04/06/2027

Nau mai, haere mai ki tō tātou Pānui Tiaki Ākonga

At Ngaere School, we believe that every child thrives when they feel safe, valued, connected, and supported. Through this newsletter, we look forward to sharing the ways we are strengthening our pastoral care and learning support systems to ensure all tamariki have the opportunity to succeed.

Our focus is on recognising and responding early to the needs of learners, particularly those who may require additional support with their wellbeing, engagement, or learning. We are committed to working alongside whānau, drawing on culturally responsive practices, and building strong partnerships that help every child feel a sense of belonging and achievement.

Together, we are creating a school environment where mana is nurtured, strengths are celebrated, and support is coordinated so that all learners can flourish.

Mā te mahi tahi ka ora ai ngā tamariki — by working together, our children will thrive.

Supporting Every Child to Thrive:

At Ngaere School, we believe that children learn best when they feel safe, connected, supported, and valued. Student well-being continues to be a key priority for both our Board of Trustees and our dedicated pastoral team, who work together to ensure every child has the support they need to flourish both in and out of the classroom.

Listening to Student Voice Through Pivot Wellbeing Check-Ins:

One of the ways we support our tamariki is through our Pivot Student Wellbeing Insights survey. This gives students a chance to share how they are feeling and helps us better understand their experiences at school. The survey provides valuable insights into areas such as resilience, sense of belonging, and feelings of safety. These evidence-based check-ins help us proactively identify students who may need a little extra support, while also celebrating the many positive experiences our children are having. Importantly, students can reach out directly to staff during the survey process, and our teachers and pastoral care team are able to respond quickly and provide support when needed. By listening carefully to student voice, we can continue creating an environment where every child feels seen, heard, and ready to learn.

Redesigning our Social and Emotional Curriculum – 

Denise Reynolds and Kate Brown

One of the exciting areas of development at Ngaere School this year has been the work being led by our Social and Emotional Curriculum Leaders, Denise and Kate. With the ongoing support of our pastoral care team, they have been guiding staff in developing a positive, consistent approach to supporting student wellbeing, relationships, and behaviour across the school.

Throughout the year, Denise and Kate have been working alongside staff to review and refine our behaviour pathways, ensuring they are clear, cohesive, and supportive for all learners. Their focus has been on creating systems that help children understand expectations, celebrate success, and build the skills they need to thrive both socially and emotionally.

A key part of this work has been exploring ways to strengthen our school culture and sense of belonging. Together, staff have been considering how we recognise and celebrate positive behaviour across the school, while also investigating a whānau or house-style model that would create stronger connections between students of different ages through tuakana-teina relationships. This approach helps older and younger students support one another, strengthens school identity, and fosters a deeper sense of belonging for everyone.

Beyond systems and structures, Denise and Kate are passionate about creating meaningful experiences that nurture strong bodies, caring hearts, and healthy minds. Throughout the year, they have coordinated a variety of initiatives that bring our school values to life, including Mufti Days that encourage children to think about and support others in our wider community, schoolwide fitness activities that promote healthy lifestyles, and regular brain breaks that help students stay focused, energised, and ready to learn.

Most importantly, they are helping our children develop empathy, kindness, and awareness of those around them. Through everyday conversations, activities, and opportunities to serve others, students are learning the importance of noticing when someone may need support and understanding the positive difference they can make in their community.

Student Leadership Trip – Palmerston North

Our student leaders recently enjoyed a fantastic couple of days away in Palmerston North as part of our annual Student Leadership Trip.

Alongside plenty of fun, laughs, and opportunities to strengthen connections as a team, students enjoyed bowling, mini putt, Guy’s version of Articulate, dinner at McDonald’s, and the now seemingly compulsory leadership trip visit to Kmart!

The main focus of the trip was attending the National Young Leaders Day Conference at the Regent Theatre. Students joined hundreds of other young leaders from across New Zealand to hear from a range of inspiring speakers who shared their experiences of leadership, resilience, courage, and overcoming challenges. A particular highlight was the opportunity to meet William Pike and learn more about his incredible journey firsthand.

