Tēnā koutou katoa,

Welcome to our first newsletter of Term 3.  We have had a very rainy start, but great to see the sunshine this week, it definitely makes a difference to our tamariki when they can get outside into the sunshine during break times.

You will have been emailed about our up and coming Cross Country event on Tuesday 4th August.  This is taking place at Porritt Stadium this year and we have had a great response regarding attendance and transport, so thank you for your support here.

With the Minister's latest media release regarding open plan classrooms, you will find more information within this newsletter and what this means for us.

If you have been into school over the last couple of weeks, you will see that progress on the additional swimming pool changing room has gone well, thanks to Armand Newrick, our caretaker (and resident builder). You may also see that our new classroom is nearly ready for use.  We have another couple of weeks of work to do to get the canopy completed and some upgrades to aluminium joinery.  We will look to have an opening for this space shortly after completion, so I will keep you posted about this.

Within this newsletter, you will find a termly update regarding our policy review.  This was previously held within our website, but we welcome you to visit the links below where you have the opportunity to read and review the policy content if you wish.  Moving forward, we will share these links once each term.

In the next few weeks, we will be doing our Lockdown and Evacuation (fire) drills.  We work with Harrison Tew on these to ensure we have robust processes.  Further to our Health and Safety requirements, LC4-6 will also be having a short session with our local police constable about keeping safe online.  This is taking place next Thursday 31st July.

We have fine days for the remainder of the week, and we welcome you to pop in at the beginning or end of the day to catch up with other whānau, to connect with our staff.

Ngā mihi,
Juliet Dickinson
Principal

Principals are a key part of what makes public education a place for communities and opportunities to grow.
Thank you Mrs Dickinson for all that you do for Te Kōwhai School.

Flexible Learning Spaces at Te Kōwhai School
You may have seen that the Government is moving away from 'open-plan classrooms' in future school builds, instead focusing on flexible learning spaces. Their comments are generally referring to schools with much larger spaces and designs.  Te Kōwhai has always supported a collaborative teaching and learning approach using flexible spaces.  At the end of last year, our Board approved the plan to have more glass sliders added to LCs to increase this flexibility even more.  

What spaces look like in our kura:
Our Learning Communities are designed to support varied styles of learning in order to meet the growing complexity of student needs. We have one purpose-built space (LC1) and now 6 spaces that have been adapted to maximise collaboration and flexibility.  Over the past few years, we’ve added features like breakout rooms where possible to create more varied areas for learning.   

How we teach:
Collaboration remains a key part of our teaching and learning. For teachers and Learning Assistants, there is real power in working together, not in isolation, and with the complex needs of students increasing, multiple perspectives on how best to support these learners is essential.  Students learn in a variety of ways—sometimes as a whole group, in smaller groups, or one-on-one. Our teaching approach is flexible, intentional, and designed to meet the needs of all learners. 

Our aim is to foster academic, social, and emotional growth in every learner through a supportive, responsive environment that utilises flexible learning spaces and adapts to diverse student needs.

Our new property plan is effective from the end of July, so I will update you as to when the glass sliders will be going in towards the end of the year.  This will cause some disruption to classes, so during any of these works, classes may need to move to our new space.

Our School Board works closely together throughout the year to action our Strategic Goal areas.  Board members have a 'portfolio' or general area that they oversee.  This may not require a lot of work, but the lens of each portfolio holder is an important one when we are making decisions for our school and tamariki.  Below is a brief outline of the roles / portfolios we currently hold.  Whilst one member may hold a specific 'role', it is important to note that all Board members have a voice in that area as well.

Please action nominating someone prior to Wednesday 6th August. You will have had communications from Schooled Election Pilot, but check your junk/spam/promotional box in case they have gone there.

The official election timetable that applies to Te Kōwhai School, based on the election date of Wednesday 10 September is:

Also refer to the home page of the school website

Click the link to request Student Leave within School Term

Order School Branded Clothing - next order will be closed August 2025

At the end of last term in LC3, we learnt about the Matariki star cluster from a scientific perspective. We learnt about its unique characteristics, which make it different from constellations and other clusters. Here is Remy and Nixon’s TIDE writing about the Matariki star cluster. 

Remy’s Writing
What are the Matariki stars? How are they different from other stars, clusters and constellations? Well, did you know that the Matariki stars are larger than the sun?!

Firstly, Matariki is special because of its colour and temperature. The Matariki stars are at the hottest end of the spectrum, which means they are blue stars because they’re the hottest. This means they’re hotter than the sun!

Hree is a characteristic of star clusters. They are held together by gravity. That’s something that makes star clusters different from constellations.

Here is a characteristic of constellations. They always form pictures in the sky. That’s something that makes constellations different to star clusters.

