Newsletter, Term 3, Week 9

12/09/2025

From the Principal’s Desk

I have just returned from the New Zealand Principals’ Conference in Wellington. It was an inspiring few days, filled with fresh ideas, thought-provoking speakers, and plenty of opportunities to connect with leaders from across the country.

It was affirming to see that here at Ngaere School we are already doing so many of the things that were highlighted as best practice. While there are always new ideas to take on board and ways we can continue to grow, I came away proud of the mahi happening every day in our classrooms and across our kura. We are definitely holding our own amongst the very best.

Celebrations & Highlights

It’s been a busy and exciting time at school, with our students involved in so many different opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. From sporting achievements and kapa haka performances to creating stunning artwork and welcoming special visitors, there has been plenty to celebrate. Here’s a snapshot of some of the wonderful things happening across our school recently.

Tatarakihi Kapa Haka Festival

On Thursday our tamariki performed for the second time this year at the Tatarakihi Kapa Haka Festival in Hāwera. Given that our kapa haka rōpū has only been together since February, it is a huge achievement to be up on stage again so soon.
Our students were outstanding, performing Tuia, Te Waiata o Ngaere, and Toia Mai, before finishing with a powerful haka, E Kore Au e Mate — a haka of this whenua, connected to our local iwi, Ngāti Ruanui.
Ka mau te wehi, tamariki mā — we are so proud of you!

Cross Country Achievements

Our tamariki have shown fantastic effort, determination, and perseverance across recent cross country events.
They participated with great attitude and spirit at the Rawhitiroa-hosted Cross Country and again at the Central Schools event in Stratford last week. Their training and commitment have paid off, with many now qualifying to represent Ngaere School at the upcoming Taranaki Interschool Competition. Ka pai, tamariki mā!

Olympic Ambassador Visit

Last Thursday, we were lucky enough to welcome Olympian Zac Reid to our school. He is a Taranaki born and raised swimmer who participated in the Tokyo Olympics. He spoke with the Year 4–8 students about his journey as an athlete, sharing stories of determination, setbacks, and the mindset it takes to achieve big goals. We loved hearing about the Olympic values, seeing photos from life inside the Olympic Village, and learning more about Zac’s interests outside of swimming. His visit was truly inspiring and left us all thinking about how we can set and achieve our own goals.

Calendar Art

Our classes have been busy creating this year’s calendar art for the upcoming PTA fundraiser. Each class will have their work on display at Pet Day, and families will have the opportunity to place orders. A notice with details about Pet Day crafts will be sent home before the end of term, so children will be ready to start their projects on Monday of Week 1 next term.

New Carpet

You may have heard some excitement from the children recently—we have new carpet! Over the past two weeks, classrooms have been temporarily shifted into the hall or library while the work was done. The wait was well worth it. The fresh carpet looks fantastic, feels soft underfoot, and even smells new. It has given our learning spaces a bright, fresh feel that everyone is enjoying.

Learners of the Term Celebration

Our Learners of the Term from Term 2 will be celebrated on Wednesday 17 September with a special outing. They will head into Hāwera for lunch before being invited to enjoy Tawhiti School’s performance of Finding Nemo Jr.
This is a wonderful way to acknowledge their success and the effort they have put into their learning. More information will be shared with families soon.

Board of Trustees Elections

Voting for our Board of Trustees elections closed yesterday, 10 September. The official Declaration of Results will be made in six days’ time.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those who put themselves forward as candidates — it takes courage and commitment to stand for a governance role in your child’s school. I also thank all of our parents and whānau who took the time to vote.

A very special acknowledgement goes to Dave England, Stacey Clough, and Kate Machen, who are stepping down after serving the school tirelessly for over six years at a governance level. They have been a massive support to me personally in my first year as principal, and to the school community as a whole. On behalf of everyone at Ngaere School — a huge thank you to you three for your dedication and service.

We look forward to welcoming our new Board and working alongside them to continue growing and strengthening our kura over the next three years.

