Newsletter 2 Term 3
Onerahi School Friday 22 August
Te Karere o te Tumuaki/Principal's Message
Kia ora e te whānau,
I hope you are managing to stay warm, dry, and well. We are being hit very hard with sickness at the moment, with a lot of staff very unwell and away for extended periods. We are grateful for our small pool of relievers who have been helping us out. We appreciate your understanding when we have had to spread a class out on the odd occasion.
This week we sadly say farewell to Mrs Jade Grant who has been a much loved teacher in our kura for the past 11 years. She begins her new adventure as Kaiako in the Reorua class in Hikurangi school next week. Along with Matua Matt, I was priviliged to take a couple of Jade's students and join her for her pōwhiri this week. Shortly we will welcome Zoe Hannah who was a student teacher at our school last year to teach Rm 4 for the rest of the year. We look forward to welcoming Zoe back to Onerahi Primary.
Elections for our Board are open until September the 10th, so please take a moment and cast your vote. We have a pool of very strong candidates, who would all make excellent board members if elected. I appreciate their willingness to stand for the Onerahi School Board.
Ngā manaakitanga
AnnMaree MacGregor
Principal
Mathex
Onerahi Primary held their annual Mathex on Tuesday the 12th of August. A great fun way to come together and celebrate student strengths in maths, and have some friendly competition.
Congratulations to the winning teams of:
Room 9 - "You Can Do It Maths Team" - New Entrants winners
Room 21 -The Year 2 winners
Rm 16 - "The Strikers" - Year 3 winners
Rm 15 - "Snack Attack (we came for the biscuits)" - Year 4 winners
Rm 4 - "The Goofy Goobers" - Year 5 winners
Rm 4 - "The Fantastic Fractions" - Year 6 winners
and
The Teacher team of Chloe, Lorelei, Hannah and Gabrielle who took on the students and won.
Following on from this, the following students represented our kura at the Interschool Mathex:
Naia Beeston, Brooke Abraham, Mia McFarlane, James Te Haara
Arlo Adam, Ivy Denham, Kier Faltado, Myah Robinson
Brodie Zwart, CJ Villegas, Kate Biggins, Lake Popata
Liam Wright, Austin Johnson, Chloe Abraham, Lincoln Beeston
Kleo Gardiner, Luca Thompson, Aurora Dobbs, Bella Hotere
Willow Meehan-Moselen, Jayden Jones, Finn Collins, Yeseo Seong
Bella Holmes, Elise Baldwin, Alia Pilcher, Amy Biggins
And coming in 2nd place in the year 5 competition - Mivaan Patel, James Gibbs, Nathan Lomas and Reuben Haworth. Well done team!
Senior School Cross Country
On Thursday 21st August when the sun had dried the ground up just a little, we held our annual senior school cross country event at the Onerahi Sports Park. It is always great to see so many students digging in and pushing themselves to meet the challenge of that distance. Miharo!
A big congratulations too, to our following place getters, who have earned themselves the chance to represent our kura at Barge Park next week (along with others who finished in the top 10).
8 year old girls: 1st - Layla Gardiner Rm 15, 2nd - Lucy Kirk Rm 15, 3rd - Sophie Ferris Rm17
8 year old boys: 1st - Arlo Adams Rm 3, 2nd - Jaxon Beeston Rm 16, 3rd - James Gibbs Rm 4
9 year old girls: 1st - Brooke Abraham Reorua, 2nd - Myah Robinson, 3rd - Harper Haselden Rm 4
9 year old boys: 1st - Nathan Lomas Rm 4, 2nd - Liam Kennedy, 3rd - Nate Johnson Reorua
10 year old girls: 1st - Chloe Abraham Reorua, 2nd - Kleo Gardiner Rm 3, 3rd - Elise Baldwin Rm 6
10 year old boys: 1st - Lincoln Beeston Reorua, 2nd - Zev Kaka-Holtz Reorua, 3rd - Jayden Jones Rm 6
Art Expo/Whakaaturanga Toi ataata
Recently, students from Rms 3, 4 and 6 held an art exhibition in Rm 5, proudly displaying the creations they had made with zero teacher input, just pure creative genius. All classes were able to enjoy seeing these fabulous works and a huge tino pai tō mahi to all our featured artists. There are a few examples pictured, we wish we could show them all! He mahi ātaahua!
