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, 2026!

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. I loved seeing so many families enjoying the pool, tennis court, and playgrounds. Thank you for taking such great care of our school over this time.

We are well into our learning programmes now and have spent the last week or so establishing class culture and expectations, practising independent learning tasks, and reconnecting after a big break. It’s fantastic to see how well our tamariki have settled back in and are ready to learn.

We have a great term of learning planned, including some exciting extracurricular activities: the Sherwood Triathlon, a trip to the Hastings Art Gallery, Swimming Sports, the Y7/8 Grip Leadership Course, and Tōtara Room camp in the last week of term. We also have a Tractor Show coming to visit, are hosting a community BBQ, and are looking forward to our major fundraising event, the Kererū Hill Country Walk and Trail Run.

We’ve had some improvements around the school grounds over the holiday break. Our whare has had a fresh lick of paint, and the pool shed and pool exterior have also been spruced up.

This year, we’re excited to welcome two new students to Kererū School! Hugo and Hendrik 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.

As you can see below, 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. This helps me gather the information needed for staffing allocation, bus routes, and other planning with the MOE.

Noho ora mai,

Kelsie Allen
Principal

Roll: 27

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

Term 1 Dates: 02/02 > 11/04 (includes Waitangi Day & Good Friday)

Term 2 Dates: 20/04 > 03/07 (includes ANZAC Day Holiday & King's Birthday)

Term 3 Dates: 20/07 > 25/09

Term 4 Dates: 12/10 > 15/12 (includes HB Anniversary & Labour Day)

Teacher Only Days:

• Term 2 - Friday 24th April (TBC)
• Term 3 - Thursday 22nd October (TBC)

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

This term, our Assemblies will be on a Friday morning at 9 am. We will have 2 Assemblies in Term 1. You are more than welcome to join us:

• Friday 20th February
• Friday 13th March

In Week 4, on Wednesday 25th February and in Week 5, on Tuesday 3rd March, we will be holding Whānau Connect meetings. You will now be able to book these meeting times on your Hero app.

This is a great opportunity for your child to share their goals (they will complete these within class time) for the year, for you to share your goals and aspirations for them, and for teachers to talk about how we can all work together to support their learning.

Last year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) introduced new attendance expectations starting. These changes aim to ensure students attend school regularly, as regular attendance directly supports learning success.

Key Changes:

• A student is considered a regular attender if they attend school more than 90% of the time (fewer than 5 days absent per term).
• Schools must now record, monitor, and report all absences more closely.
• Parents/guardians need to notify the school of every absence.

Justified vs. Unjustified Absences:

• Justified absences include;
• illness
• bereavement
• significant family emergencies
• important cultural/religious observances (approved by the school)

• Unjustified absences include;
  • taking a day off for a birthday
  • a family trip during term time
  • staying home without a valid reason

What This Means for You:

• Ensure your child attends school every day they are well.
• Notify the school promptly if your child is absent and provide a reason.
• If absences become frequent, you may be asked to attend a meeting to discuss support options.

Knowing if your child is well enough to come to school:

"Going to school every day is important for all school-aged tamariki (children). It helps build their confidence and social skills, and to achieve their education and life ambitions. This information helps you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home and when you should contact a health professional for advice." - Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora

https://info.health.nz/keeping-healthy/healthy-homes-environments/knowing-if-your-child-is-well-enough-to-go-to-school-guidance-for-parents#symptoms

Regular attendance gives your child the best chance to succeed. We appreciate your support in making this a priority.

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

As you may know, the Ministry of Education has updated assessment and reporting requirements, and these changes are happening in all schools across New Zealand. Kererū School is taking part in Ministry-led professional development during Terms 1 and 2 to understand and implement these changes. Once this work is complete, we will share our updated reporting schedule with you so you know when to expect information about your child’s learning and progress.

