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Week 6, Term 1 2023       

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Karāpiro School extends a very warm welcome to Riverlee and her family. Riverlee has turned 5 and has joined the students in Kowhai Class.

Thank You

Thank you Nicole, Justin, Summer and Chelsea Skivington for all their work at school on a recent Sunday - our edges have been beautifully trimmed up! Thanks so much for your time. Thank you also to the Churstain whānau for tackling the huge pile of oak wood chips (they finished the job started by Mrs Jones and Karāpiro students last Friday). The chip is now beautifully spread out underneath our stunning London Plane trees in the playground (great mulch for the trees and the roots are no longer a trip hazard for humans!) Thank you to everyone who supports our little school. 

Industrial Action - Schools closed Thursday 16 March

Last night we received notice of the intention of primary school teachers across New Zealand to take industrial action by way of strike action on Thursday 16th March 2023. The school will be closed for instruction on this day.  We will have more information for families on this via email on Monday.  

Health Curriculum 

Consultation on the school Health Curriculum is due to close at the end of day Friday 10 March. Please follow the link in your email to have your say on our health education programmes. 

We are also excited to have been accepted on to the Pause, Breath, Smile wellbeing programme for staff which we will undertake training in Term 2. This programme will be a welcome addition to our Student Wellbeing@School programme. 

Before and After School Care

We are exploring running a Before and After School Care programme for parents. Please complete the link as soon as possible to give us an idea of the need: Before and After School Care Survey

Rural Swimming Sports

Thank you to everyone who supported us with transport and timekeeping and supervision for the swimming sports this week. Mr C and I thoroughly enjoyed this day with our students - it was full of personal best efforts and awesome teamwork and support of each other and students at other rural schools. Great work Pohutukawa Class!

Waipa Council Ahu Ake Strategic Plan

Thank you to everyone who came along to the Waipa Council consultation day and shared their views about our school and our region. There is still time to have your say on the future of the Karāpiro region. Send through your views via the link in the poster below.

Thank You

We have been learning about rights and responsibilities and what it means to be a citizen. We are focussing on the people and groups who are there to help us when we need help. This week Pohutukawa students took the time to write letters of thanks to our local Cambridge Volunteer Fire Service.

Book Week

Book week will run from 27 to 31 March with students taking part in lots of activities involving literacy. The week will end with a parents, grandparents and special friends day on Friday 31 March. Please see the invitation below for details: 

Music Lessons

Music lessons are available at school on Thursday’s during school hours. We support this being available to students as we know the benefits learning an instrument has to education.

June MacKenzie is available to teach both individual and group lessons in guitar, ukulele, piano and keyboard. If your child is interested in learning an instrument and does not have access to one please let us know as there may be the option to loan one from the school. Lessons are $160 per term.  Please contact June Mackenzie on 021 136 0583 if you are interested.

Karāpiro School Community PlayGroup

Our PlayGroup schedule for term one and two is now up and running and on the flyer below. Please share with friends and family and anyone you know who might like to come along and join us. Please also note the transition dates for our new students starting school with us.

School Gardens & Sharing Shed

We are looking for some help with our school gardens on a regular basis. Please let us know if you have some time to spare to support us with some general weeding of the car park gardens and gardens in the school grounds. We would really appreciate your support!

We are also looking to set up a ‘sharing shed’ where we can swap surplus food - does anyone know of someone who could build one for us?

Leamington Sports Club

Leamington Sports Club invites you to register for the 2023 winter season, we offer Netball, Hockey and Rugby.  Please register using the following links:

Netball: https://www.sporty.co.nz/leamingtonrsc/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-netball-player-registration

Hockey: https://www.sporty.co.nz/leamingtonrsc/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-hockey-player-registration

Rugby:  https://www.sporty.co.nz/leamingtonrsc/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-rugby-player-registration

Please come along to a muster at our club on Carlyle Street on Sunday March 5th at 2pm .  You can try on uniforms, talk to our volunteers, kick, throw or hit a ball around and get to know our club. There will be games, food and drink and lots of friendly faces. We would love to see you there!

If you have any questions please contact Lara Connors or Sam Ward on leamingtonjuniorsport@outlook.com

St Peters Open Day – Friday 16th March

You are warmly invited to St Peter’s School Cambridge, Full School Open Day on Friday 16th March. This is a great opportunity to find out what St Peter’s can do for your child. You will enjoy a student led tour of the school and have the opportunity to hear from existing parents and students first hand.

Please register for this event at stpeters.school.nz or to find out further information please contact Claire Pollock, Director of Admissions on 07 823 3684

RD4 Post Delivery Driver Role - Part Time

A part time driver role is available delivering on the RD4 post run. Please contact Sukhdev Singh on 021 135 8969 if you are interested.

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the new term ahead. 

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/211032

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 3, Term 1 2023       

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Well that was a wild start to the week! Our thoughts are with people in our community and across the country who have been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. We are so fortunate to have escaped any damage to our school, with only a site clean up of fallen branches and leaves required. Thank you to the Karāpiro staff team and students for the huge clean up job you did on Wednesday :) 

Working Bee

We do have quite a lot of work to be done around the school site and would appreciate your support at our next Working Bee this Sunday from 10-12. Many hands make light work! Please bring your own gardening gloves and gear and check out the list below. (Morning tea provided for you!)

Staff News

Karāpiro School is delighted to announce Amanda Tucker will be joining our staff team and providing learning support as a teacher aide. Amanda is an experienced teacher aide and impressed us with her caring personality and her knowledge and experience working with children with special education needs. We are very lucky to have her! Amanda starts work with us next Monday and is kindly popping in to lend a hand at our Working Bee on Sunday so please do introduce yourself and say hello.

Hello my name is Amanda Tucker. Children usually call me Whaea Amanda, as I work closely with children with different learning needs. I'm a Teacher Aide / Learning Assistant and I'm lucky to be starting work here at Karāpiro School. I've just moved with my husband and our two sons from Paraparaumu to Te Awamutu to call Waikato our new home. My husband Gavin has family here. I have four years experience as a Teacher Aide at Paraparaumu School and have first hand experience with autism. Both our sons are on the Autistic Spectrum - Aspergers. Our sons are Troy (22 years old) and Jack (18 years old). My hobbies include: art, knitting, gardening and hearing "Dad Jokes" from my youngest son Jack. I look forward to meeting everyone and working in the classrooms with kindness, fun, inclusion and encouraging different learning styles. Amanda  😊

Music Lessons

Music lessons are available at school on Thursday’s during school hours. We support this being available to students as we know the benefits learning an instrument has to education.

June MacKenzie is available to teach both individual and group lessons in guitar, ukulele, piano and keyboard. If your child is interested in learning an instrument and does not have access to one please let us know as there may be the option to loan one from the school. Lessons are $160 per term. 

Please contact June Mackenzie on 021 136 0583 if you are interested.

Karāpiro School Community PlayGroup

Our PlayGroup schedule for term one and two is now up and running and on the flyer below. Please share with friends and family and anyone you know who might like to come along and join us. Please also note the transition dates for our new students starting school with us.

Teacher Only Days 2023

We want to give you advance notice that the Ministry of Education has provided schools with teacher Only Days for the implementation of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. After consultation with the Cambridge Principals Association (in an effort to coordinate this day to support our families across Cambridge with students at multiple schools) the first of these dates will be Monday 24 April 2023. This means Term 2 will start on Wednesday 26th April 2023 (the day after Anzac Day.

The Ministry of Education is provided a second day later in the year and we will advise this once it is released. Thank you. 

Notice of Paid Union Meeting for Teachers (PUM’s)

School Gardens

We are looking for some help with our school gardens on a regular basis. Please let us know if you have some time to spare to support us with some general weeding of the car park gardens and gardens in the school grounds. We would really appreciate your support!

