Term 1, Week 2

Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu

Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly

Email: office@kereru.school.nz
Website: http://www.kereru.school.nz/
Location: 2306 Kereru Road, RD 1, Hastings 4171

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday - 8:30 am - 3 pm
Phone: 06 876 0923
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084298596659

Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome back to Term 1, 2025!

I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season and a relaxing summer break. It’s great to be back and settling into the rhythm of the new year. It was great to see over the break, lots of families enjoying the pool, tennis court and playgrounds. Thank you for taking such great care of our school over this time. I’ve loved seeing our tamariki making the most of our school grounds—reconnecting, playing, and enjoying each other’s company.

This year, we’re excited to welcome three new students to Kererū School! Ida is joining her big sister Paige in Kākano, while Brax and William S are the eldest in their families and the first to attend our school. A very warm welcome to these students and their whānau—we’re thrilled to have you as part of our school community.

At the end of last year, I worked alongside the Board to recraft our strategic and annual plan—making sure it aligns with the new Ministry of Education requirements while also reflecting the feedback we gathered from our community consultation at the end of 2023. We’re looking forward to bringing this plan to life, with your input and support for our tamariki’s education. Attached below is our 2026 Strategic Plan. We really value our community’s feedback, so if you have any thoughts to share, please email me at principal@kereru.school.nz.

As you can, one of our strategic initiatives is to strengthen enrolment pathways to Kererū School. If you know of any potential families moving into the area, please let me know. We would really love to see roll growth at Kererū School this year.

Noho ora mai,

Kelsie Allen

Principal

Roll: 25

A big Happy Birthday to:

• 25/12 - Arya
• 07/01 - Brax
• 10/01 - Ted
• 16/01 - Pippa
• 26/01 - Isabella
• 28/01 - Tiahuia
• 04/02 - Mrs Allen
• 09/02 - Ida
• 11/02 - Bruno
• 12/02 - William S
• 16/02 - Rylee

Mornings: Please contact Megan on FB Messenger or 027 307 5852 before 7 am if your child is not on the bus. After this time, Megan is on the road and may not check her phone.

Afternoons: Please contact Sheryn (Monday - Thursday) if there is any variation to your termly bus routine. Please message Kelsie on Fridays only. These messages need to come through before 2 pm.

Health guidance has been released by Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand to help schools and parents to decide if a student is well enough to attend school.

Knowing if a child is well enough to be at school – Te Whatu Ora

We've recently shared the latest Ministry of Education attendance guidelines on Hero, detailing what constitutes justified and unjustified absences. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with this information.

Term 1 Dates: 31/01 > 11/04 (includes Waitangi Day)

Term 2 Dates: 28/04 > 27/06 (includes King's Birthday & Matariki)

Term 3 Dates: 14/07 > 19/09

Term 4 Dates: 06/10 > 16/12 (includes HB Anniversary & Labour Day)

Term 1 confirmed dates:

• 6th Feb - Waitangi Day
• 7th Feb - Curriculum Day 1 (School Closed)
• 14th Feb - First day of Tech (Y7/8)
• 19th Feb - Board Meeting #1
• 27th Feb - Newsletter 2
• 6th Mar - CHB Swimming Sports
• 18th Mar - Grip Leadership (Y7/8)
• 2nd Apr - Board Meeting #2
• 5th Apr - Farm Walk
• 8th Apr - 11th Apr - Tōtara Camp

This link (below) takes you to our school website. Our events calendar is updated regularly with key dates for all upcoming school events.

All dates are on the Events Calendar;

• Week 4 - Wednesday 19th @ 2:30 pm
• Week 7 - Wednesday 12th @ 2:30 pm
• Week 10 - Wednesday 2nd @ 2:30 pm

You are more than welcome to join us.

In Week 4, Tuesday and Thursday, we will be having whānau connect meetings to discuss goals & aspirations with families. We encourage you to book an appointment with your child's classroom teacher on Hero to do so.

The Tennis Cup Competition will be kicking off from next week. If your child is interested in entering, they can bring a racquet from home or borrow one from school.

I had a fabulous break — with a real mix of activities. I spent lots of time on the farm helping out with weaning, shearing, and mustering. Plenty of lessons were learnt — when mustering goes well, it’s awesome, and when it doesn’t...well… it’s not so awesome.

Hamish and I have been here, there, and everywhere — from Masterton to celebrate a wedding, to Taupō for Christmas, and then up to beautiful Northland for a week. In Northland, we explored Paihia and Russell, spent a day sailing, and had a couple of days at Coopers Beach before heading to Mangawhai on our way home — where we even experienced a tornado!

