02/07/2026

End of Term 2 Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

As we wrap up another incredibly busy and rewarding term, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on just a few of the many highlights that have made Term 2 such a special one.

It’s been a term full of learning, opportunities and experiences for our students. From classroom learning and sporting events to leadership opportunities and plenty of moments that have brought our school community together, there has certainly been no shortage of activity!

Some Term 2 Highlights

• Jones Cup, where our Year 5-8 students represented Ngaere School with pride, demonstrating fantastic sportsmanship, resilience, teamwork and determination throughout the day.
• Hoops in Schools, with groups enjoying quality coaching sessions that developed basketball skills while promoting participation, confidence and a love of being active.
• Learning beyond the classroom, including our Year 1-2 Play Day and the Year 7-8 Collier’s Farm & QEII Bush Walk. These experiences challenged students, built confidence and created lasting memories while bringing learning to life.
• A fantastic season of winter sport, with our hockey teams showing tremendous growth in both skill and confidence throughout the season.
• Congratulations to our Rippa Rugby teams, who qualified for the Taranaki Championships. While poor weather meant the tournament couldn’t go ahead, reaching that level was a fantastic achievement and one the students should be incredibly proud of.
• Best of luck to our Year 7/8 Basketball Team, who finish the term with a Finals showdown against Toko this Friday. It’s a fantastic achievement to make the final, and we wish them all the very best.

One of the things I love most about Ngaere School is the opportunities our students have to grow beyond the classroom. Whether they’re learning, performing, competing, exploring or supporting one another, every experience helps build confidence, resilience and a strong sense of belonging.

None of these opportunities happen without the support of others. A huge thank you to our incredible staff, coaches, managers, parent helpers and supporters who generously give their time throughout the year. Whether you’re transporting teams, coaching after work, supervising trips or helping behind the scenes, you play a huge part in making Ngaere School such a fantastic place for our children.

Celebrating Student Success

A huge congratulations to Molly Gribble, Lily Manukonga-Whitmore and Indie Kyle, who recently achieved outstanding results in their Speech and Drama examinations, all earning exceptionally high grades.

This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the girls’ hard work, dedication and commitment to continually developing their skills. Performing at this level takes confidence, perseverance and countless hours of practice, and they should all be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished.

A special thank you also goes to Chrissy Cameron, whose passion, expertise and tireless commitment have helped prepare and support the girls to perform to such a high standard. Behind every great performance is a great teacher, and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunities and encouragement she provides our students.

Well done, Molly, Lily and Indie. We’re all very proud of you!

Celebrating Together

A wonderful way to finish the term was our Puanga Community Celebration. It was fantastic to see so many students, whānau and community members come together to share breakfast, connect and celebrate the beginning of the Māori New Year.

Events like these are a great reminder that schools are about much more than learning in the classroom; they’re about building strong relationships and a real sense of belonging. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the morning such a success.

We’re always looking for opportunities to bring our community together, and we look forward to creating many more moments like this throughout the year.

Mid-Year Reports & Home-School Partnership Hui

Mid-year reports will be published through HERO on Thursday 2 July.

Reports will be available digitally through HERO. If you would like a paper copy, please email office@ngaere.school.nz and we will arrange this for you. Paper copies will not be sent home unless requested.

Following the release of reports, we warmly invite all families to attend our Home-School Partnership Hui in Week 3 of Term 3:

Tuesday 4 August: 1:00pm – 6:00pm

Wednesday 5 August: 1:00pm – 6:00pm

These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for students, parents and teachers to come together to celebrate progress, discuss next learning steps and strengthen the partnership between home and school.

Teachers will share current assessment information benchmarked against the refreshed English and Mathematics Curriculum and provide context around what this means for your child’s learning and progress.

Reports will clearly show whether your child is Well Below, Working Towards, Within, or Exceeding expectation. While the use of refreshed curriculum language does not become a legislative requirement until 2027, our teachers are continuing to build their understanding of these changes so we can provide families with clear, meaningful and holistic information about each child’s progress.

Reports will include:

• Progress and achievement in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
• Your child’s strengths and next learning steps.
• Practical ways whānau can support learning at home.
• Information about social and emotional development, participation in sporting and cultural opportunities, and other aspects of school life that help paint a well-rounded picture of your child.

We encourage all parents and caregivers to attend alongside their child wherever possible. School will remain open during the afternoon with an adapted programme in place. However, families who are able to collect their children from 1:00pm and attend their conference together are very welcome to do so.

Bookings can be made through the HERO app under “School Bookings”.

If you have any questions or experience any difficulties making a booking, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the school office.

Looking Ahead to Term 3

We’re also looking forward to (hopefully!) welcoming everyone back to a refreshed school environment next term. Our 5YA property project has made fantastic progress over the past few weeks, and we’re excited about the prospect of having our main corridor and refurbished staffroom completed and ready to use for the start of Term 3.

These improvements will provide brighter, more functional spaces for both our students and staff, and are another positive step in continuing to invest in our school environment. We’ll keep our community updated over the holidays and let you know if there are any changes to the timeline.

Finally, thank you to our parents, whānau, Board, PTA and wider community for your ongoing support throughout the term. Your partnership, encouragement and willingness to get involved continue to make Ngaere School a wonderful place for our tamariki to learn and thrive.

I hope everyone enjoys a safe, relaxing and well-deserved holiday break. We look forward to seeing everyone back refreshed and ready for another exciting term.

Ngā mihi,

Shane Burgess
Principal / Tumuaki

TERM 2

• Friday 03rd July 9am – End of Term Assembly 9am in the hall
• Friday 03rd July – PTA Morning Tea after End of Term Assembly – All Welcome
• Friday 03rd July – LAST DAY OF TERM 

TERM 3

• Monday 20th July – Schools Back – First day of Term 3
• Wednesday 22nd July – BOT Meeting 6pm at school – All welcome
• Monday 27th July – PTA meeting  6.30pm at school – All welcome
• Tuesday 04th August – Home/School Partnership Hui 1pm – 6pm
• Wednesday 05th August – Home/School Partnership Hui 1pm – 6pm
• Thursday 27th August – Daffidol Day Mufti Day – dress in Yellow
• Friday 28th August – School Photos
• Monday 31st August – Cross Country at Rawhitiroa School
• Wednesday 02nd September – PP date Cross Country at Rawhitiroa School
• Wednesday 09th September – Central Cross Country in Stratford
• Friday 25th September – Last day of term 3

TERM 4

• Monday 12th October – Schools Back – First day of Term 4
• Wednesday 14th October – Pet Day
• Monday 26th October – Labour Day – No school
• Monday 02nd November – Yr 5-8 Athletics at Toko School
• Wednesday 04th November – PP date Yr 5-8 Athletics at Toko School
• Wednesday 18th November – Yr 1-4 Tabloid Sports at Midhirst School
• Thursday 19th November – PP date Yr 1-4 Tabloid Sports at Midhirst School
• Wednesday 16th December – Last day of Term 4

Want something for the kids to do over the        holiday break?

Happening Holidays Programme (click on link below)

• Students can design their own helmet using the template below or pick-up a copy from the school office.
• The winning designs will be professionally airbrushed onto brand-new helmets each valued at over $270!
• Prizes will be awarded across three age categories, with three winners per category (9 winners in total).
• Helmets will be personally delivered to the winners in Term 3.
• Entries will be judged by the Roadsafe Taranaki team with support from our local Mayor.
• The competition is open to any student living in or attending school in South or Central Taranaki.