Huge congratulations to Mrs Gifford Moore and her incredible Kids’ Lit Quiz team! The quiz is held in one division and our Year 6 team competed against all other Year 5/6’s AND all the Year 7/8 teams. Of 44 teams – we placed 10th overall. Even more exciting, we were the FIRST Year 6 team overall – edging out College Street in a tiebreaker!

The children each received a Whitcoulls gift voucher (for winning one of the rounds outright) and a book for being the top placed Year 6 team.
Ella-Marie, Jonny, Grace, Silas and Priscilla – ka aroha ra!!!!!

Welcome to Term 2! I trust that you all enjoyed some family time over the break. It was lovely to see the children excited about being back to school this week (and I know that for SOME of you at least, you were pretty happy to be sending them).

A special welcome to our newest families – we have had 8 new children start this week, I am confident that you will enjoy being part of Hokowhitu School and our amazing school community.

Today marks the end of Term 1 here at school - how time flies when you are having fun! Reflecting on this first term, we have achieved lots already. 38 children have enrolled at school over this term, the staff now know all their learners well, we have had 2 opportunities to meet with whānau, EOTC week was just fantastic, learning programmes are in full swing, everyone has had the opportunity to participate in swimming programmes and either a triathlon or a duathlon, loads of our children have completed summer sports and even more have registered for the winter codes, we’ve had visits from some of our local kindergartens (and some children have been back to visit them), things are now in full swing with professional learning within the Palmerston North East Kahui Ako etc.

Term 2 events will include school and interschool cross country events, a parent evening for Year 1 and 2 parents outlining the MSL approach to teaching literacy at our school (8th May), marae visits for everyone, a pie selling fundraiser, Board of Trustees triennial elections, and our school-wide inquiry focus is ‘Komitimiti’ - blending and coming together. A term calendar will come home early next term with specific dates.

Another date you may want plenty of warning for is that the Board has approved closing the school on Friday the 31st May for a Teacher Only professional learning day. This is the Friday prior to the Queens Birthday public holiday on the 3rd June.

Farewell and thank you to Miss Macmillan who has been working alongside Mrs Orr in Ruma Rua for the last 4 weeks. We wish you all the best for the rest of your study Hannah.

UPDATED CONTACT DETAILS - have yours changed since you enrolled your child?
It is ALWAYS really important that school is immediately contacted when you change address, or have a new phone number or email address, OR the contact details for one of your emergency contacts change. Sadly, we often find ourselves not able to contact you or your contacts immediately, as this has been overlooked. Please check that we do have up to date details for your child/ren. If they are suddenly unwell, it is very disheartening for them to not have a significant adult in their life at their side.

As it is a Board of Trustees election year, it is extra important that we have correct addresses etc of everyone eligible to vote in the upcoming BoT election. Nominations will be called for early next term.

Email, phone or text the school to update right now!