I’ve loved the break, getting in lots of walking and fluffing around in the garden, but I’m ready to hook into another year of learning at Kererū School. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone and getting back into some routine.

I have had an amazing holiday. Its been very busy and I feel like we have hardly been home, which has been great! We have been chasing the sun around the country !!

At the start of the holidays we had a great day at Splash Planet with the kids and friends. For Christmas we travelled to Taupo (Kinloch) with my family and had some good days on the lake and enjoyed lots of sunshine. Harry is away with his water skiing and I even managed a few!

For the New Year we spent a very wet few days at our friend's hut at the back of their farm. Lots of motorbikes, board games and eeling with no cellphones which was fantastic!

After New Year, Grant and I travelled down south without the kids to the stag sales. It was great to have some time away, exploring other Studs set ups and genetics in the industry. We even snuck a night in at Twizel to catchup with a friend.

Later in Jan we had a good week in Kinloch and some really good days skiing on the lake. We had a great day out at Oraki on the Waikato river where we walked the ‘squeeze’ and ended up in a hotpool at the top. It is an amazing part of NZ and a highlight of our holiday.

The house is a mess and the garden is a tip but I have spent the entire holiday enjoying my children and doing so much with them, out and about!

I am really looking forward to getting back in the classroom and into routine. It is exciting to see all our familiar faces and to welcome Ida, Brax and William S. I look forward to another great year !

Sally

Holidays are done… I’ve had a very home-based time… No travelling, no beaches, no tramping. The reason is that it’s been all about completing our cottage. Alwyn began building in April on the day the culvert was blessed and the gorge construction began. He has tirelessly worked 97% on his own. So the final push to complete it coincided with the summer break. Nothing was going to get in the way.

The cottage is perfect for us and when friends and family visit. So exciting.

So here we go! The bike is polished, tyres pumped up… Back into it!

Wow, I can't believe we are back at school. I had a fantastic break. I managed to duck home to Maitland, Newcastle to see my Mum for a few days. I absolutely loved travelling on my own again after all of these years!! Nice not to have to worry what one of my teenagers will say going through customs!! It was such a lovely visit. Otherwise we have been busy building our stunning pergola. It will be nice to see the vines grow up over the top.

Christmas was very low key and relaxed. Just the way I like it. I managed to celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January with a lovely lamington and a roast leg of lamb.

I went to Taupō for a Cold Chisel concert and it was epic! My favourite band of all time. I'm amazed Jimmy Barnes hasn't had a stroke on stage! I even got to hang out with Mrs Charteris while I was there! Very entertaining to say the least!

Both of my boys (Wal 16 & Murphy 14) got summer jobs. Murphy ended up driving a 30 tonne dump truck! Poor old Wal got the fabulous job of shovelling sheep poo from under the neighbours shearing shed! Yeay team! Hahahaha. I think it certainly cemented the idea to do well in school.

I'm looking forward to helping out in Kākano this year and running the spelling program again.

Have a great year team.

Sheryn xoxox

I was lucky enough to fly to Melbourne at the start of the holidays. Melbourne never fails to impress with the amazing restaurants, shows, exhibitions, shopping and Christmas lights. We loved exploring our old haunts and finding new wonders to enjoy. More importantly we were able to catch up with wonderful old friends and spend three fabulous and much needed weeks with my daughter Colette. One highlight was visiting the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition, an artist the Totara students and I studied last year. The remainder of our holidays has been gardening and spending time with our beautiful grandies. Horse riding lessons, water fights and dress ups have been a few of the things that kept us busy.

As you know, we use our Hero Student Management System to report to whānau throughout the year.

This term, you can expect:

• Whānau Connects: Goal setting afternoons
• Snapshots: Ākonga Comment, Technology Snapshot & Writing Snapshot

In the week leading up to our first day back, we were busy at school, tackling admin, setting up classrooms, organising resources, and planning for the term ahead. On Wednesday, we spent the day with Keryn from impactED, beginning to unpack and familiarise ourselves with the new English and Mathematics and Statistics Curriculums. It was a productive mix of professional development, collaboration, and planning—revisiting and refining our Kererū School Curriculum while also setting up our learning programmes, routines, and systems.

On Friday we had a special Mihi Whakatau to welcome our new students; Brax and Ida and their families to Kererū School. William S was unable to make our Mihi Whakatau but starts with us next week.

