COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
7th August 2026 - NEWSLETTER
COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
Office Hours
8:30 am-4:00 pm
Hours of Instruction
8:40 am - 3:00 pm
Email: office@coastaltaranaki.school.nz
Website: https://sites.google.com/coastaltaranaki.school.nz/coastaltaranakischool/home
Location: 92 Carthew Street, Ōkato, New Zealand
Phone: (06)7524022 - 027 320 1267
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coastaltaranakischool
ABSENCE HOTLINE
027 320 1267
WELL-BEING MENTOR
Treishka Morgan
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE
Christine 64272851630
He Mihi nā te Tumuaki l Principal's Message
Tēnā koutou katoa,
Wednesday's Puanga Matariki celebration such a very special occasion for our kura.
From the planning and preparation behind the scenes, to the student hosts and stage hands, kapa haka performance, delicious morning tea kai of pancakes, B&E savouries, hot chocolate and coffee, conversations, learning activities, and the way everyone came together with such generosity of spirit, truly reflected who we are as a school community.
It was a celebration of remembrance, hope, renewal, connection, whanaungatanga, and it was made so meaningful because of the collective contribution of all involved.
It was wonderful to see our tamariki mokopuna | students so engaged and proud, our whānau feeling welcomed, and our staff supporting one another and the kaupapa with such warmth and manaakitanga. These moments don't happen by chance - they happen because of the care, commitment, and aroha that we foster every day at kura.
Thank you to everyone who attended and who gave their time, energy, creativity, and passion to ensuring our Puanga Matariki celebration honoured the significance of this special time of year. It was a reminder of the strength of our kura when we come together with a shared purpose.
Please take a moment to feel proud of what we achieved together. Mā te whānau te tamaiti e puāwai - Through collaboration our learners will thrive.
He Mihi Nā Te Kapa Hautū Matua | Senior Leadership Team Message
✨ Celebrating Puanga at Coastal Taranaki School! ✨
A massive mihi to our wonderful hosts, Lee and Nevaeh, for guiding us through such a special Hui-ā-kura (assembly) on Wednesday. Your leadership brought our community together to reflect on the year past and set aspirations for the year to come.
A special mihi to our incredible Kapa Haka performance rōpū. That was an outstanding performance, beautifully weaving our school values into your bracket and showing everyone the pride you take in representing Coastal Taranaki School.
- Matua Lukey Rihari and Whaea Te Ariki Clay-Williams for your leadership with the Kapa Haka rōpū performance.
- Matua John Hudson (R3 kaiako) and the students of Room 3, Whaea Kiri Erb (Tika Catering), and our generous pancake sponsors at Van Dykes for the incredible manaakitanga.
Free Haircuts
We are excited to offer FREE haircuts for our students, provided by WITT Level 4 Barber graduates!
The barbers will be visiting our kura on Tuesday, 11 August, from 9:30 am. They are skilled in a wide range of short hairstyles and barbering techniques, including scissor, clipper, and razor cuts. Whether your child would like a classic cut, a mullet, a low, medium, or high fade, or another short style, the barbers will do their best to create the look they want.
This form gives permission for your child to receive a free haircut and allows you to let the barbers know your preferred style. If you are happy for your child to choose their own haircut, simply indicate this on the form.
If you would like to attend your child's haircut, please let us know your preferred time, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Please complete this form by Monday, 10 August.
📸 PhotoLife School Photos 📸
Kia ora whanau
Student photos are now live and ready to view and order.
Keycodes have been sent via email. This is a new system, please check your junk, spam, or promotions folders, in case the message was filtered.
Free delivery applies to orders placed before midnight on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
Please contact the school office if you have misplaced the code, or require help with ordering photos.
Ngā mihi
School Office
Pet Day Information Below
SECONDARY SCHOOL (Y7-13)
Year 7&8 Blue light- police challenge
Year 7&8 Blue light- police challenge
On Friday 24th July a group 15 amazing year 7&8’s took on the Police Blue Light Challenge at the TSB Stadium. This challenge was made up of 4 students in each group. They had to pull, run, balance, climb and dodge their way through a challenging obstacle course. All students gave it their best and did Coastal Taranaki School proud.
