Kia ora koutou
We have certainly had an invigorating start to Term 3, with chilly temperatures and blue sky days on offer. A big welcome to all our new students who have started with us so far this term.
It has been an exciting start to the term with lots of buzz and shared memories from parents and teachers about visits to Harold and the Life Education van when they were youngsters. It is great to have the Life Education team back with so much student engagement and rich learning happening on a variety of themes including Body Systems and Digital Safety.
Our Kids Online workshop for parents is scheduled for Wednesday 12th August, 7pm. We urge you to clear your calendars and prioritise attending to hear filmmaker and author Rob Cope speak about keeping our tamariki safe online. This engaging video presentation is packed with practical advice, real-life examples, and simple strategies to help parents and caregivers navigate today’s online world with confidence. Bring your partner, grandparents or another caregiver; we’d love to see you there. More details can be found further down in this newsletter and on HERO. Tickets via Kindo.
Last but not least, it was National Principal’s Day earlier this week so here’s a big shout-out to our incredible Principal, mentor and educator, Marcus Norrish. He demonstrates every day how much he values relationships, teamwork and the people he works alongside. This quote from a card he received from a student recently sums it up “…what a wonderful thing it is to have a Principal who is full of humour, kindness and warmth; and never seems to get tired.”
Ngā mihi nui
Angela Barlow
Deputy Principal
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Helen is Matua School’s Premium Sponsor
Want to buy or sell a house? Give her a call – she’s really nice!
SICKNESS & ATTENDANCE
I’m sure, as parents, you are well aware that there have been plenty of bugs around recently. We’ve had a run of vomiting bugs making themselves present at school – not a fun thing for anyone. Making the right call about when a child is all good to attend school, or really should be home in bed, can be difficult as a parent. Health NZ has recently released a document for parents to support you with these decisions. That document can be downloaded by following this link. In addition we have used our friendly AI tool to create this visual summary.
MATUA SCHOOL OPEN EVENING 2026
PTA SCHOOL DISCO – Welcome to the Jungle!
ONLINE SAFETY PARENT EVENING
Wednesday 12th August at 7pm
Matua is hosting an Online Safety Parent Evening featuring Rob Cope from Our Kids Online on Wednesday, 12th August at 7pm. It will be a video presentation focusing on how to keep our tamariki safe online. If you attend, you will receive log in details for Our Kids Online so you can access the course for parents. The cost is $7 for a ticket or $10 for a couple. These can be purchased via Kindo.
Rob has spoken to over 40,000 New Zealand parents across the country and recently featured on the podcast Between Two Beers. With his unique blend of humour and hard-hitting insights, Rob empowers parents and caregivers to navigate the complexities of the online landscape.
Additionally, Rory Birkbeck from Safe Surfer will be there to share his online protection service and answer questions.
Please watch Rob’s Promotional Video.
Date: Wednesday 12th August
Start time: 7pm – 9pm
Location: Matua School Hall
Cost: $7 each or $10 for a couple. Paid via Kindo
EPIC FAMILIES LIVE
Sunday 16th August at Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga
Are you parenting a neurodiverse child or navigating big emotions, anxiety, sleep challenges….or simply feeling overwhelmed?
EPIC Families Live will be New Zealand’s biggest ever event for neurodiverse families.
Brought to you by Bay Paediatrics, this TEDTalk-style interactive event is designed for families navigating ADHD, autism, dyslexia, meltdowns, sleep issues and other neurodevelopmental challenges.
Join TVNZ star and podcast host, Sonia Gray alongside leading experts, advocates and parents sharing their journeys. Plus, you’ll be in a room full of families on the same journey. Children are welcome in our dedicated, supervised Kid’s Zone
Discover more and grab your tickets here: https://baypaediatrics.com/
STAFF CARPARK & GATE
Road safety is a significant area of concern for us at Matua School. The start and end of the day are very busy times around the school with bikes, scooters, walkers and cars filling the roads and footpaths. To help keep children safe, the staff carpark gate is closed in the morning between 8:20 and 8:50 am. It is closed again between 2:50 and 3:20 pm. We have recently started locking the gate during these times, as we often have people open the gate and then leave it open, putting children at risk around the Levers Road entrance to the school. Please support us by not using the staff carpark at the beginning and end of the day. If you park in the carpark before the gate closure times, please be prepared to stay until it is reopened.
MAHURI NEWS
Room 13 have been learning about our Skeletal System as part of our Body Systems Unit. We created 5 new class members!
Also, as part of our Body Systems unit, Room 13 were lucky enough to see and touch a real Pigs Heart.
Room 12 had a CPR instructor visit us on Wednesday to talk to us about the heart, how to keep it healthy, and give us some hands on CPR training with the mannequins!
SPORTS NEWS
SCHOOL UNIFORM
ROLL GROWTH CLASS
We are in the process of looking at our roll growth classes.
If you have a child who is turning 5 within the next 12 months, please can you complete an Intention To Enrol Form by clicking on the following link.
https://www.matua.school.nz/enrolment/
SKIDS
New Stay & Play Booster Programmes
Passport to Play 5th Aug – 26th AugChildren will learn about the world we live in, the different countries, people, cultures, languages and food. Children will receive their very own passport to be stamped as we make our way through the global activities.
Inventors Lab 2nd Sept – 23rd SeptChildren become real inventors as they explore how ideas take shape through building, designing and hands-on experiments.
Celebrating 30 Years of sKidsWe’re continuing our 30th birthday celebrations throughout the year with themed events, dress-up days, talent shows, art projects, cultural celebrations, and sports challenges across our programmes.
SINGING LESSONS AT MATUA SCHOOL
UPTON MUSIC SCHOOL
Hi everyone,
We hope you’ve had a fantastic break!
We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back for another great term of music lessons.
Lesson Start Dates
Private Lessons
Private lessons begin Week 1 of the school term.
In-School Lessons
Our in-school music programmes begin Week 2 of the school term, as schools use the first week for class changes, timetabling and student administration.
Lesson Times
All lesson days and times will remain the same as last term unless you’ve been contacted by our team.
If you haven’t heard from us, you can simply attend your usual lesson at your regular time.
Thanks,
Upton Music School
Ngā mihi,
Upton Music School
SCHOOL HOURS
A friendly reminder that school is not open until 8.30am. If you require childcare before these hours, please contact SKIDS either by email – matua@skids.co.nz, phone – 027 586 0408, or book online – www.skids.co.nz/Matua.
SCHOOL INFORMATION
LUNCH ORDERS – EVERY FRIDAY
Lunch orders are available for delivery to Matua School each Friday.
SUBWAY
Simply order your SUBWAY lunch online through you myKindo account by CLICKING HERE
Order (or cancel) any time before 9:00am on the day or schedule in advance.
Help? Visit support.mykindo.co.nz or call 09-869 5200 Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
TERM DATES 2026
Term 1, 2026 – Wednesday 4th February – Thursday 2nd April
Teacher Only Day – Friday 20th March (MoE Curriculum Training Day)
Term 2 – Monday 20th April – Friday 3rd July
Teacher Only Day – Friday 29th May (MoE Curriculum Training Day)
King’s Birthday Public Holiday – Monday 1st June
Matariki Public Holiday – Falls in school holidays
Term 3 – Monday 20th July – Friday 25th September
Term 4 – Monday 12th October – 16th December
Labour Day Public Holiday – Monday 26th October
Last Day of School – Wednesday 16th December
SETTING UP KINDO
Setting up with Kindo
Kindo is our prefered payments system. To help you learn how it works, we’ve added their new help sheet and video. We hope it helps.