August 20th 2025, Week 6

Principal's Message

Kia ora koutou

We are pleased to welcome the following students Mila and Neasa and their families to Northland.

It was a great way to end the week last Friday with our Kapa Haka performance and seeing so many parents in the audience.  We were pleased we could use this opportunity to thank you for the funds (from the colour run) towards new uniforms, headbands and accessories. 

The school disco on Friday evening was very successful and children were excited to talk about this on Monday morning. A huge shout out to Cameron, Katie, Ashleigh, Jo and the many parents who offered to help during the evening and stay to tidy up. We are fortunate to be able to have an event that is for everyone across the school to enjoy at no cost, and a great way for parents to catch up with one another too. 

Today is the last day for Hayley in the school office. Hayley has supported students, staff and parents during the last 18 months and we are sorry to see her go. We wish her all the best in her full time role at South Wellington Intermediate. 

I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone on the Northland School Board of Trustees for their hard work and contributions during the period we have all worked together. The school has developed positively under your guidance. Thank you to Jono for your commitment as Presiding Member over the last three years, Deborah for your focus on Health/ Safety and Policy and Judith for your role as staff representative. We look forward to Ross and Helena joining Richard, Jane and Katie alongside Emma C (staff rep)who will continue to shift the school from strength to strength. 

At the last board meeting, I reported back on mid year progress and achievement. While we are in the year of transition, with the revised curriculum in English and Maths, we continue to maintain a steady level of achievement. Please refer to the Board Update which includes a summary of the overall mid year progress for Northland School.

Congratulations to our Year 7 / 8 Mathswell team ( Reuben, Matthew, Olivia, Marni, Fegus and Holly) who participated against 60 schools yesterday. We are awaiting the official results. They competed under pressure in two teams that involved multi choice and problem solving. In the lead up to Mathswell, I have been very impressed with how they have demonstrated all our values and in particular showed determination when solving very complex problems. 

During this weekend we have the Wellington Emergency Response Team using the school hall and buildings as a base for an accreditation exercise in the afternoon. There will be about 30 people onsite completing exercises which will involve casualties and scenarios to set the scene for an emergency response. The carpark may have emergency vehicles so we want to make sure everyone knows this is just an exercise.  

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Learning Conversations (tomorrow 21st August or on Wednesday 3rd September). All teachers look forward to having conversations with you about your child’s learning and goals to focus on. If you haven’t booked yet and are intending too, bookings are made on HERO.  You are all welcome to use the Library, the lobby lounge and the office area, if you are waiting as it is very cold. 

A reminder that school is closed this Friday 22nd August for our second Mathematics Curriculum Day provided by the Ministry of Education. Thank you for your understanding and support as we receive further professional development.

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns about your child, please follow our process to ensure the right people can address things efficiently: start with your Classroom Teacher as the first point of contact, then the Team Leader/Deputy Principal if unresolved, and finally the Principal if further support is needed.

Ngā mihi

Andrea

NEW - Board Update August 2025

Tēnā Koe

We have several items to report back to you on from our last meeting.

We would like to start by thanking the 3 departing board members: Deborah, Judith, and Jono.

We would like to thank Deborah for her contribution on the Board over the past 9 months. Deborah has shown considerable commitment and service to the policy and health and safety portfolios, ensuring our students safety by making sure that the school and school camps are following proper health and safety procedures. Thank you for your service to the school community this year and we wish you well.

We would like to thank Judith for her contribution on the Board over the last 3 years. As staff representative, Judith has provided invaluable insight for the Board into the classroom environment and teacher development. Thank you for your service to the school community over many years and we look forward to still working with you in your role as Deputy Principal. 

We would like to thank Jono for his contribution on the Board over the years. As the Presiding Member for the past 3 years, Jono has led our meetings with skill, ensured our discussions remain on track, and provided clarity on our actions and resolutions. His guidance in welcoming new Board members and imparting his knowledge of the role of the Board has been invaluable. Thank you for your service to the school community over many years and we wish you well.

We are excited to introduce our new board members: Ross Lucas and Helena de Kok, and our new staff representative Emma Chapman. Their fresh perspectives and enthusiasm will undoubtedly bring positive changes to our school community. 

Attendance & holidays

The Board of Trustees would like to emphasise the importance of regular school attendance for all students. Regular school attendance is vital for your child’s learning, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. 

Being present each day helps students stay connected with their peers, build strong relationships with teachers, and keep up with the curriculum. Even short absences can impact progress, especially in key learning areas. Consistent attendance also contributes to a positive school culture and ensures that every child has the opportunity to thrive.

We understand that families may occasionally need to travel during term time. If you are planning a holiday or extended absence, please notify Andrea in an email in advance. This helps us maintain accurate records and allows teachers to support your child’s learning before and after their time away.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us create a positive and consistent learning environment for all our tamariki.

