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Connect Communication
22 April 2026
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Welcome back to a blast of winter. A very special welcome to the new families joining our school community this week. We also have two new teachers. In Hikuwai, we welcome Whaea Jamie-lee and in Teretere, Whaea Nicole. All newbies will be welcomed at our mihi whakatau on Friday morning at 9:15. You are more than welcome to join us and sit in the tangata whenua seating with staff.
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Congratulations to Whaea Sarah and Whaea Abi, who were awarded their Master's of Teaching and Learning during the term break.
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On the last day of Term 1, I had the pleasure of working with Principal Asher as he joined me as ‘principal for the day’. This is a prize offered in the THT Quiz night auction. He was accompanied for parts of the day by his deputies, Nolan and Charlie. They had a wonderful day that included: attending hui, preparing Easter treats for staff, meeting about the uniform, a meeting at a local cafe and planning for a new playground.
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Being the Principal by Asher
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We went in Whaea Claire’s electric car, and we went to The Pantry. I had juice and had some lolly cake with sprinkles on top. My deputy principals were Charlie and Nolan. Next, we made Easter presents for the teachers. We looked at playground equipment for our new playground.
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The last job was writing this report for the newsletter.
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On Saturday, a number of our students will be taking part in the Lincoln ANZAC Service. This runs from 2-3pm at the Lincoln war memorial (outside the Events Centre on the rugby clubrooms side). Please feel free to join us.
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Te Hapori Tautoko THT is having difficulty recruiting new volunteers. This is a fabulous way to become part of the school community. Our next meeting is 7pm, in the staffroom on May 7th. More information is further down in the newsletter.
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Berry Street Education Model | BSEM
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Ararira is implementing the Berry Street Education Model across the school. In a nutshell, it is about getting children to experience a sense of belonging, be able to notice their readiness to learn and know what they can do about that. We have a parent update that gives more details about this, further on in the newsletter. We will hold an information evening later in the term.
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These are being held at various times over the term. Hikuwai 3 and 5 are this week, the rest of Hikuwai, Teretere, Huarapa and Pūrei next week and Kaunuku later in the term. We will resend information home asking you to pick your children up at 1:30pm on Thursday, 30th April, if you can. This allows us to start meeting with families at 2pm and provide enough slots for classes with more children.
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From the Office
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School Jersey, Cardigan, Sports Top Re-Stock
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We have now received a fresh delivery of jerseys, cardigans and sports tops. These are available for purchase via the Kindo app.
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Please ensure you bring your child in to try on our samples prior to purchasing to ensure you order the correct size.
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Orders will be processed and sent home with students as soon as possible.
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While New Zealand law requires a helmet to be worn when riding a bike, there is currently no legal requirement for scooters. However, we strongly recommend that all children wear a helmet when riding their scooters to, from, and at school.
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Scooters can reach significant speeds, and a simple tumble can lead to a serious head injury.
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Descriptive Writing from Hikuwai 2
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Hikuwai 2 have been working on descriptive writing. A couple of great pieces to share from their picture motivation.
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I can see a big sloth in a big green tree. I can see a lake sliding through the furry animals. I can hear the snake slithering on the bumpy brown rocks. I can hear the waterfall sliding off the rocky stones. I can smell the dirty brown water. I can feel lots of cheetahs and they feel like carpet. By Lucas
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I can see the beautiful waterfall rushing down the hill. The hill is as big as a house. I can hear the birds chirping. They’re as loud as an earthquake. I can smell the very sweet fruit growing off the trees. I can taste the really cold water. It is as cold as ice. I can feel the soft animals. By Reuben
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IMPORTANT DATES
- 24 April - Mihi Whakatau, 9.15am in the Hall
- 27 April - ANZAC Day, School Closed
- 29 April - Hoods Up for Autism (wear a hoody with or without your uniform), gold coin donation appreciated
- 29 April - Learning Conversations, 3.15-8pm
- 30 April - 1.30pm Finish for Yr 1-6 due to Learning Conversations (Yr 7-8 will go to Tech as usual)
- 30 April - Learning Conversations, 2-6.30pm
- 07 May - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 08 May - ASP Cross Country
- 08 May - THT Disco (details below)
- 12 May - LHS Open Day (details above)
- 13 May - School Board Meeting, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 10 June - Yr 7-8 Learning Conversations, 3:15-8:00pm
- 11 June - Yr 7-8 Learning Conversations, 2:00-6:30pm
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School Board
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Next meeting Wednesday 13 May, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
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Next meeting - 07 May, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko | THT is an amazing part of the your school community serving your children. The te reo Māori translation is ‘community support group’ and that is exactly what it does. THT supports the school and the community in many ways;
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- events for children; discos, movie nights, sausage sizzles
- events for parents; Quiz night, meet and greets
- community events; matariki celebration
- fundraising
- supporting the Ararira team with morning teas and gifts
- providing second-hand uniform
- supporting some school meetings and events
- funding non-budgeted items for the children: kapa haka uniform, sports equipment.