Board of Trustees Meeting

The next meeting of the Karāpiro School Board of Trustees will now be held on Tuesday 21st February at 3.30pm in the Science Lab. All are welcome to attend. If you would like to attend please advise the Presiding Member, Mrs Marilynn Jones at marilynn@karapiro.school.nz 

Winter Sports

Hautapu Sports

Planning for Hautapu Sports Clubs Junior Sports 2023 is well underway. We are excited and cannot wait for the Hockey, Netball and Rugby 2023 seasons to start and to see all our Hautapu Junior superstars out on the turfs, courts and fields learning and improving their skills, playing as a team and most importantly having fun!  

Online registrations for primary and intermediate hockey, netball and rugby are live on our website here Junior sports - Hautapu Sports Club You will also find information there about each of our junior sports, the costs, what is required, season dates and playing venues.  

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.  

Junior Hockey, Marie Dale, juniorhockey@hautapusports.com.

Junior Netball, Jody Anderson, juniornetball@hautapusports.com.

Junior Rugby, Josh Bull, juniorrugby@hautapusports.com

General Club Enquiries, Andrew Douglas, gmanager@hautapusports.com

Leamington Rugby and Sports

TVP (Primary and Intermediate Hockey)

We are awaiting registration details, for any questions please email tvpjuniors@gmail.com 

Community Consultation - Our School Charter

It’s that time again when we review our school charter. Please take the time to read our charter and offer any suggestions for our 2023 update, which the Karāpiro School Board of Trustees will finalise in the coming weeks. You can find a copy of our charter on our school website or click the link: Charter for review If you have any comments or suggestion please send these to office@karapiro.schoo.nz 

https://www.waipafunrun.co.nz/    see flyer below for more

Waipa Girl Guiding

Are you up for fun, friends and adventure, then GirlGuiding could be for you?

We have four units in Cambridge, Pippins (5-7),Brownies (7-9 1/2), Guides (9-12 1/2) and Rangers (12-17), if you are interested then email Michelle on michellegirlguide@gmail.com to find out more.

What does Waipā look like in 2050?

Waipā District Council is in the early stages of developing Ahu Ake - Waipā Community Spatial Plan which will be a blueprint for our district for the next 30+ years.

This plan will have a direct impact on our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren and will be the most important plan we create. Now the plan needs you.

Council will be coming to our school on Wednesday 1 March from 2.30pm-4pm to speak with parents about what is important to them for the future of our village and the wider district.

There will also be entertainment for kids and the chance to win some cool prizes. 

So, when picking up your children on Wednesday, please feel free to drop-in at their event and have your say. They’ll be in the courtyard if the sun is out or in the assembly room if it is raining.

If you can’t make it, they’ll also be at the Karāpiro Lookout from 5.30pm-8.00pm that evening to speak with residents.

You can find more information about this project and have your say online at www.ahuakewaipa.nz/have-your-say.

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the new term ahead. 

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/211032

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 1, Term 1 2023       

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome back to the new term! We are very excited about the new year ahead. A special welcome goes out to new students Summer and Chelsea who have joined us and were welcomed to Karāpiro School at assembly. 

Thank you to Tina Turkilsen and Dan Churstain who met with me during the holiday break to plan the curriculum for our learners for the year ahead. Our focus is on foundation literacy and number skills with a major focus on our Reading programme. The upcoming Census will provide context for part of our mathematics programme https://new.censusatschool.org.nz/ . We will also be learning about the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand history as well as taking a closer look at what makes the Waikato River so special - where it comes from, what lives in it and how it is used by people, throughout history and today. Our Health & Physical Education programme will focus on swimming with all students participating in daily swimming, building water confidence and learning basic swimming skills. Please ensure your child brings their swimming togs and a towel every day!

Community Award for Karāpiro School

Karāpiro School was delighted to win the Your Cambridge News ‘Person of the Year’ award for 2022. This was a huge surprise to us, following editor Roy Pilott’s ‘secret’ visit to the school late last year when he took our photo. Your Cambridge News noticed our persistent advocacy for the safety of the school and that despite our size we can get action when we work together. You can read more about the award at Your Cambridge News Playing it Safe - Karāpiro School award winners 

Welcome to Louie the Dog

Louie the Dog has enrolled at school and is very excited to be coming to school with us! My daughter Abby and her partner Rhys have relocated to the Sunshine Coast in Australia recently and their dog Louie has come to live with Steve and I. Louie is a 7 year old Shih Tzu / Maltese dog who is very friendly and loves dog treats. Louie is already known to the students from his previous visits to the school. Louie will be helping to teach our dog safety programme this year as part of our Health curriculum ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’ programme. You can find out more information about dog safety for children here https://www.dogsafety.govt.nz/dogsafety.nsf 

Term Dates for 2023

Our term dates for 2023 are set as follows (with some additional teacher only dates to come as advised by the Ministry of Education): 

Term 1:  31 January - 6 April

Term 2:  24 April - 30 June 

Term 3:  17 July - 22 September

Term 4:  9 October - 15 December

Staffing for 2023

We continue to enjoy a stable staffing team at Karāpiro School and our staffing plan for 2023 is as follows:

Thank You Aleesha

This term we say farewell to Aleesha Steele who has been providing learning support at our school. Aleesha has decided to return to the University of Waikato in 2023 to undertake teacher training. We are very excited for Aleesha and thank her for all her work in 2022. We wish Aleesha all the very best for her studies and we are excited to welcome her to the teaching profession. 

Community Consultation - Our School Charter

It’s that time again when we review our school charter. Please take the time to read our charter and offer any suggestions for our 2023 update, which the Karāpiro School Board of Trustees will finalise in the coming weeks. You can find a copy of our charter on our school website or click the link: Charter for review If you have any comments or suggestion please send these to office@karapiro.schoo.nz 

Stationery

Stationery is available to purchase from https://www.myschool.co.nz/karapiro. Please ensure that you do this as soon as possible so that students have all that they need for the start of the school year.

Enrolments for 2023

If you have a child starting with us in 2023 and have not yet completed an enrolment form please do so to help with our planning for next year: Enrolment Form

Karāpiro Hydro Dam

As you will be aware there is ongoing work at the Karāpiro Hydro Dam and this has caused road closures. We continue to keep our community informed with regular updates posted on our school Facebook page as we receive them. You can also check the website at the following link: https://www.mercury.co.nz/karapiro-dam 

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the new term ahead. 

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 8, Term 4 2022       MERRY CHRISTMAS!   

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Merry Christmas!!! It is hard to believe that it is December already and we are in the final days of the school year. We would like to say a huge thank you to all our parents and families who have supported us throughout the year and contributed to making Karāpiro School such a great place to learn and grow. We are hoping to see you at our ‘Thank You’ morning tea next Monday at 10.30am - please come along and join us.

Events for the Rest of the Year

Reporting to parents - Snap Shot Report

Written school reports will be sent home with students tomorrow and uploaded to your child's Seesaw account before the end of the school year. We encourage you to read your report with your child and engage them in talking about their progress and achievement. Teachers are happy to make time to meet with you and your child should you wish to discuss the report with them. Congratulations to all of our students for your success this year. 

Celebration Assembly

This Friday at 2.15pm we are holding our celebration assembly. We have some class and principals awards and a very special new award for one of our students. You are all welcome to come along and join us in Kauri Class. 

End of Year Prizegiving

Our end of year prizegiving for all students will be held at 6pm on Tuesday 13 December in Pohutukawa Class. Put this date in your diary now!! We are hoping that ALL students will attend to receive their certificates and yearbooks.

Wet and Wild Day

We are holding this fun day on Tuesday 13 December. Please ensure your child/ren bring their togs, two towels, a change of clothes, water guns (if you have some) and apply sunscreen before coming to school. We will provide a free lunch of a sausage sizzle and juicie for all students. 

