Gateway to Discovery • He Kūaha Kitenga

Kia ora e te whānau,

Welcome back to Term 4! It is hard to believe we have reached the final term of the year. We have a huge, action-packed term ahead, filled with exciting learning opportunities, events, and celebrations.

What’s Coming Up This Term

Here is a quick run through of what to expect over the coming weeks:

• Week 2: Taiopenga Performance 
• Week 3: Labour Day | Cross Country 
• Week 4: Marlborough Anniversary Day | Parihaka Day | School Voting Site (Election Weekend)
• Week 5: Arts Celebration | Year 6 High School Orientation | Clued Up Kids (Kauri & Kahikatea)
• Week 6: Year 6 Camp 
• Week 7: Project Jonah Visit
• Week 8: Year 6 & 7 Pool Party at QCC
• Week 9: Bike Safety (Kauri & Kahikatea) | Volunteers Morning Tea
• Week 10: Leavers Assembly & End of Year Prizegiving

A huge welcome to Mrs Marissa Price, who is taking our New Entrant class this term while Dayle is on leave. We are thrilled to have her on board with us!

We are currently organising various sports and activities for the term. To help everything run smoothly, please keep the following in mind:

• Permissions: Thank you to everyone giving prompt permissions via Hero - this makes planning so much easier. If you have any questions, please reach out, we are always here to help.
• Absences: Please remember to log any absences through the Hero app. Doing this in the morning speeds up our daily roll-call routines significantly.
• Hero Payments: We have started using Hero for payments. You will receive notifications for any outstanding fees (e.g., sports fees). Please arrange prompt payment so your tamariki can continue taking part in extracurricular opportunities.

It was fantastic seeing our tamariki out on the field today wearing their sunhats! We are looking forward to warmer weather and opening our school pool soon. If you are able to help with pool supervision later this term, please let me know.

Finally, behind the scenes, planning for 2027 and class placements are already underway! We will share more details closer to the end of the year, but we are really excited for a strong finish to 2026 and another wonderful year ahead at Picton School.

Nā mihi nui,

Katie

PAID UNION MEETING

On Friday 22nd March a number of our kaiako teachers are attending a paid union meeting in Blenheim at 1.30pm. 

School will remain open as we have the Duffy Theatre performing in the afternoon. You are most welcome to come along and watch. 

Please note - there will be no assembly that day. 

If you have any pātai questions at all please email me at katie@picton.school.nz

Thanks! 

Kia ora e te whānau,
We are excited to run our first assembly at 2.15pm in the hall this Friday.
If you can make it, you are most welcome to join us!

Mōrena e te whānau,

We hope your tamariki came home yesterday full of excitement after a great day back at school! 

We are wondering if there are any whānau who have spare time in the mornings or afternoons to support our children crossing the road on Kent Street.  We know this is a busy spot, so if anyone has a spare 20 minutes it would be great to tag an adult to the crossing to support positive road safety practices. If you are available any mornings or afternoons could you please email me at katie@picton.school.nz and we can sort a time.

Thank you for role modelling safe practices on and around the road, to our tamariki and using the crossing!

Kindest,
Katie

Kia ora e te whānau,

We are all very excited to welcome you back to another year at Picton School! 

I hope you have enjoyed a restful and relaxing summer break, making the most of the sunny weather, and time spent with friends and whānau. 

Tomorrow we will have our Whanaungatanga Day. While normal classes are not running, we encourage families to bring their children down to school anytime between 10am and 2pm to see your new classroom space, meet your new teacher, have a play on the playground, and get familiar with the school. Please note - the school pool will be closed during these hours. 

Some reminders ahead of the school year: 

Stationery and uniforms are available for purchase in the office, please see Mrs McManaway. This can be paid for using cash or Eftpos.

We care about all of our tamariki and keeping them safe in the Aotearoa sun! Black school hats need to be worn outside in Terms 1 and 4. 

Please pack your togs! We are looking forward to swimming lessons in the school pool. Each class has a timetabled slot so check in with your classroom teacher. A reminder that swimming is a part of the New Zealand Curriculum and therefore a compulsory part of our teaching and learning programmes. If your child is unable to swim, please send a signed note to school, or email their classroom teacher directly. 

Communication: a reminder of how we send information home at Picton School: 

We will be sending schoolwide and classwide information home via Class Dojo. Please make sure that you have signed up to this. Classroom teachers will be able to help you with this. You can use this QR code to access our school.

A paper notice will be coming home on the first day regarding permission for your child’s photo to be on our school website and / or Facebook page. If you do not want your child’s photos online please email me at principal@picton.school.nz 

We are in the process of updating our school website. When this is complete we will share new information with whānau as we will be able to communicate directly via our website and associated apps. 

Our school Facebook page is up and running and you can find it by searching “Picton School . Te Kura o Waitohi” we will use this to share regular and in the moment updates of learning, trips, celebrations etc. 

Assemblies: this year we will have a schoolwide hui on a Monday morning to remind tamariki of our positive and high expectations. This will be a sort of regrouping after the weekend. Our school assemblies will be held at 2.15pm on a Friday, based on your feedback we know this time works best for our families, and is a nice way to finish off the week. We will celebrate success and share our learning here. Our assemblies will begin from Week 4. We will send a reminder home closer to the time. Please join us! 

We have lots of new children and families joining us at Picton School this year, please make them feel welcome and part of our wonderful community.

I am looking forward to getting to know you all, and learning alongside you. Please reach out at any time.

"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini" - Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many. We look forward to working alongside you for the success of all of our precious tamariki. 

Kindest,

Katie