Now you know about stars and the awesome Matariki cluster. The Matariki star cluster includes: Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā -Rangi, Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi, Pōhutukawa, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, Ururangi and Matariki.

Matariki is different in a lot of different ways. Here are some of the ways. First, Matariki is a cluster, not a constellation. Matariki does not make a picture. Second, Matariki is 444.2 light years away from Earth. 444.2 light years is actually quite close compared to other stars. Last, there are three colours of stars, blue, yellow and red. The hottest is blue, medium hot is yellow and red is on the cooler side of the spectrum. Matariki is unique because the stars are not far.

The Great Annual Quiz Night – Friday 12th September
Preparations are well underway for our biggest fundraiser of the year! The organising committee is working hard to bring together another fantastic evening for our school community. This year, we're raising funds to support the development of more shaded areas around the school, as well as upgrades to our PE shed and sports equipment.

Grab a group and secure your table! Tables are available through sponsorship and work out to be approximately $60 per person – a great way to support the school and enjoy a fun night out.

If you’d like to get involved by sponsoring a table or donating a prize, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with the team at pta@tekowhai.school.nz.

 
Tickets will be on sale soon – keep an eye on the Te Kowhai School Facebook page for updates!

 
HARVEST FESTIVAL – Help Needed!
Looking ahead to 2026, we need to begin preparations for our much-loved Harvest Festival over the next two terms. However, we currently do not have a coordinator within FoTKS to lead the planning.

The Harvest Festival has a long and proud tradition at Te Kowhai School, and we’d be sad to see it go. If you’re interested in helping keep this special event alive—either by taking a lead or lending support—please reach out to Christina or any of the friendly team via pta@tekowhai.school.nz. You’re also welcome to pop along to our next meeting (date to be shared soon via the Friends of Te Kowhai School Facebook page).

 Congratulations LC5!
A big round of applause to LC5 for winning Best New LC Game at this year’s Harvest Festival! They were rewarded with a special Sausage and Ice Block lunch, thanks to FoTKS.

A huge Thank you to Colleen and Christina for putting together this well deserved treat.

Check out some of the happy faces below!

 School Community are integral to ensuring these policies remain practical, relevant, and effective in daily school operations. You have the direct ability to help shape policy via the structured, on-going review process - we value your contribution.
All reviews are open to the school community (parents/caregivers/whānau) and also board members, staff and students. The Te Kōwhai School Board discuss their amendments at their regular meetings to ensure good and responsible governance is provided.

Policies Under Review (Term 3)

If you are interested, click the link to see all policies that are being reviewed in 2025.
You are welcome to go in at any time to SchoolDocs. On the dashboard is the Parent Quick Links button which may help take you to a topic that you are interested in.

A couple of updates around attendance: 
1. We have amended our school procedures for obtaining Doctor's certificates when your child has a prolonged illness.  Where we once used to request this after 3 days absence due to illness, we have now extended this to after 5 days.  If your child is away longer than this, please email us a copy of the Doctor's certificate for our records.  You will be emailed a reminder if required.
2. We are encouraging families to do a quick check of your children's attendance.  You can find this information on Hero.  The graphic below shows some interesting data about what impact different attendance rates have over time.

Our bus driver has let us know that car drivers are continuing to park in the through lane of the bus bay and also on the yellow line zone beside the two car parks.
As per the picture below - do not park in the areas marked by the red line. If either of the 2 parks are empty - you are welcome to use them.  If you park in the yellow diagonal lines, you are obstructing the bus - not allowing it to manoeuver as it needs to. Park instead in the main car park or at the hall. You can also park on the road, but park with legal clearance of our neighbours driveways.
Mr Burrows will be out in the mornings to remind drivers, however we do need drivers to act correctly in this bus bay, without this oversight. You might feel that the bus isn't coming and/or that you are there only momentarily; however, handle this area as per above.

We have had some safety concerns around driver and student use of the Quick Pick-up area in the Main Carpark - you will therefore notice staff out there in high-vis vest, guiding all parties to keep traffic flowing in a safe and courteous way. Please take on board this guidance if you are involved.

If your children are in the habit of waiting for you near the grass, please tell them to wait near the arch instead. That way you have a better chance to collect them at the 'top' of the pick-up zone, rather than causing congestion back towards the entrance and unwittingly causing a hazard for road users.  Please also remind your children to wait until you come to a complete halt before approaching your car - some children have been running up to moving cars.

If you can park in a carpark in the main park that is the ideal (as per green lines in image) - the yellow painted zone is only to pause and collect a child/ren that are already waiting, so that traffic can flow. Areas marked in red in the image are not for parking in.  Please do not park in the 2 through lanes of the main carpark as you will block traffic coming from behind you.
If there are no available parks, either do a loop or park across at the hall.  Typically, all students are collected by 3:10 pm so you can even collect your child later, rather than exactly 3 pm... as long as it's by 3:15 pm, should you find your timing is in the midst of congestion.