Toys at School 

Please keep toys at home as they are a major distraction in the learning environment. From time to time families may have something really special to share - please coordinate this with your child’s teacher so that we can share with the children but also keep the special item secure during the school day. Sometimes, teachers will arrange a special ‘pokemon card day’ for example and make this a special event to look forward to. All toys that are brought to school come on an ‘at your own risk’ basis. We will do everything we can to ensure items come home at the end of the day but this cannot be guaranteed. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Term Dates for 2023

Our term dates for 2023 are set as follows (with some additional teacher only dates to come as recently announced by the Ministry of Education): 

Term 1: 31 January - 6 April

Term 2: 24 April - 30 June

Term 3: 17 July - 22 September

Term 4: 9 October - 15 December

Staffing for 2023

We continue to enjoy a stable staffing team at Karāpiro School and our staffing plan for 2023 is as follows:

Enrolments for 2023

If you have a child starting with us in 2023 and have not yet completed an enrolment form please do so to help with our planning for next year: Enrolment Form

Year 6 Graduation Dinner

The annual Year 6 Graduation Dinner was held on Monday 12 December at 5.30pm at Joe’s Garage, Swayne Road Cambridge. Mr Churstain, Miss Turkilsen and Miss Thatcher thoroughly enjoyed spending the evening with our Year 6’s before they leave us for Cambridge Middle School.

Pool Keys for Sale

Our school pool is open! Pool key hire is $50 for school families and $70 for community members. There is a $10 key bond in addition to this. Forms and keys are available from the school.  If you hired a key last season please return your key to the school office. 

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the new term ahead. 

A reminder that school ends at 1pm on Wednesday 14 December. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

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Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 5, Term 4 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome to your Week 5 newsletter.

Welcome to Our New Students          

A special welcome to new students Kiki and Tiuma. We are very happy to have you join us. And also a special welcome to Dre’zhana and Eden who have been away but now returned to us! It’s so great to have you back!

Covid-19

Covid-19 is circulating again in the Cambridge community and we have had some staff and families reporting positive cases this week. Please keep your children home if they are unwell and continue to test and advise us of any positive case. (We have a huge box of RAT tests here at school if you would like some). We will be short-staffed this week and may need to combine our classes. Please bear with us! We will continue to keep up our school hygiene practices and ventilate classes.

Keep up to date with the latest information on Covid-19. 

Swimming

Swimming is part of our Health and Physical Education curriculum. Our school pool is open and we plan to swim every day. We are very fortunate to have solar heated water!  Please ensure your child has togs and towel ready for school - or a note from home is there is a reason they can’t swim. If your child is unwell please keep them at home.

100 Year Celebrations

Thank you to everyone who was involved in our special 100 year celebrations. What a wonderful day! Keep an eye on our school website for a selection of photos of the day, coming soon.

Board News

The Karāpiro School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Mrs Marilynn Jones has been co-opted onto the board and is our new presiding member (board chairperson). Marilynn is passionate about teaching and learning at Karāpiro School and we are delighted to welcome her back to this role. 

Our next board meeting will be held at 3.30pm on Tuesday 6 December in the staffroom. If you would like to attend please email Marilynn at marilynn@karapiro.school.nz

Junior Athletics Day

We will be hosting a combined Junior Athletics (5, 6 and 7 year-olds) at our school with Horahora School and Te Miro School on 24 November from 9.30am. Lunch orders are available to all students on this day and order forms have gone home this week. Please return lunch orders by Friday, 18 November. Put this date in your diary now and come and join us on the day!

Senior Athletics Day

This has now been postponed to Monday 21 November. Parents of students 8 years old and older please complete the permissions link below:

Athletics Day Permission

Safe Roads Update

Please join Tina-Maree in attending the Waka Kotahi consultation meeting at the Town Hall today, from 1-6pm. This is your opportunity to have your say on the planned road safety upgrade on our school roads.

Thank You Morning Tea

Our thank you morning tea will be held on Friday 2 December at 10.30am to say thank you to all of those who have given their time to help our school this year. All welcome!

End of Year Prizegiving

Our end of year prizegiving for all students will be held at 6pm on Tuesday 13 December in Pohutukawa Class. Put this date in your diary now!! 

Weetbix Tryathlon

We’re a month away from the Weetbix Tryathlon, so if you’re interested in having your child participate or helping to organise a team of their friends. Head over to weetixtryathlon.co.nz to register and for additional details. 

Cambridge Middle School Enrolments

Meet the Teacher Evening for Year 6 students and parents will now be on Wednesday 30 November at 6.00pm. Cambridge Middle School will be emailing families with more information.

Pool Keys for Sale

Our school pool opened on Monday. Pool key hire is $50 for school families and $70 for community members. There is a $10 key bond in addition to this. Forms and keys are available from the school.  If you hired a key last season please return your key to the school office. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

School Arrival Time

Thanks to all the parents/caregivers for getting their children to school for a 9.00am start.  We are seeing an increasing number of children arriving before 8.30am and after 9am.  Our teachers arrive at school early to plan the day and the time prior to 8.30am is for teacher time. Thank you for understanding.

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

School will finish for the 2022 school year on Wednesday 14 December at 1pm.

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 1, Term 4 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome

Welcome to our new students Matthew in Kōwhai and Emily in Pōhutukawa. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School. Welcome also to Taniera who had joined Pohutukawa Class!

Thank you

From Tina-Maree: I really appreciated my time away on sabbatical and it's great to be back this term. I’d like to say thank you to Marilynn Jones who was our Acting Principal. Thank you Marilynn for looking after our students and staff and holding the fort. We are very fortunate to have you and we so appreciate your energy and passion for our school. You have launched our Kapa Haka which is the realisation of a much anticipated goal. Thank you. 

Thank you also to Rob Naumann for stepping in as our Acting Presiding Member of our board of trustees last term. Rob is a friend of the school and it was an exciting opportunity for Rob to return and provide guidance to our new board. Thank you Rob for your continued support of Karāpiro School. 

Next Board meeting 

Our next board meeting will be held on Wednesday 2 November at 3.30pm in the staffroom. Please contact Tina-Maree principal@karapiro.school.nz if you would like to attend. 

Ag Day 2022

100 Year Site Celebrations

Our committee is busy finalising preparations for our 100 year site celebrations. Watch out for more Information coming home next week! 

Pool Keys for sale

Thank you to Mr C for getting our school swimming pool up and running for the summer season. The pool will re-open on Monday 31st October. Pook key hire is $50 for school families and $70 for community members. There is a $10 key bond. Forms and keys will be available from the school office from 31 October.  If you hired a key last season please return your key to the school office. 

Cambridge Life Skills Fundraiser - Wacky Hair & Dress-Up Day

Join us in celebrating Cambridge Lifeskills on Friday 4 November. Dress-up on the day and wear your wacky hair!  Your donations are very welcome to support this fantastic charity which supports Cambridge children. 

Did you know families can self refer for counselling, our school can make a referral on your behalf. You can find more information on the website https://www.cambridgelifeskills.co.nz/ 

School Lunches

School lunches will be available every Friday through to the end of the school term. Lunch order forms will be sent home every Monday, to be returned by Wednesday.

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

School Arrival Time

Thanks to all the parents/caregivers for getting their children to school for a 9.00am start.  We are seeing an increasing number of children arriving before 8.30am and after 9am.  Our teachers arrive at school early to plan the day and the time prior to 8.30am is for teacher time. Thank you for understanding.

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

Have a wonderful and safe holiday break with your family, we will see you back on 17 October.

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 10, Term 3 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

We have had a wonderful term 3 at Karāpiro School. A big thank you to Marilynn Jones for being our acting principal this term. We really appreciate your support and all you have done for our school. Tina-Maree Thatcher will return for the start of term 4.

Welcome

Welcome to our new students Celestine and Zina in Kōwhai and Taniera in Pōhutukawa. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School.

