Tēnā koutou katoa, e te whānau o Kio Kio,

Welcome Back to Term 2

Welcome back to Term 2 — and what a wonderful start it has been. It was lovely to welcome our new families to Kio Kio School with a mihi whakatau. In the spirit of this special occasion, we open our hearts and our doors to you. We acknowledge the tangata whenua of this land and the wairua of our kura that brings us all together.

To our new students — we are excited to see the unique talents, energy, and perspectives you will bring to our classrooms. We understand that starting a new journey can bring both excitement and a few nerves. Please know that Kio Kio School is a place of safety, a place of learning, and, above all, a place where you belong.

To our new families — welcome to our school community. Thank you for entrusting us with your greatest treasures. We look forward to working in partnership with you and walking alongside you in your child’s learning journey.

To our returning students and families — welcome back! It has been fantastic to see so many happy faces returning after the holidays. I have heard many wonderful stories of time spent with family and friends, creating special memories together.

At the start of this week, I took leave to support my daughter, who was selected to represent the Waikato region at the New Zealand Pony Club Eventing Championships in Hawke’s Bay — a proud moment for our whānau.

Unfortunately, the recent weather has brought significant challenges across many regions, with flooding and road damage impacting travel. As a result, our Tōtara and Kahikatea camp in New Plymouth could not proceed due to road closures. We know this is extremely disappointing for our students, staff, and families — particularly for those who had committed significant time to preparation and, in some cases, taken leave from work to attend.

We are currently working through options to reschedule later in the year so that our students can still enjoy this important experience. Thank you for your patience and understanding — while we were very keen for the camp to proceed, safety must always come first.

Looking Ahead to the Term

ANZAC Day – Friday 25 April (observed Monday 27 April)
ANZAC Day is a time for us to remember and honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of the men and women who have served New Zealand in times of war and conflict. It is an important opportunity for our students to reflect on the values of service, resilience, and remembrance.

ANZAC Day Service:

Our students have the opportunity to participate in the ANZAC Day service in Ōtorohanga. If you would like your child to join the procession, please meet Mrs Karen Coleman at the Village Green at 9:45 am on the 25th of April. Students should wear their school polo shirts, black shorts or trousers, or skirts. They will walk quietly to the memorial and stand respectfully while our Councillors lay a wreath. Afterwards, the group will return to the Village Green, where parents can pick up their children.

Ngaruawāhia Catholic School Visit
Our Year 3–4 class will be hosting students from Ngaruawāhia Catholic School. Their classroom release teacher, Bav Randhawa, is a former Kio Kio student who holds many fond memories of her time here. She is looking forward to sharing her primary school experience with her class during their visit on Thursday, 30 April.

Book Week – Week 4
Our wonderful Library Administrator, Amanda Wright, has been busily preparing an exciting programme of activities for Book Week. A highlight of this week will be our Grandparents’ Morning on Tuesday, 12 May.
This year, the morning will begin with a Grandparents’ Assembly at 10:30 am. We warmly invite all grandparents, whānau, and friends to join us for this special occasion. Further details will be shared via email in the coming week.

Winter Sports Day – Year 3–8
Also in Week 4, our Year 3–8 students will head into town to participate in Winter Sports Day, competing in netball, football, and rippa rugby against other local schools. We look forward to a great day of participation, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

School Updates & Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to our Supporters Committee for purchasing four new 75-inch TVs. These have already made a significant difference in classrooms, enhancing teaching and learning experiences for both students and staff.

We would also like to sincerely thank Ian Lawrence for generously giving his time to remove the old units, prepare the spaces, and install the new TVs. We are incredibly fortunate to have such skilled and supportive members within our community — your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Community Event

The Supporters Committee’s Yacht Party fundraiser is taking place on the 23rd of May. It promises to be a fantastic night of great food, live music, and exciting auction items. Please see the flyer in this newsletter for further details — we hope many of you can come along and support this event.

School Safety Update

It was fantastic to see the installation of the variable speed limit outside our school over the holidays. This means that during peak drop-off and pick-up times, the speed limit will be reduced to 60km/h, helping to keep our students and community safe. Thank you for your support in adhering to these changes.

Fuel Plan Information

The Government has introduced a National Fuel Response Plan, with New Zealand currently at Phase 1: Watchful. This means fuel supply remains stable and available nationwide.

At this stage, onsite learning and regular attendance remain our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and plan ahead for any potential changes, keeping you informed if needed.

To support our community, we encourage families to consider options such as carpooling where possible.

Attendance

Our school attendance continues to improve, which is fantastic to see. Yesterday marked our first day of 100% student attendance for the year — an outstanding achievement.

Regular attendance is essential for student learning and success, and we appreciate the commitment our families are showing in supporting this. Please note that fuel-related absences must be recorded as unjustified, so we encourage families to work together where possible — for example, through carpooling — to ensure students can continue to attend school regularly.

As we look ahead to the term, I am excited to see the learning and achievement that will continue to grow across our kura, particularly through the lens of our school value of Ownership — encouraging our students to take responsibility for their learning, their choices, and their success.

I wish you all a safe and enjoyable long weekend, and I look forward to another positive and productive term together.

Ngā mihi nui,
Pip Were
Principal
Kio Kio School

START OF THE SCHOOL DAY

The official teaching day begins at 9.00am and ends at 2.55pm . Our bus students arrive at school close to 8.30am. We prefer that students are dropped off from 8.30am onwards as staff are preparing for the day and may not be able to supervise students.
Under special circumstances we will accept students arriving at school earlier than this through consultation with your child's teacher.

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 @School 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 Kauri 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

Lost property racks and bins are piling up once again. Check out the lost property on the front deck and encourage your child/ren to have a look too. Named items will be returned to students, so please name your child's clothing and gear.