Kia ora koutou
Our recent jungle-themed disco was a great success, with our special guest Harold being especially popular. A big thanks to the PTA team who worked hard to make this fundraiser successful and enjoyable for all who attended.
Our Kids Online digital safety workshop for parents was held on Wednesday night in the school hall. There was a great turnout to listen to author Rob Cope speak about keeping our tamariki safe online. The engaging and at times confronting video presentation received very positive feedback. We encourage you to join us in creating a community of safe surfers by signing up for the next screening to be advertised again via HERO soon.
There have been a lot of nasty colds and tummy bugs doing the rounds over the past few weeks, and we thank you for considering others and keeping your child/ren at home while they are still feeling poorly and likely to pass on bugs to others. A reminder: any absences should be reported via HERO or via our dedicated absentee line.
Check HERO for information about some fantastic free parent workshops being offered by two RTLB Educational Psychologists at school over the coming weeks. Topics on offer include supporting your anxious child, dealing with disobedience, developing good bedtime routines, managing fighting and aggression, hassle-free shopping with children, hassle-free mealtimes with children, and healthy screen time habits.
Click on THIS LINK for more information on Understanding and Responding to Children’s Anxiety – Parent Support Group.
Clink on THIS LINK for more information on Triple P – Parent Discussion Groups.
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!
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.
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.
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.
MATUA LEARNER CERTIFICATES
MAHURI NEWS
These Māhuri students were recognised at their most recent team assembly for applying communication, problem solving, self management, making connections, or team playing attributes in their work and study. We are so proud of them!
SPORTS NEWS
Our Year 5 and 6 netball team, the Tuis, had a fantastic day out at the Western Bay of Plenty (WBOP) netball tournament! Every single player stepped onto the court with determination, playing exceptionally well throughout the day and showing outstanding sportsmanship. The team filled the day with fun, laughter, and high energy, which ultimately rewarded them with some truly fantastic match results. A massive thank you goes out to our wonderful parents and grandparents for your loud sideline support, and to Jen for her incredible coaching and guidance. Bring on the next tournament!
SCHOOL UNIFORM
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
FUN FIRST FOOTBALL
BRICKS 4 KIDZ
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.