This year, our school's strategic goals are focused on:

• Reading: Increasing fluency.

• Maths: Targeting basic facts.

• Writing: Reducing the number of struggling writers through targeted sentence and punctuation work.

• Attendance: We are aiming to get at least 74% of our learners here at least 80% of the time.  

Staff have spent this week collaborating on effective teaching practises that align with our strategic goals, the new curriculum and the science of learning. We are ready to attack to 2026 with consistent and high quality practise across the school. 

And a personal milestone to celebrate—this year I turn 21! Well, that may be wishful thinking... but I am celebrating 21 years at Tawhiti. It is a privilege to be back for another year with this amazing school.

Pictured above is our Senior Leadership Team, alongside your child's classroom teacher we are here to support you throughout the year, whether it’s sharing successes, discussing concerns, or providing feedback. Your insights help us improve and ensure the best experiences for our tamariki and whānau. So don’t hesitate to reach out! We welcome you to contact any of our staff in person, via phone call to the school office, through HERO (parent contact) or via email. All our teachers can be contacted using firstname@tawhiti.school.nz eg ashleigh@tawhiti.school.nz

This year we are delighted to welcome some new faces to our team:

• Josh Bird – Josh was with us at the end of last year, but officially starts as a classroom teacher
• Susanne Lanting – Susanne is an experienced teacher who will be joining us from Australia. Unfortunately, we have just recieved news that her arrival in NZ has been delayed due to visa issues. She is ready to join us as soon as the paper work comes through, in the mean time Whaea Narnz will capably hold the fort. 
• Luca Evans - This year we have been approved as an onsite training provider. This means we can support student teachers with their learning journey by hosting them onsite for 3 days a week. Luca is our first onsite student teacher. She will be working in Nikau, alongside the amazing guidance of Renee Clegg. 

Below is a list of important dates for the term but we will keep you updated. Mark these in your diary especially Grandparents / special person day. We missed this last year! 

Here’s to a fantastic term ahead!

Ngā mihi,
Sarah

Day 1

School starts for the year on Monday. We ask that children are dropped to school between 8:30 and 8:50. They should head to their new class, unpack their bags, and settle in. At 9am we will all head to the court for a mihi whakatau to welcome our new learners. Any new or existing whanau are welcome to join us. 

Stationery

We realise that there have been some postage hold-ups and some people are still waiting for their stationery to arrive from Quizzle. No dramas - we realise this is out of your hands. Just send it to school as soon as it arrives. 

Swimming

Our school pool is nice and warm and ready to go. Children will have swimming sessions with their class as well as the opportunity to swim at lunchtimes. All children should bring their togs on the first day and teachers will communicate class swimming days/times with you. However, if in doubt - pack them anyway! 

Term 1 learning

For the first 2-3 weeks we will have a big focus on routines, expectations and school values. This will set us up for a successful year of learning. You can support this learning at home by talking to your children about our school values of ako (learning), manaakitanga (kindess), whanaungatanga (team work / relationships) and hauora (health and wellbeing).

For the second half of Term 1 (Weeks 5–10), our learning focus will shift to the Living World, specifically gardening and sustainability. Students will be getting hands-on to explore plant life cycles, survival needs, and ecosystems. We will also be diving into sustainability practices like composting and managing worm farms to understand how we can support our environment. We are once again partnering with education officers from the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC), who will work alongside us to deliver expert knowledge and practical sessions. To bring this learning to life, we will also be taking a class trip to Hollard Gardens in the last week of term. 

All of this will happen alongside our rich literacy and numeracy programmes which focus on teaching the foundational skills. 

SWITCH

This year, we are embarking on a new journey to strengthen our commitment to student wellbeing and emotional intelligence.  We are doing this through the tool Switch4schools. Through regular check-ins and simple, engaging activities, students will learn to recognise and manage their emotions, supporting greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Please use the link to the parent portal so that you have more understanding of what your tamariki will be doing at school and even jump on board with some of this at home. Check out this Switch4schools parent information video. 

Whanau hui

We have our formal Whānau Hui (parent interviews) scheduled for the beginning of Terms 2 and 3. At these we will be able to share how your child in progressing with their learning. 

However, building a partnership and working together is our priority. So we invite you to come into the classroom any morning or afternoon to say hi and meet us informally. If you are worried about anything, or if you just want to check in on how your child has settled, please come and see us. We are always available to discuss progress or provide extra learning resources—any time of the year.

Seniors: We are gearing up to take our seniors on another unforgettable Patea Dam experience. Attached is the newsletter and gear list. This will also come home in hard copy along with the permission form on our first week back at school. 

