Term 2 Week 4 2026
PTA project update regarding drainage - in the hands with a project manager and working on the next steps. Playground design being sorted and developing the timeline. (Mike from PTA to help draft this section)
Principal’s Update: Community, Competition, and Safety
It has been a busy and educational week at Maraetai Beach School!
Celebrating Mother’s day
It was truly heartwarming to see so many mothers, aunties, grandmas, and special whānau members onsite last Friday for our Mother’s Day Morning. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate; these moments of connection are what make our school community so special.
Supporting Our Community: Upcoming Fundraisers
We have several wonderful causes coming up soon. We recognise there are many events at the moment; please know that any contribution-large or small-is greatly appreciated. Information for these upcoming events can be found within this newsletter; Pink shirt day, The Ultimate Shave, Market Day for Leo.
Looking Ahead with more information to come: Jammies in June and National PJ Day later this term as we collect warm winter gear for those in need.
Check Your Notifications
You may have recently received a text message regarding Pink Shirt Day. If you did not receive this message, please contact the school office as soon as possible so we can ensure your contact details are up to date.
Communicating with Maraetai Beach School Staff
Our school is committed to providing a physically and emotionally safe environment for everyone. To ensure we maintain a productive and respectful relationship, in alignment with our School Community Conduct Expectations Policy, we ask that all parents and caregivers keep the following expectations in mind:
treat school staff and other members of the school community with respect
support student learning
take reasonable care of their own health and safety
take reasonable care that their behaviour does not negatively affect the health and safety of others
follow relevant school policies and procedures, including but not limited to:
supporting our inclusive school culture and school values
respecting the privacy of others (e.g. sharing images)
using digital technology and social media safely and responsibly
The school aims to address all incidents promptly and effectively, following the school values. We appreciate your support in making Maraetai Beach School a positive environment for our children to learn and grow.
A Friendly Reminder: Dogs on School Grounds
At Maraetai Beach School, we value the joy animals bring to our lives. To keep our students safe and our grounds clean, please remember our current dog policy:
Dogs must be on a leash held by an adult, and kept reasonably close to the adult. Dogs can be tied up for brief periods e.g. long enough to take a child to their class. The dog must be on a short leash and away from entry points so that people in the school grounds have a choice about whether they come into contact with the dog.
If the dog is considered by the council or any other authority to be a breed that needs muzzling, the dog must be muzzled on school property.
Dogs are not allowed inside school buildings.
Dog owners should help educate children about how best to approach their dog.
Dogs are not allowed to drink from school water fountains.
Owners must remove any mess left by their dog.
Disability assistance dogs and support/therapy dogs are welcome at Maraetai Beach School and may be allowed inside school buildings.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our environment safe for everyone!
Chess Tournament Success
Our school hall was buzzing with concentration last week for our Chess Tournament. It was fantastic to see the strategy and sportsmanship on display. A massive congratulations to Jonty, who took out first place and won the competition!
Traffic Notice: Whitford Road Closure
Please be aware of the upcoming roadworks that may affect your commute:
Closure: Whitford Road will be closed on 17 May.
Reopening: The road is scheduled to reopen at 5:00 am on 18 May. Please plan your travel accordingly to avoid delays.
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!
Ngā mihi,
Steph White
Deputy Principal
Our Pink Shirt Day fundraiser is happening tomorrow!
We’re ditching the heavy pockets this year-instead of a gold coin donation, we've gone fully digital! It's easier than ever to back this incredible cause: simply use Kindo or scan one of the handy QR codes dotted around the school.
Let's stand together, show our support, and make a massive difference!
And don't forget to dress in something pink!
Safety Notices
Road Safety: Please help keep our tamariki safe by parking legally on Craig Road. Avoid yellow lines and "no parking" zones during peak drop-off and pick-up times.
Please encourage your child to ride their bike to school safely -
Board Policy Review
Policy Reviews: We invite parents to review our Digital Technology and Online Safety policy and Cellphones and Other Personal Digital Devices Policy, as I am aware this is a topic of concern, in the media recently and we would like to get more parent voice in reviewing the policy as a school board.
You can review our policies via SchoolDocs.
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2026 Term Dates
Term 2
Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July - (11 Weeks)
Term 3
Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September - (10 Weeks)
Term 4
Monday 12 October to Wednesday 16th December 2026 - (9 Weeks)
Staff only day - Monday 27 July 2026
King’s Birthday - Monday 1 June
Matariki - Friday 10 July
Labour Day - Monday 26 October
Donation and Activity Costs.
As a school, we endeavour to provide an exceptional programme whilst keeping the costs as low as possible. If you have any questions with regards to paying these school costs, please contact accounts@maraetaibeach.school.nz; or in regard to the event itself please contact your classroom teacher.
