Newsletter Term 3 | Week 4 2026
From the Tumuaki/Principal
Kia ora whānau and MBS Community,
Welcome to our Week 4 newsletter! It has been an action-packed fortnight filled with sporting success, creative trips, community spirit, and great learning across the school.
Community Support: Leo’s Fundraiser
A massive thank you to the Mark, Sonia, and the team at Beachlands Maraetai Association Football Club (BMAFC) and our wider community for holding such an immense fundraising event for Leo on Sunday, 2 August. To everyone who bought raffle tickets, donated, volunteered, played, and cheered from the sidelines, the day was a huge success. One of the most special moments was seeing Leo there with all his mates enjoying the day and sharing plenty of smiles.
To the fundraising team from Maraetai Beach School, Mr Reddy, Mr Wright, Mrs Laker, and the volunteer students and parents-Thank you!
To everyone who has supported Leo throughout this journey, thank you. We are so grateful to have such an amazing community behind Leo and his family.
Counties Cross Country Success
We are so proud of all our Year 7 and 8 students who competed at the Counties Cross Country event yesterday. They represented Maraetai Beach School brilliantly and gave it their absolute best!
Top 10 Finishers:
Isla Vickers – 2nd Place (Year 8 Girls)
Siena Coupe – 3rd Place (Year 7 Girls)
Landon Smith – 6th Place (Year 8 Boys)
Lachie Milne – 8th Place (Year 7 Boys)
Placing in the top 10 in such a competitive field is a phenomenal result! To everyone who ran—placed or not—you did a fantastic job. A huge thank you to Sonia Coupe for looking after the runners and capturing great photos, and to Mrs Els for all her hard work organising the team.
Māori Whānau Hui
When: Tuesday, 18 August at 5:45 pm
Where: School Staffroom
We warmly invite you to join us for our upcoming Māori Whānau Hui. This will be an opportunity to come together kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) to kōrero. Your voice and whakaaro are important to us—hearing from our whānau helps us create a school environment where all tamariki thrive and where our Māori learners feel seen, valued, and supported.
Details:Kai will be provided, and a supervised space will be available for children during the hui.
RSVP:Please RSVP here
Contact: If you have any pātai (questions), please feel free to reach out to jobrien@maraetaibeach.school.nz.
Learning Highlights: Te Tuhi & Maths Week
Phase 2b at Te Tuhi Art Gallery: Our students dove into the world of art this week! They learned about different artists before getting hands-on to create their own printmaking etchings. Thank you to Mr Wright and the Phase 2b teaching team for organising such an inspiring ignition for their upcoming art exhibition topic!
Maths Week: A big thank you to Mrs Revie and Mrs Goodwin for organising a fantastic Maths Week for our school!
HPPA Dance Festival
A huge thank you to the talented dancers for their commitment, to our wonderful student leader Keeva (and her helpers), parent helpers, and families who supported them every step of the way. You made us all incredibly proud; keep dancing!
Year 4 Dance Video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BGN6FBbYrO0gG4ZiPcmv46x_8BGHpTu3/view?usp=drivesdk
Year 5 Dance Video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yOibz9yKNS7a628GUrUcYeWemqLiPZRE/view?usp=drivesdk
Introducing our new Celebration Hub!
At Maraetai Beach School, celebrating the successes, passions, and efforts of our tamariki is at the heart of what we do. Whether it’s a victory on the sports field, a creative milestone, an academic triumph, or mastering a new skill, we love sharing in their joy!
Check out our live Celebration Hub on our school website to see the pure awesomeness happening across our school community!
Link to Celebration Hub:
https://www.maraetaibeach.school.nz/cultural-1
We need your stories! We want to hear about everything your children are doing out in the community.
How to share: Email us at celebrations@maraetaibeach.school.nz
What to send: A great photo or short video, along with a brief description of what they achieved.
Alumni welcome: We also love celebrating our past students! If you know of an MBS alumnus achieving great things, please email us so we can inspire our current tamariki.
Upcoming Events & Reminders
PTA Own Clothes Day (Friday, 14 August): If your child is participating in own clothes day, please send them with a gold coin donation to hand to their teacher.
Parent-Teacher Interviews (15 September 2026): Please mark this date on your calendar. Further communications and booking details will follow soon.
Spare Clothes Request: With the damp weather, our school supply of spare clothes has completely run out. If your child likes to play or roll in the mud, please make sure to pack a spare change of clothes in their bag. If they get muddy and do not have spares, we will need to call you to drop off a clean uniform.
As always, we appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to continuously improve. Please feel free to pop in for a chat anytime!
Nga mihi nui
Lou Reddy
School Notices
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:
Learning Spotlight
Phase 1a
Celebrating Cook Islands Language Week!
Our students had a fantastic time celebrating Epetoma ō te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani (Cook Islands Language Week)! Throughout the week, the children immersed themselves in the rich culture, language, and traditions of the Cook Islands. A highlight of the celebration was getting hands-on with traditional crafts-the kids had so much fun making their own colourful leis ('ei) and proudly wearing traditional head garlands ('ei katu). It was a wonderful, joyful way for our learners to connect with Pacific culture and celebrate together!
Skipping Fun in Room 3!
