Newsletters

13/03/2025

Kia ora koutou e te whānau,

Not a lot of info from me this week as our amazing teachers are doing such a great job of communicating what’s happening in our classes. HERO seems to be doing its job as intended.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of Week 7 already. It’s been a jammed packed term with lots of professional learning experiences for staff as well as sporting and cultural opportunities for our tamariki to get amongst. These all support ensuring we offer first class educational experience for our young people.

Gala: A massive THANK YOU to our amazing PTA, team of helpers, staff and our sponsors for their support in ensuring that the gala is set up to be raging success. A real-team effort to be proud of!

Rural Cluster Swimming Yr 5-8  – Tuesday March 18th: Stratford Pools – 10:00am start – all Year 5-8 students will be involved, come along and support if you can.

Kapahaka: This takes place for all students every Monday afternoon at 2pm – parents and whānau are welcome to attend

Music Lessons: This year, we’ve managed to get Karl Anderson into the school to offer music lessons in drums, guitar and ukulele. So far, uptake has been positive. If this is an experience you’d like to explore – reach out to Karen or I and we will put you in touch with him. These are currently happening during school hours on a Wednesday.

PTA/Board of Trustees Hui: We have a PTA meeting at 7pm Monday 24th of March and Board of Trustees meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 26th March. 

These are public meetings and we’d love for more parents to come along and get involved in supporting our staff to ensure Ngaere is the ‘local school of choice.’ We do need some new members to embed and sustain what our outstanding current teams have started. If this sounds like you, reach out and we can chat about what’s involved.

• The PTA AGM is set for Monday 5th May (7pm)
• Board Elections will take place in September – watch this space

Feedback: As always, we welcome and encourage feedback from our community. It’s always nice to hear what we’re doing well as well as any areas that may require growth. Please reach out to me at any time, or pop in for a chat!

Looking forward to seeing you all at the Gala!

Ngā manaakitanga

Shane Burgess – Tumuaki/Principal

principal@ngaere.school.nz

022 451 5809

Thank you to the following sponsors of the Ngaere School Gala, your support is very much appreciated:

Adan Larsen Builders, Baldock Earthmoving, Eltham Fire Brigade, Fonterra-Corrinna Pollock, Gernhoefer Contracting, ITM Stratford, Joblin Motorsport, Kara Prankerd, Renee Beck, Silverfern Farms, Smaxtec, The Family Butchery & Uhlenberg Haulage.

INFORMATION:

Baking: Could we please have all baking donations dropped at school by 3pm Friday.  This will give the PTA time to price and set up the Bake Stall.  Thank you. 

Helpers Roster: Thank you to everyone who has offered to help, please see below (also attached to download if you want)the roster.  A copy of this will also be available from the school office if you need to check. If you’ve not previously offered to help, but can lend a hand – let a staff member or one of our amazing PTA crew know – many hands make light work!

• Reminding our whānau that we are running a ticket system so you’ll need CASH to purchase tickets which can then be used at the Ngaere Games Stalls, BBQ & Bake Sale.
• Non school run stall holders will still use cash/eftpos
• Parking on Field: We have managed to make a bit of room on the school field; this will be managed by parking wardens who will manage traffic flow to ensure safety. They will also close the space when full and pop a sign on the gate. If parked in there please be super vigilant around safety as there’ll be a multitude of young ones running around
• There will be NO parking in the Cheal Road carpark or behind the pool  – these will be used for stall holders, so please be considerate of this request

Other than that….it’s set to be an amazing event! Once again. a huge thanks to our sponsors and “helpers/organisers” – these events can’t be run without you!

Friday 14th March:  NGAERE SCHOOL GALA

Tuesday March 18th: Rural Cluster Swimming Yr 5-8 Stratford Pools – 10:00am start

Friday 21st March – School Assembly

Monday 24th March:  PTA Meeting held in the School Staffroom @ 7pm

Wednesday 26th March:  BOT Meeting 6pm

Wednesday 26th March:  Year 7-8 Vaccinations

Friday 04th April – Scholastic Bookclub Orders Due Back

Tuesday 8th April: Rural Cluster Athletics – Year 1- 4 (info to come)

Friday 11th April: End of Term 1

Monday 28th April: Beginning of Term 2

COMMUNITY NOTICES………...

