Issue 17: Week 7, Term 2 2025
Principal's Message - Karere a te Tumuaki
Talofa lava!
We wrapped up Samoan Language Week last Friday with plenty of colour, pride and celebration. A highlight was seeing our own Mr Dyer, Leilani and Tapaita dressed in beautiful traditional attire – we hope you enjoy the photo! Fa’afetai tele lava to everyone who took part in the week’s festivities and helped us to honour the language, culture and identity of our Samoan whānau.
PTA Quiz Night – What an Awesome Night!
A huge thank you to Sonja, Renee and our incredible PTA team for organising such a fantastic Mid-Winter Quiz Night. The Hall was transformed into a festive wonderland, and it was buzzing with energy all evening. DJ Rob kept the vibe upbeat and merry, while Andrew and Lynley Alderson did a stellar job as our quizmasters.
Special shoutout to the Friday/Saturday set up and Sunday pack-down crew, who worked their magic and cleared away all signs of festive fun in record time. We’re still tallying up the final total, but early signs point to around $6000 raised – an amazing result. Thank you to everyone who supported the event!
We’ve had responses from over 70 families to our Ag Day fundraising survey, which is an awesome level of engagement – thank you! Below you’ll find a quick snapshot of some of the responses we’ve received. We also have a range of really thoughtful comments and suggestions for consideration too. These ideas will be shared with staff, the Board and the Ag Day committee as we begin shaping future priorities for our fundraising efforts.
Don't forget next Wednesday 18th of June is our School Cross Country. More detail will come out from Mrs Sutton upon her return from sports camp, but for now, you can lock this into your diary for Wednesday 9am (aiming to be wrapped up by 11am for our Year 7&8s to head off to Technology at Rosehill Intermediate). If the weather isn't playing ball, we will shift to the Thursday - although Mrs Sutton says she's already locked in the sunshine on Wednesday for us!
Lastly, our Year 7&8 Sports Camp squad is away this week in Matamata, competing at Totara Springs in a huge variety of events. We’re so proud of the effort they’ve put in throughout the term and know they’ll do us proud. I’m really looking forward to heading down for a couple of nights to join in the action and support our team. Good luck, everyone – give it your best!
Ngā mihi nui,
Anna Powrie
Celebrating Learning and Achievement
Assembly Certificate Recipients 6th June
Notes from the Office
Health and Safety Reminders
- If your child arrives after the bell, please make sure they come to the office for a late pass.
- Please do not leave your car unattended in the bus bay. Also be aware that the buses arrive at different times and need to have access into the staff car park / bus bay area. The buses often have difficulty swinging into the car park if cars are parked around the entrance way.
- Please use the central pathway when parking in the middle of the carpark. Please DO NOT walk your child through the carpark behind parked cars.
School Uniforms
There is a large number of clothing in the lost property box (some un-named). Please check there if your child has lost any clothing. PLEASE PLEASE name your child's clothing so we can return them.
PTA News
Thank You for a Fantastic Quiz Night!
What an incredible evening we had at the Karaka School Quiz Night! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along and helped make it such a memorable and festive event.
It was truly special to see our Karaka School whānau and friends come together for a night filled with laughter, community spirit, and a good dose of Christmas cheer. The energy in the room was electric, and your support means the world to us.
A big congratulations to all our Auction winners—we hope you enjoy your amazing prizes! And to everyone who dressed up and embraced the Christmas spirit, thank you for bringing the festive magic to life.
Events like these are only possible because of the incredible support from our community. We are so grateful for your involvement, generosity, and enthusiasm.
Sonja Baker
Quiz Night
Any questions/fundraising ideas or if you require uniform items urgently, you can email the PTA on karaka.pta@gmail.com
The Karaka School PTA account is 12 3031 0851231 00
Updates from the Wider Community
Seasons For Growth is a grief, loss and change programme for children 6-12yrs dealing with changes and challenges in their lives e.g separation, death, or other family changes. Our Afterschool Programme starts next term on Thursdays 4-5pm, is held in Pukekohe and runs once a week for 8 weeks. An optional Parent Programme also runs at the same time. For enquiries or enrolments please phone/text Marisa Mencarelli-Skilton on 021 142 5812, office (09) 238 7228, or email seasonsfranklin@xtra.co.nz. For more info please go to www.
