Porritt School Press

Kia ora tātou e te whānau o Te Kura o Porritt!

We are a mere days out from opur 'Kaiako Connect Hui' day on Monday 3 February. We look forward to these valuable chances to korero with our whānau and caregivers.

We are so excited to welcome your tamariki back to kura on Tuesday 4 February as well!

We've been working hard to be organised for a huge school year at Porritt School where we celebrate our 50th birthday!

You'll receive more information about the year ahead next week. Until then, this Porritt School Press is a Back to School edition to help your whānau get sorted ahead of next Monday.

We are really looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Mauriora e te whānau - well wishes to you all until we see you again.

Maaka Papuni - Tumuaki

Hopefully, you will have seen our HERO notification and post on our school Facebook page about our Kaiako Connect Hui on Monday 3rd February.

We would like to invite whānau and caregivers to our 'Kaiako Connect Hui' to meet with you from 9.00am until 5.00pm. These hui/meetings are a 15 minute sit down korero with your child, and your child's Home Teacher for 2025.

If you have not booked a Kaiako Connect Hui, you will need to click the link below and enter the following event code - ecvz7

The purpose of these meetings for our kaiako is to have a face-to-face conversation to connect with our whānau, to share some information with you, and to give you time to share information with us about your child. We'd also like to talk about what you value about your child's learning and what you'd like us to support your child with.

Please bring your mobile phone, so we can help you check your HERO app is fully operational. We will also check your contact details during this time together.

We look forward to seeing you soon and connecting with you and your child!

He pānui! He pānui!

On the first day of the school year for 2025, we'd like to welcome all new tamariki, whānau, caregivers and staff into the Porritt School whānau with a pōwhiri at school under our covered court.

We invite all of our new tamariki and whānau to join us on the front court at 9.05am on Tuesday 4 February.

We are excited about these tamariki hou - our new learners, whānau and kaimahi, and your new beginnings with us.

Following the pōwhiri, we will share a cup of tea and some kai together.

Mā te wā! See you all on Tuesday 4 February.

Easy contact with our teaching and support staff is really important.

Please see teacher and support email contacts below;

Team Tahi

Leanne Heaven - leanne.heaven@porritt.school.nz

Jasdeep Kaur - jasdeep.kaur@porritt.school.nz

Clare Peters - clare.peters@porritt.school.co.nz

Team Rua

Felicity Baker - felicity.baker@porritt.school.nz

Mikayla Renor - mikayla.renor@porritt.school.nz

Janice Groom - janice@porritt.school.nz

Paula Nicol - paula.nicol@porritt.school.nz

Term Toru

Libby Arends - libby.arends@porritt.school.nz

Nic McGrath - nic@porritt.school.nz

Kayla Stephens - kayla.stephens@porritt.school.nz

Team Whā

Hannah Jones - hannah.jones@porritt.school.nz

Karaitiana Aranui - karaitiana.aranui@porritt.school.nz

Year 4-6 Reo Rua

Alana Moriarty - alana.moriarty@porritt.school.nz

Ben Martin - ben.martin@porritt.school.nz

HERO School App Support: Tony Parker - tony@porritt.school.nz

Office Manager: Tori Anderson - office.manager@porritt.school.nz

Finance Manager: Jo Hayes - finance.manager@porritt.school.nz

Deputy Principal: Marsha Keesom - marsha.keesom@porritt.school.nz

Principal: Maaka Papuni - principal@porritt.school.nz

Our Year 4-6 Reo Rua learning space is ready to start in 2025! All tamariki that have a place in the Reo Rua learning space will have received an email and a HERO post to confirm your child's place in this space.

We fielded close to 50 expressions of interest in this space! We are so excited about the growth of this pathway in our kura in years to come.

In lieu of a Kaiako Connect Hui on Monday, we'd like to meet with all of these tamariki and whānau at 5.00pm on Monday 3rd February. We look forward to prioritising whakawhanaungatanga - making connections, and giving you more information about how the space will work at this stage. We'd also like to hear about what you value and what you'd like our tamariki to learn.

Come to the school hall at 5.00pm for a hui before we conclude by sharing some kai in the Reo Rua space.

Mā te wā - see you soon.

Our Porritt School uniform is supplied by Schooltex via The Warehouse in Napier. Head along to the school uniform section to find these.

The school polo shirt and jersey are both essential items. The Warehouse also sells black shorts and black skorts. These items are also recommended.

You may also purchase black trousers, shorts and leggings from elsewhere, but they need to be black. Last year we saw lots of different colours shorts, trousers, and leggings. We want to be consistent here in 2025 - black bottoms only.

Thank you for our support - our tamariki look so smart in their uniforms!

We sell our school bucket hats in the school office. These hats are compulsory for all tamariki in Term 1 and Term 4. There are no exceptions and non-uniform sun hats are not permitted.

As mentioned last year, the cap is no longer in production. We are still looking at options here. A cap will be available later in the year.

Truth be known, the bucket hat is a better option for sun protection. They are Mr Papuni's favourite!

These cost $15 each. Pop in and see Tori and Jo in the school office. Please make sure you name this hat. A field full of yellow bucket hats after lunchtime is a common sight!

Sienna and Kiera looking great in their bucket hats!

We have been busy over the holidays! We have replaced playground equipment like our slide! We have dug out and refilled our bark/mulch areas. Our hall ceiling and beams have been painted, and we have an awesome new stage in the hall! Some concrete has been laid to make our school safer, the lawns look amazing, and we have even valeted the school van!

We are really proud of our kura - we are ready to go whānau!

Here are some images of the mahi that has been done 👍

Don't believe for a second that we're all sunning ourselves on the beach until the school bell rings next Monday!

Our kaiako, our teachers, have been flat out this week with some professional learning as a group. We have dived into our new Maths learning, discussed our priorities for growth in 2025, our Porritt School curriculum, gone for a hikoi looking at hītori (history) close to home and welcomed new colleagues into our whānau.

Here are some images of our teachers connecting, collaborating and learning. We are really excited about the year ahead!

A big mihi and word of thanks to Matua Kade, one of our Learning Mentors for the past two years.

After being involved with the HB Magpies Rugby Academy, Kade has moved away to the lush, green plains of the Manawatū region. Kade was a great role model for our learners as a Learning Mentor.

All the best Matua Kade, for your new adventures closer to whānau. We may just see you back up here in your rugby boots in some green and white stripes!

Thank you for your commitment to our tamariki.