VOGELTOWN SCHOOL TE KURA O HUATOKI
WEEK 6, TERM 2, 2025.
FROM RYVES...
Behind every great school is a strong and cohesive senior leadership team. While teachers are at the forefront of learning each day, it is the work of school leaders that sets the tone, direction, and culture that enable great teaching and learning to thrive. Working alongside me, this group comprises of Laura Seed, Lee Newland, and Rachel Pretty and between us all, we are fortunate to have years of experience and trusted relationships.
At the heart of what we do is instructional leadership - a focus not just on managing the day-to-day operations of the school, but on shaping the conditions that support high-quality teaching and improve student outcomes. Our team works to ensure that teaching practice is aligned with our school’s vision, curriculum expectations, that professional learning is purposeful, and that there are clear expectations and support for continuous improvement.
Equally important is leading by influence. Leadership in schools today is less about hierarchy and more about relationships and collective responsibility. Our senior leaders work alongside staff, promoting best practice, listening actively, and creating space for others to lead. We believe that real change happens when people feel valued and supported to grow.
As an emerging team, I want to acknowledge and thank them for the way they are stepping into their roles. Their efforts to collaborate, learn together, be vulnerable, and keep the needs of our learners at the centre are appreciated.
A strong senior leadership team doesn’t just manage - it inspires, challenges, and nurtures a shared commitment to what’s best for our tamariki. I am proud of the work they do to uphold our values, lead learning, and create a school environment where everyone can succeed.
TE KARAKIA O TE KURA O HUATOKI
We have a lovely karakia - one that children start the day with and that we use to open meetings. I really love the connection that this has to our school vision and our school as a place of learning.
Whāia, Whāia
Whāia ngā kete wānanga
Nō ahau ano te kura o Huatoki e
Manaaki whenua
Manaaki tangata
Kia haere whakamua ki te pae tawhiti
Whāia kia tata
Ko te pae tata whakamoua
Kia tina, Tina, hui e, Tāiki e!
Pursue and follow the baskets of knowledge
To empower our school of Huatoki
To care for the land
To care for the people
That we may go forward
And aspire to heights beyond the horizon
Karakia is used to remove restrictions and clear any bad wairua (spirits) or negativity and open a space of calmness and positivity. Karakia can also be used to close meetings - to leave what's been said in that space and clear the air for the rest of the day and for personal well-being.
KEEPING OURSELVES SAFE
Many thanks to those parents that attended the information evening. It was great to be able to share some of our decision making and thinking with you all. This programme will start next week and run through until the end of the term - in and around other events that will be happening.
As parents and whānau, you can support and reinforce what your child is learning by helping with homework tasks (if sent home), or having conversations around what is being learnt. Please talk with the class teacher if you need further information.
Shown below are some slides from the presentation the other night.
FROM THE HOME AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE...
Kia ora whānau,
We hope that both the mathathon learning and fundraising has gone well! We have started receiving mathathon money already which is fantastic. This can be paid online to the Home and School bank account (details on the form) or in cash to the senior office. We appreciate your support!
We are having a pizza lunch on Tuesday 17th June. Kindo is now open if you would like to order pizza for your child's lunch. The cut off for ordering is Sunday 15th June at 8pm - no orders can be processed past this date.
Next term we will be running a raffle. If you can contribute something to the raffle prize pool we would really appreciate it. You can drop your donation off at the school office or email us at
vshomeandschool@gmail.com to arrange collection.
Thanks all!
Ngā mihi,
Ange
Chairperson
INTERSCHOOL VS WOODLEIGH SCHOOL
The Paetoki interschool teams walked down to Woodleigh School today and played with great pride. The results were as follows:
Netball B: 9-6 to Woodleigh
Netball A: 13-4 to Woodleigh
Rugby: 47-12 to Vogeltown
Football: 1-0 to Woodleigh
Thanks to all whānau who came down to Woodleigh to support us.
