Newsletter Term 3 | Week 10 2026
From the Tumuaki/Principal
Kia ora e te whānau,
During the upcoming Term 3–4 break, multiple external upgrade and maintenance projects will be taking place across the school. Due to the scope and nature of these works, the school grounds will remain completely closed to the public for the entire two weeks.
We understand that this temporary closure takes away a much-loved community space, but it is necessary to ensure everyone's safety while these critical improvements are carried out.
Thank you for your understanding, and please ensure tamariki are directed elsewhere until Term 4 begins on Monday, 12 October.
Thank you to all our parents and caregivers who came along to celebrate our tamariki at Parent-Teacher Conferences this week. As Principal, it is a real honour to hear so many of our families speak so warmly about the progress their children are making and the true dedication of our staff.
Art exhibition: A special acknowledgement must also go to our tamariki for the beautiful artwork they created for our Art Exhibition-what a wonderful showcase of talent and creativity! The teachers and students worked very hard to prepare for this, which exemplifies our vision for a connected community, which grows empowered and curious life long learners.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - We also want to extend a big thank you to Mrs O’Brien, and the cultural team, alongside Jenna, Wepiha, and all of our staff for continuing to grow Te Reo Māori opportunities across our school. As part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, our Year 7 & 8 team, staff, and whānau held a special fundraiser making delicious fry bread for our students (we hope you got to try some!). A special shout-out to Pan at Maraetai Bakery for generously supplying the bread flour. I really enjoyed the daily quiz to help encourage tamariki (children) and ngā kaiako (teachers) to try to learn a new kupu (word) each day.
Our Awesome Book Week - It was awesome to see all of the activations for book week this week, and we were so excited to see the children in their book character costumes this week. The children were dressed in amazing costumes - with quite a few made with the help of mum and dad (thanks parents for nurturing and growing a love of reading). A special thanks to Mrs Ryan and the literacy team for organising the book week events and Mrs Locke for setting up the scholastic Book Fair.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge Sarah Lindsay, who is one of our long serving learning assistants, who will be leaving our kura this term. Sarah has contributed immensely to our Learning Support team for many years now, supporting programmes such as Brick Club, Athletics Day, learning support, and so much more. We tautoko (support) Sarah and her family at this time, and our door will always remain open for this amazing person in our community. Sarah will continue to stay involved with our kura where time allows and we wish to thank her for the many years of service to our school.
I wish all of our families a safe, restful, and happy holiday break. We look forward to seeing you all back for exciting Term 4!
Ngā mihi nui,
Lou
Tumuaki/Principal
School Notices
Looking to attend Maraetai Beach School in Term 4 or in 2027?
Enrol now! Out of zone enrollments for term 4 2026 close 1st 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
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 1
Phase 1 enjoyed learning different art techniques and combined it with our knowledge from the science topic this term to produce our final piece.Ayla was teaching Room 8 a new Māori Bingo game for Māori Language week. Thank you to her family for donating this to our class.
A Fantastic Book Week!
A huge thank you to our entire school community for making Book Week such a wonderful success! It was fantastic to see so many students fully engaged in reading and getting creative for our dress-up parade.
A special thank you goes to Mrs. Ryan for leading and organising all the fun activities throughout the week-your effort and creativity made the week truly memorable for everyone. We’d also like to extend a big thank you to Charlotte Smith for capturing all the wonderful memories during the parade.
Check out all the photos from the parade below. Thank you all once again for your fantastic support and involvement!
Gardening Club Update
Our Gardening Club has been extra busy this week! The students planted wildflower seeds and checked in on the seedlings planted a few weeks ago-which are absolutely thriving inside our greenhouse.
The highlight of the week was definitely harvesting our homegrown carrots! The kids had a fantastic time digging them up, giving them a good wash, and enjoying a fresh, delicious crunch together. It's wonderful seeing their hard work literally bear fruit (and veggies)!
Staff Profiles
Mrs Julie Baranowski-Room 8
I am so grateful for the opportunity to teach at Maraetai Beach School during my time in New Zealand. Throughout my journey here, I’ve had the privilege of meeting wonderful parents and students, while working alongside a fabulous, talented team of staff. Outside of school, my husband, Ellie, and I feel truly blessed to call such a beautiful part of the world our home. It is a genuine honour to be part of our Junior Team, school, and wider community.
He waka eke noa.
Mrs Diane Mimilo- Hub 3 / Relief Teacher
Talofa lava
My name is Diane Mimilo and our family moved to this amazing corner of New Zealand in 2002. My husband is Samoan and we raised our four children here, with all of them attending Maraetai Beach School between 2002 and 2012. I also worked at MBS as a Y2 teacher between 2008-2012.
After time teaching in South Auckland and also in Samoa, I came back to work in MBS in 2024. I now teach mostly in the Year 5 & 6 team, but also right across the school when needed.
Our children have now grown up and moved away, but my husband and I still enjoy living at Maraetai Beach, especially in summer when we do a lot of fishing and enjoy the beach. It was a wonderful place to raise a family, and it is a privilege to live and work here.
Community Notices
Imaginaire Speech & Drama at Maraetai Beach School
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.
Holiday Fun
We The Young returns these September School Holidays, with a festival created especially for children in Auckland’s city centre. This festival of arts, imagination and adventures has over 25 performances, events and workshops, with over half of them completely FREE.
Expect magic, DIY robots, cardboard creations, immersive light worlds, sensory play, circus feats and unforgettable theatrical journeys.
Whether you're a toddler, tween or somewhere in between, there's something for every age, stage and creative spark. And grown-ups, you're invited too.
Sponsors
Thank you so much to our sponsors! We appreciate the support to enhance the learning of our children.
