Kia ora koutou,

It is hard to believe we are already well into the second half of Term 3. While this week has been a little quieter on the events front, there continues to be plenty of great learning happening across Kio Kio School.

Unfortunately, sickness has certainly made its presence felt over the past couple of weeks, with a number of our students and staff becoming quite unwell with a range of winter illnesses. The Ministry of Education has recently communicated with schools about the high levels of winter illness currently being experienced across the country.

The guidance is clear that if children are sick, they should stay home until they are well enough to return to school. This gives them the opportunity to properly recover and also helps reduce the spread of illness to other students and staff. We absolutely want our students at school every day they are well enough to be here, but at the moment we really appreciate families keeping children home when they are genuinely unwell.

Sports Camp

Last week, our Sports Camp team headed away to Tōtara Springs for a fantastic week of competition, teamwork and new experiences. We were incredibly proud of the way our students represented Kio Kio School throughout the week. They demonstrated our P.O.W.E.R. values, supporting one another, giving everything a go and showing excellent sportsmanship.

A huge thank you to Emma Telfer and Abby Keech, who made this opportunity possible. Experiences like Sports Camp require a considerable amount of organisation, preparation and commitment behind the scenes, and we are very grateful for the time and energy they put into providing such a memorable experience for our students.

Excellence in Everything We Do

Our value focus this term is Excellence, and it has been great to see this being demonstrated in so many different ways. Excellence does not always mean being the best or getting everything right the first time. It is about taking pride in what we do, giving our best effort, responding to feedback and continuing to improve.

As I move around our classrooms, I continue to see students challenging themselves, working hard and taking pride in their learning. These everyday moments are just as important to celebrate as our bigger achievements.

A Busy Finish Ahead

Although this week has been relatively settled, we have plenty to look forward to as we move towards the final weeks of Term 3. Preparations for our school production are well underway, with lots happening behind the scenes as our students and staff get ready to bring the show to life. It is always exciting to see all of the different pieces begin to come together, and we are looking forward to sharing the finished production with our community.

Our Tōtara and Kahikatea classes are also preparing for their upcoming camps near New Plymouth. Camps are such a valuable part of school life, providing our students with opportunities to challenge themselves, build independence, strengthen friendships and experience learning beyond the classroom. There is certainly plenty for our students to look forward to over the coming weeks!

Thank you, as always, to our parents, whānau and wider community for the many different ways you support our school. Whether it is helping at an event, encouraging learning at home, transporting children or simply checking in with your child's teacher, your support makes a real difference.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to another great week at Kio Kio School.

Ngā mihi nui,

Pip Were
Principal | Tumuaki

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 Kowhai and Kauri classes with severe peanut allergies 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 rack and bins have mounted up over Term 2. Check it out on the front deck and encourage your child/ren to have a look to reclaim their clothing items.
Named items will be returned to students, so please name your child's clothing and gear.