Mid-year student progress and achievement 2025

Andrea provided a comprehensive report to the Board on the 2025 mid-year progress and achievement data. Overall, we're pleased with the progress students at Northland School are making at mid-year, despite this being a transition year for English and Maths teaching and assessment, and we're on track with our school-wide goal for student learning.

The updated English and Maths curricula have given us a new baseline for assessing students. For English (reading and writing), this applies to students in Years 1-6. For Maths, it's for Years 1-8. Our Year 7-8 writing and reading moderation is still based on the previous English curriculum, as the revised curriculum for Years 7-13 is still in its draft phase and is currently being finalised with the education sector.

Our mid-year data indicates that students at Northland School are largely maintaining a steady level of achievement at the expected phase in the revised curriculum for writing, reading, and maths. This mid-year data helps us understand how students are progressing towards their end-of-year expectations. Looking ahead, by 2026, all students will be assessed using the new phases of the revised curriculum for both Maths and English.

To read a more detailed summary of the 2025 mid-year progress and achievement data, please click here.

Speed awareness and road crossing etiquette near our school

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety, we are reminding all drivers to adhere strictly to reduced speed limits around school zones, particularly during busy drop-off and pick-up times. Driving slowly not only protects pedestrians but also sets a positive example for students. We ask all parents to park safely and avoid double-parking, which can obstruct visibility and increase risk. 

We also encourage staff, students, and caregivers to model proper road crossing etiquette — using the designated crossings (the pedestrian crossing on Northland road, or the red stripe on Harbourview Road), waiting for vehicles to stop completely, and avoiding distractions like mobile phones. Practising and modelling these behaviours consistently helps build lifelong road safety habits and ensures a safer environment for everyone.

Ngā mihi nui

Katie and Andrea on behalf of the Board

New - Sickness

We are experiencing a lot of sickness throughout the school both for staff and students. We appreciate you letting us know when your child is away due to illness and for those of you who have  been contacted to come and collect a sick child during the day. We know Covid, influenza and a tummy bug are all doing the rounds. 

New - Term 3 School Policy Review

We use School Docs to house our school policies. This system ensures we are complying with legislation and also allows for parents and staff to have input into board policy review. 

Each term we review policies and now invite you to be part of this process. This term, we are reviewing the policies listed; Child Protection, Abuse Recognition and Reporting, Food and Nutrition, Safety checking, Police Vetting, Missing Student Procedure

Follow the steps 

1. Visit the site at https://northland.schooldocs.co.nz ( note there is no www)
2. Username: northland and Password: orangikaupapa
3. Use the subtitle link ‘current review’ at the top of the page. 
4. Follow the link to the relevant policy to read.
5. Click the Policy Review button and select the reviewer type ‘Parent’ 
6. Enter your name (optional)

New - Parent Evenings

We are very pleased to be able to share two parent evenings that are being hosted by Karori Normal School. All schools in our Kāhui Ako have been invited to hear Dr Pau Wood and John Parsons. Tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased through our website:

4 September 2025 - 6pm - Dr Paul Wood will be speaking about Resilience and Growth Mindset: This evening will cover - Not leaving it to chance - knowing the risks and realities for your kids, being proactive in raising resilient and happy humans, laying the groundwork now for future conversations, avoiding ruinous empathy, and building your own "parent support" team.

17 September 2025 - 6pm - John Parsons will be addressing Online Safety: Are you a parent/guardian concerned about how your child uses the internet or mobile phone?

Cybercrime is a very real issue facing families in NZ, but there are easy practical steps to reduce the risk. Karori Normal School invites you to a presentation on the issues associated with the inappropriate use of computers, mobile phones and the internet.

NEW - Maths Section

Games  

Play board games

Anything that has one dice could be modified to play with two dice.  Snakes and ladders, ludo, etc   

• Roll two dice - add them together and move that many spaces.
• Take one dice away from another and move that many space.  
• Roll two dice - add them together and then half the number, round it two the closest 5 or 10 etc

Further up the school

21 - take turns to add numbers together between an agreed amount (2 - 7) - you are trying to be the person to get to 21 exactly.

Start at 21 - take away until you reach 0.

The above idea but 50, 89 etc

Countdown timer - how many questions of ____  times tables/division facts can you answer in 5 mins, 1 min

NEW - Parent and School Group update

Disco Thank you

The Parent & School Group extends a sincere thank you to all the parent helpers who contributed to the success of Friday's disco. From providing food and helping to set up to supervision and clean-up, your support was invaluable, thank you. 

We also would like to extend our deep gratitude to Handy Rentals for DJ Cam & sponsoring the event, making it possible for every student to enjoy a free disco night complete with delicious snacks.  Also a big thank-you to Jitesh  at the Northland Dairy for prizes for the Best Dancers !  Thank you all for making the evening unforgettable!