MATHATHON UPDATE
Our mathathon testing went really well yesterday - it was great to see how many of our tamariki had been practising! We would appreciate your child bringing their completed form and sponsorship money back to school by Wednesday 11th June. You can also pay sponsorship money online - all details are on the form that came home.
All students who return their forms will go in the draw to win some awesome prizes, including vouchers from Event Cinemas, The Arizona, Fulton Swim School, Mega Bounce, and even a Warriors jersey! Let’s keep the momentum going - thank you for your support!
RIPPA RUGBY UPDATE - PAETOKI SYNDICATE
The New Plymouth Schools Rippa Rugby Tournament has now been rescheduled to Monday 9th June 2025. We will communicate via Facebook, Seesaw and Skool Loop on Monday morning if it is cancelled. Please see the notice below for timings
OUR SCHOOL REPORT TIMELINE
You may have noticed some changes to the way we are reporting to parents. This year we concluded Term 1 with learning conferences, where teachers met with parents and whānau.
This term the changes continue, with teachers busy writing reports using a different format that aligns with the new curriculum and updated teaching expectations. To support them with this change, we are providing additional time for the preparation of these. As a result, all written reports will be sent home in the first week of Term 3.
This extension allows more time for drafting, moderating and ensuring consistency across the school. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to strengthen our reporting processes.
SAVE THE DATE - DADS AND LADS
On Friday 13th June we are holding our biannual 'Dads and Lads' breakfast. We alternate between Dads and Lads and Dads and Daughters each year, and this year its the lads turn!
A notice was sent home last week - please contact the school office if you need a copy, otherwise you can fill out a form online on the Skool Loop app.
VOGELTOWN HOODIE ORDER
The awesome team at GameChanger have Vogeltown School Hoodies available to order. You can try a sample on for size at their store, which is on the corner of Huatoki and Carrington Street. The link to order is below:
HIGHLANDS INTERMEDIATE ENROLMENTS 2026
For our Year 6 whānau - please note that enrolments for 2026 open on Tuesday 1st July 2025. We will receive enrolment packs to distribute in the last week of Term 2. All information and dates can be found on the Highlands website - https://highlands.school.nz/zone-info-enrolment/enrolment/
VOGELTOWN SCHOOL CALENDAR 2025
TERM CALENDAR
Put all these dates in your diary or your phone! Remember we will put all updates on Facebook, Skool Loop and Seesaw.
TERM 2 2025
9 June - Paetoki Team - Rippa Rugby Tournament, New Plymouth Racecourse
10 June - BOT meeting
13 June - Dads and Lads Breakfast, 7:30am, school hall
13 June - Whole School Assembly hosted by Room 13
16 June - Kiwi Math Competition, Kiwi Science Competition
17 June - Kiwi English Competition
17 June - Pizza Lunch Day (order on Kindo)
18 June - Interschool vs Welbourn (at Vogeltown)
18 June - Starting School the VS Way, 5pm to 6pm
19 June - Whānau event (gumboot throw)
20 June - Matariki - school closed for instruction
25 June - Interschool vs Central (at Central)
26 June - Vogeltowner Assembly
27 June - Whole School Assembly
27 June - 4 Year Old Friday, last day of Term 2
KA KITE ANO WHĀNAU
Thank you for the ongoing support of Vogeltown School, we really appreciate the efforts everyone makes to ensure our kura is such a great place to learn and work!
On behalf of the Vogeltown team, ka kite ano! Enjoy your weekend.
The VS team
CONTACT US
Email: office@vogeltown.school.nz
Website: www.vogeltown.school.nz
Location: Vogeltown School Huatoki Street, Vogeltown, New Plymouth, New Zealand
Phone: (06) 753 6843
OUR VALUE FOR TERM 2
SCHOOLDOCS - VOGELTOWN POLICIES
Our school policies, like many schools, are now in an online system through a portal called 'Schooldocs'. Any time you want to bring up a school policy, just log in to schooldocs and you can access the policies.
The login is: vogeltown
The password: huatoki
The website link to Schooldocs is below.
