Maungatapere School
Newsletter 28 May 2026
Principal Post
School Term Dates
29 May 2026 Bake Sale
1 Jun 2026 Kings Birthday Holiday
2 Jun 2026 Term 2 New Entrant Second Intake and Powhiri
4 Jun 2026 Matarau School Sports Exchange Years 5-8
5 Jun 2026 Year 7/8 Tech
17 Jun 2026 School Photos
19 Jun 2026 Year 7/8 Tech
19 Jun 2026 Year 5/6 Maunu School Sports Exchange
22-30 Jun 2026 Life Education
26 Jun 2026 Mid Winter Matariki Disco
3 Jul 2026 Year 7/8 Tech
3 Jul 2026 Last Day Term 2
20 Jul 2026 Teacher Only Day
21 Jul 2026 First Day Term 3
21 Jul 2026 Term 3 New Entrant First Intake
22 Jul 2026 WHGS Year 8 Presentation
31 Jul 2026 Year 7/8 Tech
13 Aug 2026 Mathex
14 Aug 2026 Year 7/8 Tech
24 Aug 2026 Term 3 New Entrant Second Intake
Charlie Knox Rm8 Outstanding effort when crafting your ANZAC day poem.
Jayden Watson Rm7 For your great attitude towards your learning. Keep it up, Jayden!
Whistler Cairns-Cowen Rm3 Working hard to achieve her learning goals.
Dexter Berghan Rm 4 Thank you for being a kind and creative member of Room 4. We will miss your smile and sense of fun.
Wesley Huihui Rm10 Putting in the mahi and showing mana in his school work. Keep it up!
Anya Berghan Rm9 It has been an absolute pleasure having you in our class Anja. Your kind heart, caring nature and constant support for your classmates have made our classroom a brighter place every single day. You will be deeply missed by all of us here at Maungatapere School. We wish you all the very best on your next exciting adventure.
MATHEMATICS AWARD - Certificate of Ultimate Estimation Accuracy
Presented to Austin Malley
For displaying mathematical superpowers by perfectly bridging the gap between a guess and absolute truth. While a guesstimate relies on a hunch, a true estimation uses logic and strategic reasoning. You applied your skills so flawlessly that your estimated response didn't just get close - it was spot on!
School Docs
SchoolDocs takes care of our policies, making sure they are regularly reviewed, accessible and strengthened through collaborative practice. If you want more information on our policies or input into what they include please sign into: https://www.schooldocs.co.nz/
User Name: maungatapere
Password: kukupa
Term 2 reviews are:
- Daily School Bus
- School Swimming Pool
- Education Outside of the Classroom
- EOTC Governance Roles & Responsibilities
- EOTC Risk Assessment & Mangement
Sea Week
By Evie Wright and Rosie Townsend
Last Week the lovely Leyla from Kiwi North came to our school and discussed the topic of marine pests with our classes. In the Senior Syndicate we learnt about the differences between introduced pests and native pests, as well as making origami crabs. In the junior syndicate they made jelly fish out of paper plates, pipe cleaners and googly eyes, they learnt the three steps to taking a shell home, first you check inside the shell for living creatures, then you shine a phone torch to make sure there's no shadows of something inside, and if there is something in it leave it where you found it.
Theia liked getting to see all the sea animals. Kora loved twisting the pipe cleaners and Rory liked drawing a smiley face on their jelly fishes. Kaida liked having to check inside the shell before taking it home. Hunter was intrigued when he found out sea sponges are living creatures. Herbie enjoyed learning about the different species that are wrecking the environment. Ruby liked learning about the sea pests because it raises awareness. Barnaby was interested in feeling the coral, he was surprised it was so secure and rocky! Lily and her class learnt the 3 steps to taking a shell home. Evie loved learning about deep sea trawlers.
Our kids had a blast and we all really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about all these fascinating creatures!
The happenings in Room 2....
Writing in Room 2
We’ve been busy mastering the art of paragraph writing through the lens of persuasive text. Students are learning how to organise their thoughts, back up their opinions, and write convincing arguments. Here are a few snippets of the awesome writing in their books at the moment!
Writing from Room 8
Whats been happening in Room 10???
One of the highlights every week is our buddy class time with Room 6. This tuakana teina mahi has been so great for our Room 10 tamariki. Understanding the importance of friendship and also having a person they can go to in the school is so cool to see. We did large ball skills with our buddies this week. Learning to throw and catch has been great for our hand-eye coordination. Thank you Room 6 for your enthusiasm during this time. It really is a time that we look forward to every week
Room 8 has been learning Ki-o-rahi
Kī-o-rahi is a fast-paced, traditional Māori ball sport played on a circular field. Combining elements of rugby, touch, netball, and tag, two teams of eight players alternate roles—one team (the Kīoma) tries to score tries and touch boundary markers, while the opposing team (the Taniwha) tries to hit a central target with the ball.
Room 4, Learning and Using Shapes
Have a go - Golf Day
Southern Rotary Rural School Photo Competition
With the help of Mrs McClenaghan a group of our students entered the School Photo Competition.
Jackson Fidler and Charlie Jamieson are both finalists and have been invited to the prizegiving.
Smoke and Vape Free School
Our school is smoke and vape free at all times. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Maths Buddy
Last year, a large number of our school community participated in an online maths programme called Maths Buddy. It is a programme to use for homework and to consolidate learning that is happening at school. Its availability, curriculum focus, and presentation provide immediate, independent, and encouraging feedback. The programme does not replace classroom teaching; rather, it offers children the opportunity to practise taught concepts with support at home.
The link between parents and teachers to support your child’s learning is also very important. Maths Buddy could be used in a variety of ways:
- As part of the daily maths programme within the class, and/or
- As part of the class homework programme.
- Independent of school as a home support programme.
Please discuss with your child’s teacher how they intend to use the programme this year.
If you have not already done so, you can explore the programme at www.mathsbuddy.co.nz.
To continue using the site please purchase your students 2026 subscription here
An individual login will be promptly given to your child, giving them access to the entire Maths Buddy programme and its improvements until the end of January 2027.
Those who have already brought the 2026 subscription will receive the login by Monday 23 March.
Kind regards.
Daniel Cotton
@school Caregiver App
If you have not been able to set the new app up on your phone, give the office a call or pop in and we will help. The app will be used for all communications with parents.
COMMUNITY NOTICES
THANK YOU!! To our generous sponsors
About us
Email: office@maungatapere.school.nz
Principal: principal@maungatapere.school.nz
BOT Chair: botchair@maungatapere.school.nz
Website: https://www.maungatapere.school.nz/
Location: Mangakahia Road, Maungatapere, Whangarei, New Zealand
Phone: 09 4346743
Facebook: facebook.com/maungatapereschool