Issue 4: Week 5, Term 1 2025

Principal's Message - Karere a te Tumuaki

Kia ora tātou.

This last week sure has been a busy one and full of fun and excitement. Last Friday we announced our Student Leadership roles for the year and while there are too many to mention individually in this section of the newsletter, I do want to congratulate our Head Students for 2025. Mr Dyer and I look forward to working with you all and seeing what you have to offer.

Head Students - Carter C (Head Boy) and Elizabeth C (Head Girl)

Deputy Head Students - Max N (Deputy Head Boy) and Lucy E (Deputy Head Girl).

Our Senior Swimming Sports were held at the Franklin Leisure Centre on Monday. Despite a slight hiccup with bus timings (road works causing havoc yet again), we found the start time was delayed. This impacted on the end of the event with the long anticipated 'ring dive' having to be canned in order to vacate the pools on time. Nevertheless, we were able to run all our competitive heats and finals with house points collected along the way for both placings and participation. Year 6-8 finalists are eligible to compete at ECCS (East Counties Country Schools) next Wednesday and who knows, some may progress from there onto Counties depending on how they go. Congratulations to all of these swimmers - and thank you to Mrs Sutton for organising yet another successful Swimming Sports event for another year.

It is also great to see our school garden flourishing with vegetables - no doubt you've seen (or maybe tasted!) some of the delicious produce being sold before and after school. Mrs Vorster, Mrs Christensen and Ms Sylva are really pleased with the progress of the gardens and are excited to work with their new 'Enviro Team' this year. We would also like to thank Rotary, Oke Trust and Wayne and Melanie Kennerley (Paddock to Pantry) for their generous donations to get the taps/irrigation system installed. We really appreciate it!

Next Tuesday we are holding our 3 Way Conferences from 1:20pm until 6:40pm. We are not asking for students to be collected early - instead, those with conferences between 1:20-2:40pm will be sent in groups to the Flagpole 5 minutes before their conference slots to meet their parents in time to head to their class. All other students will be in the Hall with myself, My Dyer, Mrs Glover and Mrs Cameron, along with our Kapa Haka Tutor (Mātua T) and we'll have an enjoyable afternoon together. Buses will run as normal, as will normal pick up time at the Flagpole at 2:45pm.

Please note that any students not collected by 3:00pm at the latest will be taken to KAS in the Hall and charges will be invoiced to parents as we cannot supervise children after 3.00pm with conferences in progress.

And that's all from me aside from my plight on behalf of the PTA to read the blurb directly underneath this one - we really need parent support on our PTA and would love to have as many people at the upcoming AGM as possible.

Ngā mihi nui,

Anna Powrie

PTA Update - February 2025

Last Wednesday evening, the PTA held their first meeting of the year. It was great to see some new faces on board, as well as welcoming back familiar ones from last year.

At the meeting, we discussed some exciting fundraising events we have in the pipelines for 2025. These include but, are not limited to:

• Frosty Fridays each week in Term 1

• Summer Disco - Friday 14th March

• Sausage Sizzle / BBQ Baps for Peter Pan production evening show - Thursday 10th April

• Annual Oxford Pies Fundraiser - Collection day Tuesday 27th May

• Quiz or Comedy Night - Late May / early June (date TBC)

• Movie & Pizza Night - Beginning of Term 3

• Annual Calendar Art fundraiser - End of Term 3 / beginning of Term 4

• BBQ Breakfast Baps on School Athletics Day - Friday 24th October

• Halloween Disco - Friday 31st October

• Cookie Time Christmas buckets - Term 4 

We would love to have some more parents on board the PTA to support these events and ensure they can go ahead. If you have a particular interest in any of the above fundraising opportunities, please get in touch as we'd love to have your expertise and input! With the funds raised from these events, the PTA are able to generously support EOTC events such as camps and school trips across the school, with their contributions significantly reducing the amount required per child.

Our next meeting (& AGM) will be held on Wednesday 26th March at 7pm in the staffroom. Come along to see how you can support the PTA and in turn our wonderful students! If you’re unable to make the meeting but would like to be kept in the loop, please email kirstyc@karaka.school.nz or hayleyb@karaka.school.nz to be added to the PTA mailing list.

Any questions, please get in touch!

Hayley Ballard

PTA Staff Rep

Celebrating Learning and Achievement

Assembly Certificates from 21st February assembly:

Senior Swimming Sports

Notes from the Office

 Tomatoes will be for sale Wednesday and Thursday after school - bring a bag from home and fill it for a gold coin donation

PTA News

Updates from the Wider Community