Acting Principal Role

I want to take this opportunity to thank the students, staff and community for continually supporting our wonderful school in so many ways.  My highlight this term whilst acting principal, is the development of our Kapa Haka group and the purchase of our ceremonial costumes.  Thanks to those who have helped make this possible.  You’ll all have a chance to witness the special performance at our School Reunion on 11 and 12 of November.  Karāpiro School will continue to be my focus to ensure it continues to thrive and grow.  Arohanui!

Cross Country

Well done to all of our students who competed in our rural schools cross country. Well done to Ronja (1st), Alice (4th), Aylah (1st), Levi (4th), Ben (4th), Ava (1st), Dakotah (2nd), Aaliyah (3rd), Tristin (4th).

Town Schools Cross Country

Congratulations to Ava who placed 8th and Levi who placed 10th.

Cambridge Schools Speech Competition

Congratulations to Leo who represented Karāpiro School at the speech competition. Leo was awarded the special judge’s award. Well done Leo! 

Kapa Haka

Our students have been busy preparing for their first kapa haka performance at our school centennial celebration in November. Thank you to the Williams family who donated the costumes to the school, and to Marilynn and Sharon for their help with sewing. They look amazing!

Ag Day - 19 October

Our Ag Day will be held on 19 October starting from 9am. Could any donations for baking to be sold by the PTA please be brought to school that morning. There will also be a white elephant store, petting zoo, pony rides, games to play to win prizes, raffles, mystery bottles to purchase, a sausage sizzle, an ice cream truck and a coffee truck available. If students would like to bring some money for the day they are welcome to. If you are able to assist with food sales or running the games please let us know. We rely on parent help for big events like this and appreciate your support.

Ag Day - School Holiday Activities

A reminder for activities that can be completed during the school holidays by students:

Ag Day Mystery Bottles

We are seeking contributions for our mystery bottle sales for Ag Day. These can have any contents (please no alcohol) and wrapped bottles can be dropped off to the office.

White Elephant Stall

We are taking donations for the white elephant stall for Ag Day. Items can be dropped off to the school office. Please no computer/electrical gear and any clothing/fabric must be washed. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

School Arrival Time

Thanks to all the parents/caregivers for getting their children to school for a 9.00am start.  We are seeing an increasing number of children arriving before 8.30am and after 9am.  Our teachers arrive at school early to plan the day and the time prior to 8.30am is for teacher time. Thank you for understanding.

School Centenary 100 Years on Site

Celebrations for this reunion will be held on 11 and 12 November this year. We are planning to form a committee to oversee and plan this event.  If you are interested in being on this committee please email me, marilynn@karapiro.school.nz.  Thank you

Registration Fee $20 for individuals, $50 for family to cover food for the two days.  This can be deposited into the Karāpiro School Account 12-3268-0092296-00. Please use your surname as a reference.

Friday 11 November- all children to attend

10.30:  Arrival at school for registrations

11.00: Tour of school and classrooms, talk with the children/tamariki, and share your Karāpiro stories.

12 Noon Break: - a chance to mingle and eat (Coffee Cart on site).

1.00pm Welcome and speeches

1.30pm School Cultural Performance

Saturday 12 November - all children to attend

11.00: Meet and Greet

11.30: Speeches

12.00: Photos

1.00: Cutting of Cake, finger foods (Coffee Cart on site).

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

Have a wonderful and safe holiday break with your family, we will see you back on 17 October.

Ngā mihi

Marilynn and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

 Does your child require further support, over and above what can be offered at school? 

Would your child benefit from bespoke and nurturing learning sessions from a highly experienced teacher designed to accelerate learning and boost confidence? We would love to help. We are a team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English and Maths support, for primary, intermediate and college students. Visit www.boostyourlearning.co.nz for more information or contact Jenny 021 223 3349 to book a free consultation. 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 7, Term 3 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome to our new student Eden in Kōwhai Class. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School.

Cross Country

The rural schools cross country will be held on 9 September at the Lake Karāpiro Domain. Please remember that students need shoes to run in and to bring a packed lunch and water bottle. There will also be some food available to purchase on the day. Students will need to run in a red Karāpiro school shirt, if you don’t have one please arrange to borrow one from the school office. You are welcome to take your children home after they have completed their race, please make sure you sign them out with their teacher.

PROGRAMME (with approximate times):

9.30 am    Schools arrive and assemble next to the kitchen

9.50          Welcome and briefing (for marshalls and juniors)

10.05        Preschool race

10.10        5 year old girls

10.15        5 year old boys

10.20         6 year old girls

10.25        6 year old boys

10.40        7 year old girls

10.45        7 year old boys

11.00        Prizegiving 1 (for 5 – 7 year olds)

11.10        8, 9, 10, 11, 12 year old Course Walk Around/Marshal briefing 

11.25        Junior Girls 8 years old

11:35        Junior Boys 8 years old

11:45        Junior Girls 9 years old

11:55        Junior Boys 9 years old

12:05 pm    Intermediate Girls 10 years old

12:15        Intermediate Boys 10 years old

12:25        Intermediate Girls 11 years old

12:35        Intermediate Boys 11 years old

12:45        Senior Girls 12 + years old

12:55        Senior Boys 12 + years old

1:20         Prizegiving 2 (8 – 12+ year olds)

All age groups will participate in a warm up prior to their race.

School Shirts and Jackets

Could all school shirts and jackets borrowed for school events please be returned to school on Monday 12 September. Also if you have any school shirts your child no longer fits we would love if these could be donated to the school for other students to use when representing our school.

Student Led Conferences

Student Led Conferences will be held on 26 and 27 September. We would love to see you all there. Please book at www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/mphcn or scan the QR code below:

Father’s Day Raffle

Congratulations to Damian for winning the raffle. Thank you to our families for your support with our PTA fundraising.

Cambridge Schools Speech Competition Tuesday 13 September 6pm, Cambridge East School Hall

Congratulations to Leonidas (Leo) Smith Serei representing Karāpiro School with his speech ‘Life at School 100 Years Ago’.

Cambridge Schools Kapa Haka Festival

Year 4-6 students attended this festival, which was a very enjoyable, worthwhile event. It highlighted the cultural performances from primary through to secondary school. Our next step is our cultural performance scheduled for the reunion celebrations and possible entry into the festival in 2023. 

The Cambridge High School Kapa Haka group inspired us with their singing, skill, and overall performance. Such great role models and future aspirations for our students!

Ag Day Mystery Bottles

We are seeking contributions for our mystery bottle sales for Ag Day. These can have any contents (please no alcohol) and wrapped bottles can be dropped off to the office.

White Elephant Stall

We are taking donations for the white elephant stall for Ag Day. Items can be dropped off to the school office. Please no computer/electrical gear and any clothing/fabric must be washed. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

School Arrival Time

Thanks to all the parents/caregivers for getting their children to school for a 9.00am start.  We are seeing an increasing number of children arriving before 8.30am and after 9am.  Our teachers arrive at school early to plan the day and the time prior to 8.30am is for teacher time. Thank you for understanding.

School Centenary 100 Years on Site

Celebrations for this reunion will be held on 11 and 12 November this year. We are planning to form a committee to oversee and plan this event.  If you are interested in being on this committee please email me, marilynn@karapiro.school.nz.  Thank you

Registration Fee $20 for individuals, $50 for family to cover food for the two days.  This can be deposited into the Karāpiro School Account 12-3268-0092296-00. Please use your surname as a reference.

Friday 11 November- all children to attend

10.30:  Arrival at school for registrations

11.00: Tour of school and classrooms, talk with the children/tamariki, and share your Karāpiro stories.

12 Noon Break: - a chance to mingle and eat (Coffee Cart on site).

1.00pm Welcome and speeches

1.30pm School Cultural Performance

Saturday 12 November - all children to attend

11.00: Meet and Greet

11.30: Speeches

12.00: Photos

1.00: Cutting of Cake, finger foods (Coffee Cart on site).

