Tawatawa News

27 March 2026

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

Multicultural Day

Next week on Wednesday is our annual multicultural day! Students will be able to come to school in any cultural garments, or bring any special cultural items/artefacts to show and tell with their class. In the afternoon students will be having tuakana/teina time with their buddy class and be able to share or learn about the many different cultures in our kura.

Wheels-free up the top 

We have a (not very well known) rule that wheeled things are only used on the field.  There are too many little ones in the playground and around the buildings, and with other children whizzing past on wheeled items it’s dangerous.  Please help us reinforce this rule by reminding your children that they have to take their wheels to the field, at all times of the day. They are, of course, welcome to go down to the field before school, if you’re happy for them to be recklessly unsupervised as if it’s the 80s. 

Lost Property

So many clothes including a surprising and disturbing amount of undies)! We will have the clothes spread out on the deck at the end of each day next week so if your child is missing any items, have a look through and see if you can rescue something precious before it is re-homed to the Salvation Army. 

Library: Book Buddies and Family Resources

We are looking for donations of small, good condition soft toys to have in our library as 'book buddies' for students to read with. To avoid plushy-inspired skirmishes, we'd like to keep them all similar in size and awesomeness. Any donated toys should be clean, able to be washed in a washing machine, have no squeaky/noisy bits, and be small-ish (ideally no taller than a typical novel). No hard toys/dolls please. They can be given to Lucy or any student librarian.

School cross country - 29 April

Everyone’s favourite event is fast approaching! It starts and finishes on the field and everyone is welcome to come along and cheer them on.  

It’s a 10am start for juniors Year 1 - 4 and an 11.30am start for seniors Year 5 - 8.

Left to Their Own Devices - 6 May, 7pm at Wellington High

We have partnered with our lovely local schools to offer this event for parents concerned about device use and the internet in general.  Wellington High School are kindly hosting it in the Riley Centre…but there is no parking there at the moment! You may have to either park far away or take the bus! 

Join Jo Robertson for an insightful session where parents will gain a clear understanding of the complex online and offline world that kids and teens navigate. This practical workshop explores:

• The online landscape – when and how young people are using technology

• Screen time, gaming, and social media – balancing engagement and wellbeing

• Understanding online risks – pornography, exploitation, and grooming

• Practical strategies – managing devices, filtering content, and protecting privacy

• Scripts and conversation starters – tools to support open dialogue with children

Leave with actionable strategies to guide, protect, and empower your child in today’s digital world.

Learn more at: www.jorobertson.org | www.trickychatsparenting.com

Volunteer Request Alert

We are looking for a handy person, possibly a friendly grandparent, who would be happy to volunteer some time on Mondays to support our Workshop teacher in teaching small groups of Year 7 & 8s. If you have any leads, please let Sarah know! 

Big thank you from the Salvation Army

Thanks to everyone who donated food for the Salvation Army. We took it down this week and they were really grateful.  We were told that the demand for food has doubled over the last month! Thanks again for the generosity. 

Upcoming Events:

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

• 3 April - Good Friday (school closed)

• 20 April - start of Term 2

• 6 May - Left to Their Own Devices, 7pm at Wellington High

• 26 May - Raising Resilient Children with Kathryn Berkett at Island Bay School 6.30-8

• 27 and 28 May - School Photos

• 15 - 18 September Year 7 & 8 Camp Makihika

• Noho marae for Year 5 - 8:  November 25 - 27th