School Newsletter
31 July 2025

Kia ora e te whānau | Greetings all

In our communication last week, we spoke about how modern learning environments are used at Stonefields School. I wanted to give you a further look inside how the learning happens in our Hubs throughout the school. I spent some time this week walking through the Hubs during learning time and have captured a few short videos from some of the Hubs to share with you. 

Term 3 is in full swing with loads of learning opportunities happening across the school, from cultural art and hockey taster sessions to a visualisation workshop and midline development. Check it out below. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Sarah and the team 

Have you seen our awesome pathway!! 

We hope you've had a chance to check out our awesome pathway around the field and all the planting that took place over the holidays. We were so fortunate to have an incredible team led by Jasmin our gardener, the fantastic Ray, and Simon Lee who volunteered his time and digger expertise. The team put in many hours over the holidays and planted a total of 36 trees. Over time these will grow to provide a gret natural play area. 

Also Men's Shed is now creating some stepping stones/play equipment for us which will be installed once the ground dries out a little.

We'd also like to thank Fletcher Living who've contributed new plant labels (that will be installed over this term), to help educate us on the names of our beautiful flora. Their continued support of our school is much appreciated.

Kotahitanga Cultural Day - Tuesday 5 August

Tuesday next week is our Kotahitanga Cultural Day where learners will be immersed in food, art, music, dance, games, and sports from different cultures around the world. Learners are encouraged to dress in items that represent their culture for the day.

Out of Zone Enrolment Ballot 2026

Stonefields School will be holding a ballot for the placement of 15 New Entrant learners only, for the 2026 academic year.  New Entrant learners are those who will be Year 0/1 in 2026 and have not attended primary school before. We are not opening the ballot for any other year level. 

Please see our website for more information and to apply.

Sports Uniform Redesign

The School has been listening to voices within our community, including a learner-led Break Through project last year, that our current sports shirt is no longer fit for purpose, for a variety of reasons. This includes the quality of the material and the ability to match it with a consistent bottom piece for sports like Netball. This has led to our Netball teams looking rather disjointed on the courts.  

Earlier this year, we went out to all our Netball families to understand if there was interest in having a Netball-specific dress, or if we should look for a more unified sports uniform, including a top and bottom that can be used across multiple sports and genders. 14 families responded saying they would like a Netball-specific dress, out of a community of 85 families. 

In light of these results, we have been working with Argyle, our uniform supplier, to design a new sports shirt. This design process has included options for a Netball dress and a singlet suitable for Basketball and Touch Rugby, ensuring consistency across all codes and genders. The dress and singlet can then be rolled out at a later point when there is demand from the community. 

We're excited to present you with three design options: 

Lunch orders via Kindo

We have a huge menu of items available for lunch. Simply order via Kindo before 9am on the day, and it will be delivered, hot, in time for lunch. 

Term 3 Inter School Sports

• Tamaki Basketball Y5-8 | Week 4 | Wednesday 6 August (closed) - 7 parent volunteers needed

• EZ Cross Country Y7-8 | Week 5 | Tuesday 12 August (closed) - 2 parent volunteers needed

• EZ Basketball Y7-8 | Boys: 14 August | Girls: 19 August (closed) - 1 parent volunteer needed per event

• Tamaki Rippa Rugby Y5-8 | Week 6 | Wednesday 20 August (closed) - 8 parent volunteers needed

• Tamaki Netball Y3-8 | Week 8 | Wednesday 3 September (Closing Monday 4 August) - 8 parent volunteers needed

All sign up forms are available on the sport website: stonefields.school.nz/sport 

Parent Volunteers for Interschool Sport - We Need Your Support!

Lately, we’ve been finding it challenging to meet the required supervision ratios for off-site events. Interschool sports are a fun and valuable part of school life - but they can’t happen without enough adult support. If your child enjoys taking part, please check the events calendar and pencil in any dates they might be involved. When the permission form comes home, let us know if you’re able to help. If every parent (of learners who actively take part in interschool sport) volunteers just once a year, we’ll have enough support to keep these awesome opportunities going. Thank you, whānau!

What’s happening in Sport 

What an action-packed start to Term 3 it’s been across Stonefields sport! From high-energy Hockey and Kelly Sport Taster sessions to competitive clashes in the Eastern Zones Netball and the Eastern Suburbs Gymnastics Competition, there’s been no shortage of excitement on the field, court, and floor.

We’re proud to congratulate the 10 gymnasts who have qualified for the Inter-Zones Champion of Champions at Tri-Star Gymnasium. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to their dedication and discipline.

A shoutout to our AIMS Football teams, who have been putting in the work across their practice matches (Stanhope, St Thomas' and St Heliers) - great preparation for what’s ahead!

A huge well done to all our athletes across every sporting code. Your passion, perseverance, and team spirit are what make Stonefields sport truly special. And of course, a big thank you to the coaches, teachers, whānau, and supporters who help make these opportunities possible.

Here’s to an incredible Term 3 ahead. Let’s keep the momentum going!

AIMS Games Football Fundraising – A Huge Thank You!

Our AIMS Football team wants to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s supported their fundraising efforts; whether you bought some samosas, grabbed a treat at a bake sale, or cheered them on with kind words.

Thanks to our amazing community, the team has raised just over $4,000 toward the $11,000 needed to get a team to AIMS Games. Every bit of support means so much to the team, and they are incredibly grateful.

Many of these players are now training four times a week, on top of regular games - a huge commitment that reflects their passion and determination.

Ngā mihi nui for backing our young athletes and helping them to chase their dreams. 

• Friday Cafe | Friday 1 August | 3pm 

• Cook Island Language Week  | Monday 4 - Friday 8 August

• Senior School Assembly | Monday 4 August | 2pm, Hall 

• Kotahitanga Cultural Day | Tuesday 5 August 

• Kapa Haka practice | Wednesday 6 August | 8.20am, Te Pou Manawa

• School Board nominations close | Wednesday 6 August | 12noon

• Friday Cafe performances | Friday 8 August | 3pm

• Staff Only Day | Monday 11 August | school closed

• Maths Workshop for Year 0-2 | Tuesday 12 August | 2pm 

• School Board Election voting begins | Wednesday 13 August

• Kapa Haka practice | Wednesday 13 August | 8.20am, Te Pou Manawa

• Visualisation Workshop | Friday 15 August | 11.20am, Te Pātaka Ako 

• Junior Disco (Year 0-4) | Friday 15 August | 5.45pm 

• Senior Disco (Year 5-8) | Friday 15 August | 7.15pm 

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

After-School Activities and Holiday Programmes

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