Donation and Activity Costs have been uploaded onto your Kindo accounts. If you are as yet to set up an account on Kindo, please go to the Parents tab on our website and select the School Shop.
Please ensure that you register with the same email address that we have on record for you at school.
Thank you to those parents who have paid their school costs for the year already. If you did not receive a tax receipt for your donation and you would like one, please contact accounts@maraetaibeach.school.nz
Sost Materials
In Soft Materials and design technology this term, students have been exploring creativity and design through sewing. They began by creating their own unique designs using heat transfer pens and sublimating them onto fabric. From there, students chose a product to create, with projects including cushions, hats, bags, and soft toys.
As part of the design process, students have either created or sourced a pattern for their chosen item before learning to use sewing machines and hand sewing techniques to bring their ideas to life. It has been wonderful to see their creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance throughout the process.
STREAM
In STREAM students have been learning about the process of 3D printing and designing simple objects using CAD design tools. They started off with a simple task of designing a small box with inner walls which will later be turned into a lithograph lightbox. This process teaches them the basics of using CAD design tools. Their next step in this process is to find a suitable image that we can turn into a lithograph. Finally they will then have to wire in their battery lights for their creations to come to life.
This process is all designed to push problem solving skills, understanding of design principals and build an overall understanding of how 3D printing works. Our next step is to take this into a digital world where we will look at coding simple games and designing controllers for them.
In the kitchen last Term Hub 9 whipped up Afghan cookies, Freaky Shakes, Cheese Puffs and Hummus with carrot and Celery sticks.
This Term Hub 8 have observed the ‘Dirty Sandwich Cafe’ in action while learning about Food Health and Safety. Begun drafting Food Truck ideas and made Peppermint Crisp Tart.
So much fun experimenting. Measurement and use of scales, litres, ml, grams and kg all become relevant in the kitchen. This is an important part of Maths. Encourage your child to make their new recipes at home. You may see a hidden talent.
Check out our team! They proudly represented Counties at the Auckland Orienteering Champs.
Last week, we spent time in the garden planting flowers and covering the soil with hay to help retain moisture. This week, we dug trenches to plant bok choy and lettuces, and added more flowers to our vegetable garden to help keep our bees happy.
We also built another bamboo teepee and planted more sweet peas, which will soon begin to climb and grow up it.
Mrs Malorie Van Oosten (Mrs V) - Reliever
Kia Ora, I’m Mrs V otherwise known as Mal van Oosten. I am one of the Release Teachers and spend my days with the year 4-8 students.
I live in Maraetai with my husband James, our three children - Lola, Louie and Billy and our dog Frankie. Lola and Louie go to MBS. I love our little community and feel very fortunate to live and work all within it! When I’m not chasing after my kids, it’s usually a quiet bush walk, a boogie (anywhere, anytime) or a laugh with my friends.
Mrs Veronica Betts - Reliever
Hi, I’m Veronica, Mrs Betts.
I am a part time classroom release teacher in Phase one and a stay at home mumma.
I love being apart of the Maraetai Beach School community as a teacher and parent. I live in Beachlands with my husband Ricky and our kids Darcy, who is in Room 13 and Remi who attends Maraetai kindy.
I love spending time outdoors, gardening, dancing and listening to music and going away in our caravan with my little family and our friends. I love living and teaching in our little slice of paradise.
Yummy stickers
Your child should have brought home a Yummy sticker collection sheet. You can add any Yummy branded stickers to the sheet, as well as the barcode labels from Yummy fruit.
Here’s a photo of the incredible sports gear we were able to purchase thanks to last year’s sticker collection-what an amazing result!
Please keep collecting, and don’t forget to encourage your extended whānau and friends to collect too. Every sticker makes a difference!
Speech and Drama Lessons 2026
Imaginaire run their fun filled confidence building lessons on Thursdays at Maraetai Beach School during the school day.
They are taking new enrolments for Term 1 2026. They offer a ‘no obligation’ introduction lesson so your child can try their lessons out.
Open to all Maraetai Beach School students from Year 0 - 6.
Lessons are a 30-minute duration in small groups (maximum group size of 6 students).
Please contact Nicole at admin@imaginaire.co.nz or visit their website https://www.imaginaire.co.nz/speech-and-drama/ for more information.
Music Lessons at Maraetai Beach School!
Our good friends at Musiqhub are happy to announce that they'll have some spaces opening up in Term 1 for new students. They offer Keyboard, Guitar and Drum lessons onsite during school hours. Please get in touch with paul.barry@musiqhub.co.nz for more info or to reserve a spot!
