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Connect Communication
15 October 2025
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Welcome to Term 4, and a very warm extra welcome to the families who have joined us this term. It is this time of year when we start looking forward to the year ahead. Teachers are working on reports and thinking about the best placements for learners for 2026.
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As a growing school, we have the added complication of year groups being different sizes, and this has a big impact on the best way to organise the classes. We also have to work out the best place to locate teams and groups of learners. Our plan for 2026 is as follows:
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Year 0/1 – starting with four classes
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Teretere & Pūtahi (library)
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Children will be asked for friends they wish to be with next year. If there are factors you would like us to consider, please email the ako teacher and cc in Claire, the Principal. Please note, we can't accommodate requests for specific teachers. We will let you know who is teaching where in a few weeks.
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Awesome learning in Hikuwai 1
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Last week Hk1 had a Zoom with Abbas Nazari (author) who talked to the children about arriving in New Zealand as an eight year old refugee. The children asked some amazing questions to get a better understanding as to what this was like. Hikuwai 1 children are collecting good quality books and toys for refugee children who arrive in New Zealand with very little. If you would like to donate an item, please bring it to Hikuwai 1 (Whaea Deb)
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A very heartfelt thank you to Richard Clark, who has been our Friday road patrol parent for the last 7 years. That is an amazing gift of time to the kura and a contribution to ensuring our children cross safely. Thank you, Richard, your gift of time is much appreciated!
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Kāhui Ako (Communities of Learners) are being disestablished at the end of the year. Ngā Matapuna o Ngā Pākihi remains committed to working together. The principals of the schools in the area will continue to meet regularly and seek opportunities for learning for our ākonga | students and kaiako | teachers.
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The schools in our kāhui are: Ararira, Broadfield, Ladbrooks, Lincoln Primary, Lincoln High School, Prebbleton, Springston and Tai Tapu. The new Prebbleton School is also likely to join us.
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The team are excited to bring you a production of the Magic Atlas later in the term. This will allow other curriculum areas to come to the fore and learning will also be woven through literacy lessons where appropriate. The links for tickets and information is further down in the newsletter.
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Have a great few weeks and hopefully I see you at the gate or the crossing before then!
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From the Office
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Hats Reminder – Terms 4 & 1
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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Reminder for Parents: Possible Strike Action – Thursday, 23rd October
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A reminder that NZEI, the union representing many of our principals, teachers, and support staff, has given notice of possible strike action on Thursday, 23rd October.
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If the strike goes ahead, we will have very limited staff on site, as most of our team will be participating in the strike. The school will be closed. We are able to offer supervision only — and only for students who have no other care options.
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If your child needs supervision on the 23rd, please make sure you complete this form by Monday, 20th October. This helps us ensure we have enough staff to supervise safely.
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Thank you for your understanding and support.
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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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🌿 Brie’s Kiwi Summer Story in BIRKENSTOCK
We’re delighted to share a wonderful video featuring Brie (one of our dedicated school parents) and several of our students: Brie’s Kiwi Summer Story in BIRKENSTOCK. Brie is a passionate conservationist who leads by example — her goal is to help children plant native trees in their neighbourhoods and foster a greener future.
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We hope you enjoy this inspiring glimpse into community, nature, and the next generation’s role in caring for our land.
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Ararira School Production - ‘The Magic Atlas’
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Our school production is on Tuesday 2nd of December at Lincoln Events Centre. This is a day of celebrating music, dance and drama as our students travel the world to discover a variety of cultures.
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- The Year 0-3 production is from 1pm - 2:30pm
- The Year 4-8 production is from 6:30pm-8pm
Tickets may be purchased through Kindo and are available until Tuesday 25th November.
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Please be aware tickets are limited to 2 tickets per student per performance, due to capacity limits of the venue. If there are further tickets available, these will be released closer to the date. Please ensure that you are booking tickets for the correct show.
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We would love to have some support from the community leading up to the Production. If you are able to assist with costumes or you have some resources at home you think could be useful, please talk to your child’s ako teacher.
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IMPORTANT DATES
- 15 October - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 22 October - Family Time in the Library, 8.30-9am
- 23 October - Strike Day - TBC
- 24 October - Hui (Hikuwai), 9.15am in the Hall
- 24 October - Curiosity Clubs, 11.45am-12.45pm
- 27 October - Labour Day (school closed)
- 29 October - Family Time in the Library, 8.30-9am
- 29 October - School Board Meeting, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 31 October - Curiosity Clubs, 11.45am-12.45am
- 05 November - School photos
- 07 November - Hui (Kaunuku), 9.15am in the Hall
- 14 November - Show Day (school closed)
- 02 December - The Magic Atlas School Production
- 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 29 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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Welcome back to Term 4! We are nearing the end of the sporting calendar and will be looking for volunteers to help out and a couple more events for the year. Please see the events timetable below. If you know you are able to assist with the Zones Athletics or our school Swim Sports, please email me and let me know.
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We will be hiring a bus to transport our athletes to the zones. I will need parent helpers who will be managing children or helping out at the track events on the day. Please let me know if you are able to help with this. I need a minimum of 4 parents to assist.
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Don’t forget to keep an eye on our What’s Coming Up page on the ASP Sports Website. Here you can find all the information on all the sports events for the year.
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The closing date for Issue 7 is 05 December 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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Rolleston Rotary Club, the Selwyn and Rolleston Lions Clubs and Property Brokers, will be doing ‘Toot for Tucker’ on the evening of Wednesday, 12th November 2025 in Lincoln between 6pm and 7:30pm.
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The purpose of Toot for Tucker is to collect much needed donations of non-perishable and sealed food and toiletry items which will then be distributed to Selwyn Foodbanks. All donations stay in the Selwyn District.
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A group of volunteers (along with local Emergency services and/or armed forces) will drive along the Lincoln streets and toot their horns so people know to come out to their letterbox with any donations they may have.
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This is a charitable initiative that has been successful around the world including locally, in Rolleston & Lincoln (since 2020) and Christchurch.
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We’re excited to share our FREE online Selwyn SafeZone SAFETY magazine with you.
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The publication is aimed at primary aged Tamariki and we thank Safekids Aotearoa (Starship Digital and Community Engagement) for editorial.
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Our shared vision is that every child in Selwyn Region and Aotearoa New Zealand enjoys a childhood free from traumatic, unintentional injury
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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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