Thank you
A big thank you to all our community members who donated their SMEG stickers in the recent New World promotion. Our Garden To Table programme now has a lovely new set of medium size and large size baking dishes.
Natasha Bowling
A Voice for Our Students and Community
Kia ora koutou, My name is Natasha Bowling, and I am running for a position on the Onerahi School Board with a strong commitment to supporting our students, families and dedicated educators. I am a professional with a background in business, trade and management. I believe I embody the unique blend of enthusiasm and practical skills necessary to make a meaningful impact. As a proud parent of a child at Onerahi Primary School, I understand the importance of strong governance that puts students at the centre of every decision. I bring experience in leadership, team management etc, and I’m confident in my ability to contribute to the board’s key responsibilities and support the principal and staff to deliver great outcomes for all learners. I believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported at school, and that whānau and community play a vital role in shaping that experience. If elected, I would be committed to open communication, inclusive decision-making, and working constructively with fellow board members, staff, and the wider school community. I value transparency, accountability, and equity. Whether it's supporting effective teaching practices, advocating for learning support needs, or ensuring school resources are used wisely, I will work hard to uphold the responsibilities of the board with integrity and care. In particular, I am passionate about supporting students with diverse needs, strengthening home–school partnerships, and ensuring our school continues to be a place where tamariki can grow with confidence, creativity, and resilience. This school is more than just a place of learning—it’s a cornerstone of our community. I would be honoured to bring my energy, perspective, and skills to the board and serve in a way that reflects the values we share. Thank you for your consideration. Ngā mihi nui, Natasha Bowling
Stacey Jones
Hi I'm Stacey a 30-year-old mum of 2 as well as two bonus kids. I am passionate about our school and community and enjoy being involved in the behind the scenes happenings that keep our school the place we love. Having been a parent rep before, I understand the role and enjoy working with others to make sure our kids get the best opportunities possible.
Lani Knowles
My name is Lani Knowles, and I am standing for parent representation on the Board of Trustees for the term 2025-2028. I was born in Whangārei and grew up in Onerahi, attending Onerahi Primary School from 1996 to 2001. In 2019, my husband and I purchased our home in Onerahi to start our family and have our children attend Onerahi Primary School. My daughter, Willow, is currently in her first year of school, which has motivated me to become more involved in our local community. I have always known that once my children started school, I would do everything I could to help and support the team that is shaping our next generation. This year, I enjoyed volunteering at the school, helping Room 9 make soup and assisting the Year 6 students with their apple crumble for the Whānau Matariki evening. For Term 3, I have committed my Thursday mornings to the Road Patrol, and I look forward to finding more opportunities to support the team wherever I can. I strongly believe in the importance of inclusion and making our community accessible to all. I have worked in the disability sector for over 10 years, taking on various roles that have ranged from hands-on support work to planning, budgeting, facilitating, and training. These experiences are just some of the strengths I would bring to the board if elected for this term.
Kat Lester
Tēnā koutou katoa,I tupu ake ahau i raro i te maunga ō Okahu, a ki te taha ō te awa ō Awanui. Nō Kaitaia ahau. Nō Ingarani, Kōtirana, ōku tūpuna. Kei Onerahirahi ahau e noho ana. Ko Hedges tōku whānau. Ko Katherine Lester ahau. Kia ora,I’m Kat Lester and I live in Onerahi with my husband Hayden and our two sons James and Zack. James is a previous student of Onerahi Primary School and a Zack current student. I grew up in Kaitaia, studied in Otago, and moved back to settle in the north after James was born. I currently work for Playcentre Aotearoa, supporting Playcentres in our region with anything from professional development to strategic planning and operational requirements. I joined the Onerahi School Board in June 2024 and am currently the presiding member. I would be happy to continue to serve on the board to support Onerahi Primary. Ngā mihi, Kat Lester
Kyle Middleton
Hi, I'm Kyle. My wife Michelle, our two children Molly and Beau and I have been living in Onerahi for the past four and a half years. We have all loved being part of the Onerahi Kindergarten and Primary communities and with the kids halfway through years two and four, we're all looking forward to the years ahead. I have always enjoyed any opportunity to be involved with their schooling and other activities and participate or volunteer whenever I can. I think Onerahi Primary is a fantastic school and is supported by a great community of families, a community I think I can contribute to as part of the school board. I value the academic programmes the children are supported through and especially the extra-curricular opportinites they have had from garden-to-tabIe to Showquest to cultural experiences and languages. I work as a GIS analyst for both the Northland Regional and Kaipara District Councils. This has given me robust, first-hand experience and insights into what makes for effective (or not!) and efficient governance. I believe any governance structure benefits from a diverse range of opinions and perspectives and I am sure I can make a positive contribution. Here's a picture of me and the fam. They're all way cooler than me, so hopefully I can mooch off their popularity a little bit.