We had a very quiet holiday over the six-week break. We didn’t venture too far, and I was kept busy with weaning, mustering, and shearing, along with plenty of swims in the O’Hara River and exploring the ranges behind our farm. We’d often wondered what it would be like to walk to the base of the waterfall you can see in the Ruahines after heavy rain, so we followed the creek up. It was amazing - lots of boulder hopping and cool little spots to explore. We also took a few trips away, including time at my favourite beach, Castlepoint, and a couple of beaches closer to home. We had a great weekend in Taupō with friends and their young kids, even though the weather didn’t quite play ball. A highlight of the break was MC-ing a friend’s wedding in the Wairarapa. It’s great to be back, and I’m feeling excited for another exceptional year at Kererū School.

Welcome back to Term 1!! I can’t believe we are here already! I hope you all had a restful summer. I have had a great summer holiday and managed to escape some of the awful weather. But the rain was really welcomed on the farm and we have greened up significantly.

We have been busy spending some time at my parents at Porangahau Beach, at a friends hutt for NY in Tikokino, up in Kinloch for 10 days of lake and boating time and then down to Wellington to take Lottie to Ed Sheeran. Its been super fun with a mix of home days relaxing as well.

We have two new pets in our household. Tiny Mike and Cotton Tail. They are Lotties new rabbits and they are so adorable. We are trying hard to keep them out of our 9 month old labs mouth as he is eying them up as a delicious snack.

I look forward to another great year at our awesome school!!

Summer holiday. This year, it was a simple home-based family time. Alwyn and I hosted Christmas, with the 'Bazzies' arriving a few days before and staying for another couple of days after the special day. Our place had tents, mattresses, teenagers, and slightly older teenagers, hanging out. Lots of good food and jollity.

The remaining part of the break included hikes, bike rides, gardening, catching up with friends, and time caring for my mum after her pacemaker procedure and helping my sister move into her new home.

I had a fantastic holiday. Our whole family went to Aussie on Boxing Day for a week to spend time with my family. Luckily, we missed all of the heat waves! Once we got home, Callum and I went to the South Island via the ferry (it didn't even break down!) and headed straight to Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks). Here we spent 4 nights checking the whole area out. We loved it, nice child free time! Haha.

Once we came home from this trip I had surgery on my foot. So I am now 4 weeks into a 10 week no weight bearing time. Luckily I have a trendy scooter! Thank you for all of the well wishes and offers of help. I look forward to seeing what our kids can do this year! Go 2026!!!

We had a lovely morning on the first day back, welcoming our returning tamariki with a Mihi Whakatau, and also welcoming Hugo and Hendrik who will be joining us from Tots over the next few weeks.

It is always great to see our older students supporting our younger tamariki in so many ways around the school. From including them in playground games to leading sports lessons and helping in classrooms, this support is part of what makes our school so special. It helps our younger students feel safe and confident, while giving our older students regular opportunities to develop leadership, responsibility, and confidence.

We had a fabulous day of learning and fun taking part in the Beach Ed programme at Waimārama Beach. Not exactly classic beach weather… but that didn’t stop us! We still managed to get outside and even into the water - brave kids!

We started the day exploring the surf club, checking out the equipment and role-playing different situations where lifeguards might need to rescue or help someone. We learned all about beach safety - what to remember when swimming, how to identify rips, and what to do if you find yourself in trouble.

After refuelling with some much-needed hot chips for lunch, we braved the chilly wind and headed down to the beach for games and relays. Students worked in teams, running into the waves and completing fun challenges - lots of laughs, teamwork and perseverance.

We are so proud of our students. Lifeguards Tayla and Harriet told us we were one of the best schools they’d taught - they were impressed with how engaged our students were, how well they listened, how kindly they interacted with each other, and how respectful they were throughout the day. Music to teachers’ ears!

A huge thank you to our awesome parent helpers who gave up their day to make this experience possible for our kids - we couldn’t do it without you.

The countdown is on to our major fundraising event.

We need your help:

• Please save the date, spread the word, and consider putting your hand up for a job either before the event or on the day.
• Funds raised directly benefit your children (and our community hall), allowing us to offer trips and camps free of charge and to purchase resources for our school.
• If you haven’t already, please follow the event page, like and share updates - we now really need some momentum with ticket sales.

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:

• Alcohol, Drugs & Other Harmful Substances Policy

• Sun Protection

• Digital & Online Safety

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.

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

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:

• MOE Parent Portal: https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal
• 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 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.