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Connect Communication
12 August 2026
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This week we welcome Laura Cuers to the team. She is joining us as a learning assistant, and we welcome her to the Ararira team.
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Our thanks to the THT members who supported the movie night for our tamariki. What fun to come to school in your PJs at night time. The perfect start to what was for the children, a long weekend!
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Our staff had a wonderful day of learning on Monday. As mentioned, this was a Ministry curriculum day. We focused on research that underpins the curriculum, the science of learning and another core piece of research from Russell Bishop, titled “Teaching from the North East”. In summary, this is the importance of classrooms that reflect high-quality teaching and learning practices & strong relationships with learners. We also spent time looking at assessment for learning and the impact of AI on teaching and learning.
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We are pleased to share the changes that will be implemented near the school.
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Relocation of 30km/h signs to Southfield Dr.
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Installation of speed humps
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Centre lines of Southfield Dr
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Temporary speed humps near Perthshire Cres.
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Linewize, Pulse and Parents Online Safety Portal
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Our Year 4-8 students are using a Linewize tool called Pulse to monitor wellbeing. Our subscription allows parents access to an online safety hub. While it looks like it is ours, the content comes from Linewize. It offers an array of tools and information to support you and develop your understanding of the digital tools that children are using. Via the portal, you can also subscribe to Qustodio for FREE! This allows you to manage your child’s devices from your phone! We will direct you to a different article in each week's newsletter.
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Strategic Plan and Consultation
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Over the next week or so, children will be bringing home a task for you to complete together. This will inform our consultation as the Board begins developing our next Strategic Plan. This will be for the 2027-2028 period to bring us back in line with Board elections. We will also be sharing a survey for you to complete. All information will come via a separate Hero post over the next few weeks.
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I am heading away for a few days next week. I have some days' leave up my sleeve that were held over from my sabbatical. The school will be left in the capable hands of Emma and Donna, and I will return at the end of the week.
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Claire & the Ararira Team
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Uniform Updates
We're pleased to announce that we have added a polar fleece half zip top to our uniform which can be ordered from Argyle Online.
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We do not yet have samples so please use the size guide on Argyle's website.
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For those who are waiting for size 10 polo shirts, we have been advised that they are due to arrive mid-late August.
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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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Congratulations to Harper Clarke from Pūrei Rua who placed joint 3rd in this year's League in Libraries Year 4-6 writing competition. League in Libraries is run by the Warriors Community Foundation where kura throughout Aotearoa submit stories with a focus on the OneNZ Warriors mens and womens teams. The stories are judged by a select panel who are looking for creativity, inclusion of te reo Māori kupu and of course the mighty Wahs. Harper’s story was one of over 700 that were submitted. Tino pai tō tuhituhi, Harper kei te whakahīhī au ki a koe.
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Important Dates
- 12 August - School Board Meeting, 6:30pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
- 14 August - Quiz Hamper Non-Uniform Day - (see below)
- 21 August - Hui (Hikuwai 123), 9.15am in the Hall
- 25 August - Zones Rugby, Netball Tournament
- 27 August - Zones Rugby, Netball Tournament PP
- 28 August - Daffodil Day (see above)
- 04 September - ASP Quiz Night (tickets on sale via Kindo)
- 09 September - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
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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 - 09 September
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7pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
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Quiz Night – Non-Uniform Day This Friday!
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A reminder that this Friday is our Quiz Night Non-Uniform Day! Instead of bringing a gold coin donation, we’re asking students to bring an item that can be used to create our raffle hampers. Think chocolates, treats, pamper items, games, toys or anything that would make a great prize!
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We’re also still looking for larger items, experiences or vouchers for our auction. If you or a local business you know would be able to donate something, we’d love to hear from you.
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Already registered for Quiz Night? Don’t forget to send through your quiz team name to tht@ararira.school.nz.
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And finally… ONLY ONE TABLE LEFT! If you’ve been thinking about getting a team together, now is the time! Quiz Night is on Friday 4 September — country theme, dress-ups encouraged, and a great night out while supporting our school.
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Year 5/6 Girls Basketball Team
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We would like to take this opportunity to wish our Year 5/6 Girls Basketball Team success at the upcoming Canterbury competition. All the best ladies! Thank you to Beth’s mum, Sarah who will be their manager for the day.
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Year 5-8 Zones Rugby and Netball Tournament
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The Zones Rugby/Netball Tournament will be taking place on Tuesday the 25th of August. We are still looking for coaches for our second junior rugby and netball teams. We are also looking for coaches for our senior teams. If you can assist on the day, please let me know via email. (meeghan.herbert@ararira.school.nz)
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This competition will take place across three days in Week 10 of this term. From the 22-24th of September, our students will be at 4 different venues across Selwyn. We are still looking for some parent volunteers to manage the following sports: girls badminton and boys basketball. If you can help, please contact Whaea Meeghan via email. (meeghan.herbert@ararira.school.nz)
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The Weetbix Triathlon registrations are about to open. We have entered the school and you can register your child under our school name with the option of having your child’s race pack delivered to school. As soon as they have sent us the school registration link it will be sent to parents via Hero. Keep a look out for it!
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Junior cricket registrations now open!
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Lincoln Cricket Club is excited to welcome new and returning players for the 2026/27 junior cricket season.
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With options for boys and girls from ages 4 to 13, including hard ball, soft ball, and the fun-filled SmashPlay programme, there’s something for every budding cricketer. All gear is provided, and new players receive a club cap.
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Joining Lincoln Cricket means being part of a supportive, community-focused club with passionate volunteer coaches and a strong emphasis on learning, enjoyment, and teamwork. Find out more about what options are available and then make sure to register before midnight Wednesday 23 September 2026.
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Senior Out of School Sports Achievements
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Our very own Canterbury Champ: Alex Andrews
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Alex took part in the Senior Canterbury Gymnastic Competition. She did extremely well and now holds the title of Senior Canterbury Champion Social Level 6 as well as Canterbury Champ in her level 2 years running! Tino pai, Alex!
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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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Keeping Our Kids Safe Online – Parent Evening with Rob Cope
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We are excited to announce that Prebbleton School has secured acclaimed filmmaker and author Rob Cope to present a powerful parent evening on Keeping Our Kids Safe Online. This will take place on Thursday 13 August @6.30 pm in the Prebbleton School Hall. Please note this is an R18 Event.
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As parents and caregivers, we are all navigating a world that is changing faster than ever. Social media, gaming, messaging apps and online content are now a part of everyday life for our children, and the challenges that come with them cannot be addressed by schools alone. Keeping our children safe online is a community responsibility.
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Rob Cope is one of New Zealand’s leading voices on digital safety and wellbeing. His engaging and highly practical presentation will cover:
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the online issues children are currently facing or will face as they get older
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the risks associated with social media, gaming and digital devices
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what parents and caregivers need to know right now
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practical strategies you can use immediately at home
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how to build healthy, safe and positive digital habits for children and teenagers
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This is not a lecture designed to scare parents. It is an opportunity to gain up-to-date information, practical tools and greater confidence in supporting your child in an increasingly connected world.
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We know evenings are busy, but this is one event we believe will have a lasting impact on our children’s wellbeing and safety. The more families who attend, the stronger our shared approach to keeping our children safe online will be. We encourage you to book your ticket today and join us for what promises to be an informative, thought-provoking and incredibly worthwhile evening.
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Please RSVP by Friday 4 September here and feel free to extend this invitation to anyone else you think may be interested.
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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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