Newsletter Term 2 | Week 10 2026
From the Tumuaki/Principal
Ni hao ma,
Firstly, thank you to all our families for the amazing turnout at our Parent Teacher Student conferences this week. I hope you found the new reports and the chance to hear from your children and their teacher encouraging regarding their progress.
While the changes brought in this year around our new curriculum and assessment have been massive-and some of it can be hard to navigate as a child-I want to assure all of our learners that they are uniquely special and important to me and our staff. We want to encourage all of our tamariki to keep striving for their 2026 goals and to be proud of the successes they have achieved over the last six months, all while adjusting to 1.5 years of expected curriculum levels being changed within a very short timeframe.
I also want to acknowledge the hard work of Mrs White and Mrs Laker for their leadership in curriculum development within our school. They work alongside our amazing English and Maths curriculum leads-Miss Goodwin, Mrs Ryan, Mrs Revie, and Mrs Smit-as well as Mrs Bowden with Assessment and Mrs Tegg (LSC), who all support our staff and tamariki in keeping up with the national changes happening in our education system.
We also have shared some great Mandarin resources in the lead up to the New Zealand Chinese language week - NZCLW is designed to increase Chinese language learning in New Zealand. The first of its kind in any Western country, NZCLW seeks to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand by delivering fun and practical initiatives that assist Kiwis to learn Chinese. A special thanks to Chen Wang, Khoo family and many other Chinese families for helping us celebrate Chinese language and culture here at MBS.
Sports Camp Success
I want to thank Mrs Els for organising the Sports Camp that our Year 7 and 8 students attended last week. A huge thank you also goes to our amazing parent helpers Marc, Sonia, Mrs and Mr Hales, and Mrs Laker and to Physio Moves for sponsoring the camp.
Our students came in 2nd equal with Beachlands Primary School (our neighbours at camp) and were absolutely amazing at supporting one another. They made us incredibly proud by bringing home so many medals and showing true resilience (manawaroa).
Mānawatia a Matariki
Our Matariki celebration is next week! I want to thank and acknowledge our Māori whānau rōpū, as well as leaders like Hemana/Presiding Member - Te Rina and Leah, Whaea Johanna (Team Leader Phase 1a), Mrs Laker, our awesome staff, our parent volunteers, and our sponsors. Thank you to everyone who purchased hāngī packs and I hope that parents do come in to share the kai with their child on the day.
One of the themes for Matariki this year is Matariki Herenga Waka - Matariki For Everyone, and I am incredibly grateful for the many hands that have come together to help us celebrate. Matariki signals the Māori New Year (Te Mātahi o te Tau). The reappearance of this star cluster in the winter sky means three things for everyone in Aotearoa: remembering the past, celebrating the present, and planning for the future.
Lastly, I want to thank the staff, parents, and children for showing kia manawaroa (resilience) over the last few weeks as we dealt with water issues, playground adjustments, and general sickness and flu in our community.
Kia kaha to our staff and tamariki-thank you for being a daily inspiration in my mahi as a tumuaki. I am here to serve you and ensure our learners get the very best, which they truly deserve.
Ngā mihi nui,
Lou Reddy
Tumuaki/Principal
School Notices
Important Reminders
Year 4 to 8 Cross Country: At Te Puru, 30th June.
Matariki Hāngī: Served at school on 1st July. Please see the separate information provided regarding pick-up times and eating hāngī with your child.
School Celebration Assembly: 2:00 pm in the hall, 3rd July.
Last Day of Term: School finishes at the normal time next Friday, 3rd July.
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
Community and Fundraising
Sponsorship - Partner with Maraetai Beach School
We are offering the sponsorship package options to be made available for 1 year from the date of signing and payment for our new sponsors this year.
Sponsorship funds will go directly to supporting the key strategic goals of the school, such as developing existing programmes and implementing a range of new initiatives to empower our student learning and development.
Through our school values - Manawaroa (Resilience), Whakaute (Respect), Rawe (Excellence) and Ngākau Tapatahi (Integrity), our students are given the opportunity to reach their full potential academically, culturally and within the sports arena.