What’s On Next Week

Monday 15 September – Friday 19 September (Week 10)

• Wednesday 17 September – Learners of the Term Celebration – Lunch in Hāwera and trip to see Finding Nemo Jr.

• Friday 19 September, 2:15pm – Whole School Assembly led by the Senior Hub. Whānau welcome!

• All Week – Last week of Term 3.

It’s hard to believe that we are heading into the last week of Term 3 already. This has been a term full of great achievements, balanced with the challenges of battling the elements and the usual winter ills.

A huge thank you goes to our staff, who continue to provide exceptional educational opportunities for our tamariki despite the busy pace and seasonal challenges. We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated and passionate team here at Ngaere School.

Ngā mihi nui,
Shane Burgess
Principal / Tumuaki

Student Leaders Take Action
Our student leaders have shown incredible initiative by launching a non-perishable food drive to support the Eltham Food Bank. This was fully their own idea, driven by a desire to make a difference in our wider community. It is wonderful to see our leaders of the future thinking of those in need and taking practical steps to support them.

ePRO8 Success
Over the past two weeks our students have shone in the ePRO8 engineering and problem-solving competitions. Our Year 7/8 team of Izzy, Mila, Riley, and Guy came out on top of the entire Taranaki region, securing first place in their category. Not to be outdone, our Year 5/6 team — Emerson, Indie, Jett, and Oliver — also achieved an outstanding result, bringing home second place.
These results are a credit to the teamwork, creativity, and perseverance shown by all students involved. Ka mau te wehi!

Room 5 Learning Highlights

Room 5 has been super busy this term! We’ve been writing our speeches, learning new spelling rules, and even trying out cursive handwriting (which is harder than it looks!). In maths, we’ve been practising multiplication strategies and took part in the TTRockstars Times Tables Challenge. It was really fun, and everyone got a lot faster with their times tables.

We’ve also been creative with our aboriginal-inspired dot paintings, which look really colourful and awesome. In science, we got to try out some cool experiments with the House of Science kits, and in P.E. We trained hard for cross country. It was tough, but we gave it our best.

We also had new carpet put in, and it’s nice to be back in our own classroom again. We’ve had a great term, and we’re excited to see what adventures Term 4 will bring us…including CAMP!!!

Tutaki Strength and Conditioning

This term Room 5 has been working with the team from Tutaki on a weekly “strength and conditioning” programme. Dane and Trint have put us through fun but challenging 30-minute workouts, and we’ve already noticed improvements in our fitness, strength, and discipline. The sessions have been a highlight of our week, and it’s been great to see everyone push themselves and grow in confidence.

Looking Ahead

• Monday 6 October – Start of Term 4.

• Wednesday 8 October – Pet Day. More information will come from the PTA very shortly — watch out for a pānui in the coming week.

• 2026 School Calendar Dates – These will be published early next term.

PET DAY WEDNESDAY 08th OCTOBER 2025

There are still a couple of outstanding Pet Day trophies.  Could we please have these returned to school asap.  Thank you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

1. If each family could please donate one (or two) of the following items to be raffled – Non perishable grocery items for the grocery raffle – a scratchie for the scratchie raffle – a bottle of “something” for the Mystery Bottle.
2. A plate will come home at the beginning of term 4 for baking to be sold at the Cake Stall.  Any donations of baking is very much appreciated.  If the baking donations could please be dropped at the school office before 9am Wednesday 08th October.
3. Pet Entries are due back at school before the end of Term (Friday 19th September).  There are spare entry forms available from the school office. All entries will be given a Pet Diary in the last week of term, which is to be completed over the school holidays and returned to school by Tuesday 07th October for judging.
4. Pet Judging begins at 9.15am, Lamb Judging begins at 10am, Calf Judging begins at 10.30am. Please arrive and have your pet ready to go at least 15 minutes prior to the Judging start time.
5. There is no eftpos available, so cash will be required for the day.
6. Any questions about this day – please ask.

Below is an attachment for everything you need to know about the day.