Issue 19: Week 9, Term 2 2025
Principal's Message - Karere a te Tumuaki
Ngā mihi o te wā – Happy Holidays!
As we wrap up what has been a short but hugely successful 9-week term, we want to wish all of our families a safe, restful, and happy holiday break. Thank you all for your support throughout the term – from learning in classrooms, to sports events, cultural celebrations, and community involvement, it’s been a busy and rewarding few weeks. We look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday, 14th July for the start of Term 3… and yes, Ag Day will creep up on us faster than we think!
Our Year 5&6 team headed across on the ferry to Kawau Island on Monday morning and the updates I'm receiving indicate they're having an amazing time (with amazing weather would you believe for the middle of Winter!). We hope they have a fantastic week and can't wait to hear all about it when they return on Friday.
Yesterday, our Junior Team had a beautiful time making Matariki poi supported by Whaea Jordan’s mum, who many of you will know from her work tutoring our Senior Kapa Haka group on Tuesdays. We are incredibly grateful to her for sharing her time and skills for this special activity. The students loved it – check out the cute photo attached!
The weather certainly came to the party last Thursday, providing perfect conditions for our School Cross Country. A huge well done to every single student who took part – your effort, determination and sportsmanship did not go unnoticed and were truly celebrated. Thank you to Mrs Sutton for once again doing a fantastic job organising this much-loved annual event. And continuing on the sporting front, ka pai to the three students who proudly represented ECCS at the Auckland Rugby Championships on Monday - Cooper R, Max N and Jack A. It’s always great to see our students involved at this level, and we’re very proud of the way they played and conducted themselves.
Last Thursday, we were extremely proud to see three of our Intermediate students receive an invitation to an exciting football opportunity in Valencia (yes Spain!) in 2026 as a result of their performance (and arguably more importantly, their attitudes), while down at Sports Camp. While we’ll share more details as they unfold, we just want to acknowledge how proud we are of them - congratulations to Milan B, James R and Emily P.
Mid-Year Reports & Upcoming Conferences:
You’ll see that Mid-Year Report comments have been published today. We encourage you to take some time to read through your child’s report and celebrate their progress and goals. Our next round of 3-Way Conferences is scheduled for Tuesday, 29th July (Week 3 of Term 3). However, if you would like to speak with your child’s teacher before then, please don’t hesitate to reach out – our staff are more than happy to connect.
Have a wonderful break, everyone – and we’ll see you back in Term 3!
Ngā mihi nui,
Anna Powrie
Welcome to Karaka School
- James V
- Claire V
Celebrating Learning and Achievement
East Counties Rugby at Auckland Champs
On Monday this week Cooper R, Jack A and Max N represented the school as part of the East Counties Under 45kg rugby team at the Auckland Rugby Championship, at Marist Old Boys Rugby Club in Panmure. We joined together with players from Clevedon, Maraetai and Alfriston to make the ECCS team.
We started our tournament with a hard-fought draw against Kowhai School who we beat in the final last year. Next, we had two very narrow two-point losses in freezing cold windy conditions. The team finished strong with a comprehensive win over a tough Otahuhu team, to finish third overall.
Thank you to Mrs Sutton for organising our team and Mr Napier for coaching us.
By Max N
On Monday, our ECCS U/45kg 10-a-side rugby team represented us proudly at the Auckland Champs. It was a fantastic day of rugby with plenty of sunshine, wind, good sportsmanship, and exciting matches across all fields.
Our boys played four tough matches:
Game 1: A hard-fought draw that showed early signs of great teamwork.
Games 2 & 3: Both ended in 12-0 losses, but the boys dug deep, stayed positive, and showed impressive character under pressure.
Game 4: A dominant 38-12 win, finishing the day on a high and securing 3rd place overall on points for and against.
A massive thank you to all the schools involved for allowing your students to take part — your tamariki represented you with pride and resilience throughout the day.
To the parents and whānau who came to support and cheer, your presence meant the world to the boys. Thanks also to Kim for her top-notch organisation behind the scenes, making sure everything ran smoothly, and to Andy for his support and energy on the sidelines, helping coach the team.
The boys should be incredibly proud of how they played. They showed grit, sportsmanship, and teamwork — everything we could ask for and more. It was an enjoyable day all around and a great reminder of why we love school sport.
Ngā mihi nui,
Andre Schutte
Ardmore school
Assembly Certificate Recipients 19th June -
Cross Country
Notes from the Office
Ministry Roll Return Day - TOMORROW 26TH JUNE
If your child is absent on this day, can the office be provided with a note (either via Hero, email, written or through the website). This happens twice a year and is a Ministry requirement.
PTA News
Fundraising - Quiz Night and Oxford Pies
Just a quick update, we managed to raise about $5200 from our quiz night and $1150 from Oxford pies! This is an amazing effort! Thank you to our school and the wider community for all your support!
Reminder - PTA Meeting
Our next PTA meeting will be on Wednesday 16th July @ 7pm in the staffroom. This is Wednesday the first week back from the holidays. If you are wondering what the PTA does or would like to be involved, please come along!
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