Most importantly, our students represented Ngaere School with pride throughout the trip. They were respectful, engaged, and willing to make the most of every opportunity presented to them. We have returned with plenty of inspiration, new ideas, and leadership goals that we look forward to seeing put into action around our school.

A big thank you to the parents who supported the trip and helped make this valuable experience possible for our students.

Property Upgrade Project – Looking Ahead

As part of our ongoing property development programme and five-year property plan, we are excited to be undertaking a significant upgrade to the main corridor outside the Junior Hub and Room 3, as well as the staffroom area.

The project will include new roofing, linings, carpet, and doors, helping to modernise these spaces and improve the overall learning and working environment for our students and staff.

To allow this work to take place, there will be some temporary changes to classroom locations during Weeks 10 and 11 of Term 3:

• The Junior Hub will be based in the Library.
• Room 3 will operate from the Supper Room.
• The staffroom will temporarily relocate to the current Resource Room.

While there will be some logistical adjustments during this time, we are working carefully to ensure disruption to learning is kept to a minimum.

We wanted to provide families with an early heads-up so everyone is aware of the changes ahead. Closer to the time, we will share further information regarding practical arrangements such as drop-off and pick-up locations, access routes, and other organisational details.

This project has been a long time in the planning and represents one of the final major pieces of work in our journey to ensure our school environment is modern, welcoming, and fit for the future. We are looking forward to seeing the finished result.

Watch this space for a Postponement date if weather is poor or grounds are too wet!

POOL KEYS

There are still a few outstanding pool keys that have not yet been returned.  Could these please be returned to the school office asap.  Thank you.

Sticker & Label sheets are available from the school office or download from yummyfruit.co.nz

Key Dates – Term 2 2026

JUNE

• Monday 8th – Hoops in Schools – Taranaki Airs Visit
• Tuedsday 9th – Rippa Tournament in Hawera
• Wednesday 10th – BOT Meeting 6pm @ school – All Welcome
• Monday 15th – Jones Cup @ Toko
• Wednesday 17th – Jones Cup Postponement Day
• Friday 19th – School Assembly 9am in the Hall
• Monday 22nd – PTA Meeting in school staffroom @ 6.30pm
• Tuesday 23rd – Pizza Orders & Money Due

JULY

• Wednesday 01st – Puanga Breakfast at school
• Wednesday 01st – Crowley Cup
• Friday 03rd – School Assembly 9am
• Friday 03rd – LAST DAY OF TERM  2
• Monday 20th – First Day of Term 3

COMMUNITY NOTICES

22/5/2027

Kia ora whānau,

It’s hard to believe we’re already heading into Week 6! The term continues to hum along nicely, helped by some fantastic weather lately and plenty of great energy around the school. Classrooms have been busy with learning, activities, and opportunities for our tamariki to shine.

Teachers are also beginning to roll out a range of assessments over the coming weeks as we prepare for mid-year reporting. These help us build a clear picture of each child’s progress, strengths, and next learning steps as we move through the year.

We’ve also got another busy week ahead with our PTA and Board meetings, assembly, and the upcoming Ministry of Education Curriculum Day on Friday. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support of our kura and wider school community.

Ngā mihi,
Shane Burgess
Principal / Tumuaki

Ngaere Year 3-4 Netball Team

We’d love your support at our upcoming Ngaere School Community Working Bee. It’s a great opportunity to come together, pitch in, and take pride in our kura while spending some relaxed time as a community. There’s a wide range of jobs, so there’s something for everyone; and kids are absolutely welcome to come along and be part of it too.

If you’re able to lend a hand, we’d really appreciate it. Please take a moment to complete the quick survey HERE so we can get an idea of numbers.

POOL KEYS

There are still a few outstanding pool keys that have not yet been returned.  Could these please be returned to the school office asap.  Thank you.

