25 July 2025

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

Traffic update - message from the council

“Ridgway has been put on the priority list for installation of the new variable speed limit signs. Construction is expected to start in November or December after the Traffic Resolutions have been approved – please do give feedback on the proposal sent out previously. We have to work around contractor schedules so can’t make any guarantees on timeframe but it is likely that you will have your new signs before the end of the year.

I do apologise that the conversations have been going on for such a long time, I understand it must be very frustrating. The installation of a new school zone sign on Mornington would have been a straightforward process if we’d not been informed shortly afterwards that these new speed limit signs had to be delivered – hopefully the reduced speed limits and increased signage will alleviate some of the road safety issues for tamariki and whānau at your school.”

Fingers crossed we get this done soon! 

Working bee again this weekend - from 10am

Thanks to those who turned up last weekend to get their mits dirty in the garden!  This weekend it will be all about spreading the new and improved soil around the garden. 

BYO shovel/spade and rake!  We’d love to see you! 

Term 3 - the term of sport! 

We are really lucky to have heaps of sport happening across the school this term.  We have swimming lessons for Year 1 - 5, cricket lessons for everyone provided by Cricket Wellington, tennis lessons for Year 5-8 (thanks Vogelmorn Tennis Club), softball for Year 3 - 8 run by the Wellington Softball Association and touch rugby organised by Total Touch for the whole school. The weather this term can be wintery and a bit dodgy so it’s great to have all these opportunities for the children to participate in sports. Also, our basketballers get to enjoy another term of games!  

Year 7 & 8 Information Evening - 5th August 6pm - 7pm. 

Just a reminder that this is on. We’d love to have our Year 6 parents come along and chat with us! We have a brand new technology programme starting next year which is really exciting, as well as high quality teaching and learning programmes, loads of trips out of the school and leadership opportunities. We’d love to compete in Battle of the Bands next year, as well as Tournament of Minds and the Shakespeare 

Kapa haka performance to open Vogelmorn 10 Year Celebration 2 August 12pm

Reminder about this opportunity to open the celebration! Please fill out the form if your child would like to participate! 

School Board Elections – September 10, 2025

Last Friday you should have received your nomination form emailed from the elaborately named ‘Election Pilot Mission Control’.  If you didn’t receive it, check your junk mail as it has been hiding itself in there on occasion!  Sneaky thing. We’d love to get your nomination in and yes, you can nominate yourself! Nominations close on 6 August. 

Ordering photos

You should have got an email from the office with the details of how to order photos.  We can’t put the link in the newsletter as it is just for school whānau and as we know the newsletter is public and many, many people outside our school community read it for it’s highbrow literary content and hilarious jokes!  But if you haven’t seen the email from the office with the secret code to get in, let Nicole know.

Tennis tournament

If your child is a keen tennis player, they may want to compete in the upcoming tennis tournament. Year 6 and under play on Tuesday 16th September and Year 7 & 8 play on Wednesday 17th September at the Renouf Tennis Centre. They have to be registered through the school so please email juliel@ridgway.school.nz if your child would like to take part. 

Upcoming Events

• Term 3:  Year 1 - 5 weekly on Tuesday from second week

• Swimming from second week of term:  Year 1-3s Tuesday starting 22 July, Year 4-5s Friday starting 25 July

• 16, 23, 30th July - Touch Rugby sessions across the school

• 24 July - Cricket Wellington at school

• 31st July and 7th August - Softball sessions with Year 3 - 8

• 2 August - Vogelmorn 10 year celebration

• 6 August - nominations for Board Elections close at midday

• 6 - 14 August - Life Education Trust (Harold the Giraffe)

• 15 August - mid term hui at 9.15

• 19 and 20 August - noho marae for Year 5 - 8s (two separate groups, tbc)

• 22 August - Calendar Art orders due

• 10 September - Board Elections

Community notices

Kia ora

Exciting news – two former Ridgway School students, Caitlin Tai and Florence Cowan, along with their hip hop crew are heading off to represent NZ at the World Champs in Prague this October!!!

 We’re now fundraising like crazy to help get everyone there. It's a massive undertaking - we need to raise $85,000 in 12 weeks and would love the help of the Ridgway community to support our fundraising efforts wherever possible.  

Here’s a media release that covers all the details of the trip and the competition.
Wellington junior hip hop crew reaching for big dreams - Givealittle

We’re really proud of them and we hope everyone that knew them at Ridgway is too!

Ngā mihi

Kerry McCarty

On behalf of Revolution