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Connect Communication
25 February 2026
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A very warm hello and acknowledgment if you are celebrating significant events. The Chinese New Year has just passed, and I know that our many Muslim families are partaking in Ramadan. We know these are special times in your family calendar.
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This week I would like to turn our thoughts to attendance. This is a topic hot on the Ministry of Education's agenda as they push towards their target of 80% of all children attending school 90% of the time. In a nutshell, that means that they are hoping that children will only have a maximum of 5 days off school each term (for any reason at all).
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All NZ schools are required to implement attendance management plans (AMPs) using stepped attendance responses (STAR). I have recently written a parent update that outlines our AMP for you. Attendance at school is incredibly important. Learning is often built on and regular attendance ensures social connections are maintained. You may think a day here and there doesn't matter, but it really does add up!
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We are now required to reach out to you when your child crosses an attendance threshold. If you are taking a holiday in term time, you will receive an email letter via Hero, outlining ideas to ensure that learning continues while you away. Thank you for your understanding.
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On Tuesday evening, I would love to extend an invitation to families new to Ararira who have not attended a transition to school for their 5-year-old to come to school and meet with me.
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This is a chance to hear about Ararira and ask any questions that may be top of mind. Justine sent an email, but the details are here. We will send a reminder RSVP later in the week.
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Children are welcome, get them to bring a book to read or other quiet activity.
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Finally, thank you for your generous support of our non- uniform day last week. We raised just over $1000 and will donate that to the Alex Bennett Give-a-little page on behalf of Ararira whānau.
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Have a lovely week, and we will be in touch soon.
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From the Office
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End-of-Day Reminders & Supervision
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A friendly reminder to all parents and caregivers regarding our afternoon pick-up procedures.
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- School Finishes: 3:00 PM
- Final Collection: No later than the second bell at 3:15 PM
By the time the 3:15 PM bell rings, all children should be heading home or have been collected. While our staff are often still onsite after this time, they are busy preparing for the following day and are not available to supervise children.
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If you require supervision for your child—whether on a regular basis or just as a one-off—Kelly Club provides a fantastic user-pays service right here on school grounds.
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Booking: All registrations and payments must be made online.
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Please note that Kelly Club is a separate entity; all enquiries should be made directly to Kelly Club staff rather than the school office.
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Request for Emergency Snack Supplies
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As part of our standard safety planning, we are refreshing the emergency snack supplies held in each classroom. We want to ensure every student has a little something to eat should an unexpected situation arise.
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Please send 2–3 individually wrapped snacks (e.g., muesli bars, crackers, or popcorn) with your child.
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If your child has specific allergies or dietary requirements, please place their snacks in a clearly named Ziplock bag.
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Please drop these off at your child’s classroom as soon as possible.
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ERO School Supports and Interventions Survey
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ERO’s research centre wants to hear from parents and whānau about your experience at the school, as part of a project about supporting schools across the country. Here is the link to a 3-min survey: Parent and whānau survey_School supports
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Walk or Wheel to School Week
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Monday, 2 March, our school is participating in Walk or Wheel to School Week, a fun and action-packed week that promotes walking and wheeling to school.
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There are daily themes and prizes brought to you by Christchurch City Council. There are daily themes, and awesome giveaways. You can check out the Council's Facebook for the latest updates—click ‘Going’ to stay in the loop!
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We can’t wait to get started!
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IMPORTANT DATES
- 02 March - Walk or Wheel to School Week (see above)
- 03 March - Welcome to ASP, 6-7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 04 March - School Board Meeting, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 06 March - Hui (Kaunuku 1/2), 9.15am in the Hall
- 20 March - Hui (Pūrei), 9.15am in the Hall
- 25 March - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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School Board
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Next meeting Wednesday 04 March, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
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Next meeting - 25 March, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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THT Community Car Boot Sale Interest Survey
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THT are thinking of hosting a Car Boot sale in the carpark at Ararira Springs Primary on Sunday 22nd March. To gauge if we have enough interest to hold this event, can you please fill out our survey (link below)?
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We will need to start planning soon, so please let us know your thoughts on this as soon as possible.
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Ararira Swim Sports Years 4 - 6
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Our swimming sports events kick off the year at Halswell Pools. Our Year 5/6 ‘s swim sports will be taking place on the 6th of March 2026. If you are able to assist on the day, please contact me.
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On 22 February, we had many tamariki participate in the Weetbix Tryathlon. Well done to all of you! We are so proud of you!
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If you did not enter your child under the school team, please can you email me (meeghan.herbert@ararira.school.nz) so I can make sure that they receive their certificate. These will be handed out at our next whole school hui.
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Huxster Mountain Bike Race
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The Huxster Mountain Bike Race entries are now open. If you would like your child to participate, please contact me so I can enter them. For more information on the event, please click on this link: Huxster Mountain Bike Race or click on the button on the Ararira Sports Website
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The closing date for Issue 1 is 26 March 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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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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The Ministry of Education has refreshed the curriculum and updated how schools report on student progress. As previously mentioned by the MOE, the benchmark for achievement has increased with the new curriculum. You may see a change in your child’s progress or achievement compared to previous years because of this. At Ararira Springs Primary, our staff have been undergoing professional …
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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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