NOMINATE NGAERE SCHOOL – Click link aainsurance.co.nz/big-little

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls – Stratford

An integrated Anglican Year 9 – Year 13 Boarding and Day School

OPEN DAY – Wednesday 19 March 2025 – visit anytime between 10 am – 2 pm

Enrolments: Weekly Boarding, Part Boarding (2/3 nights) and Day Students

Daily transport options from and to New Plymouth and Hawera

Prospectus Packages available 06 765 5333 sandrac@taranakidio.school.nz

Virtual Tours available any time via website  www.taranakidio.school.nz

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SCHOOL PADDOCK

28/02/2025

Kia koutou e te whānau,

He mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of Week 5 already! Time flies when you’re having fun. I’ve just returned from some professional learning in Wellington – alongside Mr Mercer and Miss Hulme – as we continued our learning to bring structured literacy into our classrooms school-wide. The other teachers will be heading off next Monday and Tuesday to continue strengthening their knowledge in this area. This will help embed and sustain best practices in literacy for all our learners! School will continue to operate as normal but with a slightly adapted programme.

A massive “well done” to our swimmers who competed in the Turnbull Cup competition last week. It was great to see we’re up there with the best in this field. Long may this continue!

A big thank you to Mrs Brown and our parent supporters for ensuring this was a positive experience for our students. I look forward to attending in person next year.

The School Gala is fast approaching – please see below for some key details pertaining to this event. We are still looking for a few extra people to support the PTA with running this event. If you can lend a hand for 30 minutes to an hour, that would ease the load for all. We’re a bit light between 7-8om. Please click this link HERE if you are able to help but haven’t indicated availability in any previous communication.

Just a reminder that school will be closed for instruction next Friday 7th March. All teachers from Eltham through to Inglewood have a day of professional learning dedicated to supporting us to ensure we are meeting the new Ministry of Education requirements.

Have a fabulous weekend ahead. May the sun continue to shine.

As always – just reach out to me should you have anything you wish to discuss.

Ngā mihi nui

Shane (Mr B)

principal@ngaere.school.nz

Turnbull Cup Swimming

The students enjoying morning fitness!!

Wednesday 26th February – Tuesday 4th March: Teachers involved in Structured Literacy training – school will remain open but teachers covering classes on these days will vary

Wednesday 05th March – Hockey Tournament in Stratford

Friday 7th March: No School – Kāhui Ako Teacher Only Day – all schools in central region closed for Professional Development

Monday 10th March: No School -Taranaki Anniversary Weekend (school closed)

Friday 14th March: School Gala

Tuesday March 18th: Rural Cluster Swimming Yr 5-8 Stratford Pools

COMMUNITY NOTICES………...

NOMINATE NGAERE SCHOOL – Click link aainsurance.co.nz/big-little

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls – Stratford

An integrated Anglican Year 9 – Year 13 Boarding and Day School

OPEN DAY – Wednesday 19 March 2025 – visit anytime between 10 am – 2 pm

Enrolments: Weekly Boarding, Part Boarding (2/3 nights) and Day Students

Daily transport options from and to New Plymouth and Hawera

Prospectus Packages available 06 765 5333 sandrac@taranakidio.school.nz

Virtual Tours available any time via website  www.taranakidio.school.nz

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SCHOOL PADDOCK

28/02/2025

Kia koutou e te whānau,

He mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of Week 5 already! Time flies when you’re having fun. I’ve just returned from some professional learning in Wellington – alongside Mr Mercer and Miss Hulme – as we continued our learning to bring structured literacy into our classrooms school-wide. The other teachers will be heading off next Monday and Tuesday to continue strengthening their knowledge in this area. This will help embed and sustain best practices in literacy for all our learners! School will continue to operate as normal but with a slightly adapted programme.

A massive “well done” to our swimmers who competed in the Turnbull Cup competition last week. It was great to see we’re up there with the best in this field. Long may this continue!

A big thank you to Mrs Brown and our parent supporters for ensuring this was a positive experience for our students. I look forward to attending in person next year.

The School Gala is fast approaching – please see below for some key details pertaining to this event. We are still looking for a few extra people to support the PTA with running this event. If you can lend a hand for 30 minutes to an hour, that would ease the load for all. We’re a bit light between 7-8om. Please click this link HERE if you are able to help but haven’t indicated availability in any previous communication.

Just a reminder that school will be closed for instruction next Friday 7th March. All teachers from Eltham through to Inglewood have a day of professional learning dedicated to supporting us to ensure we are meeting the new Ministry of Education requirements.

Have a fabulous weekend ahead. May the sun continue to shine.