Pies Pies Pies

The Parent and School Group are taking orders for delicious Doughboys Bakery family pies for the annual pie fundraiser to raise funds for extra school resources. They make a quick and easy dinner for those busy evenings. Pop some in the freezer to whip out when inspiration or time has deserted you.  

Eleven scrumptious flavours are on offer: 

Mince                   Mince & Cheese         Mince & Vegetable

Ham & Egg            Steak                          Steak & Cheese

Steak & Mushroom                                 Chicken & Vegetable 

Apple                    Apricot                        Blackberry & Apple

Allergy information: All pies contain dairy and gluten.

The goal this year is to beat our previous record of 777 pies sold!  Come on, Northland School community, we can do this! If we sold 4 pies per family, the school would raise $2,500. Please consider sharing the campaign link with your friends, family and colleagues as we’d love to raise more!

Open the campaign link here:

This year we’re using an online system called “Raised” for the fundraiser. This allows everyone to go to the fundraising campaign online, view the pie flavours, and order directly from the website. 

Every order will need to have a nominated student allocated. When your friends, family and colleagues order please ask them to allocate the order to your child and their class. Every order will receive an email confirmation of the order.

Please note: credit/debit card transactions are available but may charge a small processing fee, cash and bank transfers are exempt from any fees.     

Orders close on TUESDAY 30TH September at midnight. Orders will go home with the nominated student at the end of the school day, 3pm Friday 10th October. Perfect timing with the weekend if you need to make any deliveries! We will be in touch with families who have ordered 10 or more pies to pick up directly from the school.  

If you have any reusable bags at home or paper bags that we can please use for pie orders, please deliver them to the school office before 8th October.  

Any questions please contact parentandschool@northland.school.nz 

Hoodies, T shirts and Hats! 

We have recently had a number of queries about the Northland School hoodies. So to welcome us to Term 3, the PTA have arranged a special WELCOME discount with our clothing supplier, Outfitters for the Northland School hoodies, tshirts, and hats. The hoodies can be personalised with your child's name, just follow the prompts in the link below.

NORTHLAND SHOP

Use the code 'WELCOME2025' for 10% Discount and FREE shipping(including Hoodies) to the School Office. This code will be available until Friday 29 August. 

These are not compulsory, Northland School doesn't have a school uniform, so purchasing these is completely optional. 

Note: For those of you with children participating in sports events you can choose to purchase your own school sports shirt or borrow one from the office. 

NEW - Ki o Rahi

Kia ora koutou,

If you think your child might be keen to play Ki o Rahi next term at Wakefield Park, please click on the link below for more information.

All levels of knowledge and skill are welcome; this is a safe space to learn and grow together. It’s all about having FUN!

https://tumatauora.org/tapu-te-ranga-taonga-takaro/

 Ki o Rahi at Tapu te Ranga Module

 Wakefield Park, Adelaide Road 

  Term 4, 2025 - Term 1, 2026 (Friday afternoons)

 4 pm onwards (tbc)  (6 to 7 rounds per term) 

 Island Bay Clubrooms will also be open with kai options available

If you have any questions, please contact Alex M on alexm@northland.school.nz

NEW - 2026 Enrolment

To help us with our planning for next year we do need to know the number of students who will be attending.  If your child is in Year 1 – 7 and is leaving at the end of the year, please let us know as soon as possible.  If you have children due to start at Northland School in 2026 please check with Ann in the office to ensure that we have these details recorded. If you know of children from other families who are likely to start next year, please encourage their parents to contact us. The more information the school has about potential in-zone and out-of-zone  enrolments the better equipped we are to provide the best possible class organisation for the coming year.

Below is a link to the online enrolment form:

NEW - Pizza Friday 5th September

Giving a heads up and reminder!

All pizzas MUST be ordered by 1pm Wednesday 3rd of September, we are unable to process late orders. This is to help with making orders easier due to the sheer amount of pizzas arriving. 

The process is you pay online and we have paper slips in the school office to be filled in before 1pm on the Wednesday. 

We also had pizzas ordered with no payment AND payments with no order, please make sure you remember to pay AND order. 

NEW - Kelly Sports Athletic Holiday Programme

NEW - Kelly Sports Football & Netball

Term Dates

The bell rings at 8:50 am. Any student arriving after this time will need to sign in at the office and will be marked late. We encourage students to arrive by 8:30 am to meet with friends and get ready for the day. Lessons will begin at 9am. 

Before School Care available from 7:30 am -8:30 am in the Library. Please email the office for further details, office@northland.school.nz

Term 3 -  14th July - 19th September

• Teacher Only Day - Friday 22nd August (Mathematics curriculum)

Term 4 - 6th October - 17th December

• Labour Day - Monday 27th October

CAMP DATES 

• Year 5 / 6 Camp - Term 4 Forest Lakes 28th October - 30th October 2025
  

Community Notices