Chickens make great backyard pets and even better when they are old enough they provide you with a regular supply of eggs.  If you're not able to keep them long term we always have people looking for chicks at the end of Ag Day to add to their existing flocks.  Chicks can be purchased by clicking the link and filling out the chick order form by Friday, 1st August 2025.   
Chicks are then cared for and raised by your child ready to bring to Ag Day on Saturday, 18th October where they will compete against all the other chickens.  

The chicks are 1-2 days old on delivery and will be received sometime between 23 August - 6 September, the exact date will be advised close to the time.  Please make sure you have housing organised.  Information about raising a chick and Ag Day can be found on the school website.

Chicks will cost $12.50 each to purchase and come with a small bag of Chick Starter food to get them started.  You must have at least two chicks so they have each other as company.  Chicks are female brown shavers so you will get plenty of eggs from them once they have grown.  Please don't pay just yet - we need to ensure we have the number required for a minimum order.

Any questions please email The Ag Day Team via agday@tekowhai.school.nz

We extend our gratitude to the incredible local businesses and creatives whose generosity and community spirit made our vision for "A Hope for Tomorrow" planting project a reality.

As we look to the future, we often wonder what possibilities lie ahead. But one thing is certain: with hope, unity, and determination, we can grow something beautiful. Just like a tiny seed grows into a mighty tree, our dreams can take root, flourish, and shape the world around us.

At the end of our production, each whānau was gifted a native tree or plant seedling — a living taonga and a symbol of renewal, resilience, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. These seedlings serve as gentle reminders that even in challenging times, there is always the potential for growth and new beginnings.

A huge shout out to MKG Plant Distributors and Farrells Plants, who generously donated 240 native seedlings to support our tamariki in connecting with the whenua and nurturing our environment for future generations. Your support strengthens our community’s bond with nature and learning.

And a very special mihi to local print artist Renee Marjolein, currently exhibiting at ArtsPost, who gifted 50 precious tōtara trees. This beautiful act of aroha reflects the deep connection between art, people, and the land.

We encourage everyone to support these amazing local businesses and artists. Their generosity is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together to uplift our people and our planet.

Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua
Care for the land, care for the people, go forward.

Ngā mihi aroha — thank you for helping us grow hope.

This term we are offering a range of fun and engaging opportunities for students to explore music through  Recorder Ensemble, Ukulele Group, Choir and Kapa Haka.

Our Recorder Ensemble will run on Friday mornings. A number of students have been selected for this and will be taught by Clive Lamdin. Through learning the recorder students are introduced to reading music and playing together in harmony. 

The Ukulele Group will meet every Tuesday at lunchtime and is open to LC 4-6 students - beginners and experienced players alike. Together, we learn popular songs, build our skills, and prepare for a collaborative end-of-year ukulele jam with other schools.

Our Choir meets on Friday’s after lunch to learn a selection of songs - getting ready for the Kids Sing in Term 4.

Our Kapa Haka meets on Friday afternoons to prepare for our Western Cluster Kapa Kaka Festival which is at Horotiu School this year. 

As well as these lessons above, there are instrumental opportunities with our tutors who come to Te Kowhai to teach. At Te Kowhai we offer private lessons in Singing, Ukulele, Guitar, Piano, Drums and Violin which all attract a fee. Please click the link to the Music Opportunities 2025 for more details and to register your child.

All groups encourage teamwork, creativity, and a lifelong love of connection through music and song.

Any questions at all - email me, Marieke Nation  music@tekowhai.school.nz

We’re now well into our second term of Hockey, and it’s shaping up to be a real nail-biter! The team is firmly settled into their grade, and we’re expecting some close and exciting matchups against evenly matched opponents.

It’s been fantastic to see Hockey return to Te Kowhai School after a break of several years — the energy and enthusiasm from our players have been incredible.

A special shout-out goes to one of our players who had an unforgettable experience during the holidays while visiting England. When booking tickets to an international hockey match, they mentioned they were visiting from New Zealand — and as a result, he was selected to be an on-field mascot, walking out with the players before the game! As you can imagine, it was an unforgettable moment, and we even managed to spot him on TV. What a way to build lifelong passion for the sport! See in the lower section for the photos from that experience.

And finally, check out our teams’ smart new uniforms below — a massive thank you to Chris from Impact Off Road Group for generously sponsoring them. Looking sharp, team!

Recently 'Kickstart Angels' visited Te Kowhai Kindergarten, to build the connection for the preschool children there.  Our senior students loved interacting with these little ones, particularly reading to them.