Sticker & Label sheets are available from the school office or download from yummyfruit.co.nz

INFORMATION ON WINTER WELLNESS

Key Dates – Term 2 2026

MAY

• Monday 25th – PTA meeting, 6:30am – all welcome
• Wednesday 27th – BOT Meeting 6.00pm at school – all welcome
• Thursday 28th –  School Assembly 9am in the Hall
• Friday 29th – NO SCHOOL Teachers Only Day

JUNE

• Monday 01st – Kings Birthday – No School
• Friday 05th – Raise the Roof Mufti Day – Movie Theme
• Sunday 07th – Community Working Bee at School 10am-4pm – Everyone Welcome
• Wednesday 10th  – Year 1-2 Midhirst Play Day
• Wednesday 10th – BOT Meeting 6pm at school – all welcome
• Friday 12th – Bookclub Issue 4 Orders and Money Due
• Monday 15th – Jones Cup @ Toko
• Wednesday 17th – Jones Cup Postponement Day
• Friday 19th – School Assembly 9am in the Hall
• Tuesday 23rd – Pizza Orders & Money Due

JULY

• Wednesday 01st – Paunga Breakfast at school
• Friday 03rd – School Assembly 9am
• Friday 03rd – LAST DAY OF TERM  2
• Monday 20th – First Day of Term 3

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Rotokare Education News

The Hawera BMX Club would love your support in helping us encourage more local girls to give BMX a go.

These FREE sessions are designed to be fun, welcoming, and pressure-free for girls wanting to try something new, make friends, and build confidence on bikes. No BMX experience is needed, and girls are welcome to come along just for a try.

The sessions are focused on:

• Having fun
• Building confidence
• Meeting new friends
• Encouraging participation in sport and physical activity

We aim to create a supportive environment where girls can simply come and have a go.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Kind Regards | Ngā Mihi,

Cushla Fevre
Secretary
Hawera BMX Club
P: 027 554 0656
E: hawerabmx@gmail.com

8/5/2027

Kia ora koutou,

It’s been fantastic catching up with everyone over the last few weeks. I’ve been out and about quite a bit, and it’s been excellent to see the classrooms really humming; there’s a real hive of activity across the school and it feels great to be back into the swing of things for Term 2. It’s also been nice to see the weather finally playing ball; despite those chilly starts, the sunshine has been a very welcome change!

Kaponga Football Tournament Winter sports have kicked off, and it’s great to see so many of our kids getting amongst it on the fields and courts. We recently had our first time at the Kaponga Football Club annual tournament, and we had an absolute blast! A massive thanks to Kaponga Football for their organisation and delivery of such a huge event – and for turning on the amazing weather. 

It was great to see so many of our supporters out there on the day. A huge thank you to Pete, Marie, and Nicole & Amber for coaching and managing the teams (and for taking on the reffing!). Thanks also to everyone who helped with transport to get the kids there and home again.

I’d love to continue celebrating these successes, so if you are coaching or supporting a team, please flick me through any photos and results. We’d love to share them with the rest of the school community.

Staffing Update We wish Miss Lisa Hulme all the best as she heads off on her European adventure for the remainder of Term 2! We hope you have an incredible time, Lisa. In her absence, we are very happy to welcome Miss Gemma Smith, who will be covering Room 7.

PTA Update A big thanks to those who came along to the PTA AGM last week. We continue to have real strength in numbers and truly appreciate everything the PTA does for our kura. We thank Kara Prankerd for continuing as Chair, welcome Kylie Keller into the role of Secretary, and appreciate Karen’s willingness to oversee the finances. These guys will continue to work alongside a sizable number of other parents who give up their time to help provide awesome opportunities for our kids.

It is so good to be back into the swing of things and seeing our tamariki thriving in and out of the classroom. There is plenty more to look forward to this term, and I can’t wait to share more of those ‘fun things’ with you all soon!

As always, please reach out should you have any questions/concerns.

Ngā mihi nui

Shane Burgess – Tumuaki/Principal

principal@ngaere.school.nz

We’d love your support at our upcoming Ngaere School Community Working Bee. It’s a great opportunity to come together, pitch in, and take pride in our kura while spending some relaxed time as a community. There’s a wide range of jobs, so there’s something for everyone; and kids are absolutely welcome to come along and be part of it too.

If you’re able to lend a hand, we’d really appreciate it. Please take a moment to complete the quick survey HERE so we can get an idea of numbers.

