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Connect Communication
29 July 2026
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A very warm welcome to the staff and whānau joining us this term. It was a pleasure welcoming you at our mihi whakatau on Friday. Matua Rob (McInnes) is our new caretaker, Whaea Sophie is in Teretere 6, Whaea Lauren in Pūrei 1 & Whaea Kayla is a part-time teacher working in Teretere and Hikuwai.
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Our term has started well, children have arrived rested, happy and ready to learn. I had a wonderful break in Bali with family. A highlight was making silver jewellery and spending time with extended family. Of course 9 days in 29 degrees and swimming wasn’t too bad either!
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We are in the midst of a fabulous Book Week. This has been largely organised by our wonderful librarian Whaea Charlotte. We had a performance today, children have book-related activities dotted through the day and the week culminates in a book character day on Friday. Thanks Charlotte for your hard work and sharing your love of literature with us.
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Last week we had an incident with a person approaching a child. On Friday, a child reported that an adult said he would ride home with him (on a bike). This happened on the traffic island we monitor on Southfield Drive. Whānau reported it to the Police and us. Police will patrol the area as a precaution, but this is a timely reminder. If your child is old enough or responsible enough to walk home alone it would be worth discussing dealing with an approach from people they don’t know.
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This may be in person or, in this digital & AI world we live in, may be online. Some reminders;
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Never give out personal information
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Avoid engaging in conversation
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Shout loudly, “ I do not know this person!”
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Have a safe word that the person must share to validate themselves
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Tell a trusted adult, as soon as they get home.
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We have been informed by the council that they are able to install signs and some traffic calming surfacing on Southfield Drive. Our thanks to the Board and Matua Allan for their ongoing advocacy for the safety of our children. We look forward to that work being completed.
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Have a fabulous week, and I will see you at the gate!
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Claire and the Ararira Team
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From the Office
Spare Clothes
Our emergency spare clothes stash is running low on a few items. If you have any spare navy shorts or boys' underwear that your child has grown out of, we’d love to take them off your hands for our emergency supply.
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Friendly Reminder: Please ensure your younger children have a spare set of clothes packed in their school bag every day. They don’t need to be uniform items—just something comfortable that fits in case of a wee accident or messy play.
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Daffodil Day
Let’s brighten up our school for a great cause! Students are invited to dress in yellow (or their school uniform) to support Daffodil Day. If you'd like to support the Cancer Society's vital work, any online donations would be greatly appreciated via our team page: https://www.daffodilday.org.nz/t/ararira-springs-team
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Thank you for your support!
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Thank You!
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A huge thank you to school parent Rachel Grant and Canterbury Sports Wholesale for their generous donation of brand-new basketball nets for our school!
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Kindo Update
Kindo is getting a fresh new look from early August, designed to make paying and completing forms simpler.
Keep an eye out for the update, and check your email for what's new.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4pAel6D
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Important Dates
- 30 July - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
- 31 July - Book Character Dress Up Day (details TBC)
- 04 August - EPro8 Inter-School Competition (Yr 5/6)
- 06 August - Junior Cross Country
- 07 August - Hui (Teretere 3/5), 9.15am in the Hall
- 07 August - THT Movie Night (details below)
- 10 August - Teacher Only Day (school closed to students)
- 12 August - School Board Meeting, 6:30pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
- 14 August - Quiz Hamper Non-Uniform Day - (details TBC)
- 28 August - Daffodil Day (see above)
- 04 September - ASP Quiz Night (tickets on sale via Kindo)
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School Board
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Next meeting Wednesday 12 August, 6.30pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
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Next meeting - 30 July, 7pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT) Update
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There are lots of exciting things happening over the next few weeks, and we'd love you to get involved!
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Join Our THT Team
Have you ever wondered what Te Hapori Tautoko (our PTA) does behind the scenes? We'd love to welcome you to our next meeting! Whether you're a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or another special supporter of an Ararira Springs student, everyone is welcome. There's no obligation—come along, meet the team, hear what we're working on, and see if you'd like to get involved. If you can't make it in person, an online option is available.
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Movie Night – Friday 7 August
Movie Night is back! Grab your PJs, pillow and blanket for a cosy evening in the school hall. The junior movie runs from 5.00–6.30pm (doors open 4.45pm), and the senior movie from 7.00–8.30pm (doors open 6.45pm). The movie is a surprise, so you'll have to wait until the night to find out what's showing! Bring a gold coin donation, a cup or bowl for popcorn, a water bottle, and something comfy to sit on. Please remember that parents and caregivers are required to supervise their children throughout the event.
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Country Quiz Night – Almost Sold Out!
Our biggest fundraiser of the year is filling fast, with only a handful of tables remaining! Gather your friends for an adults-only evening of trivia, laughter, great food and fundraising on Friday 4 September. Don't have a team? No problem! We've reserved two community tables for individual ticket holders, making it a great opportunity to meet other school families. Tickets are available now through Kindo—but be quick before they're gone!
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And just like that, we are halfway through 2026! This term takes things a little slower as we prepare for our winter sports competition and our school and zone athletics days in Term 4.
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Below are the upcoming dates for this term:
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Year 5/6 Girls Basketball
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Our Year 5/6 girls basketball team will represent our school at the Primary Sports Canterbury competition on the 19th of August. We are looking for parents who are willing to manage the team and transport the girls, as there are only 6 in the team. If you are able to assist please contact Whaea Meeghan as soon as possible.
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On the 25th of August, I will be taking two Year 5/6 and two Year 7/8 netball and rugby teams to the Zones competition at the Lincoln Domain. I have one parent who has offered to take a Year 5/6 netball team. Ideally, I am looking for a parent to manage/coach each team on the day. At this point, refs will be provided for all teams; however, if you are volunteering to coach a rugby team, you must have completed the Small Blacks training. Please contact Whaea Meeghan if you are able to help on the day.
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Here’s to a great Term 3!
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The closing date for Issue 5 is 18 September 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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Grow in confidence and shine on stage!
Join us on Fridays from 3.15pm–4.15pm for drama and musical theatre classes! Our students will build confidence, creativity and performance skills while preparing for our end-of-year production. Previous productions have been at the Christchurch Town Hall, The Arts Centre, and Majestic.
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Mid-Year Reports: Live in Week 11 Reports will contain the following information in Reading, Writing and Maths: A narrative about your child’s learning (what they can do) Next steps How you can help at home A progress descriptor describing your child’s current ability to work within their year level content. Sliders for each element of Reading and Writing, and each …
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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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