Sam Moselen
Kia Ora, my name is Sam and I am honoured to express my interest in remaining a board member for Onerahi Primary School—a place that holds deep personal significance for me. As a former student, and now a parent and relative of children currently attending the school, I have a strong connection to the Onerahi community and a genuine commitment to supporting its ongoing growth and success. I’m passionate about ensuring our tamariki have access to a safe, inclusive, and inspiring learning environment, and I look forward to continuing to contribute my time, perspective, and dedication to the future of Onerahi Primary.
Daniel Williamson
Kia ora, Daniel here. I am wanting to keep my place on the board to continue to offer what I can to the school. I have been privileged to be on the school board since January 2025. During this time I have gained experience in how the system works and have built knowledge through the NZ School Boards Conference I recently attended. I wish to keep the momentum going and stay on the board. I have two children at Onerahi Primary and they are my world. I am an Early Childhood Teacher and run/own a Childcare Centre. I feel I have lots of knowledge in teaching/education and people management that can assist the school become the best it can be. The goal this electoral term is to hear more from the community and help put its view to the school and help shape Onerahi Primary's future.
Kokonga o Kirsty/Kirsty's Corner
Kia ora e te whānau,
This week we were privileged to host author Sam Smith. Sam came to us as part of the annual Storylines tour which sees authors visit schools across the country. This was our second author talk in the library this term, after hosting June Pitman-Hayes earlier this year.
I wanted to say thank you to both of these amazing authors for visiting our kura.
Ngā mihi
Kirsty
Honey
Honey is available for purchase at the school office. Honey has been kindly donated by our partner beekeepers - Tahi honey, and we have further been gifted larger sized jars of Honeyeater honey - also from local Pataua hives. The honey is priced amazingly from $5 per jar (250gm) to $20 (the big 1 kg jars) so why not pop in and pick some up. With winter bugs rolling through, it's great to have on hand.
2nd hand Uniform and Spare Lower Halves.
Uniforms come and uniforms go! Stock levels are constantly dropping on our school shirts in many of the sizes. Especially the bigger ones! (Size 10, 12, 14 etc). If your child has outgrown their uniform and you have no further need of it, please feel free to drop it in to the school office. The sales of these help the school purchase additional items that our former PTA used to supply, such as sunscreen, etc. Stocks are depleting again now of the jackets and jumpers and there are few to be found in most sizes. The price has returned to $10 but it's still a great bargain!
Additionally we are on the lookout for donations of spare pants, skirts, leggings, shorts etc in black or navy that can be lent out to those in need of a spare change through the day. If you have any sitting around that no longer fit your little (or not so little) one, feel free to drop them in.
IMPORTANT NOTICES/TINO PANUI NUI
Medication: If your child requires medication to be brought or kept at school, please be aware that due to health and safety concerns, this must be kept secure in the school sick bay. It is not to be kept in children’s schoolbags during the day. This is to protect the safety of not only the child requiring the medication but also all other students. All medication requires an accompanying permission/approval form signed by their parent or caregiver. This includes epi-pens for allergy management, inhalers for asthma or any other medication your child requires on a short-term or as needed basis.
Contact Us
Email: office@onerahi.school.nz
Website: https://www.onerahi.school.nz/
Location: Onerahi Primary School Church Street, Onerahi, Whangārei 0110, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 436 0521
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onerahischool
ENROLLING AT WHANGAREI INTERMEDIATE??
Enrolments for 2026 are now open! If your child will be joining us next year, please complete the online enrolment at wis.ac.nz. We’d also love it if you could spread the word—encourage your friends, whānau, and neighbours to enrol early too. We can’t wait to welcome another great group of tamariki to Whangārei Intermediate School.