We’ve recently completed our first Wellbeing for Learning (Pivot) check-in for 2026, and it’s great to see a positive shift from our baseline survey. Across the school, all three key areas have lifted — Belonging increased from 3.85 to 3.99, Resilience from 3.57 to 3.76, and Safety from 4.00 to 4.19. Just as importantly, by the end of the cycle around 85% of students were reporting they feel “good” or “great”, showing an overall improvement in how our tamariki are experiencing school. We’ve also seen strong growth in key indicators, including a 7.5% increase in students feeling they can talk to an adult when they have a problem and a 12.4% increase in students persisting when learning is challenging.

This tool gives us a clear picture of both strengths and next steps. While the overall trend is very positive, a small group of students are still finding it harder to look forward to school, ask for help, and bounce back from challenges, and we know not all students who need support are reaching out. To strengthen this, we have a Youth Mentor working with students each week, a full-time Pastoral Support Worker, and a continued focus on wellbeing through our classrooms and weekly assemblies, where we celebrate progress and deliberately grow the positive across our kura.

Room 1 & 2 – Term 1 Highlights

Room 1 and 2 had a very busy and exciting Term 1! We began the year with lots of swimming sessions, where students built confidence in the water and had plenty of fun along the way.

Throughout the term, we explored our “Letter of the Week” programme with many creative activities. From making penguins to creating cuddly teddy bears, our classroom was full of hands-on learning and creativity.

We also took time to celebrate special events and occasions, including Easter and ANZAC Day. As part of our ANZAC learning, the children made delicious ANZAC biscuits. They were a huge hit, and our taste testers certainly enjoyed sampling the finished products!

It has been wonderful welcoming many new children into Room 1 and 2 this term. We are looking forward to meeting and celebrating even more new entrants joining our class during Term 2.

Rooms 4 and 5 enjoyed learning more about ANZAC Day.

Room 3 enjoyed their visit to Junction Zero Waste Hub this week. We learnt many important facts about waste, reusing, and recycling. The highlight was seeing the amount of waste that fits in a recycling dump truck and learning how it is sorted.

Our Leaners of the Term from Term 1

Welcoming Mila Evans and Guy Perrett to our Student Leadership team for 2026

INFORMATION ON WINTER WELLNESS

Key Dates – Term 2 2026

MAY

• Thursday 28th – School Assembly 9am in the Hall
• Wednesday 27th – BOT Meeting 6.00pm at school – all welcome
• Friday 29th – NO SCHOOL Teachers Only Day

JUNE

• Monday 01st – Kings Birthday – No School
• Friday 05th – Raise the Roof Mufti Day – Movie Theme
• Sunday 07th – Community Working Bee at School 10am-4pm – Everyone Welcome
• Wednesday 10th  – Year 1-2 Midhirst Play Day
• Wednesday 10th – BOT Meeting 6pm at school – all welcome
• Monday 15th – Jones Cup @ Toko
• Wednesday 17th – Jones Cup Postponement Day
• Friday 19th – School Assembly 9am in the Hall

JULY

• Wednesday 01st – Paunga Breakfast at school
• Friday 03rd – School Assembly 9am
• Friday 03rd – LAST DAY OF TERM  2
• Monday 20th – First Day of Term 3

COMMUNITY NOTICES……

26/03/2026

From the Principal’s Desk

Kia ora koutou,

What a fantastic term it has been so far at Ngaere School. As we head into our final week before Easter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect on the many highlights across our kura.

We’ve loved welcoming Harold the Giraffe back as part of Life Education, and it’s been exciting to see our staff begin their journey with Six Bricks training. Our students have had a wide range of opportunities this term – from a successful Rural Cluster Swimming Sports and great results in Tuesday night Touch, to learning about cycle safety with Constable Pip and developing their hockey skills.

Our community events have been a real highlight. The Hu Road Family Trail Ride was incredibly well supported with over 150 entries, and the Maize Maze and Glow Night were a huge success, with nearly 500 people coming through the maze on Glow Night alone – an awesome reflection of our community spirit.  Thank you again to Kylie & Fabian Rupapera for organising and allowing this to take place on their farm and to the PTA for all of their hardwork.

We’ve also been blown away by the incredible support from our whānau, with 80% attendance at our Home-School Partnership hui – a powerful example of what partnership in learning looks like.

