VOGELTOWN SCHOOL TE KURA O HUATOKI

We couldn’t have scripted this better. Brilliant food, plenty of helpers, and the weather we desperately hoped for. Walking around while the food was being served and enjoyed was a real treat. It was wonderful to see our student leaders serving, children trying the kai, families picnicking, and people making the most of the playground.

Today couldn’t have happened without so many people coming together and contributing. Britt Webling has been the mastermind behind this event, with her planning and organisation coming together perfectly. Dave Hare and Levi McPhee have guided us every step of the way — giving their time for the preparations the night before, starting the fire early in the morning, and lifting the hāngī after its time in the ground.

A huge thank you also goes to our wonderful whānau who got involved across both days. We really appreciated the food donations, the hands-on help, and the expertise so many people brought to make this a success.

Our teachers and support staff also played a big part. Many thanks for helping with the food preparation, supporting the Year 6 sleepover, looking after whānau groups, doing duties, and pitching in with the tidy-up at the end of the day.

We often return to the idea of how connected we feel and the sense of belonging we create together at Vogeltown. When you look back over the last couple of days, you can certainly see why!

The wonderful food we were able to share at our school hāngī was made possible through the generosity of so many people within our school community.

Dave and Levi were telling us that this was the biggest hāngī Vogeltown School has ever put on! To accomodate all the food, the hāngī pit needed to be enlarged. That's quite an achievement!

We would like to give a special shout-out to Woolworths Vogeltown for their generous contribution towards our hāngī, and Marcel's Pancakes for treating our senior students to a scrummy breakfast. We were also incredibly fortunate to receive generous donations of meat from the Penberth, Vooght and Webling whānau.

This generosity, alongside the efforts of so many willing helpers, is what makes events like this so special.

Just when we thought our capybara visitors had moved on to greener pastures, it appears they've developed a bit of a taste for Vogeltown hāngī!

Two suspiciously relaxed rodents were spotted yesterday evening helping themselves to the cabbages being prepared for our school hāngī.

Despite the best efforts of staff and students to move them along, the pair seemed completely unbothered. We're now slightly concerned that word is spreading through the capybara community about Vogeltown's fine hospitality!

As we approach the end of the year, we have two teachers preparing for new adventures beyond Vogeltown School.

Kylie Hunt is preparing for a family move across the ditch to Australia. She has been an influential teacher for so many of our youngest learners, helping them take those important first steps into school life. Her calm, gentle manner, combined with a strong focus on learning, has made her a valued member of our team. We have appreciated the leadership she has shown this year in strengthening our transition-to-school practices. We wish Kylie and her family all the very best for their Australian adventure when the time comes!

Holly McLeod is also moving on, pursuing new opportunities in the kaupapa Māori space. Her natural use of te reo Māori in the class has been a wonderful example to others-something that has even been recognised by a local professional learning provider. Holly also has a real strength in supporting children to navigate the social side of school life, showing plenty of patience, perseverance and understanding along the way. We thank her for her contribution to Vogeltown School and look forward to seeing what doors open for her next.

Of course, two departures mean two spaces to fill! We are currently working through an appointment process and look forward to sharing some good news with our school community once this is complete. Hopefully, that won't be too far away.

In the meantime, we extend our thanks to both teachers for the care, commitment and contribution they have made to our school.

By now you should have received an email directly from Photolife with all the information on how to order school photos.

If you have not received this email, please contact the school office at office@vogeltown.school.nz and we will email the information to you.

A big thanks to all those who came down to school to vote last weekend and supported our sausage sizzle. It was a huge success with a profit of $673, which will go towards the Paetoki camp next year.

Huge thanks to Ashlee Beston from the Home and School Committee and all the other helpers on the day.

The Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon is being held in New Plymouth on Tuesday 23rd March 2027. If you would like to enter your child, you can click the link below which will add them to the Vogeltown School group. As part of the group you can choose for your child's entry pack to be delivered to your home or to school. More details will be available closer to the time.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__raceroster.com_registration_cd47b9a1-2Df6e4-2D43b1-2D94a4-2D58fff300a914_entry-3Fteam-3D1052174&d=DwQFaQ&c=_Zm2Kb9yJrso4r0-N78Ezl-a6DfgMbIISn5tZXXqWk4&r=zXnw6m0wNCL2eSmp7WJj6TkKKARmg3zpFcVvnXeBNENGQ_9nGttkIR3_tiobu1LI&m=52UCg6rCBDozqpcM76frGnE7L6PMnhm1Fliu_yytbwaS_FDueoP6A5viuR0H1Dsl&s=KqO6Edv0HfnsPafr9x2dgYPZGN0YmVjVe3kKgugFm4k&e=

https://raceroster.com/registration/cd47b9a1-f6e4-43b1-94a4-58fff300a914/entry?team=1052174

TERM CALENDAR

Put all these dates in your diary or your phone! Remember we will put all updates on Facebook and Skool Loop.

TERM 4 2026

16 November: Cohort 2 New Entrants first day

16 November: Pizza Orders close at 8pm - orders to be placed on Kindo

17 November: Property Brokers 'Pack the Bus' visit to Vogeltown School

18 November: Pizza Lunch Day

27 November: Four Year Old Friday, 10:15am to 11:15am, junior school

1 December: BOT Meeting, 6:30pm

10 December: Year 6 Leavers Assembly, 5:30pm, school hall

11 December: Four Year Old Friday, 10:15am to 11:15am, junior school

15 December: Final day of school for the year, school finishes at 3pm as normal

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! Have a great weekend!

The VS team

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 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

Website link to Schooldocs.