Newsletter | Term 2, Week 8

Can you believe we are almost at the end of Term 2? Where has the time gone? It’s been a busy, exciting term and we have so much to celebrate!

Due to the weather, we’ve had to postpone our Cross Country Races. The event will now take place in Term 3, Week 2. We’ll share more details closer to the time. Whānau are still warmly invited to come along and cheer on our tamariki—it's always a fun and energetic day!

We will be sending out booking information for Parent/Teacher Conferences in Week 9 via both the HERO app and a paper copy. Please keep an eye out. Our teachers are looking forward to meeting with you to share your child’s progress and celebrate their achievements!

Thank you for your continued support – we are proud of what our tamariki are achieving and couldn’t do it without our amazing Awapuni whānau.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ms. Russell

Tumuaki | Principal

Awapuni School

Friday, 20th June

• Matariki – Closed 🚫

Monday, 23rd June

• Parent/Teacher Conferences – 12pm finish

Friday, 27th June

• Pyjama Day Mufti Fundraiser
• Last Day of Term 2

Monday, 14th July

• First Day of Term 3

Friday, 25th July

• Cross Country – 10:30am, Rangitāne Park

We’ve been working hard on improving attendance across the school. Incentives are in place to encourage regular attendance, and we’ve recently introduced a morning van run to support whānau who are facing transport challenges. Please note this is a temporary support to help families while longer-term solutions are put in place.

If your child is going to be away, please use the HERO app or phone the school and leave a message with the reason for their absence. If we don’t receive a valid reason, the absence is marked as unjustified and may be referred to attendance services if it happens frequently. If you need support using the HERO app, I’m happy to help – it’s a great tool for communication, receiving notices, and tracking your child’s progress.

Each term, the whole school community is invited to review and comment on specific policies and procedures. This feedback is captured using the review button on topic for the board to consider.

This term our Health, Safety and Welfare policies are under review. Login to our SchoolDocs with the username (awapuni-primary) and password (rochester) to read these topics and provide your feedback.

Parents and caregivers can view their child’s billing statement at any time via the Finance page in Hero. We kindly ask you to check for any outstanding payments, particularly as we head into the winter sports season.

If you have any questions about student billing or would like to set up a payment plan, please don’t hesitate to contact the office.

Payments can be made directly from the app, or by direct credit to the school’s bank account:
ASB | 12-3142-0505673-00

Parents/caregivers need let the school know if your child is going to be absent for each day they are away during the school term. You can let us know in the following ways, please include the reason for absence so we can record this correctly in our system:

1. Hero: Report an absence function
2. Phone: 06 358 1735 (absentee line)
3. Email: admin@awapuni-primary.school.nz

We strongly recommend parents download the Hero app to stay in the loop with Awapuni School. This is how we share important school messages with parents and keep you informed about new learning posts from your child/ren.

Please click here to download the Hero app and login – Follow the steps to sign up with the email address you provided the school. If you are having any issues, please contact the school office to ensure we have the correct email in the system.

Te Aroha Noa Early Childhood Centre is open and welcoming to all families in the community. We currently have spaces available for children aged 3 to 5 years, and we’re able to offer an immediate start to anyone who gets in touch.

Website: https://tearohanoa.org.nz/what-we-do/early-childhood-centre/

Palmerston North City Council is excited to invite your school community to join us for this year’s Puanga Festival – a celebration of the Māori New Year in partnership with Rangitāne o Manawatū. The theme is ‘honouring the past, enjoying the present, looking forward to the future’ - a reflection of Puanga as a time to reconnect, reflect and reset for the year ahead.

Come along and experience:

• An awesome line-up of local performers – including Te KuraHuia, Forte, The KaRs and AfterParty

• Tamariki-friendly activities – including poi and ti rakau (stick game)

• A variety of tradition kai to keep bellies (and hearts) full

• The StarWalk installation, featuring eight LED sculptures representing the Matariki constellation and Puanga star.

The festival will take place on Friday 20 June from 3-7pm at Central Energy Trust Arena’s Pit Lane.

Council elections and the Māori Ward referendum are coming – enrol now to have your say! If you’ve moved house or haven’t voted in a while, check your details now at vote.nz. Voting papers go to the address on your enrolment, so make sure yours is correct!

How to enrol or update details:

• Visit vote.nz to enrol online.
• Call 0800 36 76 56 to request a form.
• Head to our Customer Service Centre or libraries to pick up a form.