MARLBOROUGH PRIMARY NEWSLETTER
27 May 2026
Newsletter
Mid Term 2 - 2026
Our Overarching Theme for the Year - Transformations
Learning Power: Curiosity
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua.
I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.
Kia ora Marlborough Primary School whānau,
12 May 2026
Improving safety outside Marlborough Primary School, Glenfield
Kia ora,
Before and after school, Lingfield Street can be very busy with families driving, walking,
scootering or cycling to and from Marlborough Primary School.
We’ve been asked by the school and others in the community to improve the crossing facilities at
the existing kea crossing, operated by the school patrol team.
To make it safer we plan to widen the existing kea crossing and turn it into a zebra crossing. We
will also install no stopping at all times (broken yellow lines) near the crossing. This will mean
vehicles can’t park close to the crossing and this makes it easier for drivers to see people waiting
to cross.
A drawing showing the changes in included with this letter.
If you have any questions or comments on the plans, please email us
at ATEngagement@at.govt.nz (Ref; Lingfield Street Crossing) or leave a comment on our
website by 29th May 2026.
For more information and updates, visit haveyoursay.at.govt.nz/Lingfieldcrossing.
or scan the QR code below.
Ngā mihi,
Auckland Transport
Making us proud
Fantastic Photographers!
Hannah, Florence and Liam have had their photography selected for an exhibition called Ngā Wairau - Through Our Lens, part of the Auckland Festival of Photography.
Students living or attending school in the Wairau Valley, Glenfield, Sunnynook, Totara Vale, Forrest Hill or Milford area were tasked with taking photos that represented the nature, people, water and land of our local area. The exhibition aims to show community, beauty and resilience after the flooding in recent years. Our MPS photographers developed their skills through our Reggio-inspired Atelier programme, which runs during whanau time.
If you'd like to see their photography in person, head along to the exhibition https://photographyfestival.org.nz/programme/detail.cfm...
~ Rosie Bohling
Principal's Office
Some of our students have earned bragging rights, visiting the principal's office with good work.
Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser
Every Friday this term, Year 5 and 6 children are holding a sausage sizzle to fundraise towards their end of year camp. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. We have been told that the sausages are delicious!
Garden to Table
Wow! Marlborough Primary has done so well in the Kaipatiki Pest Free competition to collect Moth Plant Pods . We roamed all over the neighbourhood and spotted so many plants and pods that we won the competition for April. Ian from Kaipatiki Pest Free brought our prizes to school. We now have 19 new Native Plants to add to the planting around the bike track. Thank you to everyone that was involved.
We are so excited about competitions that the Year 4/5/6 classes are currently working on Compost Posters for International Compost Week. This competition is run by Mitre 10 and we could win a $100 voucher for our school.
We have so many winter vegetables in the garden that we have been cooking Green Vegetable Fritters using a delicious mixture of veggies, Silver beet, Cavolo nero, Celery, Curly Kale to name a few. Early reports back from the children are “Yum”. An easy one to try at home.
~ Karen Jones
Art Specialist Classes
Term two sees more classes enjoying Specialist Visual Arts in Room 21. We are aligning with current events and our Term 2 Learning Power of Curiosity. Year 1 have made self-portraits and rainbows to learn about hot and cold colours and rainbow order, Year 2/3 are making chameleons (famous for transforming colours) to learn about texture, and Year 4-6 have worked on hot air balloons, ANZAC teddies and curious insects.
We also have a beautiful new display of framed student work in the office foyer. Feel free to come and view it.
~ Rosie Bohling
Pink Shirt Day
On Friday 15th May we celebrated Pink Shirt Day by wearing pink. Each whānau worked together to create a poster to promote kindness and the importance of being an upstander.
Junky Monkeys
Junky Monkeys came to school on Monday and each whanau had a block with them exploring loose parts through creating, collaborating and being innovative. It was a lot of fun and there were so many wonderful creations. It ties in with our Reggio Emilia Inspired Whanau time where we are always wanting to spark student's curiosity.
Sport
Internal and External Sport Information and Game Times
Netball
The winter netball season started two weeks ago and this year we have 3 teams. Our Year 1-2 play on Monday nights and our Year 4 and Year5-6 team play on Saturdays. A big thank you to our coaches Gabriela, Katie, Jordan, Nerissa, Mrs Webb and Whaea Chanel
~ Deanne Wotton
Internal Sports
We are incredibly proud of all our students who took part in Athletics, competing well against neighbouring schools with determination, teamwork, and great sportsmanship. A special mention to our 8-year-olds who participated in athletics for the first time, showing courage, enthusiasm, and doing exceptionally well. Well done to all our athletes for representing our school with pride!
Junior sports day
Our senior Touch, Football, Basketball, and Netball teams had a fantastic day at Sports Day hosted by Glenfield College. Students showed great effort, determination, and enthusiasm throughout the event, while the Year 13 students did an excellent job coaching and refereeing the teams.
Congratulations to Aramaia (Touch), Eva (Netball), Lucca (Football), and Kaleb (Basketball) for being named Most Valuable Players. Well done to all our students for giving their best and making our school proud!