'Across Years 7 to 13, students are bonding harmoniously through shared activities, building inclusive friendships and a warm, supportive community.'
PRIMARY SCHOOL (Y0-6)
Room 21
Room 21 has been working hard to incorporate Puanga into our learning this term. Our students have explored the significance of Puanga and Matariki through a variety of engaging activities that celebrate our local stories and traditions.
We have enjoyed learning the art of harakeke (flax) weaving, developing patience and creativity while connecting with traditional Māori practices. Students have also been discovering the Matariki stars, learning about their meanings and importance within Aotearoa.
With the help of other kaiako, our students were able to participate in sonme digital learning. Students used their knowledge of 2D shapes to design beautiful mosaic koru patterns, resulting in some stunning pieces of work.
We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, creativity, and effort Room 21 has shown throughout this learning journey.
LIBRARY NEWS
Follow the link below to look at the CTS Library Catalogue
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SPORTS
Inter-School Netball Final against St. John Bosco
A huge congratulations to our school netball team for their outstanding performance at the recent Inter-School Netball Final!
Our players showed incredible skill, sportsmanship, and determination throughout the entire game, and fought hard in every quarter.
In a thrilling and tightly contested final, St. John Bosco took the win. While it wasn't the final result we were hoping for, we couldn't be prouder of our team's effort, teamwork, and heart on the court.
The final score was 20--8
Thank you to all the parents, teachers, and supporters who came out to cheer the team on, and to our coach Mrs Oke for her hard work and dedication, and Mrs Leathley for organising and refereeing all the games. Hold your heads high, team—you represented our school brilliantly!
COMMUNITY NEWS
HELP SHAPE OUR KAITAKE COMMUNITY BOARD PLAN
Every three years, the Kaitake Community Board reviews our Kaitake Community Board Plan. It sets out our vision, key issues, and future opportunities for investment and action.
We'd like your feedback to help ensure our Community Board Plan reflects the needs and aspirations of our community. Do you have anything to tell us about footpaths, walkways, cycleways, parks, playgrounds, skateparks, council facilities, waste management, roading, parking, water, traffic, community resilience or the environment?
What issues have arisen?
Are new opportunities emerging?
What are our priorities as a community?
What is our vision for the future?
Tell us what matters to you by filling out the Community Board Plan online survey at: https://haveyoursay.npdc.govt.nz/shape-10-year-plan-our-district/survey-draft-community-board-plans
If you have a specific issue or an idea you can also contact Kaitake Community Board Deputy Chair Teresa Goodin on 027 4543585 or teresa.goodin@councillors.npdc.govt.nz
Feedback closes soon! Please fill out the survey or contact Teresa by Wednesday 12 August.
STAFF
COASTAL TARANAKI SCHOOL
Sonia Mau Principal
Sarah Oke Senior School Deputy Principal, Careers/Pathways, Tech on 45
Wes Mau Innovative Curriculum & Design Project Lead (Y0–6)
David Cripps SENCO
Viola Fung English
Ros James Maths
Steve Leppard Hard Materials Technology, Tech on 45
Natalie Bound Science, Principals Nominee
Keegan Bruckner Social Sciences, Geography, P.E Teacher
Dee Heath Year 7/8 Teacher
John Hudson Year 7/8 Teacher
Renee Leathley Kaitake Team Leader, Year 5/6 Teacher
Emily Finey Year 5/6 Teacher
Johannah Poutini Year 4/5 Teacher
Tara Ross Pukeiti Team Leader, Year 3/4 Teacher
Annie Harris NE Transition Teacher
Jemma Moorby Year 2/3 Teacher
Sarah Warren Year 1/2 Teacher
Rebecca Connolly Year 1/2 Teacher, Release Teacher
Hayley Gilmour Release Teacher
Craig Taylor Release Teacher
Alana Campbell Office Manager
Delwyn Pearce School Librarian
Kirsty Koboski Publicity Officer
Ole Bucka Grounds & Maintenance
Amy Mills Guidance Counsellor
Learning Assistants
Darryl Levett
Kirsty Koboski
Paula Fleming
Ruth Barron
Fon Julian
Lisa Schrader
Marcus Wade