It’s been fantastic to see Kapa Haka up and running again, and to have our Literacy and Numeracy programmes well established across the school.

As always, please take a moment to read the information below, as it highlights some key updates and important information for parents and whānau.

We’re really proud of the momentum we’ve built this term and look forward to finishing strong as we head into the Easter break.

Ngā mihi nui,
Shane Burgess
Principal/Tumuaki

Term 1 2026

This term, the Board has been focused on establishing the way we work together, identifying some key boundaries that working in a governance role has, and assigning various roles to each Board member. Learning what it means to govern, while digging into the work involved as a school board, has been a positive learning curve for us all. Some key tasks for Term 1 have included looking at the school’s Annual Strategic Goals / Implementation Plan – this involved a lot of discussion, questions, and examining data and information about the school to feed into new goals and actions for the year. We believe the plan is very robust and attends to the necessary national priorities as well as those identified for Ngaere, and already we are seeing the commitment of Shane and the staff to put it into action. In addition, we have looked at what community engagement looks like, and have started to create a plan forward to seek more input from whānau and the wider Ngaere community to continuously inform our direction. Every term there is a requirement that the Board reviews policies, which has also been a large part of our meetings. These actions are all on top of the everyday processes such as finance and property management.

Our school board consists of parents and staff of the school, and they all bring a variety of strengths, experiences, considerations, and ideas, which is very important as representatives of the school community. However, training and upskilling as governors continues to be a focus to improve our skills and capacity. We have attended workshops, either online and in person, and have sourced new learning through online resources from the services available to boards. Our meetings are very productive and hold thoughtful and considerate discussions with the sole purpose of making key decisions in supporting Ngaere School to be the best it can be. We wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable Easter holiday approaching. Thank you for your continued support.

Ngā mihi nui
Kim Manukonga – Presiding Member

Thank you to the Ngaere School PTA and ANZCO foods for their very generous donations that went towards the purchase of 50 new chairs for the hall!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED GAMES AND PUZZLES TO THE SCHOOL.

WE HAVE HAD SUCH A GREAT REPSONSE!

Key Dates – Term 1, 2026

March Events:

• Monday 30th March – PTA Meeting 7pm in school staffroom – all welcome
• Tuesday 31st March – Rural Cluster Athletics (Years 1–4)

April Events & Term End

• Thursday 2nd April – School Assembly  – Learner of the Term
• Thursday 02nd April – Last day of Term 1
• Friday 4th April – Good Friday (School Closed)

TERM 2

• Monday 20th April – Term 2 begins
• Monday 20th April – Year 7 & 8 Vaccinations
• Wednesday 29th April – Ngaere School PTA AGM 7pm in the school staffroom

COMMUNITY NOTICES……

Nominate your primary school for a chance to WIN a share of $100K in sports grants!

Hi Ngaere School Whanau

The Big Little Sponsorship is back, so spread the word and nominate your school for the chance to win one of ten $10,000 sports grants. You can spend it on whatever you need, like new equipment, sports uniforms or coaching sessions. Anything to help your little champions play a little freer.

Entering is easy! 

Winning takes teamwork, so get the whole community involved by nominating your school. Teachers, students, parents, friends and whānau can all share the love and show their support for your school by nominating via the link below:

https://www.aainsurance.co.nz/big-little?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Big+Little+Sponsorship+School+Email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.aainsurance.co.nz%2fbig-little&utm_id=214&sfmc_id=10142

Terms and Conditions apply. Entries close 11:59pm Sunday 19 April 2026

TARANAKI QUILT FESTIVAL 2026

20/02/2026

From the Principal’s Desk

Kia ora koutou e te whānau,

What a fantastic start we’ve had to the year at Ngaere School. There has been a real sense of positive energy across our kura, and it’s been wonderful to see our tamariki settled, focused and highly engaged in their learning.

All classes now have their programmes fully up and running. Routines are well established, expectations are clear, and students are already showing pride in their progress. When relationships are strong and learning feels purposeful, our kura thrives.

Strengthening Wellbeing & Pastoral Care

A key focus for us this year is strengthening the way we support student wellbeing.

