School Newsletter Term 1, Week 1

Kia ora e te whānau,

It is wonderful to welcome you all back. There is always a special energy that accompanies the first week of Term 1—a mixture of excitement, the squeak of new shoes, and the happy noise of friends reconnecting. Walking through the school grounds this week, it has been heart-warming to see our tamariki settling in so quickly and the positive "buzz" returning to our classrooms.

We are delighted to start the year in a very strong position as a community. We have officially opened our doors to 308 pupils this week. To our returning families, welcome back, and to the new families joining us for the first time, we are so glad you have chosen to be part of our community.

To support this growing roll, we are fortunate to have a dedicated and skilled team of 42 staff members on board. This includes our classroom teachers, learning support, administration, and property team. Having such a robust staff-to-student ratio is a fantastic asset; it means we are well-resourced to ensure every child is known, supported, and given the attention they need to thrive. The team has been working tirelessly over the break to prepare learning environments that are engaging and welcoming for your children.

We are also pleased to share that our bilingual space, Pihipihinga, is now operating with 3 classes. It has been great to see this space come to life, with three classes successfully operating and settling into their new rhythm. It is a wonderful area of growth for our kura that adds so much to the learning opportunities we offer at our school.

As we look ahead to the rest of Term 1, our focus remains on building strong relationships—both in the classroom and with you at home. We know that when school and whānau work together, our students flourish.

Thank you for a smooth start to the year. We are ready for a fantastic 2026!

Ngā mihi nui.

.

Tony West

Principal

West End School - Te Kura O Urumutu

Jahnna McHardy-Hunter - Teacher Aide

Katie O'Donnell - Room 5

Alex Martin - Room 15

Vicky Cheetham-Room 8

Jono Clement - Release Teacher

Duncan Haworth - Release Teacher

Please do not drop your child to school too early

Our school gates are opened at around 8.05-8.10am. If you have to drop your child off early, please do so as close to this time as possible for their own safety.

West End School starts at 8.50am in the morning. Children can wait next to the turf until 8.30 and then enter the school grounds when the bell goes. Please try to get your child to school on time as this sets them up for the day and helps establish a healthy routine - so they're not catching up with learning if they arrive late.

School finishes at 2.50.

There will be a clearing bell at 3.15pm where we ask whānau to make their way home as we will be locking the gates.

Stationery: Please ensure your child has brought the correct stationery into school. These lists were sent out last year and can also be viewed on our school website.

Bringing in a change of clothes: Please bring a change of clothing (particularly for those younger children) in case they get their clothes wet from playing or if they have an accident.

Sunhats and Waterbottles: As we are in the summer months, sunhats are compulsory. From next week, children will be asked to stay under the shelter by the office if they do not have a wide brimmed sunhat. Please also ensure your child has a named waterbottle to stay hydrated.

New Room Numbers: We are now using our new room numbers, so please check you have the correct room number when you are contacting the office or need to pick up your child.

Parking:

Please park on the road in designated parks.
Parking on double yellow lines is not allowed and will incur parking fines when patrolled by Police. Please do not park in the staff carpark.
Please be courteous of other people - it can get busy at drop off times so please be aware of others.

Crossing the Road:

Please use the pedestrian crossing at all times. We have had many near misses and a few incidents where students have been hit by a car when crossing the road that are not controlled by the lights. Please set a good example to our children by using the pedestrian crossing.
When at the lights, please listen to our trained road patrollers, stopping when asked.
Please remind your child to walk across the road (no running) and if they are on a bike or scooter, to hop off it and walk across.

Bikes and Scooters:

Please remind children who are bringing bikes and scooters to always wear a helmet when riding a bike and ensure their bike/scooter is safe to come to school.
Walk their bike or scooter when they get into school grounds, and these can be stored in the bike shed.

It is really important under the current circumstances you notify the school if your child is absent.

PLEASE DO NOT TXT OR EMAIL THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.

ALL ABSENCES SHOULD BE ADVISED VIA THE OFFICE.

Please remember to advise the office by 8.30am if your child is not attending school.

You can telephone 358-2465 and leave a message or txt 021 118 0156.

ABSENCES CAN ALSO BE SENT EASILY THROUGH OUR SCHOOL APP

In both cases please give a reason for absence.

Thank you.

There will be no school on Friday 6th February as it is public holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday 9th February.

Our pōwhiri will begin at 9.15am in the quad

We will be having our pōwhiri to welcome new staff, students and whānau to West End School. If you are new to West End School and be involved in our pōwhiri, please meet in the school office at 9am and we will explain the process to you. If it is wet, we will move our pōwhiri into the hall.

Here is our new swimming timetable for Term 1. There are some minor changes from Week 1 swimming. Please note: Due to our Pōwhiri on Tuesday, Room 2 will not be going swimming on this day.

We are pleased to let you know that Breakfast Club will be starting next Monday. This is a great opportunity for students to begin their day with a healthy breakfast and a positive start to learning.

We also encourage families to please keep an eye on our Facebook page, School App, and Kindo for upcoming sports registrations and other important notices.

