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Connect Communication
17 September 2025
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At the end of our last newsletter, I was heading to Wolfbrook Arena to attend the Strum, Strike Blow concert. What a fabulous event and congratulations to Whaea Alison and the marimba group for their involvement. The 'all girl' group looked to be having a blast!
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The marimba group also performed at our recent mini music evening. This was coordinated by Whaea Angela and it was heartwarming to see our budding musicians have their time to shine. Children sang, played the guitar and drums. We look forward to being able to provide more space for music lessons when our new build is complete.
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Last Wednesday, local mana whenua, school members, Ministry and the building team met to bless the ground with a karakia whaka wātea. Fencing and site containers will be moved into place over the next few weeks and construction is due to start in Term 4. Space for twelve classes and two Waitaha classes is being provided.
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Congratulations to Whaea Larissa and her enviro leaders who, with Springston School, received a conservation award last week. This is to recognise the sign erected at the springs to protect our local tuna. Kei reira katoa | fabulous work. It was great to collaborate with another school on a project that brought the children together.
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On Friday we are holding our final hui for the term at the slightly later time of 10am. We are saying goodbye to two teachers who have both been with us for 6 of our 7 years open and have had a significant impact on the hearts and minds of our tamariki.
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Whaea Sam is stepping back from full time work to focus on being a Mum to baby Daphne. She has been at Ararira since day one and has worked with many children in Year 5-8. Sam will return as a reliever in 2026. Whaea Carolyn is heading off to Te Rau Horopito, the newest Rolleston School. Carolyn has been with us since our second year and has taught every level from Year 2-8! She has had a big impact in the areas of culturally responsive pedagogies and has shared amazing inquiries into teaching practice with us. We wish these amazing wahine | women the very best in all that lays ahead for them.
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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 and the office know as soon as possible. Additionally, if you know of families moving into the area, please get them to complete an enrolment form. Having this information now helps us plan for the right class structure and ensures the Ministry knows about our growth.
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Congratulations to our newly elected Board members. David Fitchett, Mia Valerio-Meek and Che Kingi were all re-elected for another term. With myself, they will be joined by Ioana Jones, George Bell and Shelley Smith (our staff elected representative). Full results are available in the school office and further information will be added to the website. Our deepest thanks to all parents who put themselves forward for the Board.
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Tomorrow is our inaugral Ararira Athletics day and Whaea Meeghan has been instrumental in making that happen. Please pop down and enjoy the events with us. If I don't see you then, have a great break and I look forward to connecting next term.
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Keeping Maths Strong
Maths across our Kāhui Ako continues to be in a strong place. While we’ve been making some use of the government-issued workbooks, they haven’t slowed down the authentic, engaging teaching that is happening in classrooms every day. Our focus remains on making maths meaningful, enjoyable, and connected to real life - not just filling in pages.
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Teacher Growth
Our teachers have also been continuing their professional learning with an emphasis on balanced programmes and contextual learning. This means children are experiencing maths in a variety of ways; through explicit teaching, hands-on problem solving, and activities that connect with their world. At the same time, teachers are becoming more familiar with the new curriculum. The biggest shift here is that achievement goals have been expanded or made more complex at each phase. While this sounds like “more to do,” it’s also giving us clearer markers to support every learner’s progress.
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Starting Early With ECE
Another exciting area of work has been with our early childhood centres. A recent survey of new entrant teachers highlighted that many of our youngest learners are arriving at school unsure about making mistakes and not yet seeing maths as something to enjoy. We’ve picked up this challenge, working with ECE educators to nurture positive maths mindsets right from the start.
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Why Mistakes Matter
Why is this important? Because children who value mistakes as part of learning are much more likely to take risks, problem solve, and grow their confidence in maths. Building that love of learning early makes a huge difference later on, not just in maths but across all areas of school and life.
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Looking Ahead
Together, across schools and early learning, we’re committed to helping every child in Ngā Mātāpuna o ngā pākihi Kāhui Ako see themselves as capable, curious, and confident mathematicians.
