Tawatawa News

12 June 2026

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

Matariki Celebration - 1 July 5.30 - 7pm

On Wednesday 1 July, our school will be celebrating Matariki - Māori New Year. 

During school hours, the tamariki will be involved in preparing vegetables for our hangi. Please name any peelers that come to school so they go home to the right place. (We have lots of spares at school so no problem if yours is too precious to come for a day trip to school!)

Please send your child to school with a vegetable to contribute to the hangi. In the past we have had cucumbers and tomatoes come along to school, but the vegetables that are suitable for a hangi are things like potatoes, carrots, kumara, parsnips, pumpkin, yams, onions. 

We will also have a sausage sizzle so bring a gold coin if you’d like a sausage (both vegetarian and meat-filled or maybe meat-adjacent). 

Please BYO plates and utensils to keep waste to a minimum! 

We love parent help for the sausage sizzle and will need to get the BBQs fired up early as the sausages take a while to cook outside.  If you’re keen to help out, head to the BBQs from about 4.30. 

The event kicks off with singing outside just after 5.30 so it’s great to have as many people there by 5.30 as possible. 

AIMS Games - 2027

We are really keen to take a couple of Year 7 & 8 basketball teams to the AIMS games in Tauranga in August next year.  This is the biggest sporting event in Australasia for Year 7 & 8s and it’s meant to be an awesome experience!  Given the large number of basketball players we have this year across Year 6 and 7, we think we will easily be able to take two teams.  They are not allowed to be mixed teams, so we need separate boys and girls teams and each team needs a minimum of 8. It’s possible we could even take a netball team too as there are a heap of keen netballers! 

There is quite a big cost involved in this so it’s a good idea to get the fundraising rolling early.  If you could fill out this expression of interest that would be great. 

Interzones Cross Country

Thanks to all the parents who transported and supported our runners on the coldest day of the year!  The runners did a great job running in the gale force winds with no complaints against very tough competition. 

Safety message about biking to and from school 

A parent has raised a concern about children on bikes riding in and out of the school and cycling on the footpath.  We ask that they hop off their bikes and walk them in and out of the school and don’t cycle on the footpath where children are walking to and from school. If you have a child who cycles to and from school, please remind them of this. There have been a number of near misses with (very fast) bike vs pedestrian on the footpath and at the entry points to the school.  The children have been reminded but please reinforce this at home. 

Jammies for June - 25 June

We are joining Dame Valerie Adams' Jammie Army!  Their mission is to give out over 3,000 pyjamas to children across our region this winter.  And it's not just about the physical pyjamas - they are also fundraising to ensure child health services based at Kenepuru, Hutt and Wellington Hospitals have everything they need to care for seriously ill children. 

We are having a Pyjama Day to help fundraise for this, where children can bring a gold coin which will be donated to Jammies for June and a gold coin for a morning hot chocolate.  There is a link below in case anyone would like to donate online!

https://www.jammiesforjunewellington.org.nz/fundraisers/tekuraotawatawaridgwayschool

Rascals Holiday Programme

Sign up for our unique holiday programme - the only one in New Zealand that is staffed with high quality teachers!

Upcoming Events:

• 17 June - Kapa haka festival at Wellington High 

• 17 June - Handball Tournament Year 7 & 8

• 17 June 6 - 7pm - Year 7 & 8 Information Evening

• 23 June - Saints basketball team coaching at school

• 25 June - Jammies for June

• 1 July - Matariki Celebration 5.30 - 7pm

• 3 July - end of term hui at 9.15 and last day of term

• 20 July - start of term 3

• 15 - 18 September Year 7 & 8 Camp Makihika

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