Tawatawa News

10 October 2025

He mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa
Bonjour à toutes nos familles

Ridgway Reboot

Does your child want to make some money to buy you a Christmas present?  Are you sick of giving them pocket money for promising to unload the dishwasher and never doing it?

Have we got a solution for you!!  Welcome to the Ridgway Reboot! 

This is an initiative designed to raise money for our new library, help you get rid of all the stuff lurking in your house and encourage your child to be an entrepreneur!  

If you are, by some miracle, a NZ version of Marie Kondo and the few things in your house spark joy, perhaps band together with your hoarder mates and have a stall together. 

We would absolutely love it if every family was able to have a stall, or on-sell a stall to the grandparent who is threatening to hand down their “antique” teaspoons and Mills & Boon collection when they move to a retirement village.  

Help us, help you! 

Register your interest in a stall here. 

Garden to Table volunteers

Next year, as part of our technology programme for our Year 7 & 8s, we are running the Garden to Table programme.  The wonderful Mel Beirne will be running this but we are after a garden volunteer or two to support us.  If you have a grandparent lurking around looking for ways to keep out of trouble and they know their way around a garden, maybe you could ask them if they’d be interested.  It will be on Monday each week but potentially they could sign up for a couple a term if once a week is too big a time commitment. Get in touch with Sarah if you have any leads! 

Our new library

We recently surveyed our students to find out their hopes and dreams for our new school library. By far the most common request for the space has been for lots of cozy reading nooks. As part of this, we are hoping to get a few wooded reading dens made, similar to the photo below.  If you’re handy with power tools and would be happy to make one of these for the school before mid January next year, please let us know. The school will pay for the materials.  You don’t need to be a registered builder but obviously they would need to be sturdy and safe. Please email our in house librarian extraordinaire Lucy at lucy@ridgway.school.nz.  

Chess Tournament

Mark, our chess tutor, will be running a chess tournament at school on 4 November. Anyone can enter. Cost is $5 and you can register here. 

Upcoming Events

• 14 October - 3x3 Basketball Event at Ākau Tangi

• 17 October - PB4L Reward Crazy Hair Day

• 21 October - Year 7 Immunistations

• 22 October - Southern Zones Athletics

• 23 October - Proposed strike day

• 27 October - Labour Day - school closed

• 28 October - Staff Only Day - school closed

• 4 November - Chess Tournament

• 6 November - Kākā Shakespeare performance

• 13 November - Ridgway’s Got Talent

• 18 November - Interzones Athletics

• 23 November - Ridgway Reboot: A Garage Sale Extravaganza 11am - 2pm (date change)

• 12 December - Junior Final Assembly (9.15) and Senior Final Assembly (2.15)

• 15 December - Water fight on the field

• 17 December - Last day of school, 2pm finish.

Community News

Hato St John will be hosting an Awareness Morning at Vogelmorn (VBC) 

 WHEN: Saturday 11 October 2025 
 WHERE: Vogelmorn Green
 TIME: 10:00am-1:00pm
 COST: Free Come and learn, connect and grow with us at our open day!

St John Youth is for all young people aged 5 to 18 years. It’s a community where young people are developing their potential through leadership, hauora and engaging in their communities.

You will get a chance to explore St John organisation, our youth programmes (from Year 1), first aid activities (CPR practice with mannequins, bandaging), and have fun in our kid-friendly area. It is also the chance to meet our parents, youth, and leaders! Everyone welcome!

K-Pop Demon Hunters fundraiser

Brooklyn Cricket Club