Tena Koutou Kio Kio Primary School Community
Greetings to you all

School roll : 142 Students

Haere mai - Welcome

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa – Greetings to you all.

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through the term, and autumn has arrived with cooler evenings welcoming us into the season. As always, our POWER values continue to be in action across all aspects of school life. I have been so proud to see our students earning numerous POWER Awards for their positive behaviour. In the coming two weeks, we will focus on the POWER Value of PERSEVERANCE – a quality that encourages us to give our best effort and to keep trying, even when things get tough.

Perseverance can be demonstrated in many ways by our students, such as:

Pushing through challenges in class, even when the work is tough.
Helping others when they’re struggling with tasks or concepts.
Trying out new activities or sports, even when they may feel unsure at first.
Showing resilience during difficult times, both in and out of school.

Perseverance is an essential value to practice as it adds to the kete of lifelong skills our students will carry with them. Even as adults, we rely on perseverance in many areas of life – whether it's managing work-life balance, facing personal challenges, or simply keeping our homes and gardens in good shape. I look forward to hearing more perseverance stories from our students during break times over the next few weeks.

School Highlights

Our school has been incredibly busy over the last few weeks, with various events such as camps, classroom renovations, swimming lessons, and ongoing classroom programmes. A special mention must go to Kauri Class (Years 7 & 8) for their exciting city experience to Auckland last week. The students were lucky to experience a range of activities, including:

Snow Planet
MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology)
Rainbow’s End
Weta Workshop
Auckland Zoo
Kelly Tarlton’s
Tip Top Factory
Chelsea Sugar Factory

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was sleeping under the watchful eye of sharks and other sea creatures at Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium. What an incredible experience! A huge thank you to Emma Telfer for her outstanding organisation of this camp. It will undoubtedly be remembered and talked about for many years. We are also deeply grateful to the parents who generously gave their time to support the students throughout the camp – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Classroom Renovations - Puriri Class

Puriri Class has also been experiencing an exciting transformation with their classroom renovation. While the classroom was being upgraded, Miss B and her students demonstrated amazing perseverance, adapting to new learning environments. The classroom now looks absolutely incredible, with freshly painted panels, new carpet, and the installation of Autex walls. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing caretaker Peter Cornelissen for his tireless efforts in preparing the space. I’d also like to acknowledge our Board of Trustees, who initiated and supported this project, ensuring it was completed to the highest standard. Please check out the photos – the results speak for themselves!

Celebration Assembly & School Polo Fridays

Tomorrow, we have our Celebration Assembly, which will be led by our newly elected Student Councillors. We ask that students wear their school polo shirts tomorrow to help celebrate this occasion. From next term, we will encourage all students to wear their school polo shirts each Friday. Wearing the school polo fosters mana and pride in who we are and where we belong. It’s also a wonderful way to show our school spirit, especially during assemblies and other events. While this will not be compulsory, we strongly encourage everyone to participate.

Show Jumping Success

A massive congratulations to Cora Morrow, who represented Kio Kio School at the Primary & Intermediate School Show Jumping competition last week. Cora showed tremendous perseverance and determination throughout the competition, and her efforts truly shone through in her results. We are so proud of her! Check out the photos to see her in action.

Swimming Sports

As I write this, our Year 4-8 students are preparing for the Kio Kio School Swimming Sports at the Ōtorohanga Pools. I wish all of our swimmers the best of luck, and I look forward to cheering them on as they showcase their skills in the pool. It’s always a wonderful event, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts!

Carpark Opening

This Friday, we will officially open our new carpark. The event will begin at 4:00 pm with a Karakia to bless the space. We are so grateful for the efforts of everyone involved in making this project a reality, and it’s another example of how we work together as a community to create a better environment for our students and their safety.

Working Together with POWER Values

It is truly inspiring to be part of such a fantastic school community. Together, we are working to provide the best possible learning experiences for our students, guided by our POWER values: Perseverance, Ownership, Wonder, Excellence, and Respect. Each of us play an important role in creating a positive and supportive environment for our students to thrive.

Thank you to all of you for your continued support in making Kio Kio School the wonderful place it is.

Ngā mihi nui,
Pip Were
Principal, Kio Kio School

MAKING ONLINE PAYMENTS TO THE SCHOOL

With changes to online banking coming into effect where the account number and account name must match, you may find that you will get an error message. Please make sure the account name is - Kio Kio School Board of Trustees

SUNSMART - HATS

All students have to wear a hat when playing outside. No Hat, No Play. Those students without a hat are asked to play on the deck undercover. Please name your child/ren's hats.

STUDENT ABSENCES

If your child is going to be absent from school, please advise the office by phone (078731816), email (admin@kiokio.school.nz) or the absent tab on the Parent APP with the reason so the absence can be marked correctly for the Ministry of Education. If the school is not notified, the child is deemed TRUANT and marked accordingly. If your child is late to school, they must come to the office and sign in on the electronic register.

STUDENTS ENTERING & LEAVING SCHOOL

Please make sure that your child/ren are dropped off and collected from the bus shelter each day.
We are enforcing safety rules at school pick-up and drop-off. Children are NOT to open our school gates. Parents are required to drop off inside the gate and come into the school grounds to collect their children. This is a safety measure. Our carpark is very busy at the end of the day and we need to do everything we can to keep everyone safe.