~ Leone Muller
Reggio Emilia Inspired Whanau time
This term our Learning Power is Curiosity and we are looking at being curious through a Science lens ending with a Science Fair on Friday 3rd July from 1- 2.15pm which everyone is invited to.
Each whānau has been investigating transformations through exploring colour and states of matter, the living world, planet earth and beyond, and forces. There has been a lot of curiosity shown already!
Ateliers: During Reggio Emilia Inspired time we have 4 atelierista (teachers) who work with one whanau at a time. This term they are working with Kotare whanau. Students have the option to choose to attend atelier workshops. These are small group sessions with the atelierista (teachers) to explore more deliberate ideas, within our overarching themes, This term has been, invisible forces, k'nex challenges, navigation, and the environment
Friends Of the School (FOS)
WOW — What a Bake Sale!
A massive thank you to everyone who supported our school bake sale on 22 May. Thanks to your incredible support and a fantastic turnout, we raised an amazing $800+!
A special thank you to all our wonderful bakers and families who donated treats — your delicious goodies helped make the day such a sweet success.
We’d also like to give a big thank you to Woolworths Glenfield Mall for their generous donation and support.
SAVE THE DATE – IT’S GLOW TIME!
Marlborough Primary’s 2026 NEON DISCO is lighting up the dance floor!
Get ready to glow crazy and dance your way into the holidays because the disco is happening on Thursday July 2nd — the last week of Term 2!
Dust off your brightest neon, mark your calendars, and start getting excited… more details coming soon!
Curriculum Update
You will have been hearing a lot about the new curriculum and changes to reporting. We are no longer using Well Below, Below, At or Above and will instead be using the Progress Descriptors Emerging, Developing, Consolidating, Proficient, Exceeding
The five Progress Descriptors are:
School Board Update
Strategic Plan
As we look toward the next three years at Marlborough Primary School, we want to ensure our strategic plan reflects the heart of our community. Your voice is valuable in shaping the future for our tamariki. Click here to view our current Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan Feedback
We’d love to hear your thoughts on our Strategic Plan.
- What's going well?
- What's not going well?
- What would you like to see in a future plan?
Keep an eye on Skool Loop for an online survey next week. If you would prefer a paper copy, please ask at the office. Alternatively, feel free to come and chat with one of our board members.
Ngā mihi nui,
Marlborough Primary School Board
Attendance Management Procedures
Whānau Responsibilities:
Whānau have legal obligations to ensure their tamariki attend school (Education and Training Act, s244). We expect whānau to:
- notify the kura office directly as soon as possible if their child is going to be late or absent via provided channels on Skoolloop, the school website or email: office@marlboroughprimary.school.nz
- Arrange appointments or trips outside of kura hours or during school holidays where possible
- Work with us (kura) to manage attendance concerns
Absentee notices are not to be send to the teacher or via Seesaw.
For more details please visit:
Assessment Update
SMART (Student Monitoring, Assessment and Reporting Tool)
Phonics Checks at 20 and 40 weeks of schooling
Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds.
Children learn how to:
Recognise the sounds letters show
Recognise combinations of letters that show one sound (eg. ch)
Blend these sounds together to make words
Phonics is an essential part of learning to read. Children use it to work out new words they don’t know how to read yet.
Learning to blend sounds helps beginner readers read words accurately, setting them up for future reading success.
The phonics checks show the teacher:
Which letters and letter combinations the child can read
Whether the child can blend sounds correctly to make words
Here is the parent portal that the Ministry of Education has set up for you to access. There is a lot of information on here.
https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal
Here is a Maths practice site that is available as a trial for the next few months
https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal/maths-practice
Property Update
Our "Blue Playground" has been removed from its original spot and reinstalled on the field behind Room 13.
We are incredibly excited about our new amphitheater coming together in front of Room 19 - 20 (where the blue playground used to be). Finishing touches are underway and we can't wait for it's completion.
Skids Before School, After School and Holiday Programme now at Marlborough
Community Pantry!
Located just outside the school office, the pantry is a simple concept built on a powerful idea: caring for one another. It's here for anyone in our school community who needs it. Whether it’s a non-perishable food item, a hygiene product, or a pantry staple, please feel free to take what you need. We only ask that you be mindful of others and take only what is necessary for your family.
The pantry also works in reverse. For those of you who are fortunate enough to have a little extra, we invite you to add to the pantry. Especially extra fruit form your trees are greatly appreciated. Your donation of an extra fresh produce, a can of beans, a box of pasta, or a jar of jam can make a significant difference to another family.
Breakfast Club
Fuel Up with Breakfast Club !
The Breakfast Club is a welcoming space for ALL students to grab a "top-up" before the school day begins. Whether they missed breakfast at home or just need a little extra fuel, we're is ready to serve.
When: Every school morning
Time: 08:30 AM – 08:50 AM
Where: MPS Staffroom
We encourage you to remind your tamariki to drop by, say hello to our Breakfast Team, and start their day on a high note.
Lunches
A reminder to parents that we have a number of different companies that supply lunches at school, particularly on Thursdays. We love to support our community and your patronage is appreciated.
