Newsletter - Week 10, Term 4 2025

Principal’s Update

Kia ora Waitetuna Whaanau, we have come to the last newsletter for 2025. I want to take the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for the year. It has been an amazing learning journey with many, many wonderful opportunities provided for our students. I acknowledged our team of support staff at Monday’s assembly and we had a lovely staff lunch on Saturday. Thank you to the teachers who do go over and above to support your children and their learning in every way. I also have some other fantastic news to end the year. I applied this term to the Tu Manawa Fund for funding for bikes. We were

successful so we will have a new fleet of bikes to enjoy on our new pump track sometime in Term 1.

One last plug—I have included our quiz night sponsors on page 2 of this letter again. Please use them when purchasing and if you can tell them ‘Thanks for sponsoring the Waitetuna School Quiz Night’.

Final assembly organisation– in the last week of term on Wed 17th Dec starting at 6pm we have our final assembly event. This is a special event where we acknowledge our leaving year 8s and celebrate the year of learning. We hope that all families can attend. After the assembly we have a shared dinner so please bring along a plate of food for this. Please note that this event is alcohol free.

Middle Room camp—I have heard great things about the Middle Room camp. What a great way to end the term and year for the students. Thank you to Matua Travis for making this happen! Please return any schools book next week ASAP.

Working Bee—at the last board meeting for the year the board planned for a Working Bee to be held in January. This has been scheduled for the 17th January. Please can you let Tim or Amanda know if you can help out with this. Many hands make light work as they say.

We need to stain the new deck and do a few other small jobs. I truly hope you all have a wonderful, safe restful break and I look forward to 2026.

Vinaka vakalevu, Amanda

All the Happenings

1. Final Assembly—17th Dec—6pm start

2. Reports home—18th Dec

3. Final day of Term 4—half day - 19th Dec—school closes at noon

4. First day back for 2026—Mon 9th February

5. And a reminder that you do not have to purchase stationery for your child next year.

6. We have asked if you can consider purchasing a chromebook for your child.

Term Sates 2026

• Term 1 (8 weeks) Monday 9 February to ends Thursday 2 April 2026 (Easter Friday—

• Friday 3rd April)

• Note Public holiday: Waitangi Day – Friday 6 February.

• Term 2 (11 weeks) Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July 2026 (106 half days).

• Teacher Only Day confirmed -18/05/2026

• Public holidays: Anzac Day – Saturday 25 April (Anzac Day observed on Monday 27 April) and King’s Birthday – Monday 1 June.

• Term 3 (10 weeks) Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September 2026 (100 half days).

• Teacher Only Day confirmed -17/08/2026

• Term 4 (11 weeks) Monday 12 October to Friday 18 December Public holiday:

Gratitude

On behalf of the students we would like to say a great big thank you to everyone

who has helped along the way this year. There is too many of you to list but you know who you are—from the board, to the PTA, Garden to Table, Kura Awa, Kura Ngaahere, all the volunteers, everyone who helps out in whatever way they can. Thank you!

Together we are growing the seeds of success

Na too manaaki, na tooku manaaki, ka puawai mai nga kaakano