BUS BOOK REMINDER

Please ensure that the school office is informed early if your child won't be on the school bus in the afternoon. We also need to be contacted if your child/ren are getting off at another stop. You can do this by phoning the school office on 07 8731816 or emailing admin@kiokio.school.nz

PEANUT ALLERGY

We have a student in Kahikatea class with a severe peanut allergy who cannot come into contact with peanuts or products with peanuts in them. We ask that parents do not send peanuts or any peanut related products to school, so that we can keep this student safe. Thank you for your understanding.

LOST PROPERTY

Our lost property stand is gaining some momentum for the start of the year. We have shorts, sweat shirts, t-shirts, track pants, hats, shoes and a towel already. Come and check it out so we can return the clothing to your children.
Please ensure that your child's name or initials are placed on their belongings, so they can be returned to them immediately.

NEXT BOT MEETING - 2nd April 2025 at 6.30pm

Kinohaku School Camp

In Week 3, our Year 6 class embarked on an unforgettable camp experience at Kinohaku School. This three-night adventure was filled with exciting activities, new friendships, and a strong sense of community. We were fortunate to have five wonderful parent volunteers from our school who joined us on camp.

Kinohaku School welcomed us with open arms, and our students quickly bonded with the eight children from their school, forming friendships that will last well beyond the camp..

On the first day, we were treated to a cartoon workshop with renowned local artist Anna Crichton. Our students, inspired by her talent, created some fantastic artwork of their own. The second day saw Youthtown setting up a range of fun team-building activities across the school grounds. These activities encouraged teamwork and problem-solving. That evening, the excitement continued as the children played spotlight under the night sky.

Day three started with an adventure led by Anna Cunningham from Enviroschools. She guided us across the road to explore the mudflats, where students conducted a metre-squared examination and discovered an abundance of crabs – all while getting wonderfully muddy! After this hands-on learning experience, we headed to the Te Waitere Boat Club, where the local community came out in force to provide an unforgettable day on the water. The children had the opportunity to go sailing in small boats, kayak, experience rowing in a whaleboat, fish, and sketch the boats on the water. The day was capped off with certificate presentations, storytelling and a special kai cooker dinner.

The journey home was just as exciting, with stops at the stunning Marokopa Waterfall and the Natural Bridge, before ending our adventure with a guided tour through the famous Waitomo Caves.

We are incredibly grateful to Kinohaku School for their warm hospitality, especially to Dawn and Julie for their invaluable teamwork in organising the camp. Having this experience early in the year was a fantastic way to foster friendships, strengthen class culture, and bring our focus on Community to life.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making this camp such a success!

Auckland Camp

On Monday, 24 February, 21 students, two teachers, and six adult helpers embarked on an exciting journey to Auckland for a four-day, three-night camp.

The adventure began at the Tip Top Factory, where students eagerly anticipated seeing how the famous ice cream was made - and, of course, sampling some! We were amazed to learn that 200 Trumpets are produced per minute (not per week!) and were pleasantly surprised with an ice cream treat at the end.

Next up was Rainbow’s End, where adrenaline, excitement, and a touch of fear took over as we experienced the thrill rides. Everyone had an amazing time - and, fortunately, no one was sick!

For two nights, we stayed at Huia Lodge in the Waitākere Ranges. Secluded and surrounded by lush bush, it was a tranquil setting for some much-needed sleep (though it did take a while for some to drift off!).

Tuesday morning took us to MOTAT, where we explored extraordinary fighter planes and airships and even role-played inside a police helicopter. A tram ride to the Discovery Centre allowed us to see fascinating historical artifacts - including the old rotary phones that Mrs Telfer used to have!

Next, we put our skills to the test at Snow Planet. Skiing and snowboarding down the slopes proved to be an adventure, with the adults showing us how it was done - or, in some cases, how it wasn’t, as Rangitoto went flying into the tape fence!

On Wednesday, we stepped into the world of movie magic at Wētā Workshop. We explored the special effects, props, and behind-the-scenes magic used in films, gaining a fascinating insight into the creative process.

At Auckland Zoo, our focus was on animal adaptations. We discovered that flamingos are pink because of their diet, they sleep on one foot to conserve energy, and cheetahs can’t retract their claws because they use them for grip at extreme speeds. As for the baboons - we quickly learned not to make eye contact or smile at them, as they might see it as a sign of aggression!

A more relaxed afternoon followed at Mission Bay, where we swam and enjoyed delicious homemade burger patties for dinner.

The night was spent in arctic conditions - or at least it felt that way - at Kelly Tarlton’s. We observed the penguins, learned about life in Antarctica, and some of us even had the unforgettable experience of sleeping under the Shark Tunnel!

Before heading home, we had one last stop at the Chelsea Sugar Factory, where we discovered how sugar makes its way to our shelves. The highlight was definitely the Baking School, where we made delicious chocolate chip cookies!

A massive thank you to all the adult helpers for making this camp such an incredible experience!