The New Zealand Education Gazette is the official publication for the education sector, sharing updates on curriculum changes, innovative teaching practices, student wellbeing, and professional development for educators. While primarily aimed at teachers and school leaders, it also offers valuable insights for parents into what’s happening in schools across Aotearoa. This includes stories of inspiring school initiatives—like our own article, Tougher Roads, Tougher Hearts—which highlights our journey of resilience and strength following the cyclone.

You can read it here:

https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/tough-roads-tougher-hearts-kereru-learning-community-rides-through-adversity/

On Friday, Jeremy and the team from Sport Hawke's Bay came out to Kererū School with the Hungerball gear. Hungerball is a fun game where you need to defend your own goal, while trying to score a goal at the same time. We had lots of fun and it was a great way to start the year.

Since returning to school, we've been settling into our new routines, learning classroom expectations, and starting our learning programmes. This is an important time to set ourselves up right from the beginning of the year.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a swimming superstar, Erika, within our community. Erika is going to be taking 4 swimming lessons this term, leading up to the CHB Swimming Sports in Week 6.

It has been lovely to see our tamariki all reconnecting after the holidays during break times. Lots of inguenuity, initiative, play, laughter and games.

Chairperson: Jane Taylor

Secretary: Sheryn Slavin

Treasurer: Emily Hunter

Committee Members: Emily Gaddum, Ashley Harris & Meagan Mayers

If you can help on the day or the lead up to the day we would love to have you!

Please fill in this form where you can help. LINK

We really appreciate every little bit of help. The money raised will be split evenly between the Kererū School and The Kererū Hall Society.

Saturday 5th April 2025

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Following the success of the inaugural event in 2024, the Friends of Kererū School and the Kererū Hall Committee are excited to welcome you back to the beautiful Kererū community for another amazing Hill Country Walk/Run. The 2025 event promises to be another incredible experience traversing the stunning Big Hill Station nestled under the Ruahine Ranges.

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Along with our fundraising committee, our hosts Bill & Anna and Sam & Sophie Glazebrook are excited to showcase their stunning property, Big Hill Station.

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Make a day of it - challenge yourself and take in the amazing scenery while you walk approximately 18 km, with a run option available. Enjoy a beautiful home-cooked packed lunch 2/3 through the walk, or at the end if you're running, and a well-earned refreshment and BBQ pit stop at the end. We have kids tickets available this year. Please make sure your kids can do the 18km though.

You will need a good level of fitness, good walking or trail shoes, walking poles if you need them, warm clothing, and a backpack containing extra snacks and water.

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At the end of the walk, there will be entertainment, a BBQ and some refreshments available for sale. We will also have some market stalls at the finish with local handmade produce and other items for sale. Relax and enjoy the afternoon, revelling in your accomplishment! Cash only, please.

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STRICTLY NO DOGS.

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Get a crew together, come along and enjoy some good old country hospitality in the most stunning of locations!

Link to Facebook event: click here

Link to tickets: click here

For more information contact office@kereru.school.nz

The role of the Board:

The board is the group of people that make the big decisions and set the overall direction of the school. Every state, state-integrated school or kura has a board.

The school board is responsible for:

• policies and procedures
• planning for the future
• employing all school staff
• complying with the law
• managing budgets.

The board doesn't get involved in operational issues. The principal is responsible for the day-to-day running of the school.

Board meetings:

Board meeting dates can be found on our shared Google Calendar and on our school website.

Meetings are held in public, but are not public meetings. Members of the public have the right to attend and request speaking rights - however the board does not have to grant them.

This term, the Board and Staff will review specific policies and procedures on SchoolDocs. You can access these documents at any time. Instructions for viewing our policies and procedures are available on our website and below in this newsletter.

Topics:

• Health, Safety and Welfare Policy
• Safety Management System
• Risk Management
• Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation
• Healthcare
• Recording and Reporting Accidents, Injuries and Illness

A big thank you to Jo and Alan Mayers for all of the hard work that has gone into planting around our BBQ area. It is looking amazing and we are so fortunate to have such a great facility for our school and community to enjoy.

A big thank you to all of the community members and businesses who contribute to our school through Fern Fuels points. We are grateful for your support.

