School Roll : 142

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa – Greetings to you all,

It is such a pleasure to welcome back all of our tamariki to the start of Term 2. The school grounds were buzzing with excitement as smiling students greeted each other like long-lost friends reuniting after an epic adventure. We hope you were able to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation over the Easter weekend. It has been heartwarming to hear students sharing stories of special family moments spent together during the break.

We were incredibly proud to have many of our students representing Kio Kio School at the ANZAC Day service in Ōtorohanga. A special congratulations to our Student Councillors who laid the wreath on behalf of the school. Thank you to Mrs Coleman for supporting our students on the day. It was especially rewarding to receive such positive feedback from members of the community about the respectful and mature way our students conducted themselves. Although I couldn’t attend the service personally, I was in Blenheim supporting two of my children who represented Waikato at the New Zealand Area Teams Eventing Championships. It was a full-on week, but incredibly rewarding – both competed strongly across all three phases of the event.

On Monday, our teaching staff took part in a Mathematics professional learning session with the Ministry of Education. The session focused on unpacking and using the new mathematics curriculum, and it was incredibly valuable. These opportunities help ensure our teaching remains up to date and aligned with best practice, which ultimately benefits all of our learners.

I’m also thrilled to announce that Mrs Paige Kelly will be joining the Kio Kio School team as our new Year 7 & 8 teacher starting in Week 7. Paige is an experienced and dynamic teacher, having taught across all year levels and taken on a variety of leadership roles – including coordinating school productions, sports teams, and school-wide events. She is well-versed in PB4L and has recently been involved in redeveloping her current school's values. Paige has strong ties to our community, having attended Kio Kio School herself in Years 7 and 8. With family and friends still in the area – including her mother, Mrs Karen Coleman, who is currently teaching here – Paige's return is a wonderful full-circle moment. We look forward to welcoming her back and are confident she will bring great value to our team.

Reminders for the Term Ahead:

Severe Peanut Allergy: Please do not send any peanuts or peanut-based products with your child to school. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping all students safe.
Lost Property: Please name all of your child’s clothing and belongings. Items without names often end up in our growing lost property collection!

Our School Values – P.O.W.E.R

At Kio Kio School, we live by our values of Perseverance, Ownership, Wonder, Excellence, and Respect. This term, we encourage all students to show perseverance when faced with new challenges in their learning, take ownership of their actions both in and out of the classroom, approach each day with a sense of wonder, strive for excellence in their efforts, and treat others with respect in their interactions. These values guide our behaviour and contribute to a positive, inclusive school culture.

Thank You!

A huge thank you to the amazing dads – Dan Brice and Mark Hughes – for installing our vibrant new P.O.W.E.R character signs at the school entrance. These colourful, eye-catching characters are a fantastic addition to our environment and help reinforce the positive culture we value at Kio Kio School. A special thank you also to Kirsten Beck for her hard work in securing funding and organising the creation of the characters – your efforts are truly appreciated!

Thank you also to:

Katie and Han Krukerink for the generous donation of firewood to raffle off.
The Fleming Family for the generous donation of a cattle beast to support our fundraising efforts.
Ōtorohanga Butchery for kindly donating their time and expertise to process the beast.

We are truly grateful to be part of such a caring and generous community.

Whakatau – Friday Morning

To celebrate the beginning of Term 2, we will be holding a whole school Whakatau on Friday morning to welcome everyone back. A small group of students have been preparing for this event and will be supported by Anaru Morgan as they grow in confidence to lead the welcome. We ask that all students wear their school polos on Friday for this occasion.

Science Roadshow – Next Week

Next week, our students will participate in the Science Roadshow, New Zealand’s premier hands-on science education programme. With live shows, interactive exhibits, and engaging resources, this experience is designed to spark curiosity and deepen students' understanding of the world around them through science and technology.

Life Education – 9th to 14th May

We’re looking forward to welcoming Harold and Abby Miles from Life Education Trust back to Kio Kio School. Life Education delivers meaningful, age-appropriate lessons on health and wellbeing, covering topics such as friendships, identity, food and nutrition, and how to make safe choices. The programme is tailored to the needs of each school and supports the development of confident, resilient tamariki.

Attendance Matters

Thank you to our amazing whānau for prioritising regular attendance. We are pleased to report an improvement from Term 1 in 2024 (66%) to Term 1 in 2025, with 73% of students attending regularly. We know that regular attendance builds strong learning habits, supports academic success, and strengthens friendships and emotional wellbeing.

Camp Survey – Have Your Say

Next week, we’ll be sending out a community survey regarding Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) & school camps. We want your input to help improve our systems and create a consistent, meaningful experience for students in the years ahead. Keep an eye out for the link – we value your feedback.

Supporters Committee – Rio Carnival Evening

Our Supporters Committee is working hard to bring you a vibrant Rio Carnival Evening on Saturday the 10th of May! Expect colourful decorations, live music, delicious food, and exciting auction items. It promises to be a spectacular night – tickets are still available, so contact the school office to secure yours. You won't want to miss it!

Winter Sport

Winter sports are kicking off this week, with teams taking to the fields and courts for rugby, football, and netball. Please ensure your child is fully prepared for practices and games with the appropriate gear. We are incredibly grateful to the dedicated coaches and managers who volunteer their time and energy to support our teams – their commitment is invaluable. If your child is unable to attend a practice or game, please be considerate and let their coach or manager know in advance. We're confident our Kio Kio students and whānau will proudly uphold our P.O.W.E.R values both on and off the field. I’m looking forward to hearing all about the fantastic games and sportsmanship displayed throughout the season!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,
Pip Were
Principal, Kio Kio School

STUDENT INFORMATION UPDATE FORM 2025

We still have a few of these outstanding. The form is requesting that you check that we have the current information on file and permissions. Can we please have them returned to the school office as soon as possible.

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 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 Kahikatea 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

We have some lost property from last term. Come and check it out so we can return the clothing to your children.
Please ensure that your child's name or initials are placed on their belongings, so they can be returned to them immediately.

NEXT BOT MEETING - 14th May 2025 at 6.30pm

'WHAKATANGATA, PLAYING THE GAME OF LIFE'

# 6 - 1st May 2025

In This Issue

PRINCIPAL NEWS

THANKYOU

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

FAREWELL TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

LIFE EDUCATION TRUST

SCHOOL POOL

KIO KIO SCHOOL SUPPORTERS COMMITTEE FUNDRAISER

IMPORTANT DATES

OUR SCHOOL VALUES

WE NEED YOUR HELP

EVERYDAY NOTICES

Book Week 2025

FRIDAY LUNCHES AVAILABLE

Autism Course

KIO KIO SCHOOL POLICIES