Working Bee Car Park Area Sunday 25 September 10am

This will be a big clean up getting ready for our reunion.  “Many hands make light work”! Mark this date on your calendar, thank you!

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

Ngā mihi

Marilynn and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Does your child require further support, over and above what can be offered at school? 

Would your child benefit from bespoke and nurturing learning sessions from a highly experienced teacher designed to accelerate learning and boost confidence? We would love to help. We are a team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English and Maths support, for primary, intermediate and college students. Visit www.boostyourlearning.co.nz for more information or contact Jenny 021 223 3349 to book a free consultation. 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 4, Term 3 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome to our new student Anthony in Kōwhai Class. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School.

Board of Trustees

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Board of Trustees members: Silvana Ferreira, Sharon Marriott, Aneka Sieverts, JP Daly and Michelle Bennett. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, 14 September from 3.30pm in the school staffroom.

Cross Country

The rural schools cross country will be held on 9 September at the Lake Karapiro Domain. Please complete the permission form for your child/ren: Cross Country Permission Form. Remember that the Karāpiro Dam road is closed until January next year!  We are in urgent need of parent help on the day so please let us know if you are available.

We need a trailer or horse float to be able to transport the equipment for the cross country from the school to Karāpiro domain. Please let us know if you have one that we can borrow.

Cross Country Baking

Thank you to all of those who have offered to provide baking for the event. Could this please be dropped off to the staffroom on 8 September for the PTA to organise for the next day. We appreciate your support in fundraising for our school.

PTA - Your School Needs You!

We are looking for some parent helpers to join our PTA and support the school with school lunches run three Fridays a term. We have two major fundraisers for the year coming up - Rural Cross Country day at Lake Karāpiro on 9 September and Ag Day on 19 October. Please contact Lynda in the school office if you are interested in joining our team of helpers which we will need on the day. All funds raised go to supporting the learning of our students. 

Father’s Day Raffle

Tickets have gone home with students and the raffle will be drawn on 2 September. Extra tickets are available at the school office. Thank you to those who have donated prizes, we really appreciate your support.

Ag Day

Our Ag Day will be held on Wednesday 19 October. Animal registration forms have been sent home. Could these please be returned to the school office by 26 August. 

Ag Day Mystery Bottles

We are seeking contributions for our mystery bottle sales for Ag Day. These can have any contents (please no alcohol) and wrapped bottles can be dropped off to the office.

White Elephant Stall

We are taking donations for the white elephant stall for Ag Day. Items can be dropped off to the school office. Please no computer/electrical gear and any clothing/fabric must be washed. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

Parenting Support

Looking for some parenting support? Try the following link which takes you to a website that has a free parenting course that focuses on anxiety in children  Triple P Parenting free

School Centenary 100 Years on Site

In March 1922 the school was officially opened on our present site. A local landowner Mr Harris had offered the land for the school in exchange for the old school site.  The school Board chairperson Mr E.C Banks emphasised that now the school was open he expected children to attend regularly and he appealed to parents to keep their children at school until they passed the sixth standard at least.  He then declared the school open! The beginning roll started with 56 children, all in one room.  Mr J. Haughey was headmaster and Miss L. Reeks, assistant. 

Celebrations for this reunion will be held on 11 and 12 November this year. We are planning to form a committee to oversee and plan this event.  If you are interested in being on this committee please email me, marilynn@karapiro.school.nz.  Thank you

Working Bee

Thanks to Lalo, Ah Lung, Dev, Gareth, Joanna, Manuela, Louy, Ben, Ronya, Theo, Eve, Dan, Tina, Charlotte and Griff for helping out with the sandpit garden, pruning, planting, cleaning windows and spouting. Your support is appreciated.The next working be will be September to give our grounds and buildings a big spruce up for the reunion in November.  

Music Lessons - Spaces Now Available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

Ngā mihi

Marilynn and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Does your child require further support, over and above what can be offered at school? 

Would your child benefit from bespoke and nurturing learning sessions from a highly experienced teacher designed to accelerate learning and boost confidence? We would love to help. We are a team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English and Maths support, for primary, intermediate and college students. Visit www.boostyourlearning.co.nz for more information or contact Jenny 021 223 3349 to book a free consultation. 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 1, Term 3 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome to the first week of term. With the colder weather please make sure children are dressed warmly and have a jacket for outside activities.

Welcome to our new student Peter in Kōwhai Class. We extend a very warm welcome to Peter and his family. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School.

Triennial Board of Trustees Elections 

Nominations are open for the election of four parent representatives to the school board.

All eligible voters will receive a nomination form in the post in the next week. Use this form to nominate yourself or someone in your community. You will also receive a nomination cover letter calling for nominations. Information on who is not eligible to be a board member is provided with the nomination form. If you need more nomination forms, contact the school office.

Nominations close at noon on 5 August 2022. You may provide a signed candidate statement and photograph with your nomination. The electoral roll is held at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours.

As nominations are received, there will be a list of candidates’ names kept at the school up until election day, which you can view.   Voting closes at 4pm on 7 September 2022.

Further information is available at NZSTA Parent Information

PTA - Your School Needs You!

We are looking for some parent helpers to join our PTA and support the school with school lunches next term. We also have a major fundraiser for the year coming up - Rural Cross Country day at Lake Karāpiro on 9 September. Please contact Lynda in the school office if you are interested in joining our team of helpers which we will need on the day. All funds raised go to supporting the learning of our students. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

Parenting Support

Looking for some parenting support? Try the following link which takes you to a website that has a free parenting course that focuses on anxiety in children  Triple P Parenting free

Karāpiro Dam Closure

The road will be closed from 1st August 2022 – December 2022 and then weekend-only opening for a time from January 2023

The closure is to enable one part of the planned major works on the station, replacement of the turbine headgates. These act as a valve and close off the water to allow maintenance of the station generation equipment. The wider program of work on the dam and power station started last year, and will be underway until 2025.  Closing the road is necessary to keep everyone safe, and we thank road users for their patience during this time.  

SH1 Closure 

Fulton Hogan are returning to complete tree-felling activities on SH1 Tirau Road. The trees are located between Keely’s Reserve and Moana Road Reserve. To undertake this work safely and efficiently we need to close the road. SH1 will be closed to through traffic from Monday 08 August, between the hours of 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. While the road closure is in place, we will take the opportunity to undertake routine road maintenance activities, including water-cutting and road surface repairs.  Residents and businesses will have access to their properties throughout the day, however as we will have machinery throughout the area please take care when driving through the closure. There may be short delays while machinery is moved to provide access. The hard closure points will be at Keely’s Reserve and just north of Beck’s Nursery; we recommend residents and business owners access from the end most relevant to their property location. The detour route is via Karāpiro Road, Taotaoroa Road and SH29.   

The contingency date should this work be postponed, is the following week commencing Monday 15 August.

School Centenary 100 Years on Site

Celebrations for this will be held on 11 and 12 November this year. We are planning to form a committee to oversee and plan this event.  If you are interested in being on this committee please email me, marilynn@karapiro.school.nz.  Thank you

As part of the celebration the students will be part of a cultural performance.  We desperately need help in purchasing 40 school outfits.  

Each child will be wearing a piu piu ($22),black t-shirt ($5) and black bike shorts ($5).   $32 per student.  If you can help in any way or know of any businesses that could sponsor us, please contact Lynda or Marilynn.

Oxford Pie Orders

Delivery of pies will be on 5 August. These will be available to collect from the staffroom.

Scholastic Orders

Catalogues have been sent home with students this week. Orders are due to the office by 12 August. Additional copies of the catalogue are available from the office.

Thank you!

A big thank you to Michael who cleaned our gutters and water blasted around the school for us during the school holidays. It looks amazing and we really appreciate it!

