Week 5 Term 1, 2025

Twilight Gala

Thank you to the PTA for their hard work putting together the Twilight Gala this year. There was an increased number of sponsors for the event making it extra special. Special thanks to all of those who donated to the raffles, their time, groceries and jolly jars. All contributions made the night a huge success.

Plenty of people made it on site to participate in the festivities. Selling out of steak sandwiches, vegetarian nachos and the majority of the pulled pork made the night a hit.

The candy floss machine ran hot with a range of colours and flavours. Cold drinks sold in record time. What was the best part? Seeing past and current families on site enjoying the time together. There was a range of positive feedback given on the night. For example, “It was nice to be able to see ‘Wairakei's Got Talent’, as I am normally working.”

The weather played its part on the night as well. Possibly a little too warm, dare I say.

We were very happy to have all the ex-pupils helping out on the stalls. How they have grown. They did such a great job and we will invite them back next year.

Twilight Gala Sponsors and Assistants

Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels, Taupo

Rotorua Millennium Hotel

Students who re participation in the Duke of Edinburgh from Taupo Nui a Tia College

NZ Forest Managers

Off-Site Coffee Limited

Chris Te Whare

Mr Whippy

Dripped and Drizzle

Event Rent

Face Painter crew

Taupo  Office Products 

Belinda and Darren Walker 

GreenLea Meats 

Yak, maker of Candy floss

Hellers Sausages 

Greening Taupo and their display

PTA Members and their families.

Sports registrations

Information about sports registrations are on the school website under the ‘About Us’ tab.

To register your child for hockey and netball registrations, please fill in the online form provided.

Information regarding basketball registrations will be updated on our registration page once Taupō Basketball has more information about when the Events Centre will be reopening. They hope to begin registrations on March 10, and start the season on May 6.

Ki-o-Rahi Festival

The Ki-o-Rahi Festival is on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Crown Park for those Year 6 students who have returned their permission slips. Teams are still short of parent transporters and team managers, so please contact Mr Morehu if you can help: paul.morehu@wairakeitaupo.school.nz.

Kiwi Competitions for a Year 5 and 6 students

The University of Canterbury is offering your child the opportunity to participate in the Kiwi English, Mathematics and Science competitions.

These competitions take place annually and are designed by New Zealand teachers for New Zealand students based on the New Zealand Curriculum. For further information, please consult the CAM website: www.canterbury.ac.nz/cam 

• Open to all year 5 and 6 students.

• Students can enter in one or more subjects.

• Parents/caregivers will be provided with an Individual Pupil Report of their child's performance.

• The supervised online tests will take place in the last 3 weeks of Term 2 and the first week of Term 3.

• All participating students will receive a certificate.

• There is a prize awarded to the top student nationally in each competition.

• Cost $10.00 each to sit per competition.

• Entry fees paid into the school bank account by Friday, April 11, 2025.

Internet banking: Wairakei School BOT - 03 0418 0145370 00. Use KIWI as reference.

Please complete the form if you wish your child to complete the Kiwi 2025 competitions by Wednesday, April 11, 2025.

Any questions, please contact Paula Farquhar.

Items needed for a classroom

The school is looking for these items for a child that needs a special programme. If you have them, please send them to the school office. If you would like them back, just add your name and we will return them at the end of the year.

• Dolls and dress-up clothes

• Small fold-up style pushchair dolls size and small child size one

• Stacking cups

• Shape sorting toys 

• Wooden shape puzzles with knobs 

• Peg and hammer toy

• Busy boards or books with locks, zips, sliders etc.

• Books with textures in them

• Kitchen play items

• Toy kitchen

• Large-sized jigsaw puzzles

Parent Teacher Discussions

Parent teachers discussions are being held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 starting at 12.30 p.m. If you are able to pick up your child/ren at midday, we would greatly appreciate that. School is open and supervision will be in place for the afternoon. Buses will still operate on the day.

To book in, please use the following link and code 28wgu. 

Website is www.schoolinterviews.co.nz.

No child can be sent to the village playground or down the road. Village families can send a written note or email to the class teacher.

Important Dates

Friday April 11

There will be no buses running that day due to a large event in town. School is still open. 

Teacher Only Day

All teachers will be participating in a teacher only day focussing on Mathematics on Monday, June 16, 2025. We will be joined by other schools across the town. There will be no supervision for students on that day. 

Missing Sport Uniforms

After checking the uniforms returned from the 2024 seasons, the following items are still outstanding. We require these for our 2025 winter sport teams.

Touch Rugby

Yellow Numbers - 10, 17, 18, 30, 36, 37, 45, 63, 79, 

White Numbers -  6, 17, 27, 28, 44, 45,  53, 54, 

Hockey Number 74

Netball  Number 12 Top and Skirt - Wairakei Stars

             Number 23 Top and Skirt - Wairakei Heat

             Number 49 Top and Skirt - Wairakei Storm

This is a really important notice. If we do not get the shirts back, we will not be able to send out a full set of uniforms for the upcoming season. I am considering putting in a bond for each uniform we give out and you get your money back when you return the shirt. We need your help with this urgently.

Twilight Gala Ideas for 2026

Both the PTA and I are seeking low-investment, high-return fundraising activities for next year's Twilight Gala. Current considerations include Jolly Jars and Year 6 stalls. Additional suggestions or experiences with similar successful activities at other events would be valuable to share with the PTA.

If you have ideas or have seen some of these types of activities at other events, can you please let me know and I will pass them on to the PTA. Should you be keen to offer sponsorship, we will welcome your ideas.

Mā te wā

Paula