Week 1 Term 1, 2025

A special welcome to all our new families and students.

It is lovely to have you all join our school community. The year started with two powhiri's: one for the new staff and one for the new families. Both were very successful. Well done to our new leaders who lead the powhiri.

I would like to acknowledge Belinda Walker and her King’s award in the New Years honours. Belinda is a great supporter of all things Taupō and especially Kinloch and the school. Congratulations Belinda, well deserved.

Changes around the school enviroment

School kicked off with a few changes. You may have walked on the new concrete outside Rooms 7, 8 and down towards the office. This is stage one of two improvements to that particular area. Plans for redeveloping the toilets behind Rooms 1 to 4 are with council and have gone out for quoting. 

The whole school is getting a repaint inside and out. This includes the office and the hall. The painters experienced some delays, so they will be onsite during the next term. They have promised me they will work around all the classes quietly and there will be little disruption to the working day of the teachers and students. I did say that the moment you put up a fence there will be spectators watching everything they do.

Then there’s the new sand pit that is being placed on the school field next to blue bars. The current sandpit will close and the area cobbled over so we can use it for lunches and outside learning opportunities.

Some unusual things happened around the school during the break. Scratching marks into a glass panel in the hall. Replaced now. Very odd.

Staffing Update

We welcome Caitlin Bone, Jessica McLeod, Matt Astle, Amy McLaughlin and Janette Haakma to the school. Sue Green and Jeannie Young are back as well supporting us in various roles.

The school has enough teachers plus a few extra to start the year. 

Team leaders are working with their teams and assisting me by taking on communication with families and dealing with issues in the playground and classrooms. All families are asked to contact the classroom teacher, then the team leader before making a meeting time to meet with me. The office is able to make meetings with teachers before 8.30 am and after 3.15 pm.  

For any special needs support or worries about learning contact the classroom teacher and then Kim Stevens -  Learning Support Coordinator. 

Communication Tile

Thank you to all the families who have contacted the school about putting the Communication Tile (App) on to their phones. I have always said that this tile is an extension on our website –– One point of truth –– One place to put as much information as possible. I called it an app because to me that's what it looks like on my phone. Having this Tile is important as it is part of a bigger strategy to move the communication for the school online. By mid 2025, reports and information about your child’s learning will be on line through eTap, that you can see at the bottom of the tile home screen.

It also allows us to use the Tile to send out messages, rather than having to pay for all the expensive texts we’ve sent in the past.

I have wondered if the 'Introduction' newsletter I send out at the beginning of the year is problematic. The school's policy is three sets of eyes over each communication. With everyone on break that is harder to achieve. Something for me to reflect on during the year.

Attendance

The government has a major push to have students at school every day. They have asked all schools to review what they do to promote and follow up on attendances. We are changing up some of the ways we contact those students identified as truant or have too many unexplained absences.

There are plenty of ways you can contact the school and let us know if your child is going to be away:

• There is email to the office Info@wairakeitaupo.school.nz
• The forms on the website and tile
• Text to the school cellphones
• Sign in at the school office if you are running late
• Send a written note
• Calling and leaving a message on the school answering phone

There is a specific channel for this to happen.

The more information you provide, the better. If you are going to the doctor, please leave the time of the appointment and the name of the surgery. Same with the dentist.

2025 Goals

I have set three goals for the school for Term One:

• Keeping the school environment clean and tidy

• Walk on the decks and concrete

• Greeting each other

There is another one that I would like to add to the list –– Make the community resilient. This is more of a global goal to assist the community to handle change as it occurs. There will be change this year:

• In our education system and how we report to families

• How we communicate and the ways in which we teach  

I am asking the teachers to focus on developing strategies to deal with change, new information and how to read into the information that is provided.

Sports events

School team sports registrations for netball, hockey, and basketball, will open in Term 1. Parents will be able to register their child online on the school website. More information will come out once we have all the costs and have set up the registration form.

PTA News

PTA News 

We have the Twilight Gala happening on Thursday, February 27, 2025, 4.30 - 7p.m. To make this a success, we are starting to collect some of the things we need. 

Jolly Jars can be sent to school starting this week. A Jolly Jar is a jar of any size with a lid filled with trinkets, lollies or items that appeal to children. This is a donated jar. They are varying prices ranging up to $5.00.  

Students win them by throwing a ring over the jar. This is a popular part of the Twilight Gala. Please send them to the school office.  I would like to say it is unlikely that you will get the one you made back again.

We are also collecting grocery items for the raffles. There is a box in the office that you can place your donations in. Please, non perishable items only.

The school is having a ‘Wear Your Own Day' Tuesday, February 18, 2025 to promote bringing the jolly jars and the grocery item.

The PTA are also on the lookout for:

• Helpers from every class to help out at the Twilight Picnic 

• Wairakei’s Got Talent -  contestants and judges. Contact Paula about this

• Sponsor for Year 6 stalls for the prizes they give out

• Groups that would like to show off what they do, Greening Taupo, Bike Taupo, Remote Control Cars, Dog training exhibitions etc.

• Raffle donations - We already have one from the Millenium Group.

I want to say a big thank you to all the parents and family members that helped with the PTA last year, we really appreciate all your hard work. The PTA fundraised a grand total just over $20,000. $5000 of this came from the Cossie Club children’s Christmas party that will go towards the Year 6 school camp for 2025. Over $900 came from the lunch online orders. This is a great way to support the PTA and give yourself a break in making lunches. You can see the link to this on the school Tile home screen.

I look forward to seeing you all this year. We have another exciting year ahead with more fundraising events.

Jess Owen

PTA Chairperson

Board of Trustees, Wairakei Primary School

Kia ora and welcome to Wairakei Primary School on behalf of the Board.

If you and your whanau are new to our school, you will find an amazing space with a wonderful team that aims to provide the foundation of great education. If you are returning to Wairakei, let's continue the journey together.

In regards to further support, have you thought about being on the Parent Teacher Association or the Board of Trustees of Wairakei Primary School? The first board meeting is Tuesday, February 18, 5.30 p.m. in the staffroom. Come along and see what these two groups do to support the school. Have a great year and we look forward to working together with you.

Nga mihi 

Chris Te Whare

Presiding Member 

Celebration of Students

There is a full school assembly February 14, 9-10a.m. in the hall. Room 1 is hosting this assembly and the Manukura and Pou Awhina badges and hats will be given out. Year 6 families will get a reminder notification via the Tile. Remember to set up your notifications for the teams as well as your class.

Ngā mihi nui

Paula