Kia ora koutou,

It’s starting to feel a little more like summer, and with that we are excited about opening the school pool!  Classes will start swimming over the next week or two.  Please have a go at naming swimming gear clearly as we always have a collection of togs and goggles at the end of a summer term.

New Classroom Construction

Over the last 2-3 years, we have been working with the Ministry of Education to provide two new classrooms for the school.  The roll at Matua has grown steadily over several years, and our classroom capacity has been stretched.  We have had many conversations with the MoE about the location of these new classrooms, which eventually led to an agreement to have them placed between the end of Room 21 and the entrance off Audrey Place.  We are pleased to inform you that the delivery and construction of these classrooms will begin next week, with site fencing likely to be installed on Monday, 25th November.  Once this fencing goes up, access to Audrey Place will be restricted to the pedestrian pathway that leads to the Kindy.  The construction period will run through the summer and into late Term 1.  We expect classes to have access to the spaces for Term 2 next year.

I have included a basic plan of the building site, which gives you an indication of the work zone.  If you are walking by with your children, it would be good to talk with them about staying out of the fenced area.

Stage one of the project is an archeological excavation.  The school is located on an identified archaeological site by Heritage NZ, so an archaeologist must be present when excavations are done.  The last time this happened, they found items of historical significance.  If more is found on this occasion, we hope to be able to share these things with the children at school.

Board of Trustees Appointment

We recently informed you that a casual vacancy had become available on the board. Melissa Derby was recently appointed to the role of Race Relations Commissioner, and so, due to increased work commitments, she has needed to step down from the Board.  I would like to thank Melissa for the time and passion she has put into Matua School.  Melissa’s strong educational background, expertise and firm focus on ensuring all children have the best opportunities has been a real asset to us.  Melissa continues to be a ‘school mum’, so I’m sure you will see her around if you’d like to congratulate her on the new role.

I would also like to announce that the Matua School Board have appointed Kate Rhodes to the casual vacancy through ‘Selection’.  Kate will be on the Board until our next election, which is scheduled for September 2025.  Kate has provided a short introduction:

Kia ora, my name is Kate Rhodes, and I have two children currently attending Matua Primary School in Year 1 and Year 4. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the school as a member of the Board of Trustees.
I currently work at the University of Waikato, teaching in the Bachelor of Teaching and Postgraduate Diploma of Primary Education programs. My teaching focus is in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, and my role involves staying current with curriculum reforms and educational research, which I hope will provide a valuable perspective on the Board. I also have 15 years of classroom experience, having taught across a range of year levels in various Tauranga primary schools.
I look forward to working with school leadership, teachers, and parents to make a positive contribution to our school community.

THANKS to Kate and all those who serve on the Board.  Our list of current Trustees can be viewed on the School Website.

Term Dates

Please note that the last day of school for the year is Friday, 20th December.  School will finish at 12:30pm on this day.

The first day of school for 2025 is Monday 3rd February.

SCHOOL INFORMATION

COMMUNITY NOTICES