Congratulations to our colouring superstars who took out the Easter Colouring Competitions during the school holidays.

Will Fuller - Room 26,  Sadie Kirkby - Room 14 & Molly Greene - Room 15 

ACROSS THE SCHOOL 

Horizons - Visual Arts Group

Over the past term, the Horizons visual arts group has been working on a school-wide project to create colourful new door numbers for each classroom. The project was inspired by the amazing art already on display around the school, particularly the large murals by our very own Leanne Hanna.  Many of these works are from the distinctive style of Māori artist Warren Pohatu (Warren Pohatu sadly passed away in 2014 but prior had given his blessing for us to reproduce his artworks, later his daughter Kelly also gave the family's blessing to continue).

Students began by sketching their designs onto primed wood, then outlined with black markers and filled them with vibrant colours. They used dry brushing with white paint to add highlights and depth, and finished the pieces with paint pens to add fine details and final touches.

We’re looking forward to seeing these artworks around the school soon. Special thanks to Leanne (who is currently working on a brand-new mural).  Both our project and her new mural, link in with the same theme inspired by Warren.   Thank you too, to Phill Inwood for his support and help throughout the project.

Samoan Language Week

Celebrate Samoan Language Week with us at a Whole School Assembly on Tuesday, the 3rd of June. Our Pasifika students will perform, as well as guest schools Orewa College and Woodhill Primary. There will be lunchtime activities held throughout the week around Samoan language and culture, as well as engaging activities in class.

Junior School Y 0/1

Maritime Museum Trip

As an introduction into our Science inquiry of ‘Floating and Sinking’, the Year 1’s visited the Auckland Maritime Museum. We had such a fun day learning about how Aotearoa's Polynesian ancestors used the sun, moon, stars, animals, clouds and winds to voyage across the Pacific.

The museum was full of things to see and the children enjoyed searching for special items and taking photos of their findings.

We look forward to continuing our investigations into floating and sinking as well as looking into some of the voyaging stories of some of the early visitors to NZ.

What a fun day we had, despite the weather!

Te ao Maori Performing Arts Rotation

Te ao kori (the world of movement) is a celebration and expression of life through movement that springs from te ao Māori. This term, linking in with Matariki and our Auckland maritime museum trip focus - Ara moana - Ocean Roads, the Year 0/1 team will have opportunities to explore poi, rakau sticks, storytelling, waiata and crafts.

Year 2/3 

The year 2 and 3’s have been training hard from the end of term 1 and the start of term 2 for our annual cross country out at Te Haruhi Bay, Shakespear Park.  This year saw all the children run further than they have before at a huge 1.6km so their training was super important.  They persevered each day running 4 times around the field for practice.  Excitement and nerves were high on Wednesday morning as we travelled by bus to our destination.  We were lucky to have a beautiful day with each and every one of the students showing Rich Hearts, resilience and determination to cross the finish line and cheer on their fellow classmates, friends and siblings.  We thank all the parents across the school for their support and encouragement throughout the day.  All the students should be proud of their achievements and we all look forward to seeing them participate next year.

Year 4 / 5
Our Year 4 and 5 learners have launched into an exciting inquiry around Turangawaewae—our place to stand—through the guiding question: “How did the early Māori survive and thrive in new environments?”

Following our ‘hook-in’ using Minecraft Education, we’re now diving into the practical side of survival—what tools, resources, and skills did Māori bring with them to Aotearoa? A big ngā mihi to Whaea Mere, who brought in a hīnaki (traditional eel trap) and a hue (gourd shell) once used for storing water. These taonga (treasures) gave the students a hands-on look at the ingenuity of our ancestors.

As the Māori brought kūmara with them, our class has been nurturing their own kūmara slips. When the weather gets warmer, we look forward to planting them in a garden. The children drew diagrams of the first farms planting Kumara. To build on this, we did a sorting activity where students classified the knowledge, skills, and resources Māori would have needed to survive. This helped them understand just how prepared and resourceful our ancestors were.

It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our learners so engaged, asking deep questions and making meaningful connections between the past and the present. Hearing the stories of our tūpuna has sparked a sense of pride and understanding of how their legacy still influences life today.

Ka mau te wehi, Year 4/5

Year 6
This term, our tamariki are diving deep into the rich and fascinating world of Pacific Voyaging and Migration, exploring how the first great navigators journeyed across the vast Pacific Ocean to discover and settle Aotearoa.

Through a mix of reading texts, watching short video clips, and engaging in classroom discussions, students have been learning about the bravery, skill, and knowledge of traditional Pacific navigators. Using graphic organisers, they have been reflecting on their learning, identifying key ideas, and making meaningful connections.

With no modern technology to help, we’ve discovered they used the natural world to navigate. Using the stars, winds, ocean swells, and birds to find their way across thousands of kilometres of open ocean. Students are also building their understanding through storytelling and creative responses, imagining what life might have been like aboard a voyaging waka, and how these incredible journeys led to the discovery and settlement of Aotearoa.

In preparation for a 1pm departure we have an early lunch, ensuring we are ready to go when the van and vehicles are equipped with all of our car seats! It’s a short drive down Whangaparaoa Rd to the gym on Karepiro Drive, Stanmore Bay. 

Once inside we participate in a warm up led by a tutor, before the students race off to make use of all of the equipment put out for use. Following closely behind, the adults are there to encourage, assist and ensure safety. There is a lot of fun to be had, jumping, balancing, swinging, climbing, jumping, hopping and bouncing. 

We gather at the end of the session for an interactive song and for the presentation of the Gymnast of the Day sticker, or two sometimes! Back into the vehicles, and a return to school sees us arrive just in time for pick up.

We love going to the gym!

COMMUNITY COMMITTEE NEWS
Mothers at Heart 
Thank you to everyone involved in mothers at heart. It was a lovely afternoon and a great success. A special thank you to our main sponsor Ripe Deli for providing our delicious afternoon tea. We also thank our raffle prize sponsor for their kind donations; Smart Staging, Ripe Deli, Flower Talk - Red Beach, Four Square - Red Beach, Coast Lab, Megan @ Baileys and The Avenue Hair Salon.