|
Connect Communication
03 September 2025
|
|
|
|
It is the time of year when we turn our heads towards planning for 2026. In order to help with our planning, if you know your child will NOT be returning to Ararira please let the class teacher or office know as soon as possible.
|
|
|
|
Additionally, if you know of families moving into the area, please get them to complete an enrollment form.
|
Education has had a high profile in the media recently. Changes and announcements are coming through thick and fast. Often, we hear the news at the same time as the rest of the public! We are given a very short window to respond to consultation requests. NCEA is under review and the changes will have a big impact on your children. The proposed focus is narrowed and seems like a a return to a system from long ago. Here is a link to information and consultation.
|
Most recently was the discussion about the change to modern learning environments but the information has been misleading. Collaborative spaces will still be an option. New spaces could be flexible with breakout spaces rather than the 'barns' referenced in sound bytes.
|
Our new build is due to start in term 4. This will be a similar format to the spaces in Huarapa. The biggest difference to children's learning is the quality of teaching. Great teachers design learning to create best outcomes for children, regardless of the type of space they are in. Flexible learning spaces mean teaching is visible and teachers are able to collaborate and share strengths.
|
|
Single cell classes are not a golden bullet. It is the teacher that makes the difference, NOT the space. Sometimes it is hard to know what happens behind the closed door of a single cell classroom. Fortunately, we have a team of fabulous teachers at Ararira.
|
|
|
|
Attendance is also in the spotlight as the MoE strives to reach its target of 80% of students attending school regularly 90% of the time by 2030. Our biggest barrier to this is holidays in term time. This is shown as an unjustified absence. If you are heading away on holiday we ask you put this request in writing to the principal. Another concern is the cumulative impact of sickness. We have some learners where attendance is around 70 - 75% and this equates to a whole term off school by the end of the year. If this pattern continues through a child's school they may miss years of schooling!
|
|
|
|
Thanks for your support of our teachers as they attended their paid union meetings last week. Teaching is a role where there is a huge personal investment; it isn't a job, it is who we are. When education is under scrutiny and change, it can seem like our ability to do our job is being questioned. We ask if you might consider signing a petition to support our claims. It isn't just a pay increase to keep in line with inflation that we are after, it is support for high quality early childhood teaching, a continued focus on te tiriti and ensuring that ALL children get the learning and support they need.
|
Finally a HUGE THANK YOU to the THT team responsible for our wonderful quiz night. This was a night of fun and dancing. The dress ups were amazing and everyone got into the spirit with the added bonus of raising $10,000 for the development of the site.
|
We are about to start planning for the development of areas of our site. Is this an area where you feel like you could offer your support? If so, please email office@ararira.school.nz and we put you into our working group.
|
I am now off to the Wolfbrook Arena to support Whaea Alison and our children participating in their first Strum, Strike Blow event. I will will let you know all about this next time.
|
|
Until then, mā te wa (and don't forget to vote!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS - Have you voted yet?
|
|
Election packs were emailed out on 13th August from Election Pilot (noreply@electionpilot.nz).
|
|
Please check your inbox (and your spam) for this important email containing your unique code and details of our candidates and voting instructions.
|
|
27% of our parents have voted - that leaves 73% of you whose votes have not yet been counted.
|
|
|
|
|
YOUR VOTE MATTERS TO OUR TAMARIKI!
|
|
If you received a postal pack, you can return your sealed envelope to the office by 4pm on Wednesday 10th September.
|
|
|
|
|
As we approach the end of Term 3, our planning for 2026 begins!
|
|
Please let us know if your child won't be returning to Ararira in 2026 by emailing office@ararira.school.nz as we will be starting planning our teaching teams and classes very soon.
|
|
|
|
Out of Zone Places for 2026 -
|
|
Have you moved out of Ararira Springs zone since your eldest child enrolled and now have a younger sibling who you need to apply for an out of zone space for in 2026? Please fill out this form before FRIDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER to enable our Board to decide how many places we can offer in 2026.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IMPORTANT DATES
- 03 September - Strum, Strike, Blow Concert, 7-8.30pm
- 04 September - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 05 September - Curiosity Clubs 11.45am-12.45pm
- 09 September - Sausage Sizzle Yr 7/8 Camp Fundraiser (see below)
- 10 September - School Board Voting Closes
- 10 September - Child Cancer Foundation Wig/Wacky Hair Wednesday (gold coin)
- 10 September - Family Time in the Library, 8.30-9am
- 10 September - School Board Meeting, 6-7.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 11 September - Mini Music Showcase, 5pm in the Hall
- 12 September - Hui (Teretere), 9.15am in the Hall
- 12 September - Curiosity Clubs 11.45am-12.45pm
- 15 September - Te Wiki o te reo Māori begins
- 17 September - Family Time in the Library, 8.30-9am
- 19 September - Last Day of Term 3
- 06 October - First Day of Term 4
- 02 February - First day of Term 1, 2026
|
|
|
|
School Board
|
|
Next meeting 10 September, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
|
|
Kia ora koutou, this term we are reviewing our policies on student wellbeing and safety, and we would love your feedback on Food and Nutrition, Police Vetting and the Missing Student procedure. You can log in to our policies at https://ararira.schooldocs.co.nz. Our username is ararira and password russdrive. Click on the Current Review tab at the top of the screen then scroll down to find the links to the individual policy reviews.
