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Connect Communication
1 July 2026
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Only two more days of Term 2 left, and then everyone has a well-earned break. I am off to Bali to celebrate my sister’s 70th birthday with Steve, my nieces and grand-nieces. It will be lovely to spend time in the sun.
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We hope you enjoyed reading our mid-year reports released via Hero this week. These follow the new reporting format recently introduced by the Ministry of Education. While designed to read online, as PDFs they can easily be shared or printed. A huge thanks to the kaiako for putting these together. With recent curriculum changes and ongoing tweaks to key documents, this has been challenging. Please take the time to read these and share them with your children.
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At the end of the term, we are farewelling two wonderful staff members, both of whom have been with us for six years. Matua Steve has been an outstanding foundation caretaker. The school always looks stunning, and visitors often comment on the condition of the grounds and buildings. Steve also has a wonderful rapport with our learners and enjoys a laugh with staff. We know he will enjoy retirement, but he will be missed.
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Whaea Leonie is leaving us to have a more flexible teaching role at Te Kura, the online school. Leonie has taught many children from Year 2 to Year 6. She forms beautiful relationships with ākonga. She has lots of close friends on staff and will be missed by us all.
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Joining us in Term 3 is caretaker Matua Rob, coming to us from Te Rohutu Whio. Whaea Sophie will be teaching Teretere 6, our newest class of 5-year-olds. Whaea Sarah will be helping out in Pūrei 1 until Whaea Lauren can be released from her role at Redwood Primary. You will be able to find out more about these wonderful new staff members when their profiles are added to our website.
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Friday night was a magical Matariki event. The weather Gods played the game, with the forecast wind and rain staying away, allowing us to have a fun and food-filled night. A huge thank you to Katie Browning for leading her team and all the wonderful people who helped out during the day and in the evening. It really was an event by the community for the community. Special thanks to Kennards for the lighting, Protranz for the sausage trailer and our local New World for providing a voucher towards the groceries purchased for the evening.
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Our Kapa Haka proudly performed at the Lincoln Events Centre on Monday evening. This was part of a Selwyn Matariki Kapa Haka Festival. They were superb, and Daniel and Emma did a stellar job of leading the roopu.
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Thank you, Springfree Trampoline
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The frame and mat of the trampoline have recently been replaced by Springfree under warranty. We appreciate their ongoing support as the trampoline is used by many of our learners.
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Hui: Farewell & Mihi Whakatau
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Feel free to join us for our upcoming hui. On Friday, we farewell Steve and Leonie, and on the first Friday of Term 3 we will welcome our new staff, students and whānau with a mihi whakatau.
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Have a fabulous break, and we look forward to seeing you in Term 3.
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Important Dates
- 01 July - Quiz Tickets Available via Kindo
- 03 July - Celebration Hui to Farewell Leonie and Steve, 9:15am in the Hall
- 03 July - Last Day of Term 2
- 20 July - First Day of Term 3
- 30 July - THT Meeting, 7pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
- 07 August - THT Movie Night TBC
- 12 August - School Board Meeting, 6:30pm in Tāhuna | Staffroom
- 04 September - ASP Quiz Night
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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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Matariki Event
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Matariki celebration such a
wonderful success. To our incredible volunteers, generous sponsors—New World
Lincoln, Protranz and Kennards Hire—and all the whānau who wrapped up warm
and joined us on a freezing winter's evening, thank you for making it such a
memorable community event. We can't wait to celebrate with you all again next year!
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Quiz Night – Tickets on Sale Now!
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Our biggest fundraiser of the year is just around the corner! Join us on Friday 4 September for a fun-filled adults-only evening of laughs, friendly competition and fundraising for our school.
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This year's theme is Country, so dust off your cowboy boots, denim and flannel, and come dressed to impress!
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Tickets are on sale now via Kindo, and Quiz Night always sells out, so gather a team of six or grab an individual ticket and join one of our community tables—a great way to meet other school families.
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Now's the perfect time to book the babysitter and secure your tickets!
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We're also looking for businesses or individuals who would like to sponsor or donate auction prizes. If you can help, we'd love to hear from you.
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Come Along to THT
If Matariki inspired you to get involved, we'd love to welcome you to Te Hapori
Tautoko (THT)! Our next meeting is on Thursday 30 July, and new faces are always
welcome. Whether you can help at one event a year or would like to become a
regular part of the team, we'd love to have you join us.
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Well done to our Football and Hockey players. We are proud of the way you represented our school at the Zones competition this week. Thank you so much to our parents who supported our teams! We would also like to thank our managers:
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Kerryn (Hailie’s mum), Tim (Ollie White’s dad) and Jonny (Lachlan’s dad).
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You did a terrific job! We could not have done it without you!
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Year 5/6 = Unfortunately, we did not have enough juniors to create a team.
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That’s a wrap on an epic term of sport! We want to say a huge congratulations to every single student who stepped up, played hard, and gave it their absolute best.
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A big “thank you” to our incredible parents, coaches, and managers. You are the backbone of our sports community, and we appreciate you more than words can say.
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Looking ahead: The action doesn't stop here! Make sure to head over to our events calendar to check out the sporting dates for next term. Enjoy the well-deserved rest, and we'll see you back on the field soon!
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Enviroschools News
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Last Friday, at our school hui, we celebrated a significant milestone on our sustainability journey – receiving our Enviroschools sign. This achievement recognises the dedication, commitment, and collective mahi of our students, staff, and community in creating a more sustainable future.
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A special thank you goes to our Enviro Leaders, past and present, and our Enviro Facilitator, Matt, who have supported and inspired this journey. A few weeks ago, our Enviro Leaders joined Matt, Claire, and Larissa to take part in the Enviroschools Holistic Reflection process. This provided an opportunity to pause and reflect on how far we have come, celebrate our strengths, and identify goals for the future.
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Receiving our Enviroschools sign was a proud moment and a wonderful way to acknowledge the collective effort that continues to make a positive difference in our school and environment.
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The closing date for Issue 4 is 03 July 2026.
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We recommend you place your order by 12 June to ensure you receive your order before the end of Term 2.
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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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Singing Stars NZ hosted their amazing mid-year showcase a couple of weeks ago. The Ararira Springs musical theatre group performed an exciting play and dance based on the Lion King. It was called "Simba's Big Idea".
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Their Singing Stars tutor, Magenta, worked with the group to help memorise their lines and dance moves in their weekly musical theatre classes. Everyone had lots of smiles and laughter on the show day! Looking forward to next term! www.singingstarsnz.com
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We're always ready for new people to join our Musical Theatre group. The classes are held on Fridays from 3.15pm - 4.15pm. Email singstarsnz@gmail.com or contact 021 025 09959 for more information
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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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