Sushi Day - Sushi
· To order weekly sushi lunch, please visit www.sushiday.co.nz and if you are a new parent, you can go to the link www.sushiday.co.nz/sushi-login to register under Marlborough Primary School.
· Don’t forget – Order cut off time is 9pm (Wednesday) for THURSDAY order delivery.
· Any question, please contact Dan on order@sushiday.co.nz or 021 339 700.
Vietnamese Summer Rolls only.
Summer rolls can be prepared in a packet of 2 pcs for $6. The ingredients are as follow.
- Rice Paper
- Mixed green salad including cabbage
- Carrots
- Capsicum
- Cucumber
- Chicken Katsu (Crumbed Chicken)
- Honey Mustard and Sweet Chili
Please call 09-442 2040 to place your order.
Online Subway orders
Go-Deli school lunch
Communication
Skool Loop and Facebook Apps
Most of the communication going out goes through our Skool Loop and Facebook apps. Please make sure to join these.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marlborough-Primary-School-112129594831867
Stationery
How to Order Your Child's Stationery Pack
Getting your child's stationery is as simple as following these four steps:
1. Visit: Go directly to https://schoolpacks.co.nz/
2. Select & Review: Select the school "Marlborough School" and enter your child(ren)'s year level to view the required list.
3. Order: With one click, add the complete order to your cart and proceed to checkout and payment.
4. Delivery: Your child's stationery pack will be delivered directly to your door.
Important Note on Supplies
We have gone with ordering this way to make the process easier for caregivers and to ensure consistency and durability of the type of books across all year levels.
You will notice on the stationery list that there are notes under some books. These books are only available on this website and have been chosen for their specific layout.
Some stationery items such as pencil sharpeners and rulers can be reused if they’re still in good condition, there’s no need to buy new ones.
A Friendly Reminder
Please remember to clearly mark all of your child's stationery before it is sent to school.
Enrolment Applications
A reminder to parents that we are open for in zone enrolment applications for Term 1 to 4 of 2026. If you have a child that is due to start school between now and November 2026, please complete your enrolment forms so we're able to plan appropriately.
Enrolment can be done online (the link is on our website) or on paper, with application packs available from the office.
Out of zone enrolments:
Term 3 2026
Deadline for receipts of application - Monday 08 June 2026 at 15:00
Term 4 2026
Deadline for receipts of application - Monday 31 August 2026 at 15:00
Term 1 2027
Deadline for receipts of application - Monday 16 November 2026 at 15:00
Please contact the office if you have any queries regarding enrolment - office@marlboroughprimary.school.nz
Dates to Remember
2026
Term 2
20 April - 3 July
28 May - Rippa Rugby
29 May - SCHOOL CLOSED
01 June - King's Birthday - SCHOOL CLOSED
4 June - Rippa Rugby (Save Day)
5 June - Snr Assembly
12 June - Jnr Assembly
18 June - Board Meeting 3:30pm
19 June - Snr Assembly
26 June - Jnr Assembly
2 July - Matariki Festival
3 July - Science Fair
Term 3
20 July - 25 September
27 to 31 July - Book Fair
29 July - Goal Setting
30 July - Goal Setting
31 July - Book Fair Parade
20 August - Board Meeting 3:30pm
21 August - SCHOOL CLOSED
27 August - Cluster Cross Country
3 September - Rippa Rugby
17 September - Board Meeting 3:30pm
Term 4
12 October - 18 December
15 October - Board Meeting 3:30pm
23 October - SCHOOL CLOSED
26 October - Labour Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
6 November - Gumboot Day
9 November - School Photo Day
12 November - Board Meeting 3:30pm
20 November - SCHOOL CLOSED
7 to 9 December - Yr. 5/6 Camp
17 December - Board Meeting 3:30p,
18 December - SCHOOL CLOSED
Quick Notes
Clean up your dog's poop:
We love seeing our community’s dogs during drop-off and pick-up! However, we have recently had incidents where students have accidentally stepped in dog mess and tracked it into the classrooms.
If you bring your dog onto school grounds, please remember, It is your responsibility to pick up after your pet immediately and to ensure you have waste bags with you at all times.
School Hours and Late Pick-Ups:
Our school hours are from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Please note that there is no supervision available for children outside of these times. If you are late to pick up your child after 3:00 PM, they will be taken to KidsKlub aftercare, and you will be billed accordingly for the service.
Gate Closures:
The gates to Archers Road and Chartwell Road will be locked promptly at 3:10 PM. If you anticipate arriving late for pick-up or know you will be on school grounds after this time, please park near the Wykeham Place gate for easier access.
"Pack In, Pack Out" Policy:
We kindly remind all caregivers that children's rubbish must be taken home in their lunch boxes. We do not have facilities for students to dispose of their waste at school. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a clean and sustainable environment.
A clean change of clothes:
From time to time ‘accidents’ may happen or clothing gets wet/muddied. For this reason, it is important that ALL STUDENTS have an extra set of clothing in their bag at all times. Non-uniform items of clothing are acceptable.
Our Community
Stay safe and be kind.
🌿 Your MPS Team 🌿
