19/08/2026

Principal’s Message

Kia ora e te whānau

We’re well and truly into the second half of the term, and there is plenty happening around the kura.

The last couple of weeks have had a bit of everything: Home–School Partnership Hui, some great opportunities for our tamariki, plenty happening in classrooms, and unfortunately a fair bit of winter illness doing the rounds as well!

As always, thanks for your ongoing support of the school and our tamariki. There’s plenty coming up over the next couple of weeks, so have a read through the updates below.

Strong Partnerships, Growing Together

It was great to see so many of you at our recent Home–School Partnership Hui, with 83% of our whānau attending. Thanks for making the time to come in and meet with teachers.

These hui are an important chance to talk openly about how your children are going, where they are making progress, and where they may need some extra support. This was particularly important this time around as we begin reporting against the expectations of the revised New Zealand Curriculum.

For some children, it may look on paper as though they have gone backwards. This is not the case. The expectations have changed and, in many areas, the bar has been lifted. Our job now is to respond to that.

Across the school, we are looking closely at where our learners are at and putting additional teaching and support into the areas where we need to lift progress.

Thanks again for coming along and being part of these conversations. Working together makes a real difference for our kids.

NED’s Mindset Mission

It was great to have Hallie from NED’s Mindset Mission visit us last week and spend some time with our tamariki.

There were plenty of laughs along the way, but also some really useful messages around Never giving up, Encouraging others and Doing your best. Our kids took a lot from the session, and it fitted really nicely with the social and emotional learning we are focusing on across the school at the moment.

A big thanks to Halie and the NED team for spending time with us and reinforcing some simple messages that our kids can put into practice every day.

Yoyo’s will be on sale until this Friday.

Find out more about NED’s Mindset Mission HERE

Taranaki Bulls Visit

Once again, a big thanks to the team at Matahio for helping bring the Taranaki Bulls out to Ngaere School to spend some time with our tamariki.

The players brought along posters, flags, cookies and GA tickets for the upcoming Canterbury match, as well as spending time chatting with the kids and generally promoting rugby.

It was another cool opportunity for our tamariki to connect with some of our local sporting role models and enjoy having the Bulls around the school.

There are free Taranaki Bulls vs Canterbury game tickets available from the school office.   The game is on Saturday 29th August at 2.05pm. Please see Karen in the office if you would like tickets. 

Taranaki Winter Sports Tournament

Wishing our Year 7 & 8 students all the very best as they head to Hāwera on Friday to compete in the Taranaki Winter Sports Tournament.

It’s always a great opportunity for our senior students to represent Ngaere School, compete alongside students from across the region and enjoy a day of sport.

Play hard, play fair and represent Ngaere with pride — kia kaha!

Taranaki Mohoao Kapahaka Festival

Next Wednesday 26 August, our kapa haka rōpū will be taking part in the Taranaki Mohoao Kapa Haka Festival.

This is always a great day, bringing schools from across the central part of our region together to share kapa haka. It is a whakangahau event, with the emphasis on participation, celebration and raising the profile of Te Ao Māori and Māori performing arts amongst our tamariki.

We are currently predicted to take the stage at around 11:30am, although this may move slightly on the day.

Whānau are very welcome to come along and tautoko our tamariki. We would love to see you there!

Daffodil Day – Thursday 27 August

Next Thursday we’ll be getting behind Daffodil Day and supporting the work of the Cancer Society.

Students are encouraged to wear yellow for the day — and they’re welcome to get creative with it! We ask that students bring along a gold coin donation, with all money raised going to the Cancer Society.

Daffodil Day will also coincide with our School Assembly at 9:00am. All parents and whānau are warmly invited to come along and join us.

School Uniform – Board Review of Expectations

Our School Board has recently reviewed our Uniform Code and Expectations, with the aim of making expectations clear and consistent across the school.

At the heart of the code is our school value of Respect. Wearing our uniform well is one way our tamariki can show respect for themselves, others and our school, while building a sense of pride and belonging.

There aren’t major changes, but the review does provide some clearer expectations around what is and isn’t part of our uniform. Some key reminders include:

• The Ngaere School polo shirt is to be worn each day.

• Shorts and trackpants should be plain navy blue or black. Plain Canterbury shorts and trackpants in these colours are also fine.

• Our blue school jersey or black school jacket are our uniform outerwear options. Hoodies are not part of the school uniform.

• Navy or black thermals can be worn underneath the school polo during colder weather.

• Skins or compression garments should be navy or black.

• Our school sunhat is required outdoors during Terms 1 and 4. Caps are not part of our uniform.

• Winter beanies can be either the official school beanie which are available for purchase from the school office or a plain navy or black beanie which you can purchase from the Warehouse for around $6.  

• Footwear should be safe and practical for an active school day.

• Taonga are welcomed as an expression of identity, culture and whakapapa.

We know there will occasionally be genuine reasons why a child isn’t able to meet a uniform expectation. If this is the case, please just get in touch with us so we can work through it together.

The full Ngaere School Uniform Code & Expectations can be found HERE

Looking Ahead – Our Strategic Plan

Our School Board is currently working through how we can best gather parent and whānau voice as we begin mapping out our School Strategic Plan for 2027 and beyond.