Thank you to;

• Allen Farming Company Limited
• Beeline Limited
• Corson Farming Limited
• Forest Road Farm - NZ Red Deer Ltd
• Freethlands Limited
• Hilltop Spraying Ltd
• HWS Agri Limited
• MD & KA Hinton Partnership
• Ohara Farming Company Limited
• Olrig Limited
• R Haselsteiner T/A Matangi Station
• Rangimoe Farming Limited
• SH Harper
• Simmons Contracting Ltd
• Stephen J Averill
• Summerhill Partnership
• Te Whana Farm Family Trust
• Topaki Limited
• Tuapae Farm Limited
• Tuturo Farm Limited
• Universal Livestock Limited
• Wakarara Farms
• Whenuapapa Limited

Kereru Tots 'n' Dots are still on the lookout for a registered ECE teacher to join them in 2025.

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 8:30-3:30.

Please share for us if you know of anyone. We want to keep this awesome rural centre going as it is so important for our community!

Please get in touch for further info - totschairperson@gmail.com

The school works on a subscription basis with SchoolDocs to maintain, update, and review our policies. SchoolDocs provides us with a comprehensive core set of policies that have been well researched and follow the Ministry of Education National Administration Guidelines. The policies and procedures are tailored to our school, and the school supplies specific information such as our charter, and procedures for behaviour management, reporting to parents, etc.

SchoolDocs updates, modifies, or creates policies in response to changes in legislation or Ministry guidelines, significant events, reviews/requests from schools, and regular reviewing from the SchoolDocs team. Our board of trustees has the opportunity to view changes/additions and comment on them before they are implemented.

Policies are up for review each term. You can access, view & review our policies and procedures anytime.

http://kereru.schooldocs.co.nz

Username is “kereru”

Password is “kereru1912”

If you ever find the need to raise a concern or file a complaint with a member of our staff, we value open communication and encourage you to follow our concerns and complaints process.

We recognise that we can't always please everyone. We appreciate your understanding that we are committed to doing our best. We value diverse perspectives and acknowledge that opinions may differ.

We encourage you to reach out to your child's classroom teacher, who is your first point of contact for any concerns. They play a crucial role in addressing issues promptly and effectively.

These links will give you some ideas on how to help your child's learning at home:

• Ministry of Education Website: https://parents.education.govt.nz/primary-school/learning-and-development-at-home/ideas-to-help-with-reading-writing-and-maths/
• Maths at home: https://nzmaths.co.nz/maths-our-house
  
• Writing prompts and ideas: https://app.pobble.com/auth/
  
• Mindfulness: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
• Early letter formation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=609NcinTkGI

If your child is unwell, please keep them at home to prevent the spread of the illness.

Gastro

• "People with gastro should not go to work, school and early childhood centres until they have been well (symptom free) for 48 hours. There will be viruses in your poos for several weeks after you become well. You should continue to wash and dry your hands thoroughly after you have been to the toilet."
• Here is the link for a brochure: https://www.rph.org.nz/public-health-topics/early-childhood-centres/current-illnesses/gastroenteritis/gastro-brochure.pdf

Covid-19

• If you or someone in your whānau tests positive for Covid-19, please let Kelsie know ASAP and then follow the MOH guidelines: https://covid19.govt.nz/testing-and-isolation/if-you-have-covid-19/

School is open for students to arrive from 8:15 am - 3:15 pm.

Our staff sometimes arrive late or need to leave straight after school. Please ensure you can pick your children up no later than 3:15 pm, otherwise you will need to make alternative arrangements.

Hero gives you (parents) the opportunity to send through your child's absence with a click of a button. This is a quick, efficient way and gives our staff a notification and message of the reason your child is away.

This is the way we would like you to let us know if your child won't be here. If there is additional information that the school needs to know, please contact Sheryn directly.

You can find out more information about our Student Attendance & Attendance Procedure policies by heading to School Docs and searching the above headings. Link to School Docs - https://kereru.schooldocs.co.nz/

Just a friendly reminder to help us with the end of the day organisation, please ensure you let us know if your child/ren will not be on the bus in the afternoons.

Unless we have heard otherwise, or you put on your sheet at the beginning of the term, we will assume that your child is on.

You need to contact Sheryn (Mon - Thurs) or Kelsie (Fri) before 2 pm with any changes.

We would love to have a better understanding of who will potentially come to Kererū School in the (near or distant) future. This is to ensure that you, as parents, receive information such as transition visits and school information before your child's start date.

We would love to hear from you if your child is between 1 and 4 years old. To make sure we have you on our 'potential enrolments' list.

Please email office@kereru.school.nz or follow the link to our enrolment section on our website to find out more information.