Congratulations to Griff

Griff and his mum Tahlia represented Waikato at the Auckland Cavy Club purebred show on Saturday. Griff won Best In Show, with his Self Black Guinea pig Claremont Basil Brush. He was also awarded Reserve Junior Exhibitor, Best Novice Exhibitor & Best Adult Cavy in Show. Well done Griff!

Childcare & Transport to School

We have a couple of families who are looking for help with transport to school from Leamington and wondered if there are any of our families who are interested in carpooling?

We also continue to look for a person able to run Before/After School Care - this could be a business opportunity for someone (we can provide the students and a classroom). Please contact the school office if you know of anyone who can help.

Music Lessons - Spaces Now Available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

School Maintenance

We rely on the school community to help us keep our school grounds in shape (we don’t employ a caretaker).  We really appreciate any time families are able to give to us with this work.

Thanks to Dev’s uncle Michael who cleaned the gutters and water blasted the paving stones and buildings during the term break. There will be a working bee on Sunday 14 August at 10am.   Please add this to your calendar and let Lynda know your availability. “Many hands make light work”. If we have enough volunteers we will arrange a sausage sizzle. Thank you!

Here is a list of the things that need attention:

School Events

Cross Country Training

The students will be taking part in a variety of activities to improve their fitness and endurance for our upcoming cross country in September. They need to have suitable shoes to run in and a change of clothing each day.  

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. 

Thank you to everyone for your support through the term. We wish all our families a very happy holiday break. See you again soon!

Ngā mihi

Marilynn and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Does your child require further support, over and above what can be offered at school? 

Would your child benefit from bespoke and nurturing learning sessions from a highly experienced teacher designed to accelerate learning and boost confidence? We would love to help. We are a team of dedicated teachers, specialising in English and Maths support, for primary, intermediate and college students. Visit www.boostyourlearning.co.nz for more information or contact Jenny 021 223 3349 to book a free consultation. 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 10, Term 2 2022    

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome to the last week of what has been another very busy term!

Recently we welcomed our new student Dev to Karāpiro School and he has quickly made new friends in Kōwhai Class. We extend a very warm welcome to Dev and his family. We know you will enjoy your time learning with us at Karāpiro School.

Staff News

We extend a warm welcome to our new staff member Aleesha Steel who will join the Karāpiro staff team next term. Aleesha will join our team as a Learning Assistant and she will be working predominantly in Kōwhai Class. Please join us in welcoming Aleesha to our school. 

Principal Sabbatical Term 3

Over the last few weeks I have been preparing to hand the principal role to Mrs Marilynn Jones as I head off on a Primary Principals’ Sabbatical at the end of this week. Sabbaticals are entitlement awards for principals who have completed 5 years or more in their current role. This will be the first sabbatical I have taken in 12 years as a principal. The purpose of the sabbatical is to provide a sustained period during a principal’s career to engage in a balance of professional learning and reflection. 

During my time away I will be undertaking research into the history of New Zealand schools and taking a critical look at the changes to legislation (the Education Act) over time. I look forward to sharing my research with the Board, my colleagues and the community when it is complete.  

The sabbatical is fully funded and we are very fortunate to have Mrs Marilynn Jones join us in the role of Acting Principal during my absence. The Board welcomes Mr Robert Naumann to the role of Presiding Member of the Board of Trustees (Board Chairperson) for the term. It is good to know our school and our people are going to be in very safe hands. I look forward to seeing you all again on my return at the start of Term 4. 

Reporting to Parents

Written Snap Shot Reports 2022 are complete and now available to view on your child’s individual Seesaw page. These reports provide you with an overview of your child’s progress and where your child is at in relation to the New Zealand Curriculum. Please read through the report with your child to share their success and their next learning steps, which teachers have provided for you. We extend an invitation to families to make a time to meet with teachers if there is anything in the report you would like to discuss. 

Reading Eggs and Mathletics

A reminder that Karāpiro School pays a subscription for Karāpiro students for the Reading Eggs and Mathletics online learning platforms, which are available for your child/ren to access at any time - a great idea for some winter holiday fun at home!

National Young Leaders Day 2022

Thank you to Mr C for taking our Year 6 students through to the National Young Leaders Day 2022 earlier this term. Our students listened to some inspirational stories and messages from some extraordinary human beings and learned a few more tools for their leadership toolkits.

Triennial Board of Trustees Elections 

Nominations are open for the election of four parent representatives to the school board.

All eligible voters will receive a nomination form in the post in the next week. Use this form to nominate yourself or someone in your community. You will also receive a nomination cover letter calling for nominations. Information on who is not eligible to be a board member is provided with the nomination form. If you need more nomination forms, contact the school office.

Nominations close at noon on 5 August 2022. You may provide a signed candidate statement and photograph with your nomination. The electoral roll is held at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours.

As nominations are received, there will be a list of candidates’ names kept at the school up until election day, which you can view.   Voting closes at 4pm on 7 September 2022.

Further information is available at NZSTA Parent Information

PTA - Your School Needs You!

We are looking for some parent helpers to join our PTA and support the school with school lunches next term. We also have a major fundraiser for the year coming up - Rural Cross Country day at Lake Karāpiro. Please contact Lynda in the school office if you are interested in joining our team of helpers which we will need on the day. All funds raised go to supporting the learning of our students. 

Student Absences

All schools are required to identify and record the reasons why students are absent from school. When students are absent from school you will be receiving an automated text message from our student management system querying the absence of your child. Please ensure you contact the school office on 07 827 7642, office@karapiro.school.nz or use the student absences form on our website Student Absences when your child/ren will be absent.

Parenting Support

Looking for some parenting support? Try the following link which takes you to a website that has a free parenting course that focuses on anxiety in children  Triple P Parenting free

Road Safety Week

Karāpiro School students did a great job participating in Road Safety Week recently, with thanks to our special friend Ruben the Road Safety bear. There is lots of information for families available online. Go to Ruben the Road Safety Bear

Pink Shirt Day!

We celebrated Pink Shirt Day and our key message this year was about using our virtues and values to build a positive and safe learning environment, for ourselves and for others. Sometimes, things don’t happen as we expect them to…. and that’s when we need to use our strategies! Ask a Karāpiro student about the strategies they know they can use when things don’t go according to plan.

Oxford Pie Orders

Forms have gone home with students and there are extra copies available in the school office. Please ensure order forms are returned to school by 27 July. Delivery will be on 5 August.

Our School Virtues & Values

Our virtues focus is on the virtue of Honesty.  

Our values focus is on Kaitiakitanga. We are learning to be considerate guardians of all that is around use - ourselves, others and our place.

Covid-19 Update

New Zealand is at the Orange setting on the Covid Protection Framework. We have reviewed our Covid-19 Management Plan. Mask wearing is no longer compulsory but is recommended for students in Pōhutukawa Class. We continue to ask visitors and parents to wear a mask inside our school grounds when indoors. For further information please check the Ministry of Education Covid-10 website.  

Childcare & Transport to School

We have a couple of families who are looking for help with transport to school from Leamington and wondered if there are any of our families who are interested in carpooling?

We also continue to look for a person able to run Before/After School Care - this could be a business opportunity for someone (we can provide the students and a classroom). Please contact the school office if you know of anyone who can help.

Music Lessons - Spaces Now Available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

Wheels Day Wednesday

Every Wednesday Karāpiro students are invited to bring their wheels from home. We block off the school car park and staff supervise the students having some lunchtime fun whizzing around on their wheels. The only rule is that they must wear their helmet! We have spare helmets, two unicycles and a scooter for the students to share. 

Do you have any spare wheels or helmets at your place that you could donate to our wheels collection? We would love to use any wheels items you no longer use. Thank you!

School Maintenance

We rely on the school community to help us keep our school grounds in shape (we don’t employ a caretaker).  We really appreciate any time families are able to give to us with this work. Here is a list of the things that currently need work and could be done anytime during the week or weekends or holidays. Thank you.

