Panui - End of 2025
I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to you all. We have had an amazing year here at Tawhiti and I consider myself privileged to be able to work and lead in our school like ours.
There is so much to be proud of...
Our achievement results: This year’s academic achievement is at its highest for a number of years. This is despite implementing a new curriculum with lifted standards, and it is a true testament to the progress our children have made. Our data shows 81% are achieving with reading, 71% with writing, and 76% with mathematics.
Attendance: Attendance has been a collective effort. While we still have a little bit of work to do, our % of children attending regularly is rising and we can see the impact this is having in our achievement results. Thank you for your support in this area.
Opportunities Beyond the Classroom: Our children have had so many opportunities in the arts and Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC) space. Highlights include an outstanding school production of Finding Nemo, learning visits around the region including to the mountain, rivers and beaches, and we can't forget class camps. This is not the norm around the country, so a huge thanks must go to every single person who makes these experiences possible. These experiences build relationships, support learning, encourage resilience and most of all make memories for our learners.
Cultural opportunities: Our students continue to shine in the cultural space. Children have shown a keen interest in mau rākau and kapa haka, and extension te reo lessons with Matua Linton are the highlight of the week for many of our tamariki. We have had over 100 children express their interest in these for 2026 so our new problem is catering for as many tamariki as possible.
Sports: We have had many successes and many hard fought battles on the sports fields throughout the year. The commitment and determination shown by our students in all codes is fantastic.
Outstanding Support from you, our whānau: The support shown by you, our community, is AMAZING. Events like Pet Day, PTA fundraising initiatives, the children’s Market Day, camps and our sport days simply would not happen without you.
What a school! #tawhitiproud #bringon2026
To our Year 6 leavers, it is always a sad time as we say goodbye and good luck! I know you will carry with you the values of ako—a love for learning, manaakitanga—kindness and respect for others, whanaungatanga—the strength of relationships, and hauora—the importance of your well-being. Remember, once Tawhiti, always Tawhiti. We are so proud of you!
With a week and a half to go the rest of this newsletter gives you the important information you will need to wrap up 2025 and look forward to 2026. As always, if you are unsure of anything, just ask.
I am sure I will see most of you around school before the end of the year, but if not, have a great christmas break with your whanau.
Sarah
Throughout this term you will have been receiving HERO updates on how your child has progressed in reading, writing and maths. Teachers will have sent these as they worked their way through end of year testing.
Final reports for 2025 will be published on Wednesday on HERO. We encourage all whanau to check in, look at these, and most importantly celebrate with your children.
On Wednesday, children's report page will have:
- A summary comment written by their teacher
- Overview of effort and attitude for 2025
- Achievement statement in reading, writing and maths.
(These statements will let you know whether your child is exceeding, achieving, progressing towards, or needs further support to meet curriculum expectations. These judgements have been made against the new NZ curriculum which came into effect during Term 4 this year.) - A post about your child's achievement and progress in each of these areas written by their teacher
- Attendance summary
If you have any questions or concerns once viewing your child's report I encourage to make contact with their teacher and arrange a time to come and discuss these before the end of the year.
A 6 week break is also a lot for some children and they can slip back a lot during holidays. We would encourage you to read to your child, join the summer reading programme and incorporate maths and writing wherever and whenever you can on your summer journeys. Further information on the curriculum and ways you can support your child at home can be found here: Parent portal
We have an action packed last week and a half of the school year left. We will have normal class in the morning as well as a fun activity each day. This is so we can encourage children to continue to attend school right through to the last day of term.
Please note children MUST have a hat and rash top for all swimming and outdoor activities or they will not be able to participate. We also ask that sunscreen is applied by whanau before school each morning.
On our swimming day, all teachers will be applying school sunblock before leaving school. This will be recorded and signed on a class roll. They will also reapply to all children once while we are down there. 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.
Staffing updates and class lists
- We are pleased to announce that Susanne Lanting will be joining our team next year. Susanne is an experienced senior teacher, currently working in Australia.
- A huge congratulations to Whaea Murphy, Sam, Ted and Mack. They will be welcoming a new pepe to join their whānau next year. This means Murphy will not have a class, but will instead join our amazing release teacher team and be shared around! There are lots of children looking forward to this...
- Class lists will be completed this week and shared with you on HERO on Wednesday, along with their 2025 report. On Thursday 11th, children will come to school as normal but will spend a section of the day with their 2026 class and teacher. This is an exciting day, and ensures children approach 2026 with excitement and a positive, open-minded attitude! Unfortunately, Susanne will not be here for this day, but one of our teachers will take her class so they can still bond together. Likewise, Whaea Jen is currently enjoying a family holiday overseas so Whaea Sara will take her class on this day.
Important 2026 dates
- Office open for enrolments and enquiries: Tuesday 27th - Thursday 29th January
- School starts: Monday 2nd February
- Waitangi Day (school closed): Friday 6th February
- Patea Dam camps for Year 4-6 children: 18-27th Feb.
A notice will come out before the end of the year with exact dates for each class.
Stationery Lists
Last year we used Warehouse for our book lists. However, we have had trouble with all the books falling apart. We are using the Qizzle Schoolpacks system instead this year. We are currently working with Qizzle to upload stationery lists for every class, saving you the hassle of hunting for specific books or brands in shops.
How it works:
- Go to the Schoolpacks website and select our school and your child's year level.
- The list will pre-fill with our required items. You can add extras or remove items you already have at home (unless a specific brand is required).
- Once processed, Qizzle delivers the full pack to your home or workplace (usually within 3–5 business days).
Huge thanks to Brendon White for capturing our Nemo performance on video. We have included this for you to view. The link will expire in 2 weeks. We have very strict copyright licenses so please only use this for your personal viewing, do not download or share.
- Reminder PTA raffle tickets are due back this FRIDAY.