Please note there is a $40 contribution towards the camp. This can be paid at the office or via internet banking into our school account (include name and Patea as reference) 

If you have a boat and would be interested in bringing it out to give your child's class a tubing experience, we would be INCREDIBLY grateful. Please let your child's teacher know or flick me a text 0275206457. Cheers! 

Juniors: Our junior classes will also head on an out and about day. Like with the Patea Dam, the purpose of these days are to build relationships, bond as a new class, and develop outdoor skills. This year our tamariki will be heading to Whanganui.

• Tuesday 10 March - Manuka (Miss Okeeffe) and Rimu (Mrs Clegg)
• Wednesday 11 March - Nikau (Miss Clegg) and Kowhai (Mrs Neyens)
• Thursday 12 March - Rewarewa (Mrs Broker) and Puriri (Mrs Potts)

We will share further details on HERO. Please ensure you have your police vet into the office if you wish to join us. 

Camp fundraising for 2026: 

Like with 2025, class camp fundraising will be done as a whole school. This ensures managability for teachers while making sure our end-of-year camps remain affordable for every family. We also want to thank the PTA for their support with our beginning-of-year activities.

Here is the plan to support the camp costs:

• Special person / Grandparents Day (Friday 6th March): Classes will bake and sell lunchtime treats. Funds raised go directly to your child’s class.

• Sales drive (End Term 1 / Start Term 2): We will be selling protein bars and another treat (TBC). Funds raised by your child go directly to their class.

• Friday lunches: Each class will have the opportunity to run 1 Friday lunch. Funds raised by your child go directly to their class.

• School Discos: We have two discos planned (1st May and Halloween). Funds raised are split between all classes.

Thank you for your support!

School times

• Children can be dropped at school from 8:30 onwards (not before for safety reasons) 
• The bell rings at 8:55 am and we begin our day with karakia, waiata, roll, and notices. We ask that all tamariki arrive by this time as it is very disruptive if children rock in late. 
• Morning tea is at 11:00 am, and lunch is at 1:00 pm.
• School finishes at 3:00 pm.

When picking up children, please help us model road safety by using the school pedestrian crossing, especially during the busy pickup times. 

Uniform

Correct uniform shows pride in our kura and helps create a strong sense of belonging. Uniform expectations are on our website, and items can be purchased from The Warehouse. Hats are compulsory in Term 1 and must be a school hat (available at The Warehouse or school office). While there are no official shoe requirements, black is preferred. If wearing Crocs, please leave the Jibbitz at home. Thank you for helping us look sharp and representing our kura with pride!

Sun safety

As mentioned above all children are required to wear a school sunhat during Term 1. Teachers will ensure tamariki apply sunblock before breaks and school events. It is becoming common for children to tell us they are allergic to the school sunblock. While this is true for a few, it can also be an avoidance tactic! So if your child has a genuine allergy, please provide a named bottle of their own sunblock. If no personal sunblock is supplied, we will use the school sunblock to ensure they are protected.

Food and nutrition

Tawhiti is a water-only school. Whilst we have water fountains available in the playground, we recommend children bring their own drink bottle to school so they can drink as needed during class times. 

We also encourage waste-free lunchboxes to help keep our kura and planet clean. Children will bring all rubbish home in their lunchboxes for disposal or recycling. Therefore, we encourage you to use reusable containers and choose items with minimal packaging.
Children are able to buy Subway for lunch on Thursdays and Sushi on Friday's (note the change of day for Subway). Order forms are available in the school office. NB: Sushi orders need to be in on a Thursday. 

HERO

All notices are sent out via HERO. At least one member of your whānau will need to have access to this app. If you are having trouble getting this to work, please drop in and see myself, Emma in the office, or your child's teacher. 

Sports Registration Form

To make things easier, we now have one single form covering all upcoming outside school sports. It includes start dates, times, costs, and deadlines. Registrations are open for Rippa, Futsal, Netball, Basketball, Cricket and Hockey.
https://www.sporty.co.nz/dashboard/forms

Sports Tops

Can be purchased at the school office.

Weetbix Kids Tryathlon

Date: March 25th at Ngamotu, New Plymouth.
Participants should arrange their own transport and equipment. Please select Tawhiti School and give consent for Sheri to see who’s attending so she can organise a Hero group.
Register here: Tryathlon Registration

Swimming Sports

Senior swimming will be on March 3rd at the Hawera Pools (for ages 8+). From this event, a Spragg Banner squad will be selected to race on March 11th.