School Newsletter
31 October 2024

Kia ora e te whānau | Greetings all

Happy Diwali! Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate last week, we hope you had a lovely time celebrating with your family too. 

This term we welcome 24 new learners to our community. Haere Mai! Our Kapa Haka have already performed at one festival and have another next week. In the Hubs, learners have been exploring everything from letter formations to how to classify native animals and plants, future jobs, and engineering challenges.  

Here's a look at this and everything else that's been happening, as well as upcoming events and reminders. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Sarah and the team

Year 0-1

Our new learners in Hub 2 have had an amazing start to the Term! We've met characters from the book ‘Milo’s Birthday Party’, which has helped us recognise and write letters and say their corresponding sounds. In Maths, we've been using the Number Blocks characters to explore the composition of numbers up to 20. Through interactive games and hands-on activities, we've been learning to identify, write, and count these numbers. A highlight has been building friendships through group activities designed to enhance social skills and cooperation. It’s truly heartwarming to witness the new learners connecting and supporting one another as they forge new friendships. In the morning, learners have shown independence in putting their things away and signing into the hub. Welcome all Hub 2 new learners and Ka Pai for settling into your learning so quickly.

Year 3-4

Our Year 3-4 team are launching into our "Future Jobs" concept learning this term. Learners are excitedly exploring hands-on rotations that connect to this concept. giving them various immersive experiences and exposure to skills from various occupations.  

Through these immersive activities like first aid, baking, cosmetology, event planning, paleontology, science, and mindfulness, our learners are gaining practical skills while discovering potential interests and passions. This approach aims to ignite curiosity and encourage learners to explore diverse career pathways, offering them a glimpse into possible future jobs as they build foundational skills in various fields. We’re eager to see which new interests emerge as they navigate these unique learning experiences.

Year 5-6

Learners are building knowledge and making meaning of our term concept, Now and Then—The Power to Act.

As learners prepare for their trip to Rotoroa Island, they have been looking at how to classify native animals and plants. These scientific concepts will be put into practice on the trip. 

EPro8 Challenge

This week year 5-8 learners had the opportunity to experience EPro8 Challenge, an inter-school science and engineering competition.  Every year over 25,000 students from throughout New Zealand take part in these events designed to promote science, engineering and problem solving.

Our learners were first invited to participate during school, with the two teams from year 5-6 and year 7-8, going on to represent Stonefields at the inter-school competition. This was a fantastic opportunity for these learners to dive into the learning pit and use their skills and strategies to come out the other side. 

Community Christmas Picnic - Friday 6 December

Last year our Community Christmas Picnic was such a great event, we're doing it again! Mark out Friday 6 December, 3pm-5pm in your diary and join us for a summer afternoon picnic with live performances, markets, carnival games and much more. 

Uniform Donations

If you have any uniform items you no longer require, that still have plenty of life left in them, we'd love to add them to our second hand uniform stock. We have almost no skorts or short-sleeve shirts left. Please drop them off at the office. Thank you kindly! 

Whānau Hui

Our end of year Whānau Hui will take place on Thursday 28 November from 6pm - 7.30pm. Whānau members are invited to join us for traditional games, followed by a BBQ. Please RSVPs for catering purposes to Kim. 

Music Lessons Term 4

Lewis Eady is accepting new enrolments for individual or group music lessons at Stonefields School for Term 4. They currently have availability for the following:

• Drum lessons on Wednesdays with tutor Jag,

• Keyboard lessons on Thursdays (tutor Nita) and Fridays (tutor Alexander),

• Guitar lessons on Fridays with tutors Otis and Gideon. Click here to read tutors’ bios.

Fees (based on a 10-week term): $400 individual lessons, $185 group lessons.

Please see their website to enrol or email: musicschool@lewiseady.co.nz

Term 4 Events still to come

Due to registration deadlines, the majority of Term 4 events are now closed, however AUCC Cricket Festival is still open for sign ups on the sport website: stonefields.school.nz/sport

• EZ Touch Rugby Y7-8 | 5th November

• SHC Cricket Fixture Y7-8 | 6th November

• AUCC Cricket Festival | 26th November Y3-4 & Y7-8 | 27th November Y5-6

• Tamaki Have a Go Day Y3-4 |  20th November 

• EZ Athletics Day Y7-8 | 21st November 

• Tamaki Athletics Y5-8 | 4th December

Term 4 After-School Sports

Our providers have loved working with a wide group of learners this term and will be offering these sport programs again next term:

• Wednesday's: Basketball Skills by Sports-X 3-4pm

• Thursday's: Football Skills by Eastern Suburbs Football Association 3.15-4.15pm

• Friday's: Young Guns Skate School

To register: Please visit our Community Noticeboard for the relevant program poster with registration and contact details.  

As always, if you have any sport related queries please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Sport Team sport@stonefields.school.nz 

• Friday Cafe | Friday 1 November | 3pm

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

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

• Friday Cafe | Friday 8 November | 3pm

• Kapa Haka Te Kōtuku Cultural Festival | Saturday 9 November

• Year 5 Rotoroa Island Trip | Monday 11 November

• Year 6 Rotoroa Island Trip | Tuesday 12 November

• Manaiakalani Film Festival | Wednesday 13 November | 2pm, Hall

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