Tawatawa News

5 February 2026

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

From the Library:

Parent support for our library

Our new whare pukapuka is looking great, and by week three after our grand opening, students will have access to the library during class visits and lunchtimes. Your child's teacher will let you know what day is library day. Please send a book bag to school that day if possible. If you have any library-related questions, please email lucy@ridgway.school.nz. 

We would like to also open the library between 8:30 and 8:50am each morning so students can read before heading to class if they wish to. As teachers are in their classes welcoming students at this time, and Lucy is only in the library full-time on Wednesdays, we're looking for a few whānau volunteers. Would you be willing to supervise our tamariki in the library one morning a week for 20 minutes, from 8:30 to 8:50, and to do a quick check as they leave to ensure the space is tidy and ready for class use? It could be a one-term commitment or longer, as suits you. 

We could also do with support to cover some beautiful new books for our library. Covering books massively increases their lifetime and protects our kura's investment. It would involve taking home a (small!) box of uncovered books along with some contact covering material. Some amazing volunteers helped out with this last year but we wanted to put it out to the school community again in case our previous volunteers are ready for a break and someone else is willing to give it a go.

Parent help for athletics  - Tuesday 17 February

We’d love some parent help for Athletics Day at Newtown Park!  If you’re able to help us out during the day, please add your name to the parent help sign up form.

Garden to Table - from Whenua to Wharekai

We are so excited to start this next week as part of our awesome new Year 7 & 8 technology programme!  This is a hands-on programme where our Year 7 & 8 students explore the journey of food from garden to plate, engaging in sustainable gardening, composting and food preparation while developing practical skills, environmental awareness and cultural understanding.  We are looking for opportunities to prepare and serve food to others in our community and have a few things in the pipeline (keep your eyes peeled for details of a Sprig and Fern kitchen takeover!) 

However, our garden is looking a bit average after the “summer” and we are after some rhubarb and lemons. If you have a glut of these, please bring them to school!  We’ll also always happily take your garden produce off your hands if you ever have too much and you aren’t sure what to do with it all.

Drop offs, pick ups and parking at school

With the start of a new year and lots of new parents, it’s time for the parking conversation! Strap yourselves in, here come the bullet points….

• Don’t turn around in the driveway - it’s dangerous for the children walking there

• The visitor’s park is for visitors rather than drop off and pick up

• Stopping on the yellow lines to pick up or drop off reduces visibility for kids on the crossing so please only stop where you are allowed to

• Don’t use the bus stop for dropping off, because (quite clearly) it is a bus stop!  

Basically be good humans who follow the road code.   Rant over!  

Get the HERO app

Be a hero and get the app so you can keep up to date with all the school stuff! The office sent out a link earlier this week, but get in touch if you need any help. We will also move from sending out the newsletter via email to sending it via HERO. 

School Picnic and Goal Setting Conferences

It’s almost time for our highly anticipated school picnic.  Now apologies in advance if it’s about to be cursed but every school picnic night in living memory has been sunny! Bring a picnic dinner and the whānau and come join us on the field.  Chat to the teachers, meet some other parents, eyeball your children’s friends etc etc.  It’s always a lovely and informal way to start the year!  Goal setting conferences are coming up on 23 and 24th February, which is another opportunity to talk to your child’s teacher.  A link for booking these came out via HERO, so check out the app. 

Upcoming Events:

• 6 Feb - Waitangi Day (school closed)

• 9 Feb - Year 7 & 8 technology starts

• 11 Feb - School Picnic 5pm - 6.30

• 12 Feb - Kākā trip to Tawatawa 10am - 12.30 and Library Grand Opening 2pm 

• 13 Feb - Mihi Whakatau to welcome our new children and families 9.15

• 17 Feb - Athletics Day at Newtown Park

• 23-24 Feb - Goal Setting Conferences (late night Tuesday)

• 3 March - Year 7 & 8 camp/tramp at Catchpool Valley, Remutaka Forest Park (TBC)

• 5 March - mid term hui 2.15pm

• 16 - 18 March - Forest Lakes Camp for Year 5 & 6 

• 24 March - Southern Zones Football 

• 2 April - last day of the term and mid term hui 9.15am

• 3 April - Good Friday (school closed)

• 20 April - start of Term 2

Community Events

Brooklyn Pippins (ages 5-7) have spaces available for new girls to join us! We will be starting back early February and have an awesome term of adventure, getting outdoors and making friends planned! Get in touch if you have any questions or want to arrange a free visit for your daughter! Open night on Monday 9th Feb 6-7pm.

Sarah Patterson
Principal/Tumuaki
Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School