Week 1 Term 4, 2026

There is quite a buzz about Pet Day here at school. Plates for the donated baking went home to the eldest or only children in the school yesterday. There are spares available in the office if you would like them, or if one goes missing at the bottom of the bag. These donations come to the school on Friday morning for labelling, ready to be sold on Saturday starting at 8.30a.m. The popular stalls open early.

The booklets have been out to families for a while now. They can also be found on the school website. Donations of flowers for Flower Day will be accepted with great gratitude. There are never enough flowers on the day. There are some early childhood centres coming for the first session of the day as well.

Beans and Peas, no matter the size, are being accepted into the Hall on Friday morning for judging by the team at Mitre 10. I hear on the grapevine that some of the peas have pods on them as well as flowers. Very impressive.

There was a bit of panic about the number of animals for Pet Day, with only 67 registered at the start of Monday. The numbers are currently sitting at 90, so that is great. If you haven’t registered your animal, please do so now at this link.

Pet Day - Introducing the Game Zone

Fun, child-friendly stalls for the whole family

Bouncy Castle
Candy Trailer
Jolly Jar
Coconut Shy
Goin’ Fishing
Football Darts
Golf Darts
Needle in a Haystack
Lucky Dip
Karaoke Trailer

Tokens

To play these games, everyone will need to purchase tokens. There will be a stall in Room 4 with EFTPOS for purchasing tokens. Cash is also accepted. Each token is worth $2. Signs will be on the stalls showing how many turns or how much time is given per game.

There will be pre-sales of the tokens starting from Wednesday, October 14 from 8.30a.m. at the school office. Pick up of pre-purchased tokens will be from Room 4 on Saturday morning.

The tokens can be used at any school-based stall, such as Sausage Sizzle, Candy Floss, Toasted Sandwiches and in the Game Zone.

Buy a pack of 10 tokens and get 2 extra
Buy a pack of 20 tokens and get 4 extra
Buy a pack of 30 tokens and get 6 extra

The Karaoke Trailer

This new stall will allow students and their families to sing together on the Flatbed Truck. Suitable school-based songs are best, without any inappropriate language or themes. If you are considering this option on the day, you can send the name of the song to info@wairakeitaupo.school.nz with the subject heading Karaoke Pet Day 2026 so we are prepared. Probably not enough room for any breakdancing on the truck.

Raffles

The response to the grocery raffle has been outstanding. These contributions are going to make these raffles very competitive. A word of advice - “be in fast on the day”.

There is the PTA raffle for the Thermomix, BBQ and Photo Shoot on sale. This raffle is drawn on October 19 2026.

And then we get to the quick-fire raffles.

A variety of grocery packs
Wood trailer
Heritage Meat packs
Hunting and fishing pack
Wool Shop beauty packs
Rod and Tackle pack
$100 Woolworths Voucher

Busy time for Mrs Simpson at the raffle station outside Room 3.

Kindo

There was an email sent to all families during the term break about a change to payments being made to the school using Kindo.

Kindo is an online portal for making payments and, in some cases, receiving refunds. It is secure and easy to use. There have already been parents signed on and are using the system. If you have ordered Lunch On Line, then you will be familiar with the process.

It is important to note that the sign-on to Kindo must be with the email address you use for communication on the Etap App. These two applications link together. If you sign up with a different email address, then payments and invoices will not marry together.

Once you are set up and signed in, it is all ready to go. Payments can be made for the Year 6 dinner, Camp for 2027, and even ordering stationery for the start of next year. Imagine not having to think about stationery in late January because it is already pre-ordered.

With any system changes, there will be hiccups for both families and the school. Hang in there; it will be worth it in the long run.

2027

Planning is well underway for 2027. We currently have teaching positions advertised, closing this week.

Parents are able to share positive friendships for the staff and me to consider. You can send your thoughts to info@wairakeitaupo.school.nz with the heading 2027 Friendships by November 1, 2026.

Please note that all classes need to be even in all aspects and that some friendships do not work with the bigger picture. Sudden changes to a class structure can throw off the balance of a class that the staff have worked hard to create.

This year, the school will be hosting the final assembly at AC Baths. Parking will be easier, and there is more room to spread out. Students will travel by bus to and from the school. Parents are invited to take their children home at the end of the assembly.

Power awards and Year 6 trophies will be presented at this assembly. The main trophies remain at school after the photos have been taken by families.

I have just been reminded by the students that hats are needed from the start of Week 2.

See you all at Pet Day. It's going to be a cracker of a day.

Ngā mihi,

Paula