School Newsletter
Term 3 - 7 August 2026

Kia ora e te whānau | Greetings all

Thank you for allowing us to have a staff professional development day last Friday. Whilst school was closed for the day, our teachers became learners, building their knowledge on the new maths curriculum and resources created by the Ministry of Education. Our learning support staff were also involved in a full-day workshop facilitated by the Crisis Prevention Institute, making meaning of trauma-informed behaviour management and verbal de-escalation for when children feel overwhelmed.

Preparation for our school show is well underway now. It's joyful to hear the kids singing along as they learn their performance pieces. The show now has a name ... Kia Mahi - Take Action. If you have any experience with creating costumes or staging for a show, or would simply love to be involved, please do reach out to your child's teachers. They would love to hear from you. 

It's been a pleasure walking through the hubs this week and seeing how engaged our learners are! In the senior years, learners are working hard on their speeches as they start to present these in their guardian groups this week. I loved seeing the Fale being used as the perfect practice space! The top speeches will then progress through to year-level finals with the best speech, spoken word, and rapper going on to represent the school at the Remuera Schools competition along with representatives from many other local schools.  

Our latest cohort of new entrants who started at the beginning of Term 3 are settled in well. The Year 2s in Hub 10 with them are enjoying stepping up to be leaders within the Hub. 

Senior Assembly was a pleasure to be a part of this week. We acknowledged several learners who are exemplifying our school values and vision principles with leadership pins. We also gave out three Break Through Pins to learners who have completed all three of the challenges - social impact, physical, and passion project. We loved hearing how these learners have set themselves goals and worked towards achieving these over several months. Is your child working towards their Break Through Challenge pin? 

Ngā mihi nui,
Sarah and the team

Attendance Term 2 - 79%

For Term 2, our School achieved 79%. That means 79% of our students achieved an attendance rate of 90% or higher. The government's target is that 80% of all students achieve an attendance rate of 90% or over. Our Attendance Management Plan outlines our policies and procedures for achieving this target. 

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. 

Please note, if your child is away from school for more than 5 days in a school term, according to the government's Stepped Attendance Response, we are required to send you a notification of this absence, no matter the reason for the absence.   

Notifying the School of Absence 

Thank you for letting us know when your child is away from school! Please note we are required to send the reason for this absence to the Ministry of Education so if no reason is given, we will need to contact you to find out the reason.

If your child is away sick for more than three days, we request that you obtain a medical certificate.

If your child is going to be late for any reason, please let us know via Edge following these steps: 

Visitor Tour - Tuesday 18 August

Each term we offer prospective parents an opportunity to visit our school and gain an insight into what being a learner at Stonefields is all about! The morning starts with a short presentation by our leadership team, followed by a tour around the school led by Intermediate learners. Register for our Term 3 tour here. 

Photolife Team and Group Photos - Monday 31 August

Photolife will be on-site on Monday 31 August to take team and group photos including Kapa Haka, Orchestra, band, winter sports teams, Year 8, Student Council, and Pasifika. The timetable will be released shortly. 

If you missed out on a sibling photo earlier this year and would like one taken, please let the office know. 

Uniform Donations please

Our uniform shop needs restocking, particularly sizes 8 and above. If you have any uniform items that you no longer need, and they have plenty of life left in them, we'd love for them to be donated to our shop. Please drop them off at the school office. Thanks for your support! 

Enrolments 2027

Do you have a child turning 5yrs in 2027? Later this term we will start planning our staffing requirements for 2027 which includes when we will open new entrant classes. If you have a child due to start school next year, please submit an enrolment application via our website. 

Basketball 

Our seven basketball teams had an outstanding day competing at the Tāmaki Basketball Tournament yesterday. A huge congratulations to all of our players for the way they represented our school with pride, respect, and sportsmanship both on and off the court. Thank you also to our coaches, managers, and parent helpers for giving your time and support to make the day possible. Well done, everyone!

Parents - We need your Support!

We are passionate about providing our learners with as many sporting opportunities as possible - whether it's trying something new, developing their skills, representing the school, or simply enjoying being part of a team. These experiences are only possible because of the incredible support from our parent community, and we are so grateful for the time and generosity you continue to give.

Please take a moment to visit our sports website and scroll down to the Calendar of Events for Terms 3 and 4. If there are any dates where you may be available to assist, we'd love for you to pop them in your diary now.

Every offer of help makes a real difference. Parent support enables us to enter multpiple teams, attend more tournaments, and ensure our students can continue enjoying the wide range of sporting opportunities available to them. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support. We couldn't do it without you!

Interschool Sport 

Visit the sport website for sign ups, and further information: Stonefields.school.nz/sports 

• EZ Basketball Y7-8 Boys | Tuesday 18 August

• Tamaki Rippa Rugby Y5-8 | Wednesday 19 August

• EZ Cross Country Y7-8 | Monday 24 August 

• Tamaki Netball Y3-8 | Tuesday 15 September

Sports Coaching Programme

Our Extension Sports Coaching Programme has moved to a user-pays model for Term 3. All students wishing to attend will need to enrol through the links below. Sessions are priced fairly to help us continue offering these great opportunities to as many students as possible.

Our coaches are looking forward to seeing you on the court, field, or turf for another term of fun, learning, and teamwork!

• Basketball

• Rippa

• Volleyball

• Football

• Hockey

Coaching Schedule: sports website

Register Now: Extension Sports and Coaching Enrolment Form

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

• Friday Cafe (run by Hub 2) | Friday 7 August | 3pm

• FOSS Parents' Night | Saturday 8 August 

• Kapa Haka practice | Wednesday 12 August | 8.20am Te Pou Manawa

• Junior School (Year 0-4) Assembly | Monday 17 August | 2pm, Hall

• Visitor Tour | Tuesday 18 August | 9.15am book here

• Orchestra Trip | Wednesday 19 August 

• Kapa Haka practice | Wednesday 19 August | 8.20am Te Pou Manawa

• Face-to-Face Community Consultation | Wednesday 19 August | 6.30pm, Te Pātaka Ako

• Fale Celebration | Friday 21 August | 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.

Manaiakalani Whānau Survey

As a part of our collaboration with Manaiakalani Education Trust, we ask for parent's feedback each year to help inform the network's future focus and next steps. Please provide feedback here.