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Growing a love of maths, one child at a time.
Sarah Walls
Across School Lead in Maths for Ngā Mātāpuna o Ngā Pākihi Kāhui Ako
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From the Office
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If you know of any families moving into our school zone, please encourage them to visit our website and complete the enrolment form as soon as possible. Early enrolment helps us plan ahead and ensure we have the right staffing in place to support all our students.
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Hero Notifications for Minor Medical Incidents
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We have now enabled Hero notifications for minor medical incidents and injuries that occur during the school day. These notifications are intended as an FYI to keep you informed about less serious matters—such as minor scrapes, bumps, or general first aid attention.
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Please note that in the case of a head knock or any potentially serious injury/illness, we will always contact you directly by phone.
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If you receive a notification and would like further information or clarification, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re always happy to talk things through and ensure you have the full picture.
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As we continue to experience high pollen levels, please ensure that children who suffer from hayfever have taken their medication before coming to school. This helps them stay comfortable and focused during the day, and also eases the impact on the school office, which manages a high volume of related requests.
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Please remember to close all gates securely when entering or leaving the school during school hours. This helps us keep all children safe.
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Hats Reminder – Terms 4 & 1
As we prepare for warmer weather, please remember that all students are required to wear a plain navy blue hat with a brim while playing outside during Terms 4 and 1. Caps are not permitted.
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This helps us ensure sun safety for all children while they are outdoors. Thank you for your support!
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IMPORTANT DATES
- 18 September - ASP Athletics Day (Huarapa, Pūrei and Kaunuku)
- 19 September - Hui (Huarapa 2), 10am in the Hall
- 19 September - Last Day of Term 3
- 06 October - First Day of Term 4
- 10 October - Mihi Whakatau, 9.15am in the Hall
- 13 October - School Board Meeting with Tom Scollard, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 15 October - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 24 October - Hui (Hikuwai), 9.15am in the Hall
- 17 December - Last day of Term 4, school finishes at 1pm
- 02 February - Drop in day (details to come)
- 03 February - First day of Term 1, 2026
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School Board
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Next meeting 13 October, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
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Next meeting 15 October, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Exciting news coming your way!
Your THT is launching something special for our Ararira whānau - parent workshops where our clever community shares knowledge, tips, and maybe has a laugh over our parenting adventures!
Keep an eye on our Facebook Whanau group this week for the full details and a quick survey about what topics would help YOUR family most. From surviving maths homework to managing screen time battles, we want to create workshops that make a difference.
Can’t wait to see what our amazing parent community comes up with together!
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Canterbury Winter Sports Competition
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Congratulations to our Year 8 netball team, who made it to the finals in the Canterbury competition! They played a great game but were beaten by Lincoln Primary School. This was the same school that beat us in the Zones Tournament. However, that does mean that we have the top two schools in Canterbury playing for Lincoln Netball Club, and after attending the awards afternoon on Saturday, we have some incredible talent in our community. Well done, ladies! You should be so proud of yourselves.
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I would like to thank the parents who volunteered to transport, manage, and coach on the day as well as support. Not only our Netball team, but our up-and-coming Hockey team too! They too went to Canterbury Zones and showed our school values of being, curious, caring, and capable. Well done to all who took part!
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Ararira Springs Athletics Day (Years 4-8)
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Tomorrow is our Athletics Day, and the weather is shaping up to be a good one! Thank you to all the parents who put their hands up to volunteer. We cannot do it without you! Check out our next newsletter for pictures, and information on who will be representing us at Zones next term!
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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!
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Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters who volunteered their time this term to help our tamariki achieve on and off the field. We have had a busy term and have represented our school well. We could not be prouder!
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The closing date for Issue 6 is 19 September 2025.
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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.
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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
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Spaces are available for 2025!
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Singing Stars Musical Theatre and Drama Classes
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Attendance at Ararira
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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, …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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