Week 5 Term 1, 2026

Junior Playground

Exciting news. The junior playground has an installation date in June. The old playground is coming out, and the new one is being installed. I could share the design with you, but that would ruin the excitement and intrigue. 

The PTA and school need your help and support. On the school Facebook page is a thank you to Grassroots Trust and First Light Community Foundation. Liking the school page, sharing the school page and liking their pages goes a long way to getting more grants for the senior playground.

Individuals or businesses can also donate to this fundraising effort. The more funds we can raise, the faster we can get this done. You can tell this is a focus of mine. By donating to the playground via the PTA or the School directly, you can support the efforts of the PTA and the work they have done so far. Happy to chat anytime about the donations.

When you donate, we will put your name or logo on the surrounds of the playground, send you a receipt for your tax return, ensure you are invited to the playground opening and have the first play on them, when finished. 

There is a campaign running to get more people onto the PTA and to attend the AGM. It is time to be a part of something special that is quintessential Wairakei. It's fun, it's engaging, and it's for your children. Sign on to the directory so we can communicate with you about upcoming events.

In discussion with the PTA, we have postponed the Summer Picnic/Gala until we have more members and can set out a plan of events for the year.

Education Review Office at Wairakei

From March 25 - 26, 2026, ERO is visiting and checking on what we are doing in the classrooms for learning. There will be a parent meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 2.30 p.m. You get to talk to ERO about the school and what we do. They will listen and add your thoughts and feedback to the evidence that feeds the final report.

Board Update

At the meeting, held on February 17, 2026, Andy Bedford was elected as Presiding Member. Chris Te Whare has resigned from the board after 10 years of service to the school.

Fixed Date Calendar

The teachers and I have been working on fixing dates for the events that occur during the year. A one-page for your fridge! The aim is to have this sent out in paper form, and then it will also be downloadable from the website in case it falls off the fridge.

Alternative Sporting Events

There have been some requests for the school to register students in additional external events, like mountain biking, for example. This is a parent thing. Parents can use the school to advertise the events, and are welcome to reach out to check the Wairakei involvement. 

Camp Week

Always a highlight. Lots of interesting activities were run during the school day for students to engage in. Photos of the Year 5 and 6 overnights were shared along with the day-to-day photos of those back at school. One of our board members took the overhead photo of the school with the tents on the field. It has been very warmly received by the community based on the number of likes and positive comments.

Support Staff Week

This week is about acknowledging all the additional staff who work in the school: office staff, teacher aides and Jeni the Caretaker. There is always an internal acknowledgement – the teachers handle that. This year, I thought the community might like to send in some feedback to these unsung heroes of the school. You can send me your comments and feedback, and I will make sure they are received on Friday.

Road Crossing

I had the pleasure of working with the road patrollers last week, along with the School Community Officer (SCO). The students did a re-training, which they all passed. They also provided some feedback to the SCO.

Here are some of the things they said

• The cars go too fast through the crossing

• An older lady pulled the finger at me when I asked her to use the crossing

• Parents drag their children across the road and do not use the crossing

• People go down the hill so they can’t be seen

• Cars are parked where we need to look to make sure it is safe.

Vacancy

Health New Zealand Lakes Taupō/Tūrangi Dental Team are seeking an Oral Health Promoter to join their vibrant team.

Link here: https://wairakeitaupo.school.nz/vacancies

Ngā mihi nui

Paula