AJ got to do the coin-toss for the recent Warriors v West Tigers game - how cool is that for a 6 year old!!! 
He got to meet a number of pretty high profile people from the League world too as per the photos below:

Mr Burrows was very very impressed with AJ's news.

While in England in the holidays, Isaiah was a mascot for 2 games in London for 2 hockey games, England vs Australia Women's and England vs Netherland Men's.

For the England vs Netherland game as he ran out with the Dutch team who are the current Olympic champions. Team members had a chat with Isaiah before the game and he got to run out with an Olympic gold medalist!

The games were sold out and had over 10,000 people attended each.

How awesome Isaiah!

While furthering herself with professional development at a recent Music Educators New Zealand Conference, Marieke Nation was thrilled to spend time with Suzy Cato... a New Zealand gem!

 

Waikato District Council is calling on all members from across its communities to step up, speak out, and enrol to vote ahead of the 2025 local government elections.

 

Waikato Chief Executive Craig Hobbs says that enrolling to vote is the first step towards making sure the voices of your community are heard and represented in Council.

 

“If you’re not enrolled, then you can’t vote and if you don’t vote, you won’t be able to have a say in who represents the wants and needs of your community for generations to come.

 

“It’s your future we’re talking about, and enrolling gives you a chance to shape a future that reflects the things that matter most to you, so we need all generations to come together to be part of that koorero.”

 

Anyone living in the Waikato district who are 18 years or older can vote, so if you’ve never voted before or are not sure that you’re eligible, now is the time to check.

 

Enrolling is easy and only takes a few minutes. Simply head to vote.nz to check your details or to enrol online, update your information if you’ve moved or changed your name, and submit your enrolment before 1 August.

 

To learn more or get help enrolling, visit vote.nz or call 0800 36 76 57.

 

Don’t sit this one out. Your tick starts here - Click to enrol to vote

Hamilton Book Month runs throughout August and has four panels, five writing workshops, a film premiere about Dame Fiona Kidman, two author talks, a lit pub quiz and book battle, a blokes' book club and a poetry in the galleries event in their August line-up. Most events are free or low cost though some require registration via the website Hamilton Book Month | Authors | Hamilton, New Zealand

 

Last year their workshops filled fast so if you are keen to upskill this August with best-selling authors, register quickly! There's feature writing with Venetia Sherson, fiction with Ockhams winner and IIML director Damien Wilkins, bookbinding with Natalie Coats, historical fiction with Monty Soutar, creating complex characters with crime writer Charity Norman and storytelling for the screen with Michael Bennett. They're $30 each and you register via the website.

 

Free Friday night panels with no need to register:

newswomen Public Faces, Private Stories | 2025 (Alison Mau, Susie Ferguson, Diana Wichtel and Venetia Sherson), 

fiction panel  Guilt, Freedom & Delirium | 2025 (Catherine Chidgey, Carl Shuker and Damien Wilkins)

historical fiction Bringing the Past to Life Panel | 2025 (Monty Soutar, Deborah Challinor, Tina Shaw) and

crime fiction Crime Stories as Home Truths panel | 2025(Charity Norman, Michael Bennett and Claire Baylis) 

 

You might also be interested in hearing Peter Sergel talk about his book The Time Traveller's Guide to Hamilton Gardens on Thursday 21 August The Time Traveller's Guide Talk | 2025 and celebrating National Poetry Day at the museum with the Poetry in the Galleries event Poetry in the Galleries | 2025

 

Look out for Hamilton Book Month brochures in cafes, bookshops and libraries. 

Our school Ag Day will be held on Saturday, 18th October 2025. 

Now is the time to start looking for a calf. Calves must be born between 1 June 2025 - 16 September to be eligible for Ag Day. Lambs and goats need to be born between 1 July 2025 16 September 2025. 

Follow 'Hamilton North Agricultural Group' on Facebook for more information about raising your animal. You can also Click the link for further Information about raising animals and what is required for Ag Day, housed on our school website.

To help us with our planning and give us an indication of numbers, could you please click the link and complete the Expression of Interest form.

Click the link to order your child/rens Te Kōwhai School school branded clothing. The next order needs to be in by Sunday, 3rd August.  Feel free to communicate with the team by emailing:    pta@tekowhai.school.nz

If you’re interested in buying or selling quality second-hand school clothing, you can join our dedicated Facebook group:

 
You can now purchase clothing labels directly from STUCK ON YOU for our awesome school branded clothing. It’s an easy way to support our school while keeping track of your kids’ gear. Check it out!

Terms 4 and 1 require all Students to wear hats, to protect from the sun during break times.

The 2025 Term Dates are as follows:

At the May 21st 2025 School Board meeting the following dates were approved:

Please note - this is subject to change and does not take into consideration Staff Only Days.