Please put some brain food in your child's lunchbox

Teachers provide opportunities for children to eat healthy snacks during each block throughout the learning day. At a regular time midway through a learning block teachers signal times for those learners who wish to have a healthy brain snack

Healthy brain snacks could include fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, chopped fresh vegetables or unsalted popcorn, a boiled egg, or other protein sources.

The following is an extract from “Learning To Learn – Strategies for Accelerating Learning and Boosting Performance” by Christine Ward and Jan Daley:

“FOOD FOR THE BRAIN

Memory and learning involve electrochemical processes; thus there are definite links between effective learning and good nutrition. The tips below use some old truths and some new research about ways to ensure our brains are well-fed for successful study.

Keep energy levels high. Brains need constant energy… It is vital to keep blood sugar levels up during study times to maintain concentration. Helpful blood sugar comes from the digestion of complex carbohydrates and proteins which release energy over several hours. Eating sugary food provides instant but temporary energy.

Top up energy by brain food grazing. Nibbling pieces of fruit, vegetables, whole-grain snacks, nuts and seeds every hour or two, keeps blood sugar levels high to energise brains for thinking and learning. It is also essential to drink plenty of water…

Eat raw food often. Snacking on raw fruit and vegetables is an easy way to keep the body/brain going well… Raw foods of any sort increase the rate at which the brain cells use oxygen, so that thinking and learning is easier and better. Seeds and nuts eaten raw or sprouted have valuable nutrients in the seed embryo which are good for brain function.”

Why does West End School value brainfood breaks?

Nutrition is important for learning. It assists the brain to absorb and retain information at school.

Include these brain snacks and they will provide brain-boosting benefits.

What food is a good choice for school brainfood breaks?

Choose small portions that can easily be opened and eaten by your child are best. Think portable and accessible.

Recyclable containers are best. We encourage you to limit plastic wrap and do your part for a better footprint on earth.

Choose from similar food group options as follows

Fresh peeled & sliced fruit and vegetables
Dried fruit (eg apricots, prunes, raisins and sultanas)
Shelled unsalted nuts or seeds (Save peanuts for home)
Hummus and vegetables or crackers
Plain unsalted popcorn
Boiled Eggs
Nut butters on wholegrain crackers
Avocado on crackers
Animal Protein; sliced beef or chicken
Non-animal proteins: Tofu, bean or pea protein products
Blueberries

We will no longer be sending digital work home via Seesaw. We will be using a New Zealand based company called Skoolbooks. Information is below. We are spending the next couple of weeks setting this new programme up, but we will be sending more information out via the schoolapp and newsletters. Once we have our classrooms set up and are familiar with the new system, you will be getting links explaining how to access.

Saving your child's work from Seesaw

Please click on the link below to be able to download and save your child's work and the teacher's posts from their time at West End School.

If you do not have our school app on your phone or device, please email dminchin@westend.school.nz and he can send you the link to download our app.

If you already have the app, please click on the alerts, the tick on the top right, and select the teams/clubs/groups that your child is in this year so you can receive all of the information needed throughout the year.

Through our app you are able to view all newsletters, go onto Kindo, report an absence if your child is sick as well as access any important links and information.

Home Screen

Alerts

Please click on what groups your child is in

WEEK 2

Pōwhiri (9.15am) - Tuesday 10th February
Swimming: Te Wao Nui o Tāne and Puāwaitanga - Tuesday 10th February
New Entrant Visits - Wednesday 11th February
Swimming: Tipuranga and Pihipihinga - Thursday 12th February
EPIC Music Concert - Friday 13th February

WEEK 3

Swimming: Te Wao Nui o Tāne and Puāwaitanga - Tuesday 17th February
New Entrant Visits - Wednesday 18th February
Swimming: Tipuranga and Pihipihinga - Thursday 19th February
Meet the Whānau (Pihipihinga): 5pm - 6.30pm - Thursday 19th February
EPIC Music - Friday 20th February
VIBE Assembly (Te Wao Nui o Tāne) - Friday 20th February

WEEK 4

Swimming: Te Wao Nui o Tāne and Puāwaitanga - Tuesday 24th February
New Entrant Visits - Wednesday 25th February
Swimming: Tipuranga and Pihipihinga - Thursday 26th February
EPIC Music - Friday 27th February

WEEK 5

Swimming: Te Wao Nui o Tāne and Puāwaitanga - Tuesday 3rd March
Swimming: Tipuranga and Pihipihinga - Thursday 5th March
EPIC Music - Friday 6th March
VIBE Assembly (Puāwaitanga) - Friday 6th March

Term 1: Monday 2 February - Friday 3 April

Term 2: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July

Term 3: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September

Term 4: Monday 12 October - Friday 11 December

Ballot Dates Drawn at 11.30am of the dates stated below

Term 1 for Term 2: Wednesday 26 February 2026

Term 2 for Term 3: Wednesday 14 May 2026

Term 3 for Term 4: Wednesday 30 July 2026

Term 4 for Term 1 2027: Wednesday 7 October 2026

It is very important that families register with Kindo, as this is now the only way to register your child for school sports, and ordering PTA lunches.
Below are the links to register.
If you require help please call the Kindo helpdesk on

0508 454 636

New users need this link

Existing users need this link

School Newsletter Term 1, Week 1