Gold Sponsorship | $600–$1,000 PA
Perfect for consistent, multi-channel local reach.
Digital Presence: Dedicated features on our school website and Facebook page.
Print & Media: Fortnightly newsletter advertising and a prominent spot in the school yearbook.
Events & Perks: Free entry and advertising slots at all major school events.
Community Pride: A Certificate of Appreciation to proudly display at your workplace.
Platinum Sponsorship | $1,000+ PA
The ultimate spot for unmatched, daily local visibility.
Includes all Gold benefits listed above.
Prime Physical Signage: High-traffic, year-round advertising signage placed right on our front fence by the bus bay-putting your brand front and center for commuting locals every single day.
Ready to Join Us as a Sponsor?
We invite you to check out our proposal to learn more. If you would love to become a valued sponsor or want to discuss which option fits your business best, please reach out to us at:
Jammies in June
Last week to donate to the Jammies in June pajama drive.
We need your help to make a difference! Here is how you can participate:
What we need: Brand-new pajamas (all sizes are needed, from toddlers right up to teens!).
Where to drop them: We’ve placed a special collection box right in the front office.
When: Anytime from now until the end of June.
A massive thank you to our wonderful student for organising this initiative as part of her Leadership Award, and to all of our families for your incredible generosity
Yummy Sticker Collection
Please keep collecting, and don’t forget to encourage your extended whānau and friends to collect too. Every sticker makes a difference!
Fried Bread
Nothing pairs better with a steaming hāngī than a piece of warm, fluffy fried bread. Golden and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, it is absolutely perfect for soaking up all those delicious flavors.
Best of all- you can treat yourself while supporting a wonderful cause, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to Leo and his whānau. Fried bread will be delivered to classrooms alongside hāngī meals on Wednesday 1 July.
Please Note: This is a separate order from the Hangi orders and all Hangi orders will come with 1x Fried Bread.
Orders are now on Kindo.
Learning Spotlight
Phase 1
Room 13 has been enjoying a range of activities to celebrate Chinese Language Week. We learnt new Chinese words and phrases and practised writing our names in Chinese characters.
We were also very fortunate to have David’s dad visit our class and share a traditional Chinese zodiac story. To finish our celebrations, we enjoyed watching a vibrant lion dance performance, which was a highlight for many of us. It was a wonderful way to learn more about Chinese culture and traditions.
In Room 12 we are math problem solvers!
In our class we start our maths lessons off with a problem solving question. All together we talk about what the question is asking us to do, before Miss Goodwin puts us into randomised groups.
We then use our vertical whiteboards hung around the room to work as a team to solve the problem. We are really good at sharing our ideas and making sure each member in our group understands and gets a turn at writing on the board. We then come together around one board a day as the group explains their thinking.
We are getting better each day and solving these tricky questions!
Room 15 - Buddy Time Bird Feeders
During one of our Buddy Time sessions when we were reading under the trees outside our classroom we noticed that our trees would be a great place to hang some birdfeeders.
With our clever buddies in Hub 10 we are designing on a programme called Tinkercad, bird feeders to then be printed by the 3D printer. We can’t wait to welcome the birds to our trees.
Phase 2
We have officially wrapped up our fascinating Inquiry unit on Biodiversity! Our budding scientists absolutely loved getting hands-on with microscopic experiments, diving deep into the world of microbes, and discovering the diverse Kingdoms of Life on Earth.
Phase 2a is now enjoying a variety of creative activities as we celebrate and reflect on our learning about Matariki. Keep an eye out for some of the beautiful work on display in our Hubs!
This week, Room 11 stepped outside the classroom to get a hands-on look at our current inquiry topic: forests.
The students have been out and about exploring local trees, examining different leaf patterns, and discovering how these incredible plants support our wider ecosystem.
It's been fantastic to see their curiosity grow as they connect directly with nature!
