THE FLASH

Kia ora koutou,

What an incredible way to finish Term 3!

This week, we have been absolutely wowed by the performances in our school production, The Jungle Book. It has been wonderful to see every one of our students have the opportunity to shine on stage. From our lead characters bringing the story to life through their acting, to the creative class dances, beautiful singing and solo performances – there has been so much talent, confidence and enthusiasm on display.

A production of this scale certainly doesn’t happen by chance. It has been a term in the making, with countless practices and a huge commitment from both our students, staff & parents.

A very special thank you to Mrs Karen Coleman and Mrs Paige Kelly for leading the production, and to Mrs Larna Culpan for the fantastic props and backdrop designs that have helped transform our stage. I would also like to acknowledge Mrs Katie Krukerink, who put an enormous amount of time into creating, designing and organising many of our costumes.

To our wonderful parents and whānau – thank you. From helping to create costumes and spending evenings learning lines, to face painting our students and helping them get ready for each performance, your time, creativity and support have played such an important part in bringing The Jungle Book to life. We are incredibly grateful for the way our school community has come together to support our students and make this production such a special experience.

With tonight being our final performance, I know our students are ready to finish with their best show yet!

Camp Adventures Ahead

Next week, Kahikatea and Tōtara classes head away to Vertical Horizons in Inglewood for their school camp. They have an action-packed programme ahead of them, including grass karts, orienteering, raft building, archery and many other challenges and adventures.

Camp is such a special opportunity for our students to challenge themselves, build independence, strengthen friendships and create memories that will last well beyond their school years.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Karen Coleman and Mrs Emma Telfer, who will be leading the camp. The time, energy and logistical thinking that goes into organising a week-long camp is enormous. From planning activities and managing paperwork to coordinating transport, accommodation, parent helpers and the many health and safety requirements, there is a huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes. Thank you both for the commitment you have put into ensuring our students have a safe, well-organised and memorable camp experience.

I also want to acknowledge and thank the parents and whānau who are giving up their time to attend camp and support our students throughout the week. We simply couldn’t provide experiences like this without your help.

I wish Kahikatea and Tōtara a fantastic week away, filled with plenty of adventure, laughter, new challenges and wonderful memories.

Shaping the Future of Kio Kio School

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to share their aspirations for Kio Kio School through our recent community consultation.

The Board has begun reviewing the feedback, alongside the voice gathered from our students, as we plan our strategic direction for the coming years. Five strong themes have emerged:

Learning and Achievement – ensuring strong foundations in literacy and mathematics and supporting every learner to make progress.
Wellbeing, Safety and Belonging – developing confident, resilient students who feel safe, supported and connected.
Culture, Identity and Values – strengthening our POWER values, sense of belonging and connections with our local community and culture.
Rich and Engaging Learning Opportunities – continuing to provide sport, camps, the arts, outdoor learning and hands-on experiences alongside strong classroom learning.
Our Environment and Future Investment – continuing to improve our classrooms, playgrounds, sports facilities, technology and wider school environment.

Your feedback is incredibly valuable and will help guide the Board as we develop the next strategic plan for Kio Kio School.

Supporting the Whole Child

At Kio Kio School, we recognise that helping children succeed involves much more than their academic learning. Their well-being, confidence, relationships and sense of belonging are equally important.

As you will have read elsewhere in this newsletter, we are able to offer counselling sessions onsite, with eligible sessions supported through Gumboot Friday. Over the past year, we have also been fortunate to have Art Therapist Abby McCall, from Te Awamutu, working onsite each Friday.

Art therapy gives children another way to communicate and work through thoughts and emotions that they may find difficult to express in words. Through creative activities, children can build confidence, develop emotional awareness and learn strategies to support their wellbeing.

Our Board of Trustees recognises the value of this support and has agreed to continue resourcing this service. We believe investing in the well-being of our children is an important part of helping them thrive both at school and beyond.

Staffing Update

I would also like to share that I have sadly received Miss Madisyn Beard’s resignation. Madi will remain with us until the end of the school year before heading to Australia at Christmas to begin an exciting new adventure.

We will certainly be sad to see Madi leave Kio Kio School, and there will be an opportunity later in the year to properly acknowledge her contribution to our school and wish her well. I will begin advertising for a classroom teacher in the coming weeks as we plan for 2027.

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches – Reminder

A reminder to all students and families that, under the Government’s phones away for the day requirements, students are not permitted to use mobile phones during the school day. At Kio Kio School, this also applies to smart watches and other personal devices that can be used to communicate, call or message.

If a mobile phone or smart watch needs to be brought to school, it must be handed into the school office upon arrival and can be collected again when the student leaves at the end of the day.

My best advice is simple – please keep these devices at home wherever possible. This removes the risk of devices being lost, damaged or used inappropriately and helps us maintain a safe, focused learning environment for everyone.

Thank you for your support with this expectation.

Finishing Term 3

A reminder that our Celebration Assembly will be held on Monday at 2.00pm. The change of time allows Kahikatea and Tōtara students to be part of our end-of-term celebrations before they head away to camp.

As Term 3 comes to an end, I know our students and staff are ready for a very well-deserved break. It has been an incredibly full term, with so many opportunities and achievements to celebrate.

I wish all of our Kio Kio School families a safe, happy and relaxing holiday break, with plenty of time to spend with the people you love most.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4 and kicking off another exciting term with Ag Day.

Ngā mihi nui,

Pip Were
Principal

Totara Springs Sports Camp

What an incredible week at Totara Springs Sports Camp!

We were very fortunate to take 12 Kio Kio School students to join forces with Korakonui School for an action-packed week of sport, teamwork and fun. Together, our students competed against nine other schools, with around 350 students taking part in the camp.

Throughout the week, students competed in a huge range of sports and activities, from Soccer, Netball and Rugby through to Human Foosball, Cage Soccer, Triathlon, Handball, Tennis, Rock Climbing, Croquet and Golf. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to try new activities, challenge themselves and represent our schools with pride.

Our combined Kio Kio and Korakonui team achieved some outstanding results:

Winners: Handball, Cage Soccer, Tennis and Rock Climbing
Runners-Up: Croquet, Hole-in-One Golf and Triathlon

However, Sports Camp was about much more than results. Our students learnt the importance of teamwork, cooperation, perseverance, encouragement and supporting one another. They discovered that being part of a successful team means everyone contributing, celebrating each other's strengths, picking each other up when things don't go to plan and continuing to give your best.

A huge amount of work went into preparing for Sports Camp. In the weeks leading up to camp, our students travelled to Korakonui School for regular sports training, learning how to work together as one team. We also had our weekly cheer practices with Mel from Oto Dance Co, who helped prepare our students for another important part of the Sports Camp experience.

A very special thank you to Abby Keech, our wonderful Kio Kio parent helper, who gave up her time to attend camp and support Mrs Telfer and our students throughout the week. We are also extremely grateful to the Korakonui School team — Matua Fraser, Jude Stacey and Gerard Dorssers — for all the time, organisation, coaching and support they provided before and during camp.

Thank you also to the Kio Kio School Supporters Committee for your generous financial support. Opportunities such as this would not be possible without the wonderful support we receive from our school community.

We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented Kio Kio School. They showed determination, sportsmanship, resilience and a willingness to give everything a go. Most importantly, they came away with new friendships, great memories and an experience they will remember for many years to come.

Ka mau te wehi, team!