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Connect Communication
11 February 2026
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It is so lovely to be back at school with our gorgeous children and staff. We have been working hard over the holidays, learning and preparing for a successful 2026. It is lovely to welcome Donna Frame and Hannah Crowe back to the team. We warmly welcome Lilly Forward, Abigail Sykes, Sarah Davies, Javier Langley and Jordan Hansen to the teaching team and Allan Rolston to the caretaking team.
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Towards the end of 2025, the Ministry of Education gave a directive to School Boards to extend strategic plans for another year. Our board reviewed our goals and tweaked our initiatives for longevity. The staff worked through the plan to develop an annual implementation plan. Once approved and workshopped by the Board, we will share that with you.
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As part of our focus on building community, we are keen to remind you of our annual school picnic next Tuesday. Come to school at 5:30 and bring your children and dinner. Set up outside one of your children's hubs and use the time to connect with other families.
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Teachers will be circulating during the night, and we will invite parents to close the evening by joining staff and children in a giant game of capture the flag on the back field. Make sure you wear something comfortable.
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In closing, our hearts go out to the family of Alex from Springston School. Our team is putting together a package for the staff, but we would like to support the Give a Little page set up in honour of Alex by hosting a mufti day. All proceeds will be donated to the page. Thanks to Keely for suggesting this idea. More details about this event are to follow, but it will be held before the end of next week.
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Life is so precious and a reminder to hold your children a little tighter.
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From the Office
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If your child arrives late to school - even by just one minute - please remember to sign in at the office. Likewise, if your child leaves during the school day, they must be signed out and then signed back in upon return.
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This helps us keep all students safe and accounted for.
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As our school community is growing, we are no longer able to send messages directly to individual classes. We kindly ask for your support in reminding your child/ren that if the person collecting them has not arrived at the usual waiting place by 3.15pm, they should come to the school office for assistance. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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Early Pickups/Daytime Appointments
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Due to the size of our school, it has become increasingly difficult for our office staff to deliver forgotten items to classrooms, or to collect children from their classrooms for early pickup/appointments during the school day.
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Should you need to collect your child early, you will need to come to the office, sign them out, and collect them from the class yourself.
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If you are dropping off items such as lunches, please place them directly in your child’s school bag.
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If your child is going to be absent from school due to illness, an appointment, or another reason, please enter an absence message through the Hero app prior to 9am. This is the quickest and most reliable way to let us know, as it automatically informs both the office staff and your child’s teacher.
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While absence messages can also be left by calling 03 420 0888 and pressing 1 for the absence line, we strongly encourage families to use the Hero app whenever possible.
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Please do not email the office or teacher directly, as messages may not be seen promptly, or staff may be away and unable to pass information to the appropriate person.
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If your child will be away for a holiday during term time, please email your absence request to Claire Howison at claire.howison@ararira.school.nz as soon as you have your plans confirmed.
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A reminder that all students must wear a navy hat with a brim during outdoor play in Terms 1 and 4.
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Change in circumstance or needing to split the bill?
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Don’t forget to update your contact details (address and phone number if you have moved).
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Please let us know if you require your child’s school account to be split between parents/caregivers.
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Kindo has now upgraded its split bill options and these can be set to 50:50, 60:40 or any other ratio you choose.
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Please call us on (03) 42 00 888 to set up this option.
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How to Set Up an Automatic Payment in Kindo
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If you wish to set up regular automatic payments in Kindo, please click here for step by step instructions.
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At our school, we believe cultural diversity is a defining feature of our community’s identity, and to grow and learn from one another. Our cultural calendar is a living document that helps us honor and learn about the traditions and celebrations that make our school community unique.
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Currently, our calendar includes:
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Chinese New Year & Dragon Boat Festival
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Waitangi Day, Matariki & ANZAC Day
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US Independence Day & Thanksgiving
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Is there a special celebration, festival, or day of significance from your culture that isn't on this list? We would love to include it and, with your help, share some information about it with our students and staff when the time comes. We want to ensure every family feels represented and seen in our community.
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The name of the celebration
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The date (or approximate date) or time of year it occurs
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Share some information about it and how you celebrate this at home
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You might also like to include how we might acknowledge it here at school
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Thank you for helping us make our school a place where every culture is valued. We can't wait to learn more about your family's cultural celebrations.
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IMPORTANT DATES
- 17 February - Community Picnic, 5.30pm at school
- 19 February - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
- 20 February - Hui (Hikuwai 123), 9.15am in the Hall
- 25 February - School Board Meeting, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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School Board
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Next meeting Wednesday 25th February, 6.30pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT)
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Next meeting - 19 February, 7pm in Tahuna | Staffroom
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Te Hapori Tautoko (THT), our school's PTA, welcomes all families back for 2026!
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If you have found that your child has outgrown their old uniform, we do have secondhand options available. Check them out here (Ararira Springs website -> About -> Uniform) or email thtuniform@ararira.school.nz with any requests. We also happily accept donations of your child's old uniform. Please drop off at the office during school hours.
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Want to know more about THT, or get involved and give back to your community? Keep an eye out for details about our next meeting, grab a friend, and come along! We are always looking for enthusiastic helpers to plan and help out at events throughout the year. Follow us on Facebook (@Te Hapori Tautoko), Instagram (TeHaporiTautoko) or simply keep an eye out for our posts in the newsletter, or on Ararira Springs Whanau page. Everyone is welcome, and many hands make light work.
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Welcome back! We hope you have rested well and that you are ready for a new sporting year!
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2026 Term 1 Dates for Sport
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Below is a link to a table of events taking place in Term 1. If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact us or check out our ASP Sport Page on the school website or click on the link: ASP Sport.
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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 Whaea Meeghan.
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Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control we have had to cancel the swim sports for our Year 7/8 ‘s, however those who want to participate at the Zones competition will be joining the Year 4-6’s so that they can prepare themselves.
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Our Zones swimming will be taking place in Week 6 on the 12th of March 2026. This unfortunately does clash with the Year 6 camp. If a child in Year 6 qualifies at the swim sports to participate in Zones, then it will be up to the parents to collect them from Living Springs and take them to Rolleston for the swimming competition and then return them to Living Springs after the event.
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Waihora Rugby Club - Junior Rugby Registration Day. This Sunday!
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Old and new players welcome!
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The Nest (Waihora Rugby Club Rooms-Tai Tapu)
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Come down, get registered, have a kick around, and enjoy a sausage sizzle and a drink.
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If you played last year, you should already have a RugbyXplorer account, which will make registration quicker. You can log in here.
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We look forward to seeing you there!
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Looking forward to working with you!
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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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