As always – just reach out to me should you have anything you wish to discuss.

Ngā mihi nui

Shane (Mr B)

principal@ngaere.school.nz

Turnbull Cup Swimming

The students enjoying morning fitness!!

Wednesday 26th February – Tuesday 4th March: Teachers involved in Structured Literacy training – school will remain open but teachers covering classes on these days will vary

Wednesday 05th March – Hockey Tournament in Stratford

Friday 7th March: Kāhui Ako Teacher Only Day – all schools in central region closed for Professional Development

Monday 10th March: Taranaki Anniversary Weekend (school closed)

Friday 14th March: School Gala

Tuesday March 18th: Rural Cluster Swimming Yr 5-8 Stratford Pools

COMMUNITY NOTICES………...

NOMINATE NGAERE SCHOOL – Click link aainsurance.co.nz/big-little

Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls – Stratford

An integrated Anglican Year 9 – Year 13 Boarding and Day School

OPEN DAY – Wednesday 19 March 2025 – visit anytime between 10 am – 2 pm

Enrolments: Weekly Boarding, Part Boarding (2/3 nights) and Day Students

Daily transport options from and to New Plymouth and Hawera

Prospectus Packages available 06 765 5333 sandrac@taranakidio.school.nz

Virtual Tours available any time via website  www.taranakidio.school.nz

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SCHOOL PADDOCK

14/02/2025

Kia koutou e te whānau,

Nau mai hāere mai ki te wiki tuatoru!

Not a lot from me this week, as most relevant information should already be in your inbox or have been shared in your recent parent/teacher meetings.

Home School Partnership Hui were hugely successful with 130 interviews held over the course of Monday. 92% of our families made appointments and set goals alongside their child(ren) and their teachers – a real win to start the year! 

HERO – so far onboarding with the app has been really positive and it’s seemingly ensuring consistent and regular feedback between home and school. We are aware of balancing the amount of information being sent out; this will settle down once all the sports teams are established. I am interested in your feedback so flick me an email, text or pop in if you have any suggestions for streamlining things further.

See below for some key info relating to Music Lessons and our School Gala!

That’s all from me. Have a fab weekend!

Ngā mihi nui

Shane (Mr B)

principal@ngaere.school.nz

TENNIS LESSON INFORMATION

Further to the notice earlier this term: 

After speaking with Ghislaine (tennis coach) we can confirm that the tennis lesson prices are for the whole 5 sessions with groups of 5 or more students – not each as previously thought, so

Juniors Years 1-4 on a Wednesday 30minutes x 5 weeks = $45

Seniors Years 5-8 on a Thursday after school 45minutes x 5 weeks = $60

Can you please Let Karen know in the office asap if you are interested in signing your child up for these lessons as they will be starting next week.

Music Lessons

• As mentioned in previous communication, Ngaere School is looking to partner with some outside music providers to provide increased opportunities for our students to learn musical instruments.. There is the potential for children to learn: piano, guitar, ukulele, and potentially drums. To make it viable we need a few more students keen to jump on board.
• Depending on student ability or previous experience, lessons may be offered in small groups. While the students would be able to attend lessons during school hours, any financial arrangement would be directly between the parents/caregivers and the itinerant teachers
• Please complete the form linked HERE expressing your interest and we’ll get back to you with further information. NB: I’ve extended the deadline to Wednesday 19th February to give people enough time to make a decision

Wednesday 19th February: Board Meeting

Wednesday 19th-Thursday 20th February – Room 6 & 7 Overnight Camp to Te Wera

Friday 21st February: Scholastic Bookclub Due

Wednesday 26th February – Tuesday 4th March: Teachers involved in Structured Literacy training – school will remain open but teachers covering classes on these days will vary

Friday 7th March: Kāhui Ako Teacher Only Day – all schools in central region closed for Professional Development

Monday 10th March: Taranaki Anniversary Weekend (school closed)

Friday 14th March: School Gala

COMMUNITY NOTICES………...

Please click the link below to read Issue 6 of the Eltham Community Newsletter

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SCHOOL PADDOCK

31/1/2025

Kia koutou e te whānau,

He mihi nui ki a koutou katoa, nau mai, hāere mai ki 2025!

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful summer, enjoyed the break and created some whānau memories from the festivities.

We’re excited to be back at kura (school) and have enjoyed watching our kids settle seamlessly into their new classes, connecting with old and making new friends.