Over the coming weeks there will be a number of opportunities for our school community to have a say about what matters most, what we are doing well, and where you would like to see us focus our energy in the future.

More information about this process will come out soon, but we really do encourage everyone to get involved. The more people who share their thoughts, the better our plan will reflect the wants and needs of our school community.

Every voice is welcome.

Influenza A – Please Help Us Reduce the Spread

We wanted to make you aware that Influenza A is currently circulating within our school community, with a number of students and staff affected.

Influenza can spread quickly in a school environment. Common symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, body aches and significant tiredness.

Please keep your child at home if they are unwell, particularly if they have a fever or significant flu-like symptoms, and give them time to properly recover before returning to school.

Good hygiene also makes a difference – regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and not sharing drink bottles or utensils. Please seek medical advice if you are concerned about your child’s symptoms or they become significantly unwell.

At school, we’ll continue encouraging good hygiene practices and keeping a close eye on tamariki who become unwell during the day.

We know winter illness can be tricky for whānau, particularly at this time of year. Keeping unwell tamariki at home where possible will help us look after one another and reduce the spread across our kura.

Finally…

There’s certainly plenty happening around Ngaere at the moment! Thanks, as always, to our staff, parents and whānau who help make these opportunities possible for our kids.

With a few bugs doing the rounds, look after yourselves and each other, and hopefully we can all get through the remainder of winter in one piece!

Ngā mihi nui,

Shane Burgess
Principal / Tumuaki

NETBALL UNIFORMS

Could we please have all Junior-Middle Netball team uniforms return to school asap.  These can be dropped into the school office.

These are required for School Photos on Friday 28th August.  Thank you.

TERM 3

• Thursday 27th August – Daffidol Day Mufti Day – dress in Yellow – Gold Coin Donation
• Friday 28th August – School Photos
• Monday 31st August – Cross Country at Rawhitiroa School
• Wednesday 09th September – Central Cross Country in Stratford
• Wednedsay 23rd September  – School Kiwiana Arts Festival
• 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

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS… YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!

31/07/2026

Principal’s Message

Kia ora koutou,

What an incredible couple of weeks it has been for our school community! There has been a real buzz of excitement following former Ngaere School student Zoe Hobbs’ outstanding achievement of winning the 2026 Commonwealth Games Women’s 100m Gold Medal. Zoe spent her primary school years here at Ngaere, and watching her proudly represent Aotearoa on the world stage has been incredibly inspiring for our students. Her success is a wonderful reminder that big dreams really can begin in small schools.

It was also a special privilege to welcome TVNZ News to Ngaere School to hear about Zoe’s early years and speak with our staff and students about what her achievement means to our community. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate one of our own and showcase our wonderful school to the rest of New Zealand.

As always, there has been plenty happening around Ngaere School, with great learning taking place across our classrooms and many exciting opportunities for our tamariki. Thank you for your continued support of our school. See below for some key information relating to up and coming events.

Ngā mihi,

Shane Burgess
Principal / Tumuaki

Our Home-School Partnership Hui are taking place on Tuesday 4 August and Wednesday 5 August, with appointments available between 1.00pm and 6.00pm.

These hui are an important opportunity to celebrate your child’s successes, discuss their progress, and work together to support their next steps in learning. We value the partnership between home and school and encourage every whānau to be involved.

So far, 105 of our 160 students (66%) have a booking. We’d love to see that number continue to grow and welcome every family along.

Bookings can be made through HERO School Bookings. If you need any assistance making a booking, please contact Karen in the school office at office@ngaere.school.nz, and she’ll be happy to help.

If you’re unable to attend during the scheduled times, please contact your child’s teacher. We’re happy to arrange an alternative meeting, whether that’s on another day, over the phone, or via a virtual meeting.

Parents are welcome to collect their child from lunchtime before their conference if they wish. School will remain open for instruction throughout the afternoon, with students participating in an adapted learning programme.

We also encourage students to attend their hui alongside their parents. Being part of these conversations helps students celebrate their achievements, reflect on their learning, and take ownership of their next learning goals.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

SPORTS UNIFORMS & FEES

For those students who have played winter sports,the fees have now been invoiced to your account.  We would appreciate payment of these at your earliest convenience.  A huge thank you to the Ngaere School PTA who have contributed funds towards the sports subs, which has significantly reduced the amount that has been passed onto the students. Without their support individual fees would have ranged from $40 – $99.

Could we also please have all Netball and Basketball uniforms return to school asap.   Thank you.

TERM 3

• Tuesday 04th August – Home/School Partnership Hui 1pm – 6pm
• Wednesday 05th August – Home/School Partnership Hui 1pm – 6pm
• Friday 07th August – Assembly 9am School Hall
• Thursday 27th August – Daffidol Day Mufti Day – dress in Yellow
• Friday 28th August – School Photos
• Monday 31st August – Cross Country at Rawhitiroa School
• Wednesday 09th September – Central Cross Country in Stratford
• Wednedsay 23rd September  – School Kiwiana Arts Festival
• 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

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS… YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED!

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.