Kia ora koutou,
It’s been two weeks back at school and what a great time we’ve had. We have loved seeing all the children, and enjoyed catching up with families. The first couple of weeks in the new year are filled with opportunities for tamariki to build confidence, make friends, develop skills for learning, practice new routines and become familiar with new environments. As part of this process, we have enjoyed a Community Picnic and School Pōwhiri. Thanks to all the families that made it along to the community picnic on Wednesday. Together with Matua Kindergarten we loved hosting you and trust that it provided opportunities for families to connect with teachers and each other. It was fantastic to see the cricket take off on the field and range of picnic treats scattered around the field. This week we also formally welcomed new families and staff to Matua School with our pōwhiri at Ōtūmeotai Pā. This is a treasured event for the kura that both welcomes those who are new and celebrates our connection to the Pā.
WELCOME TO NEW STAFF
It is always a privilege to welcome new staff to our team.
Matua Bev has joined the school as our new Sport Coordinator. We are excited to have Bev on the team, as he brings a range of sports experiences that will significantly impact our students. From working for Sports BOP across over 30 schools to being part of a number of Olympic campaigns for NZ, Matua Bev has a solid understanding of sports, fitness and engaging children in being active.
Cathie Stenhouse has come to us from Ōtūmoetai Primary, where she was working as their Learning Support Coordinator. With many years of experience in education, Cathie brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to our Learning Support Team. Cathie will work closely with Lindsay Crisp and Angela Barlow to support a range of children across the school. We are thrilled to have Cathie joining Team Matua.
This year, we are weaving the concept of Gratitude into our school culture and learning. There is so much to be grateful for, and learning to recognise and celebrate those things is positive for us all. Classes have started talking about what it means to be grateful, and this video captures a few thoughts from around the school.
We look forward to an exciting year of learning ahead at Matua School. I encourage you to stay connected by ensuring your Hero account is active and by checking the school calendar to confirm upcoming events. Tip of the day: The best way to view the school calendar is in the ‘schedule (list) view’.
Ngā mihi nui
Marcus Norrish
Principal
SCHOOL CALENDAR
In Week 4, we are holding Learner Conferences. These are a little different to previous years, with the meetings being held across four days while the school remains open. This different approach provides a range of options for families but also ensures that the workload for teachers supports their workflow and family life. You will receive a message through Hero highlighting when bookings can be made. This is completed with Hero. Please note that we provide enough meeting times for one booking per child. Ideally, families with more than one household will work together to meet at one time.
If you have any difficulty booking your meeting, please touch base with your classroom teacher.
SCHOOL DONATIONS
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SCHOOL HOURS
A friendly reminder that school is not open until 8.30am. If you require childcare before these hours, please contact SKIDS either by email – matua@skids.co.nz, phone – 027 586 0408, or book online – www.skids.co.nz/Matua.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
LUNCH ORDERS – EVERY FRIDAY
Lunch orders are available for delivery to Matua School each Friday.
SUBWAY
Simply order your SUBWAY lunch online through you myKindo account by CLICKING HERE
Order (or cancel) any time before 9:00am on the day or schedule in advance.
Help? Visit support.mykindo.co.nz or call 09-869 5200 Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
TERM DATES 2025
Term 1, 2025 – Monday 3rd February – Friday 11th April
Waitangi Day – Thursday 6th February
Teacher Only Day – Monday 17th March
Term 2 – Monday 28th April – Friday 27th June
Teacher Only Day – Friday 30th May
Kings Birthday – Monday 2nd June
Matariki – Friday 20th June
Term 3 – Monday 14th July – Friday 19th September
Term 4 – Monday 6th October – Last day of term yet to be set
Labour Day – Monday 27th October
SETTING UP KINDO
Setting up with Kindo
Kindo is our prefered payments system. To help you learn how it works, we’ve added their new help sheet and video. We hope it helps.