Week 1 Term 3, 2026

Nice to see all the smiling faces at Powhiri as school started for term three. The student leaders spoke with strength and commitment. It was lovely to see. Collectively, we are still working on singing a bit louder. A goal for the future.

There are photos from the recent Jumping June and Celebration of Learning up on the school website, as well as this incredibly cute student-led trip around the school. If you haven't seen it yet, it is a great way to hear the students' voices and see the school in action. 

Welcome to Kim Stevens, who is joining the school full-time from the start of Term Three. Kim is the first point of contact for any students with additional learning needs.

Whānau-Teacher Discussions

Thank you to everyone who has booked a time for this discussion to be held on July 30, 2026, 1p.m. - 6.10p.m. They are a vital part of the home-school partnership. Reports will be sent home on Friday, July 24 using the school app.

You can still book in a time to meet and talk at School Interviews and enter the code: 3j8q2

Staff will be available to supervise students during the interviews. If you would prefer to take your child home early, a “work from home” activity pack will be available for collection from the school office.

Cross Country Training

The signs are out again around the field for training for the annual cross country. Plans are in place for the neighbour's farm to be used again, and then the team chosen will move on to representing the school at the interschool event later this term.

Training occurs before school and during the day. To complete one lap of the field, touching all the signs is equivalent to 250 metres.  Four laps is one kilometre. 

Home charts can be made to track the progress via the black marks on the hands of the runners.  A good way to use maths every day across the term. How many kilometres can we run in a week? What is the predicted total of all the kilometres by the day of the cross country?

Before 8.15 am

Students are to wait at the front of the school until 8.15a.m. There is a covered step they can stand on while they wait. This time coincides with the first bus arriving at school. Teachers are working in their classrooms prepping for the day. All teachers are in their classes from 8.30a.m. as part of the building relationships programme that operates in school.

Lunch On-line

Ordering lunch via the lunch online app provides fundraising for the PTA. The app is easy to use and has a wide range of options available.

From August 24, 2026, the school will be moving to a cashless system using Kindo. There will be instructions on this to happen closer to the time. Payments will be made for disco, stationery and all other school-related expenses using this format.

Change of School Photographer

Photolife will take the school photos this year on August 4, 2026.  They have a different ordering system that gives back to the school for every order received. There will be communication from Photolife directly to the parents via email, and then orders can be paid directly to them.

Photolife is able to take orders after the designated time for fundraising.  It makes sense to use that window for ordering and to support the school in this way.

Curriculum Refresh Meeting

Did you miss out on the last session?

If you weren't able to make it to the previous sessions, or if you would like to hear more about the reporting framework moving forward, Hannah is hosting a follow-up session this week:

When: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Time: 8:30a.m to 9:15a.m

Where: Room 12

Pet Day

Save the date for October 17, 2026. Organisation has begun already. I am looking for food stalls that will support the school on this day. If you are a vendor or know of one that would like to be a partner with the school, please contact paula.farquhar@wairakeitaupo.school.nz

Dates for 2027

• Term 1: Tuesday, February 2 – Friday,  April  9

• Term 2: Tuesday, April  27– Friday,  July 2 

• Term 3: Monday, July 19 – Friday,  September 24

• Term 4: Monday, October 11 -  Wednesday, December 15

Lock Down Practice

As part of keeping the school safe, Wairakei Primary needs to respond safely and quickly to a range of emergency situations. As part of maintaining the emergency procedures in the school, specialised training will be conducted and a lockdown exercise performed under the guidance and support of Harrison Tew® Ltd. on Monday, July 27, 2026.

During the exercise, you will receive a notification from the school, so it is important that your emergency contact details are up to date. The notification will emphasise that this is an exercise/practice and will explain that all updated information will then be posted on the school website. The first communication will be an email.

In the event of a genuine lockdown or evacuation at the school, please do not come to the school or phone, as we will not be able to respond. Your presence or contact may make it more difficult for us or the emergency services to manage a situation.

Tree for Every Child

On Friday, July 24, every child who enrolled from June 2025 until now will plant their own tree in the school grounds. This programme has been operating for the past 13 years and is a highlight in the school calendar. New families will have received a letter by email with the timetable of when the classes will be planting their tree. As in any timetable for a school, it is an approximate starting time. This year the planting will be in the gully. Suitable footwear is needed as students and families will be planting into the banks.

If you did not receive a letter, you are still able to participate. The school does ask for a $5 donation towards the cost of plants. 

The timetable for Friday is:

• 9.10a.m Room 16
• 9.30a.m Room 14, 15
• 9.50a.m. Room 5
• 10.10a.m. Rooms 9, 10, 11,13
• 10.20a.m. Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8

Tonight's scheduled meeting for the PTA has been postponed. The next PTA meeting will be on Monday, July 27. 

Ngā mihi,

Paula

Board Catchup

Kia Ora Whanau, it's time for a bit of a check in on what your Board of Trustees has been doing and what we are moving into for terms Three and Four of 2026. 

The past few months have seen the Board of Trustees complete a lot of school policy reviews - this doesn't seem like an exciting job; however, it is important that the teachers and school leadership have the right tools for the job. Through this process, the Board has decided that the current policy platform may not be fit for purpose, so over Term Three we will be looking at other options for the school.

The school also has a brand new junior playground, and the senior one is being built in September.

The Board of Trustees would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the fundraising efforts of the PTA and the tireless work behind the scenes by the school leadership with obtaining the many grants to ensure we had enough money to put in the two new playgrounds - these will benefit the school for many years to come.

The Board of Trustees, with some parent help, is also putting together a school quiz night on September 11 2026. This will help fundraise the final bit of money needed for the senior playground; please get a team together and come along for a great night at the school hall. 

A final reminder - If you are interested in what the board does and how you can be part of it, adding in your skills, you are welcome to come along to a meeting. The next meeting will be held on August 11, at 5.30 p.m. in the staffroom.