Under the leadership of Mrs Vicki Caldwell, we are providing a wider range of structured break-time options in both the library and the hall. These spaces allow students to find connection, calm, structured activity, or simply a quieter environment to recharge. This helps us cater for a wider range of needs across the school.

We are also pleased that Logan McDonald continues to work with us on Thursdays as our Child and Youth Mentor. Logan supports students with wellbeing needs and works alongside whānau when appropriate. If you feel your child may benefit from this support, please get in touch.

Music at Ngaere School

Karl Anderson’s music programme runs at school on Wednesdays. It’s great to see students exploring their musical talents and building confidence. If your child is interested in learning an instrument, please contact the office for further information.

Attendance Matters – Every Day Counts

Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. When students are present, they:

 – Build strong relationships

 – Stay connected to their learning

 – Grow in confidence

 – Strengthen their sense of belonging

This year we start the implementation the STAR – Stepped Attendance Response approach.

Our expectation is clear:

Students attend school every day unless genuinely unwell or there are exceptional circumstances.

Our attendance bands are:

• Good (90%+) – Less than 5 days absence per term

• Watching (Around 80%) – Up to 10 days absence per term

• Concerning (Around 70%) – Up to 15 days absence per term

• Serious Concern (Below 70%) – 15+ days absence per term

Where attendance patterns begin to form, we will connect early with whānau to understand what support may be needed. Our approach is grounded in partnership and clear expectations.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Ngaere School. It is a privilege to woth with you, your children and the community.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Shane Burgess
Principal | Tumuaki
Ngaere School

School Assemblies

A reminder that this year we will be trialling school assemblies at 9:00am, three times per term.

The first assembly will be held tomorrow  – Friday 20 February, just after morning drop-off.

For whānau who are unable to attend in person, we will provide a private livestream link via Google Meet, which will be shared ahead of time. The Google Meet link has been sent out via HERO.

Request for Spare Board Games & Puzzles

We are seeking donations from whānau who may have board games, jigsaw puzzles, or packs of cards at home that are no longer being used.

The support room off the hall is being set up as a breakaway classroom designed to better support students with neurodiverse needs. This space forms part of Vicki’s role, as we explore different ways to support and engage learners who find the more formal classroom model challenging.

If you are able to donate, items can be dropped off at the school office. Thank you for helping us create flexible, supportive learning spaces for our tamariki.

Perfect Maze Weather This Weekend!

The forecast is looking just right — not too hot, not too cold — which means ideal conditions to come and conquer the Maize Maze!

Fresh air, plenty of twists and turns, and a fun challenge for the whole family.

• Saturday & Sunday
• 11am–3pm
• Cash only at the gate

Pop it on your weekend list and come support our awesome school fundraiser 

See you at the maze!

Tickets for this event are also available from the School Office: $10 per person, under 5’s free entry, $35 Family Pass.

Key Dates – Term 1, 2026

February Events

• Friday 20th February – School Assembly 9am – 10.00am
• Saturday 21st February – Maize Maze Open 11am – 3pm
• Sunday 22nd February – Maize Maze Open 11am – 3pm
• Mon 23th–Fri 27th February – Life Education in school
• Friday 27th – Maize Maze Glow Night 5pm onwards
• Saturday 28th February – Maize Maze Open 11am – 3pm

March Events

• Sunday 01st March – Maize Maze Open 11am – 3pm
• Friday 6th March – MOE-Approved Curriculum Maths Teacher Only Day (School Closed) 
• Monday 9th March – Taranaki Anniversary Day (School Closed)
• Friday 13th March – School Assembly 9am – 10.00am
• Friday 13th March – Interschool Hockey
• Monday 16th March – Cluster Swimming Sports (Years 5–8)
• Tuesday 31st March – Rural Cluster Athletics (Years 1–4)

Hui & Whānau Engagement

• Week 3/4 – Home–School Partnership Hui (dates to follow)

April Events & Term End

• Thursday 2nd April – School Assembly
• Thursday 02nd April – Last day of Term 1
• Friday 4th April – Good Friday (School Closed)
• Monday 20th April – Term 2 begins

COMMUNITY NOTICES……

https://www.facebook.com/kidsconcert/