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This has been achieved by a large number of dedicated parents. However, we have found it very difficult to recruit new members, and the THT is in danger of not being able to carry on.
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The commitment of members is varied. There are only two meetings per term, which run from 7-8 pm and are held in the staffroom. For our two bigger events (Matariki and Quiz Night), we have smaller sub-committees that meet as required, and we encourage all our members to be a part of planning either event of their choosing. People put their hands up to help with other events where and when they can.
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The next meeting is on 7th May, 7pm, in the staffroom. Our AGM and second Term 2 meeting is also the AGM on June 10th. We will need a new President. Liberty is stepping down as her son is in his last year at school. We need new members if the group is to continue. It is a wonderful way to be part of the community and meet others, particularly if you are new to Lincoln.
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Our school mission is Maku e whakatika - It starts with me! It starts with all of us stepping in and making things happen. Follow your child’s lead and join THT for them. It’s our community, our school, for our kids.
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Welcome back to what promises to be a very busy and exciting sporting term. Please take note of the following dates for the upcoming term. These can also be found on the Sports Website.
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We will be hosting our annual cross-country event on the 8th of May. The Year 4-6 event will run from 11:45am until lunch time, and the Year 7/8‘s will run after lunch at 1:30pm. Please feel free to come down and watch, and if you can marshal on the day, please email me with your child’s name and class so I can make sure you are marshalling in the correct race. Below is a map of where our tamariki will be running on the day.
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Volunteers throughout the term
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The Year 7-8 students will be taking part in the Koru Games this year. Children have been given the sports that we will be entering teams in, and are busy building their teams. They will need parent managers for the 3 days that the competition runs. They will be bringing home an application form to be completed by all managers for the team if you are able to help out on one or more of the days. Children have been given the information needed to create a team.
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Are excited to offer 19 sports at the 2026 Koru Games, providing opportunities for students from across the South Island to come together, build connections and enjoy being active in a supportive team environment, right here in Selwyn! Each sport is designed to encourage teamwork, participation and connection.
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The sports included in 2026 will be Badminton, Basketball, Boccia, Dodgeball, Football, Futsal, Goalball, Hockey, Kī-o-Rahi, Korfball, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Pickleball, Rip Rugby, Table Tennis, Touch, Ultimate (frisbee), Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball. All sports will be hosted at venues across the Selwyn District, including Lincoln, Rolleston and Lincoln University.
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Ki-o-Rahi training with Jacob from Selwyn Sport Trust.
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If your child is competing in a sport outside of Ararira and you would like to share their successes, please send a photo of your child to me along with a blurb about the sport they are doing, so I can print it and add it to the wall display outside the office.
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Congratulations - Lucy Brings Home Silver!
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Well done to Lucy and her duet partner Matthew who placed second in the Youth Mixed Duet at the Australian National and Oceania Artistic Swimming Championships in Sydney over the term break. This is a massive achievement given they are a new duet pairing and have only been training this routine since October.
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Mixed Duet routines embody the performance side of Artistic Swimming and a true connection and story between the two swimmers should be clear for the judges to see - Lucy and Matthew nailed this!
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Lucy swims for Selwyn Artistic Swimming and their head coach Chantelle Murray choreographed a beautiful routine. A very proud moment seeing them on the same podium used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The early mornings, hours of training and Lucy's dedication really paid off.
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The closing date for Issue 3 is 26 June 2026.
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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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Berry Street Education Model BSEM at Ararira - Nicky Harding and Claire Howison At Ararira Springs, we are committed to fostering a learning environment where every child feels safe, supported, and ready to thrive. To support this, our kura has adopted the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) - a trauma-informed, strengths-based framework designed to boost student wellbeing, engagement, and academic …
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Attendance Monitoring at Ararira The government has publicly stated that it wishes to lift attendance rates at New Schools so 80% of all children are attending 90% of the time by 2030. We have set this as a target for our kura|school in 2026. All schools are required to have an attendance management plan (AMP) in place that follows stepped …
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2025 End of Year Progress Graphs The end-of-year progress graphs for students (English Year 0-6 and Maths Year 0-8) will be live on Friday, 12 December. English progress in Years 7-8 will be released in a statement at the bottom of Year 7-8 children's reading and writing comments. The Overall Teacher Judgements (OTJs) regarding progress that your child will receive …
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