School Events

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead. We look forward to our next PlayGroup which is this Friday 9-11am.

Thank you to everyone for your support through the term. We wish all our families a very happy holiday break. See you again soon!

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Edventure Young Explorers Camp.

July 18th - 22nd, 8-13yr olds, $525

OSCAR Available

We have an awesome week planned that includes rock climbing, archery, target shooting, bush walks, orienteering, team building and confidence activities.

A typical "Kiwi Outdoors" camp with an emphasis on mountain safety and bush survival skills.

Planned and run by local teacher Todd Burton and based at Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre, this one's going to be awesome!

drop off / pick up Hamilton, Tauranga, or at the venue.

More info and to book now visit www.edventure.co.nz, phone 02102241576 or email mark@edventure.co.nz

See you on your next EDVENTURE

Click here to BOOK NOW!! 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 1, Term 2 2022    WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL! 

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

Welcome back to the new term. It’s great to have close to 100% of students back at school after the continual disruption of illness in Term 1. We are hopeful of a more settled term ahead and trust you have all had a restful holiday break. Congratulations to our students who celebrated their birthday during the holidays and have returned to school one year older!

We have lots of information for you in this newsletter so please read through and come back to us with any questions. 

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Fundraiser - this Friday 6 May!

Karāpiro School councillors Aylah and Khloe are all set to receive gold coin donations for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter fundraiser this Friday 6 May. Come to school dressed in anything red or yellow and wear your wacky/crazy hair. Gold coin donations are very welcome to support this very worthy cause. THANK YOU! 

National Young Leaders Day 2022

On Thursday 12 May Miss Thatcher and Mr Churstain will be taking our Year 6 students to attend the National Young Leaders Day. This event forms part of our leadership programme for our senior students and they will be travelling to Claudelands Showgrounds for an epic day out! They will attend alongside leaders from schools all over the Waikato and will learn new leadership skills and engage with some inspirational speakers - check out the link here https://nyldnz.org/2022-speakers/  Year 6 families please complete your permission forms online (refer to your email) and send your Health & Consent forms back to school - all before the end of the week please. 

Health & Consent forms

Health & Consent forms have been sent home with students. Please complete these and send to the school office. We will hold these on file ahead of any school trips. It’s also a good opportunity for you to update your contact details, emergency details and any new medical or health information about your child or children. Thank you. 

Teacher Only Days

We have two planned Teacher Only Days and two public holidays this term. Dates are on our school website homepage & website calendar and we have also listed them for you here:

Life Education - Nicky & Harold are visiting in Week 5!

After a very long wait, we are excited to welcome Nicky & Harold back to Karāpiro School in Week 5 (Monday 30 May and Tuesday 31 May) this term. All Karāpiro School students will be attending lessons with Nicky & Harold and learning about healthy living being the best we can be. Please send $4 to school per student, as soon as you are able, to cover the cost of attending. Payment can also be made online via invoices sent out. Thank you!

Our School Virtues & Values

Our virtues focus is on the virtue of Flexibility.  What does flexibility look like in your family/whānau? Here is a video clip you parents might like to use when teaching children about being flexible Virtue of Flexibility

Our values focus is on Kaitiakitanga. We are learning to be considerate guardians of all that is around us - ourselves, others and our place.

Covid-19 Update

New Zealand is at the Orange setting on the Covid Protection Framework. We have reviewed our Covid-19 Management Plan. Mask wearing is no longer compulsory but is recommended for students in Pōhutukawa Class. We continue to ask visitors and parents to wear a mask inside our school grounds when indoors. For further information please check the Ministry of Education Covid-10 website.  

Reporting to parents

Student-led conference bookings are open now for next Monday and Wednesday. Book using the QR code below or use the following link http://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/van2x  Bookings will close at 3pm this Friday. After this time please contact your classroom teacher via email to make a time to meet. We are excited to meet with you and your child to discuss their learning progress. We are aiming for 100% attendance - please book now! 

Assembly - Sharing our learning with you

We are excited to be starting our learning celebration assemblies again this term and you are welcome to pop along on the following dates where the class will take turns to present and share their learning with us: 

Kōwhai Class Friday 10 June (Week 6) & Pōhutukawa Class Friday 8 July (Week 9)

Carpool from Leamington - Can you help?

We have a family living in Leamington who are looking for help with transport to school for their students on Mondays and Tuesdays. Can you help? Please contact Lynda in the office. Thank you.

Music Lessons - Spaces now available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

Board of Trustees Meeting

The next meeting of the Karāpiro School Board of Trustees is to be held at school at 3.30pm on Tuesday 17 May. Have you thought about coming along? We will be holding triennial board elections later in the year so now is a great time to come along and find out what happens at the governance level of our school. If you would like to attend please contact Presiding Member Mrs Marilynn Jones at marilynn@karapiro.school.nz  

Wheels Day Wednesday

Every Wednesday Karāpiro students are invited to bring their wheels from home. We block off the school car park and staff supervise the students having some lunchtime fun whizzing around on their wheels. The only rule is that they must wear their helmet! We have a spare helmet and scooter for the students to share. 

Do you have any spare wheels or helmets at your place that you could donate to our wheels collection? We would love to use any wheels items you no longer use. Thank you!

PTA

We are looking for new members for our PTA to help with fundraising, events and school lunches. If you are interested in joining please contact Lynda office@karapiro.school.nz 

Mother’s Day Raffle

Tickets have been sent home with students for our Mother’s Day raffle. Extra ticket books are available from the school office. Please return sold tickets and money to the school office by Wednesday 4 May. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 6 May.

CAM Competitions

Entry forms have been sent home with year 5 and 6 students for the english, science and mathematics competitions. These are optional competitions. If your child/ren would like to take part, please return the form and entry fee to the school office by 6 May.

Scholastic Books Orders

Catalogues have been sent home with students. Please place orders by 18 May.

Property Available for Rent  - 41 Karāpiro Road

This rural property is located a short walk to Karāpiro Primary School and not far off the highway. Approximately 7 minutes to Cambridge. Offering three large double bedrooms with built in wardrobes, two have ranch sliders out onto a large, covered decking area. Modern kitchen and open plan living, wood burner to keep warm during winter months. Fenced yard and plenty of room for a trampoline, carport, garage and woodshed. If you wish to complete an application, please go to the following link https://www.tpsportal.co.nz/tenancy_application/tps7616 or contact ARS on 078232929.

Karāpiro Community Play Group returns - Next session Friday 13 May

School Maintenance

We rely on the school community to help us keep our school grounds in shape (we don’t employ a caretaker).  We really appreciate any time families are able to give to us with this work. Here is a list of the things that currently need work and could be done anytime during the week or weekends or holidays. Thank you.

Swimming Pool Now Closed - Please return your key for your refund

Swimming pool keys can now be returned to the school office as our swimming season has finished. Miss Smith will arrange for your refund. You have the option of having this credited to your school account if you prefer. Thank you to Mr Dan Churstain for looking after our school pool this term and keeping it sparkling and clean for us. 

School Events

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead.

Do you have a family member (grandparent? Aunty or uncle? A relative overseas?) that would like to receive email notification of our school newsletters? Please email Lynda Smith at office@karapiro.school.nz if you would like to add them to our mailing list.

Please also check that your pre-schooler/s are pre-enrolled with us so that we can plan transition visits to school and also visits to your child’s early childhood centre, before they start school. 

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 10, Term 1 2022

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau,

This week we are very happy to welcome Tristin to Pōhutukawa Class and James and Alice to Kōwhai Class. Karāpiro School welcomes you and your family and we look forward to Anthony joining us in August when he turns 5. We wish you many happy school days ahead. 

