It is a privilege to share with you all the incredible activities and achievements that have filled our school recently. The energy and engagement of our students, staff, and community truly make Kio Kio School a special place. We continue to put our POWER values at the heart of everything we do, with a particular focus this term on RESPECT—Manaakitanga. This means showing respect in our words, our actions, our interactions with one another, and in how we treat our school equipment and environment. It's about upholding the mana of our school and everyone in it. I am excited to see what the rest of term four has in store for everyone.

A huge congratulations to our two Rippa Rugby teams, from both Year 5/6 and Year 7/8, who qualified from the Te Kuiti tournament to compete in the King Country Rippa Finals in Taupō! Both teams represented Kio Kio School with pride and showed excellent sportsmanship throughout the day, embodying all of our school values. It was a fantastic achievement that both teams made it to the semi-finals, only to be defeated by the eventual grade winners. Ka pai rawa atu (excellent work) to our students for their commitment and effort. A massive thank you also goes to Mrs Emma Telfer and the parents who provided invaluable support and transport—your commitment is truly appreciated.

Our Pōhutukawa class had an amazing time on camp recently, joining with students from Rangitoto School at Pirongia Forest Lodge. It was a brilliantly organised camp that provided fantastic opportunities for growth and challenge. The students tackled the zip line, scaled the rock wall, learned archery, zoomed on mountain bikes, and bonded through skits and team-building activities. These experiences don't just happen; they were wonderfully supported by an amazing team of parents who rolled up their sleeves and helped with every aspect of the camp. A huge mihi nui (big thank you) to Miss Beck and Mrs Reynolds (from Rangitoto School) for orchestrating such an incredible experience.

Last week, Mrs Culpan, Mrs Twentyman, Mrs Coleman, and Mrs Kelly took part in a valuable two-day professional development course, upskilling themselves in structured literacy. All staff returned with a full kete (basket) of knowledge, adding to their already impressive skills and expertise in this critical area. Continuing to upskill our staff in this domain is extremely important because, as the Ministry of Education has highlighted, a structured literacy approach is based on the Science of Reading and is the most effective way to equip our children with the strong foundational reading, spelling and writing skills that are critical for their futures and long-term achievement. We are committed to ensuring our ākonga (learners) get the very best start.

Tuesday saw our school grounds truly come to life for our annual Ag Day! The baaing of lambs, the mooing of calves, the barking of dogs, and all the animal noises created a glorious atmosphere. It was wonderful to see our students caring for, hugging, and loving their animals—a beautiful demonstration of Manaakitanga and Respect for the natural world.

Ag Day is, without a doubt, the heart of our school community. It represents the enduring values we hold as a school, where the connection between our community, our environment, and our children is celebrated. It fosters Responsibility (Kawenga) and Enthusiasm (Ngākaunui) in our young people.

This wonderful day simply could not have happened without the extraordinary support of our entire community. Thank you for the huge effort put into prize packs, mowing lawns, setting up the pens, sponsoring, judging, and the hours of preparation and packing down. Your support ensures the day runs smoothly and does not go unnoticed. A massive shout out to our teachers for the artwork preparation—it was truly artstanding! Most importantly, the day's success is due to the months of behind-the-scenes work by Mrs Emma Telfer. Thank you, Emma, for your tireless work and dedication.

I wish our students the very best of luck who are representing our school at Group Day on Friday with their calves and lambs. I know you will represent Kio Kio School strongly.

Today, our NZEI members are exercising their right to strike. We stand with our colleagues who are taking action to urge the Government to invest properly in our public education system, primarily by ensuring competitive pay that attracts and retains quality teachers and by advocating for increased support in the classroom for our students with additional learning needs.

Finally, I want to commend our entire community on our attendance data. This year, we have seen an increase each term from our 2024 data, showing a fantastic 9-10% increase in student attendance. I commend you for investing in your children by making school attendance a priority. As the quote from Andrew Millar from Roar Coaching says, "You can't fake showing up." By attending school every day, your child is developing the crucial habit of commitment, which research shows is intrinsically linked to better achievement, stronger relationships with peers and teachers, and increased future opportunities. 

Just a reminder that school will be closed on Monday as we observe Labour Day. I look forward to seeing you all back at school on Tuesday.

Nāku noa, nā,

Pip Were

Principal, Kio Kio School

During the two weeks from 3rd November to 14th November , there will be contractors on site with maintenace work being undertaken, with minimal disruptions to classes.

Thursday 30th October, a large container is being delivered to school and will be placed opposite where the bus parks during the day.  Can we please ask for parents to keep this area clear. 

Term 4 - Mon 6th October - 17th Dec

24th October - Group Day
27th October - Public Holiday - Labour Day
29th October - Athletics 

5th November - COPS Athletics
7th November - Celebration Assembly
7th November - Gumboot Friday
24th November - Board of Trustees Meeting 5.30pm
28th November - Fireworks Gala

2-3rd December - Yr8 College Interviews
5th December - Christmas parade
15th December - Prizegiving Assembly
15th December - Reports 
17th December - Last day of Term 4

Term 1 - Monday 2nd February - Thursday 2nd April
Term 2 - Monday 20th April - Friday 3rd July
Term 3 - Monday 20th July -  Friday 25th September 
Term 4 - Monday 12th October - Monday 14th December  

All students are to wear a hat when playing outstide. NO HAT- NO PLAY!  Those students without a hat are asked to sit under the large tree on our Cobham Lawn.  Please name your child/ren's hats.

Please check the Lost Property rack that is on the front deck at the moment and encourage your children to take a look too. Named items will be returned to students, but unnamed gear is starting to pile up.

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.

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

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.

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REMINDER TO ALL STUDENTS WHO HAVE ENTERED  FOR THE GARDEN COMPETITION

Gardens will need to be planted out by the end of this weekend.
Judging will be taking place on the 1st December.

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