

• Visualising the value mantras so everyone understands what they mean.

Here are a few photos of our Student Council groups working with experts to build their knowledge.  Come and check out the display in Te Pataka Ako to learn more about what we have been up to.

The Student Council 

Learner Led Conferences - Year 7-8

Learner Led Conferences  for Year 7-8 will take place on Thursday 5 June, 2pm-8pm, and Friday 6 June, 1pm-3pm. If you have not yet booked a time to meet your child's teacher, please do so here Book your timeslot here

Please note, school will finish at 1pm on Thursday 5 June for Year 7-8 learners. Please note any Year 7-8 children on-site after 1pm are not under the care of the school. 

Library open before and after school

Did you know our library is open from 8.30am-9.00am and after school from 3.00pm-3.30pm each day?  You are welcome to visit with your learner/s, explore the space and our books, issue and return books and if you need to, you can check what is on issue to your learner/s to help them find what needs to be returned.  We'd love to see you, so come on up and say "hi".  Whaea Esther is here every day and Mrs Malan is here Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Visitor Tour - Tuesday 3 June

We have a visitor tour coming up on Tuesday 3 June, 9.15am. This is an opportunity for any prospective parents to gain an insight into what makes Stonefields School so special and our rich learning environments. Book a tour here.  

Garden Working Bee - Thank You!

Thank you to all our amazing families who came last Saturday to help in the gardens! The topsoil was distributed, grass seeds scattered, pathway swept and our other gardens were weeded too. Special thanks to Mapari Meats for providing the delicious sausages, and to Lara Jay Photographer for the beautiful photos

Winter Wellness

Our whole community wellness - staff and children, is a priority as we move into the winter months.  We have been proactively talking about the actions we could take to prevent the spread of winter illness to ensure continuity of learning for all. Many of the practices we learnt during COVID were effective and continue to be used:

• Regular hand washing is essential to minimise the spread of bugs, 

• Extra cleaning of handles and high touch surfaces, 

• Know we have plenty of masks and hand sanitiser that you are welcome to use,

• Stay home if you are sick

Message from Ministry of Education regarding learner illness 

Regular school attendance is vital for learning, social development, and overall wellbeing. As we enter the winter, there will naturally be times when it is appropriate for tamariki to stay home and recover from illness. However, minor symptoms do not always require time away from school. Below is a link to information that will help parents and caregivers decide when it is okay to send their child to school, when they should keep them at home, and when they should contact a health professional for advice.

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school 

Stepped Attendance Response 

Earlier this year the government brought in the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) which sets expectations for school, student, parent/guardian, Ministry of Education and broader system responses to student absence.

The percentage of students attending regularly is very low in New Zealand compared to many other countries. Lifting school attendance is crucial for future success. We know that regular attendance at school has a direct impact on children's achievement and their sense of belonging. You can check your child's attendance rate via the Edge App. 

When It’s Hard to Get to School – Support for You and Your Tamariki

Sometimes getting to school is the hardest part of the day, especially if your child is feeling anxious, overwhelmed, resistant or just not themselves. You’re not alone.

If you’re a parent who is navigating school reluctance, anxiety, or disconnection, here’s an online event to help you feel more supported and confident. Presented by tamariki and parent wellbeing advisor with a background in psychology, Anna Mowat, and an experienced educator for her team - these are people who deeply understand all the challenges and complexities of parenting. Register here.

Event date - Thursday 19 June, 7.30pm online

Have you thought about becoming a Teacher? 

Stonefields has been front-footing a number of initiatives over the years to grow Student Teacher numbers and support them as they enter the teaching profession. These initiatives support community members to complete a one-year Post Graduate Study in Teaching through a school-based initial teacher education programme. This offers you the chance to gain teacher registration in just one year while learning hands-on in a school every day. Here are two programmes we support: 

• The Teacher's Institute 

• Auckland Primary Teacher Education Collaborative

Term 2 Inter-School events 

Term 2 Inter-school sport events still to come: Sign ups closing soon: 

• Te Ropu Pourewa Ki-o-rahi Y7-8 | Monday 16 June

• Tamaki Ki-o-rahi | Y5-8 | Wednesday 25 June 

Sign up on the sport website:  stonefields.school.nz/sport 

What’s happening in sport

It has been thrilling to see our learners embracing all the sporting opportunities on offer this term. Here are just a few highlights from this week:

Eastern Zones Hockey Training (Intermediates)

Our Intermediate learners have been working hard at their training sessions in preparation for the upcoming Eastern Zones Hockey competition. 

School Hockey (Years 3-8) 

Are you interested in playing Hockey through school? We’re keen to introduce Hockey as a new extension sport, and we’re looking to grow student involvement across Years 3-8, pending interest. If your child would like to be part of this opportunity, please complete the Expression of Interest form linked below. We'd love to see anyone keen, to get involved! HERE

We’re proud of the dedication and sportsmanship our learners continue to show across all codes. Keep it up team! 

Netball

Congrats to our Netballers for giving your all through the grading games. We wish you well for the rest of the season.

Player openings: If you have a learner in Year 1, 2, 3, or 5 and they are keen to join a Netball team, we still might have a spot available! Please get in touch: sport@stonefields.school.nz  

AIMS Games - Seeking Local Sponsor

Our AIMS athletes for Football, Swimming and Badminton, would love to find a local business to sponsor their sport kit. Your brand will feature on their uniforms and marketing throughout the AIMS campaign. If this is something you might be interested in, and would like to know more - please email sport@stonefields.school.nz  and we will connect you with the team. 

Turf and Court bookings

If you or your sport team would like to book a training time - please book this in with the office office@stonefields.school.nz 

After School Sports Programs

Held on Stonefields grounds, can be found here

Local Clubs and other sport opportunities

Please also visit our Community Noticeboard for notices on local clubs and activities. 

SchoolTalk and the New Curriculum Workshop (Year 0-2)

Get familiar with SchoolTalk features to stay connected and informed about your child's learning. We will also look at how the new curriculum sits in SchoolTalk and how to navigate to the new learning progressions.
Facilitated by: Sarah Holden (SchoolTalk lead teacher)
When: Tuesday 10 June,  now at 3.15pm
Where: Te Pātaka Ako | Community Hub

Intermediate Information Morning for Year 5-6 Parents

We invite all parents of year 5-6 learners to come to an information session, led by Ollie Baker (Intermediate, Leader of Learning) and the Intermediate Teaching Team, to learn more about the Intermediate space at Stonefields School and answer any questions you may have. 

When: Wednesday 25 June, 7.30am-8.30am

Where: Stonefields Staff Hub (up the red stairs and along to the end!)

• King's Birthday | Monday 2 June | school closed

• Visitor Tour | Tuesday 3 June | register here  

• Whānau Hui | Wednesday 4 June | 6pm

• Pasifika Talanoa | Wednesday 4 June | 6pm

• Learner Led Conferences (Year 7-8) | Thursday 5 June and Friday 6 June

• Friday Cafe & Raffle Prize Draw | Friday 6 June 

• Junior School Assembly | Monday 9 June | 2pm, Hall

• New Entrant Cohort visits | Monday 9 - Thursday 12 June 

• SchoolTalk Workshop (Year 0-2) | Tuesday 10 June | 2pm

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

After-School and Community Activities

There are many sports, art, and cultural activities available both on-site and in our community. Check out our Community Noticeboard for more details.