Tina-Maree’s Primary Principals Sabbatical - Term 3 2022

I am delighted that the Board has supported my successful application for a Primary Principals’ Sabbatical. Sabbaticals are entitlement awards for all principals who have completed 5 years or more in their current role. This will be the first sabbatical I have taken in 12 years as a principal. The purpose of the sabbatical is to provide a sustained period during a principal’s career to engage in a balance of professional learning and reflection. 

During my time away I will be undertaking research into the history of New Zealand schools and taking a critical look at the changes to legislation (the Education Act) over time. I look forward to sharing my research with the Board, my colleagues and the community when it is complete.  

The sabbatical is fully funded and we are very fortunate to have Mrs Marilynn Jones join us in the role of Acting Principal during my absence. The Board will employ Mr Rob Naumann for the role of Presiding Member of the Board of Trustees (Board Chairperson) for the term. 

Carpool from Leamington - Can you help?

We have a family living in Leamington who are looking for help with transport to school for their students on Mondays and Tuesdays. Can you help? Please contact Lynda in the office. Thank you.

Covid-19 Update

As you will know, New Zealand remains at the Red setting on the Covid Protection Framework. This will next be reviewed on Thursday 14 April, which is the last day of school for the term. For the remainder of this term we will stay at the current settings. Any changes to these settings will be communicated to families at the start of Term 2. For further information please check the Ministry of Education website 

Reporting to parents

Due to Covid-19 restrictions we have not held our usual student-led conferences this term. However, in anticipation of a change of alert levels in Term 2, we are planning to hold conferences in Week 2 of the term. Please keep a look out for an email from us next week, advising of booking times and dates. We are looking forward to sharing your child’s learning progress with you.

Music Lessons - Spaces now available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

Wheels Day Wednesday

Every Wednesday Karāpiro students are invited to bring their wheels from home. We block off the school car park and staff supervise the students having some lunchtime fun whizzing around on their wheels. The only rule is that they must bring their helmet! We have a spare helmet and scooter for the students to share. 

Do you have any spare wheels or helmets at your place that you could donate to our wheels collection? We would love to use any wheels items you no longer use. Thank you!

PTA

We are looking for new members for our PTA to help with fundraising, events and school lunches. If you are interested in joining please contact Lynda office@karapiro.school.nz 

Mother’s Day Raffle

Tickets have been sent home with students for our Mother’s Day raffle. Extra ticket books are available from the school office. Please return sold tickets and money to the school office by Wednesday 4 May. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 6 May.

THANK YOU so much to the staff and families who have donated goodies to the prize. Your contributions are very appreciated :) Keep them coming in!

CAM (Canterbury Centre for Monitoring) Great Kiwi Competitions

Entry forms have been sent home with year 5 and 6 students for the english, science and mathematics competitions. These are optional competitions. If your child/ren would like to take part, please return the form and entry fee to the school office by 6 May.

School Maintenance

We don’t employ a school caretaker for grounds maintenance and we rely on the school community to keep our school grounds in shape.  We really appreciate any time you are able to give to us with this work. Here is a list of the things that currently need work and could be done anytime during the week or weekends or holidays. Thank you.

School Events

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead.

Do you have a family member (grandparent? Aunty or uncle? A relative overseas?) that would like to receive email notification of our school newsletters? Please email Lynda Smith at office@karapiro.school.nz if you would like to add them to our mailing list.

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

 Find us on Facebook 

Look us up at www.karāpiro.school.nz and like us on Facebook

Week 8, Term 1 2022

Kia ora parents, caregivers and whānau

Welcome to autumn! It has been a wet and wild week and we have all noticed the change in season. Our community continues to fight off Covid-19 and other illnesses. Student attendance has been hovering around 50% over the last 3 weeks but we have enjoyed more students returning to school this week. We have had our staff hit with illness too but fortunately it has been one at a time - we hope things continue this way! We are taking things one day at a time.

We have a large supply of free masks from the Ministry of Education - more than we need. We will send home one box per family tomorrow, for your home supplies.  

We want to say a huge thank you to our families for keeping such good communication with myself and our teachers throughout this period. It’s really helpful when you tell us how things are going for you. This helps us to understand each unique family situation and helps us to care for your children. Thank you. 

Carpool from Leamington

We have a family living in Leamington who are looking for help with transport to school for their students on Mondays and Tuesdays. Can you help? Please contact Lynda in the office. Thank you.

Introducing our new student teacher in Kowhai Class - Miss Mansell

Kia ora Karāpiro School! My name is Charlotte Mansell and I am a second-year student teacher from the University of Waikato. You will find me in Kōwhai Class each Tuesday for my professional experience in school. I live locally in Cambridge and am so excited to attend a rural school this year. When I am not studying, I am found coaching and refereeing basketball locally, and getting up to something crafty at home. I look forward to working alongside the wonderful staff and students here at Karāpiro School! 

Please come in and say hello and introduce yourself when you see me. 

Student Leaders

Congratulations to the Karāpiro School student leaders:

Covid-19 School Plan

You will be aware of the recent changes to the Covid-19 Protection Framework. Please see the graphic below for more information. We have received new advice from the Ministry of Education on the changes affecting school and will keep in contact with you about what further changes mean for our school. 

Sports

LEAMINGTON RUGBY & SPORTS CLUB 

Have you thought about playing sport in 2022?

Leamington Rugby Sports Club has a team for you.
We offer sports for players from Year 0 to Year 8.

We are a family friendly club who would love to see you in our colours.

Junior Hockey from years 3-8. http://www.lrsc.co.nz/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-hockey-player-registration

Junior Netball from New Entrant to year 8 http://www.lrsc.co.nz/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-netball-player-registration

Junior Rugby from New Entrant to year 6.  http://www.lrsc.co.nz/Junior-Sports-Registrations/junior-rugby-player-registration

Further information and contact details/registration links can be found at http://www.lrsc.co.nz/ 

Cambridge Lifeskills

We highly recommend Cambridge Lifeskills which is a free counselling service for children in Cambridge schools. You can refer your child via the Lifeskills website https://www.cambridgelifeskills.co.nz/ or find helpful information for families on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cambridgelifeskills/ 

Music Lessons - Spaces now available!

Karāpiro School students are very fortunate to have Mrs June McKenzie teach music at Karāpiro School each Thursday. You can contact June on 021 136 0583 with regards to your child learning to play the ukulele, guitar, keyboard or piano. 

PTA

We are looking for new members for our PTA to help with fundraising, events and school lunches. If you are interested in joining please contact Lynda office@karapiro.school.nz 

Scholastic Orders

Catalogues have been sent home with students. Please place orders by 1 April.

Karāpiro School Tikanga Māori Trophy Sponsor

We are looking for a family or business who might be interested in donating a trophy to the school for our new Tikanga Māori award. If you are interested, or know anyone who might be, please get in touch with Lynda in the school office.

School Maintenance

We don’t employ a school caretaker for grounds maintenance and we rely on the school community to keep our school grounds in shape.  We really appreciate any time you are able to give to us with this work. Here is a list of the things that currently need work and could be done anytime during the week or weekends. Thank you.

School Events

Keep an eye on our School Calendar which has been updated for the term ahead.

Do you have a family member (grandparent? Aunty or uncle? A relative overseas?) that would like to receive email notification of our school newsletters? Please email Lynda Smith at office@karapiro.school.nz if you would like to add them to our mailing list.

Ngā mihi

Tina-Maree and the Karāpiro Staff team 

Find us on Facebook 

Brain Play runs online science & technology classes for students ages 5 - 13, of any experience level. Join us for afternoon sessions, all term long, covering coding, robotics, 3D printing, and science topics. Free trials & online open days are available for you to meet our team & learn more about our topics. See https://www.brainplay.co.nz/courses for info on days & times, and click "Enrol" once you're ready to book. We also run one off events to the themes of Minecraft, Roblox, 3D Printing & Girls Only workshops! Click "events" on our website to learn more.