Nau mai hoki mai ki te wāhanga tuatoru (Welcome back to Term 3)
Thankfully our roofing project was completed in the holidays, minimising further disruptions around the school. It wasn’t without drama though, you may have heard that the roofers accidentally hit our power main and took out our power for five days! Thank our lucky stars that happened when school wasn’t open. Now we just need the roadworks on Old West Road to wrap up and we won’t know ourselves…
This term began with our usual mihi whakatau (informal welcome) for our new whānau members. We are delighted to welcome Kristin, our newest kaiako (teacher), pictured above. She is working alongside Anna in Rimu as that learning space continues to grow. We also extended a warm welcome to new students, who have joined Rimu, Wyatt, Hannah’s son, who is still on maternity leave with baby Cleo but will return to us in 2026, Jack, who is Harry and Ben’s younger brother, completing the Harper boys trifecta at school, Reggie and Jeisle, both the first of their families to attend Turitea, and Maia, who has joined Trish and the ākonga in Mataī. Trish is especially pleased to have her to make up for the two students she lost last term. Nau mai haere mai koutou. (Welcome everyone)
Our tuakana (seniors) started their week of ePro8 exploration, which is an Interschool science and engineering competition. Whaea Anneliese and Karen will be looking to select those who will go on to represent our kura in the regional competition. Michaela was back in on Tuesday taking our kids for their hockey sessions and sharing her expertise with them, as you can see below.
Today our Garden to Table programme resumed with Pōhutukawa and Mataī having their turn to learn about gardening and cooking from Meryl and Kirstin. We had the team from Menzshed Manawatū come and install our shade houses, along with their irrigation system, which are at the entrance to the microforest. Big mihi (thanks) to them and the whānau who came in to help us move mulch over the break or cut down trees. Doesn’t our space look amazing now?
Whānau Showcase Evening:
Hopefully next Thursday 24th July is on your calendars for our Whānau Showcase. It will run from 3.30 – 7pm and you can come at a time that suits you over the evening to give your tamariki an opportunity to proudly share their mahi (work) with you. Please can you indicate to us through the separate Hero post you would have received yesterday when you would like to come along. Once your tamariki have finished doing their sharing, come and see me in the quad for a sausage sizzle. If you’d still like a one-on-one chat, you’re welcome to make an appointment for their teacher. However, the main goal of this is to let your child show off their achievements.
Board of Trustees (BoT) Elections:
As mentioned previously, we are looking ahead to our upcoming elections to appoint new BoT members. Here is the timeline showing how and when this all happens. You will see that we are taking calls for nominations from today and you should receive an email from Election Pilot with instructions on how to do this. If you have ever wondered what a BoT member does, they are having an information session for anyone who would like to know more next Tuesday 22nd July at 7pm. You can register for free here or have a read of this document. We meet twice a term (usually in Week 2 and 8) and Joeli, Peter, Sarah or Fraser might ‘shed some light’ on the role if you are interested in chatting to them instead. Nominations close at noon on Wednesday 6th August.
From the PTA:
Don’t forget about our Wild West Quiz Night on Saturday 9th August. Please register your team here by today so we can start making arrangements. We have 10 teams registered, but would love some more. Gather your crew, cowboy boots and let’s have a ‘barn burner’ together, Yee haw!
Intermediate Transition:
I know this is only relevant for our current Year 6 whānau members, but the Intermediate schools are hosting their open days or evenings for you to consider where your child might attend school in 2026.
- Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School (PNINS) – See their plan here.
- St. Peters College Open Night – Thursday 24th July from 5.30pm.
- Monrad Tirohanga Intermediate Open Night – Tuesday 29th July from 6-8pm.
- Linton Camp School Open Day – Thursday 7 August from 11:30am-1pm. Brochure here
- Ross Intermediate Opening Night – Wednesday 13th August.
Kelly Sports Afterschool Programme:
Their programme is back on afterschool on a Tuesday for 8 Weeks this term, starting next week. More information about the cost and registration can be found here.
Term Dates for 2026:
Term 1: Thursday 29th January* – Friday 3rd April. *Puna Kōrero (Learning Conferences) will be held the day before the first day on Wednesday 28th January.
Term 2: Monday 20th April – Friday 3rd July.
Term 3: Monday 20th July – Friday 25th September.
Term 4: Monday 12th October – Friday 11th December.
There will be no school on the following days; Waitangi Day – Friday 6th February, Staff Only Day – Monday 9th February, ANZAC Day – Monday 27th April (observed), Staff Only Day – Friday 29th May, King’s Birthday – Monday 1st June and Labour Day – Monday 26th October. A reminder that all of our dates for this year and next year can all be found on the School Term & Hours section of our website.
From the Community:
- Nga Tawa are having their annual School in Action Day on Friday 1 August. See poster here if that might be of interest to you in the future.
- Massey Kids Club is looking to start a before-school care program in Term 3, alongside their usual after-school care program. If this is of interest to you, check out the information here.
- Join the adventure with West End Scouts. Empower your child to lead with confidence through adventurous experiences at WES. We’re open to youth aged 5-14, with the first four weeks free
Next Friday, we will be washing all of the unclaimed lost property and donating it to the Butterfly Compassion Community. So please come and check it before it all goes.
Kia pai tō rā whakatā (Have a nice weekend)
Troy
principal@turitea.school.nz