Phase 3 Sports Camp
The Maraetai Beach Sports Camp team spent a week away in the Hunua Ranges competing against seven other schools and were absolutely outstanding. They threw themselves into every challenge, supported one another beautifully, and brought incredible energy to every event. A special thanks to Marc Southgate for first class Team Management and Sonia Coupe for being an incredible camp Mum. Also to our staff Rob, Nicci, Lou, Korrin, Olivia and Helen for making it happen.
Here is a look at our impressive medal tally:
Gold
Air Rifle: Boys
Basketball: Girls
Mixed Dodgeball
Flag Ball: Girls
Orienteering : Girls
Silver
Archery: Boys Team
Badminton: Boys Singles & Boys Doubles
Volleyball: Girls
Cross Country
Table Tennis: Boys Singles
Manu: Girls
Spike Ball: Mixed
Orienteering: Boys
Touch/Kiwi Tag: Girls
Bronze
Basketball: Boys
Ultimate Frisbee: Girls
Badminton: Singles, Mixed, & Girls Doubles
Lacrosse: Girls
Gaga Ball: Girls
Table Tennis: Girls Singles & Mixed
Hungerball: Boys
Hungerball: Girls
T-Ball: Boys
Climbing: Mixed Team
Air-Rifle: Girls
Flagball: Boys
Maraetai Beach School had a goal to bring every team member home with a medal. They achieved this-an outstanding result. Every medal took 3 hours of sports and lots of team work, to earn, against top notch competitors from the other participating schools. Maraetai Beach School tied second place with Beachlands School for the ultimate trophy-a perfect finish to an incredible week.
Beyond the sports, the students were absolutely brilliant during last night's performance—they truly raised the roof!
Between the competitions, we've had a messy mud slide, plenty of warm Milo, and heaps of fun. We are incredibly proud of them.
Art Extension
Award-Winning Creativity at Showquest Toi!
We are incredibly thrilled and proud to celebrate our talented Art Extension students, who recently competed in the prestigious Showquest Toi wearable art competition.
Their stunning creation completely captivated the judges, taking home the highly coveted award for Creative Concept!
The amount of time, dedication, and out-of-the-box thinking that went into designing and constructing this garment is immense. From brainstorming the initial ideas to watching it come to life on stage, these students have shown incredible teamwork and artistic vision.
A huge thank you to Mrs Debi for guiding and supporting the team throughout this creative journey. We couldn’t be prouder of this fantastic achievement-congratulations, team!
Community Notices
MBS Cross Country is nearly here. In order to make this event a success, we need as many marshals as possible to help direct runners on the course. Please fill out the following form if you are able to help with marshalling on Tuesday 30 June (Our save date is Thursday 2nd July).
Cross Country Marshals
Speech & Drama Lessons
Imaginaire Speech & Drama at Maraetai Beach School – Term 3
Give your child the opportunity to build confidence, creativity, and communication skills through our fun, engaging and dynamic Speech & Drama programme at Maraetai Beach School.
At Imaginaire, we love inspiring the next generation of young performers while also supporting students to overcome shyness and express themselves with confidence.
Each lesson includes:
• Public Speaking skills
• Drama and Acting skills
• Improvisation and Impromptu Speaking
• Communication, Conversation, Listening, and Teamwork skills.
Students from Year 4+ also have the option to work towards nationally recognised Speech & Drama exams through Speech NZ.
Class details:
Small group sessions (max 6 students)
30-minute lessons on Thursdays (during school hours)
No-obligation Trial lesson available
Limited spaces available
Secure your child’s place today:
Please contact Nicole at nicole@imaginaire.co.nz for more information.
Or complete our enrolment form here: https://www.imaginaire.co.nz/speech-and-drama/enrolmentform/
Music Lessons
Musiqhub offers guitar, keyboard and drum lessons onsite during school hours.
Mako Year 4 Rugby Team
Are you in Year 3 or Year 4 with a passion for playing rugby? Or interested in trying it out? Mako Year 4 Orange is searching for a few more players to complete the team. For more information please contact Lani (team manager) 027 276 6299 or Jp (coach) 02108808956
Holiday Fun
Click on picture to see more.
Sponsors
Thank you so much to our sponsors! We appreciate the support to enhance the learning of our children.