Room 3 had a fantastic time jumping into skipping this week as part of their new sports rotation. The students showed great enthusiasm and determination as they practiced different techniques, built up their rhythm, and cheered each other on. It was an awesome, energy-filled session that kept everyone active and smiling while developing their footwork and endurance!
Maths Week Fun
Room 8 tackled some fantastic maths challenges at home this week! The students put their problem-solving skills to the test, taking their learning beyond the classroom to explore numbers, patterns, and practical math in creative ways. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and effort as they worked through each challenge with confidence and curiosity. Great job, Room 8!
Big feelings and kind hearts in Room 5! We’ve been discussing what kindness looks and feels like in our daily lives, and the students have captured their ideas in some beautiful, thoughtful artwork. Check out our amazing illustrations below!
Garden Adventures!
What a busy day in the garden! On Tuesday, our young gardeners pulled fresh radishes straight from the soil, washed them up, and enjoyed a crunchy, fresh-from-the-earth snack. Afterward, they went on a high-stakes slug hunt to protect our precious veggies from unwanted garden pests, before wrapping up the day by giving all our lovely flowers a well-deserved drink!
International Students
Our international students have had a fantastic time over the past few weeks experiencing daily life as Kiwi kids! From immersing themselves in Māori culture and baking delicious pancakes to creating tiki art prints and exploring local treasures along Maraetai Beach, their days have been packed with memorable experiences. Our students love jumping into our classroom programmes to experience the best of New Zealand education, all while learning right here in our paradise!
Sadly, it’s time to say farewell to many of our international students and their family. We wish them safe travels and hope to welcome them back one day! We extend our deepest gratitude to our student ambassadors and the entire Maraetai community for making our new whānau feel so welcome, supported and at home. Thank you for fostering such wonderful new friendships!
Junior Kapa Haka
Our talented Junior Kapa Haka group has been busy mastering their poi routines! Check out their wonderful progress and focus in action.
Mr Robs Renovations
Upgrades to the Junior Kitchen were completed this week. Majority of the works were centered around removal of the existing glass induction hob that was decommissioned at the end of last year after the glass cracked and became a hazard.
Regarding the decision to install a traditional element style cooker top instead of replacing like for like induction:
The abrasiveness of the sand the Juniors use for their cooking was causing deep scouring of the glass top surface, making it difficult to keep the cooking surface clean;
A lot of the junior school cookware are items donated by staff and parents over the years and a significant portion of these are not induction compatible;
Whilst understandably less safe than induction, by having our juniors learn on element style cooker tops - they can learn good kitchen safety earlier and ultimately be better prepared for the wide variety of cooking surfaces that they are likely to encounter in later life.
- By going with the simple element style - we were able to have the entire hob designed and built by our own MBS Intermediates (under the supervision of Mr Jacob Walker), giving us a significant cost saving compared to a new induction unit.
Gymnastics
Our kids had absolute blast flipping, jumping, and tumbling their hearts out-and they crushed it! We came home with a whole mountain of gold and silver ribbons! So proud of everyone's hard work! Thank you to Mrs Jo Sharp and Clare Hendricks who have dedicated hours to train and support our champs.
Counties Cross Country Success!
We are extremely proud of all our students who represented Maraetai Beach School at the Counties Cross Country. Facing a challenging course, every single runner pushed themselves hard and showed incredible grit and determination.
For a school our size, having a student place in the top ten across every race is a phenomenal achievement!
Special congratulations to our top 10 finishers:
Isla Vickers – 2nd Place (Year 8 Girls)
Siena Coupe – 3rd Place (Year 7 Girls)
Landon Smith – 6th Place (Year 8 Boys)
Lachie Milne – 8th Place (Year 7 Boys)
While only top-ten placings were officially numbered, every child who took part should be immensely proud of their effort.
A huge thank you to Mrs Els and Sonia Coupe for managing the team throughout the day and capturing great photos of the event. Well done to all our runners!
Staff Profiles
Mrs Jo Sharpe
My name is Jo Sharpe and I have been part of the Learning Support team at our beautiful school for 5 years. I live locally in Maraetai with my partner Garyth and our 2 girls Harper and Mila, who both attend MBS. I am originally from the UK but have lived in New Zealand, in Maraetai for 14 years. When I am not at school you will find my family and I at the local skateboarding parks in the summer and in the winter we are at Mt Ruapehu snowboarding most weekends.
Mr Bruce Cowie
My name is Bruce Cowie and I have been a Learning Assistant at Maraetai Beach School since 2025. I lived in East Auckland as a child and now as an adult, with a decade spent living in the UK where I spent a lot of time travelling and learnt how amazing our county really is.
I have a wonderful wife and two great kids, Shae (year 5) and Sam (year 3) that both go to MBS. Up until recently we lived on a small farm until we moved into Beachlands.
I started doing Tae Kwon Do with my daughter at MBS (Tues nights) and enjoy helping the instructor with the Mini-Kids class on Wednesdays when I can. I feel privileged to work at MBS and consider it an honour to be entrusted with the education and shaping of your kids. Hope to see you around.
Community Notices
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
Sponsors
Thank you so much to our sponsors! We appreciate the support to enhance the learning of our children.