|
Please provide your feedback by Tuesday 9 September so that it can be reviewed and actioned by the board at its next meeting.
|
|
Note that you can also provide feedback on any policy at any time by going to the policy and clicking on the green feedback bubble on the right of the screen.
|
|
|
Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
|
|
Next meeting 04 September, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
|
|
Ararira Springs Quiz Night Raises approximately $10,000!
|
A huge thank you to everyone who made our 2025 Quiz Night a massive success! With support from over 60 local businesses, we raised approximately $10,000 (with a final tally still to be completed) for our tamariki.
|
|
Special thanks to our Platinum Sponsor Challenge Lincoln, and Gold Sponsors Ray White Selwyn, Cookie Time, and The Mortgage Girls for their generous support.
|
The Kiwiana-themed night was full of fun, with “Good Try Pork Pie” taking out the quiz title and “Four Canal” and “Yeah Nah Maybe” winning Best Dressed. Our quiz master Chris Seller kept the crowd entertained throughout the night with his clever questions and non-stop energy.
|
|
Ngā mihi nui to all who contributed — we couldn’t have done it without you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canterbury Netball and Hockey Competition
|
Our Year 7/8 Hockey team and our Year 8 Netball team will be taking part in the Canterbury competition on the 11th of September. Thank you to all our parents who have volunteered to coach, manage, and transport our tamariki to the event.
|
|
Ararira Springs Athletics Day (Years 4-8)
|
We will be holding our first Athletics Day on the 18th of September. All children in Years 4-8 will be taking part in the event. This event will select the top two boys and girls in Years 5-8, from each event, to participate in the Zones competition next term. Year 4 children will take part but will not participate in the Zones just yet! If you are able to help out on the day please contact Whaea Meeghan so she can add you to our list of helpers.
|
|
Selwyn Hawks Basketball - Miniball for Year 3 and 4
|
The Selwyn Hawks are offering Miniball for Y3/4 students in Term 4, which is fast approaching! This competition is a 3v3 format so teams of 4-5 are ideal. They will provide referees who offer support to players and it is a great start to basketball. The competition starts on 3rd November and runs for 6 weeks on a Monday from 3:30-5:30pm. If you are keen to enter and manage a team please contact Whaea Meeghan with names of the coach and team members.
|
|
Keep an eye out for new sports or events on our What’s coming up page on the sports website. Different sporting codes often send us information about their activities throughout the year. There are girls’ rugby days, and softball have a go days on offer at the moment!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The closing date for Issue 6 is 19 September 2025.
|
|
|
|
All orders will be delivered to school in batches and distributed to the classrooms as they arrive. Any orders marked as gifts, we will put to one side and contact you when they are ready to be collected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Katrina Robinson has been teaching guitar and ukulele now for a number of years at schools and also from her home. She loves to sing too and is a professional musician playing in wineries and cafés as well as weddings and private functions. Katrina likes to make her lessons fun and really enjoys teaching. You can read more information on Katrina at www.thesingingdiva.co.nz
|
|
Spaces are available for 2025!
|
|
|
|
|
Singing Stars Musical Theatre and Drama Classes
|
|
|
Attendance at Ararira
|
|
|
The Importance of Attendance We all recognise that education is the pathway to the future. The key to educational success relies on being present at school. Consistent routines and practice are a big component of learning. Neurological pathways in our brains require repetitive exposure to strengthen and cement learning and develop mastery. We also create these neural pathways for resilience, …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Te Mātaiaho | The New Zealand Curriculum Curriculum Update - English, Term 3, 2025 Kia ora, Earlier this year, we held a successful whānau hui regarding the refreshed Maths curriculum for Phases 1-3 (Year 0-8). We are unfortunately still waiting on Phase 3 (Year 7-8) of the English curriculum, which is due to be released in Term 4 of this …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Parent Portal Released The Ministry of Education has released a parent portal to help whānau partner with schools to support their child's education. From Minister Stanford: "Education is a partnership of what happens in the classroom and what happens at home. Parents, caregivers, and whānau play an important role in supporting their child’s learning and development. The new webspace …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2025 Reporting Update - What it means for your child As 2025 marks the transition to the refreshed English and Maths curricula, both Ararira Springs and the Ministry of Education (MOE) are closely monitoring student progress to ensure a smooth and effective change. Thanks to our ongoing professional development and early use of structured literacy and maths practices, we are …
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
