Newsletter 9 June 2025
From the Principal
A warm welcome to our new families. It has been a busy time with interschool sport, curriculum overhaul and the onset of Winter.
Lunch with the Principal
This is proving to be very popular. The first time for many to see where the teachers eat and relax during the breaks. It amazes me how much some of our smaller students can eat. I remember as a child there was always this mystery about the teachers' staffroom, so great the children see that teachers are just like everyone else. We will continue this initiative until the end of the term and look to do something new next term.
Prosecutions for non-attendance and non-enrolment
On the news lately it is clearly stating the Government is taking a hardline on non- attendance and non-enrolment
Here is the official description by the Ministry of Education Office
Parents and legal guardians are required to:
- enrol their child at a registered school when they turn six-years-old
- make sure their child (including enrolled five-year-olds) attends school every day the school is open until they are at least 16 years old.
Failure to do so can result in prosecution of parents under Sections 243 and 244 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
Where parents and legal guardians are not fulfilling their legal obligations in relation to school attendance, the Ministry of Education is able to investigate and may decide to undertake prosecution.
What the school is doing to encourage attendance this term?
Lunch with the Principal is a big hit and the students love getting pizza and a bottle of water. Each week we draw the name of one student per class who has achieved 100% attendance that week. Congratulations to all our winners so far.
Daily attendance checks and follow ups are made each day by the office staff and our SENCo - Mrs Anna Campbell. We report daily and also to the Board as we endeavour to continue to raise our attendance levels. The school also works closely with our local Attendance Officer.
Since 2023, New Zealand school attendance rates have shown an upward trend, with each term in 2024 seeing higher attendance than in 2023. In Term 4 of 2024, 58.1% of students attended school regularly, a 5.1 percentage point increase from 53% in 2023. The Ministry of Education is investing in new attendance services and strengthening frontline services to address ongoing attendance challenges, targeting students with high chronic absence.
In Term 1 this year we achieved a 71% attendance rate but this still means that 29% of our students are missing on average a day off school each week.
Together we can make a difference for your child.
Student Sickness - To keep my child home or not?
At present, there are a lot of bugs and illnesses amongst children and schools are the perfect place for these to spread.
There are many reasons why parents drop their child off sick including work pressures, no immediate family or close friends able to help, worried their child will get behind etc. We have had instances of sick children dropped at school and we are unable to make contact with any parents or emergency so they have to remain in sickbay all day. If your contact details change, please let us know straight away.
Lost Property
If your child is missing a jumper, socks, drink bottle etc it is likely to be in the cloak bays or the lost property box located upstairs in the junior block between Room 6 and Room 7.
Student Reports and 3 Way Conferences
Student Reports
You will receive your child’s mid-year progress report on Thursday, 26th June which is the day before we close for the term. Please acknowledge and praise your child for the areas they have shown progress in.
Parent Conferences
These take place Week 1 next term on Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th July. Ideally we would normally have these before the end of the term but this is a shorter nine week term.
Wednesday 16th July school will close at 1.00 pm
Thursday 17th July school will close at 3.00 pm
These are 15 minute interviews. Bookings for the interviews will open on Monday 16th June. Also on that day you will receive an email with the booking link and QR code.
There will be an opportunity to either attend the conferences in person, by phone or by Zoom.
Celebrating Excellence
"Room 13 has been learning about native animals from Aotearoa. They spent weeks researching both current and past species to learn more about why they make Aotearoa such a unique place! Near the end of our Inquiry cycle, the class split into groups and chose a native animal to do further research on.
After creating fact files, they used Canva to create digital posters of their chosen animals. They explored digital elements like text font, size, colour, and even learnt how to add a picture. In their groups, they had to decide what information was the most important and worked well to delegate different tasks to make the information posters amazing.
Our final step was to record the information using an iPad. These recordings were then turned into a QR code for friends and family to scan to make sure they could easily access this information!
We have loved all our learning about Aotearoa animals!"
Sports News
HPPA Interschool Mixed Rugby Fun Day
On Friday 23rd May, our students had the fantastic opportunity to participate in the 2025 HPPA Interschool Mixed Rugby Fun Day held at Pakuranga United Rugby Club, Lloyd Elsmore. The event brought together schools from across the area for a day filled with teamwork, sportsmanship, and plenty of fun.
Our students took part in both competitive and non-competitive grades, showcasing their skills and determination in a supportive and inclusive environment. The day was a great chance for everyone to learn new techniques, build confidence, and enjoy the spirit of the game—whether they were tackling in the Under 50kg grade or dodging tags in the Mixed Rippa matches.
We are incredibly proud of all our players for their positive attitude and team spirit. A big thank you to the parents who helped coach and manage the teams, and supporters who made the event such a success. We're already looking forward to the next one!
HPPA Hockey Field Day – A Fantastic Day on the Turf!
On Tuesday, 3 June 2025, our talented Year 5 and Year 6 students had the opportunity to take part in the HPPA Hockey Field Day at Lloyd Elsmore Park. It was a brilliant day filled with energy, teamwork, and fun – and the sun even came out to join us!
With teams playing 7-a-side games, our players showed fantastic sportsmanship, resilience, and enthusiasm throughout the day. Although no scores were kept (as the focus was on participation and enjoyment), the skill and determination on display made us incredibly proud.
A huge thank you to our wonderful parents who gave up their time to manage the teams, and to our whānau who came along to cheer. The students were well-prepared with their mouthguards, shin pads, and positive attitudes, and they represented Pakuranga Heights with pride.
Ka pai to everyone involved – we’re already looking forward to next year’s tournament!
Cultural Celebrations
Last week we celebrated Samoan Language Week. During our lunchtime Cultural Club students were able to use chalk to draw siapo patterns outside. The students did a great job, even if the rain washed them away the next day.
School Trustee Elections are coming up
From the Community