Apologies in advance for the long newsletter, but there’s a fair bit of information following outlining things you need to know for term 1 and the year ahead. We acknowledge that there is a fair bit of disruption to the term 1 calendar with staff professional learning and statutory holidays, so many thanks in advance for supporting us as we work together to ensure we are set up to provide excellent educational opportunities for our kids.

My door is always open should you wish to connect and/or clarify anything happening within the school, so reach out without hesitation.

Ngā mihi nui

Shane (Mr B)

principal@ngaere.school.nz

• All information from Week 3, will be sent out via HERO. At least one parent/caregiver will need to have the app downloaded. This will be how you can stay connected with what’s happening, see how your children are progressing with their learning, connect with your child’s teacher, report absences, and pay any school related fees etc. If you haven’t got it sorted, please action this asap – info HERE. Any problems, reach out to Karen in the office or myself – we’ll see you right!
• School newsletters will now come home fortnightly with information/key dates etc that is relevant for the whole school. One the alternative fortnight, you receive a newsletter from your child’s teacher – sharing learning and celebrating successes related to what’s happening in classes. As a rule of thumb, these should be in your inbox by the Friday of each week. Please be patient with us – we’re learning how to best use this tool also 
• By the end of term 1, the school website will be updated and generally remain a static image of the school. This won’t be updated unless there’s changes or information that is outdated. Facebook will continue to be used for promotional purposes.
• Staff can still be contacted via email, but communication using the parent contact portal on HERO would be preferred.
• School Assemblies – we’ll now hold school assemblies on four instances throughout the term with the view to raise the quality of what is presented/shared – a less is more approach: Dates for term 1, can be found on the Community Calendar and will start at 2:15pm

*Week 3: Friday 14th February –  led by Senior Hub (Room 6/7)

*Week 6: Thursday 6th March – led by Junior Hub (Room 1/2/3)

*Week 9: Friday 28th March – led by Middle Hub (Room 4/5)

*Week 11: Friday 11th April – led by House Captains/Student Leaders

Professional Learning for Staff:

The staff will be engaging with a range of professional learning opportunities as the year progresses; this will support us in aligning how we teach, assess and report as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh. Focuses for 2025 are:

• Teaching using a structured literacy approach in reading and writing
• Ensuring teacher led – explicit instruction in Maths
• Te Reo and culturally responsive practices

Home Learning:

As a rule, homework will only be set on a regular on-going basis for our students in Years 1-4. Teachers will communicate what this entails. For students in Year 5-8, any home learning that is sent will either be a continuation of what is being taught in classes or to support personalised areas of need. Research shows that homework set without a clear and meaningful purpose has minimal impact on student progress and outcomes. 

Students in years 5-8 that are involved in intervention programmes or receiving additional support over and above what is covered in class programmes may receive home learning to help accelerate a current focus or goal. This can be discussed with your child’s teacher as the home-school partnership hui.

Home-School Partnerships/Whānau Hui:

These are set for Monday 10th February, running from 8am – 8pm. Please make your booking via the SkoolLoop App or if this isn’t working for you, reach out to Karen or myself and we’ll book you a time. We’re aiming to see 100% of parents on this day so help us out by getting your booking sorted.

The main purpose of these hui are:

• to build and sustain relationships between home and school
• provide a forum to hear your hopes and aspirations for your chlid/ren
• involve the children in goal setting process
• discuss how and home and school can work together to ensure positive outcomes

On this day – we are asking that if possible – children remain at home and only come to school for their scheduled interview time. If this is not possible and suitable childcare arrangements cannot be found, please let Karen or your child’s teacher know as soon as possible. We’ll have a small number of staff available to support as required.

This term Ngaere School is looking to partner with some outside music providers to provide increased opportunities for our students to learn musical instruments. To start with, we’re just wanting to gauge interest to ascertain whether or not this is a viable possibility. There is the potential for children to learn: piano, guitar, ukulele, and potentially drums. 

Thursday 6th February: Waitangi Day (school closed)

Monday 10th February: Home-School Partnership Hui (info above)

Tuesday 11th February – PTA Meeting – 7pm  – all welcome

Wednesday 19th February: Board Meeting

Wednesday 26th February – Tuesday 4th March: Teachers involved in Structured Literacy training – school will remain open but teachers covering classes on these days will vary

Friday 7th March: Kāhui Ako Teacher Only Day – all schools in central region closed for Professional Development

Monday 10th March: Taranaki Anniversary Weekend (school closed)

Friday 14th March: School Gala

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDS THE SCHOOL PADDOCK