Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to Week 8! Time is moving quickly as we head into the last part of the term. It’s been great to see everyone’s hard work and energy around the school.

A big thank you to Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Holdaway for leading the school last week while I was away at the Maths Conference in New South Wales. It was a fantastic opportunity to see some high-performing schools in action, alongside our Minister of Education and Ministry staff, and I’m excited to bring some of those insights back to our kura as we move further into a knowledge rich curriculum that focuses on high literacy and numeracy outputs.

The Week Ahead
We have a particularly exciting Friday lined up for our ākonga:

Our tamariki will be participating in First Aid training, learning essential skills to keep themselves and others safe.
We are hosting a KidsCan Taste Testing session! This is a fun way for our learners to try some nutritious options and give their feedback for new snacks.
Please join us for the Kōwhai Class Assembly. It’s always a highlight to see what our younger learners have been up to. We’d love to see you there at 2:15pm in the hall.
 

Our Breakfast Club is such an important part of our morning routine, ensuring our tamariki start the day with a full puku and a smile. However, we still need more whānau volunteers to ensure this can run smoothly each day.

If you have a spare 30-45 minutes in the morning and would like to help out, please let us know! (katrina@picton.school.nz) Many hands make light work.

A quick reminder that Mrs. Yardley is still on the lookout for any Duplo, Lego, or magnetic tiles your whānau may have finished with. If you have any donations, please email Hayley at hayley@picton.school.nz or drop them into the office.

E rere ana ngā mihi,

Katie

Tēnā koutou katoa e te whānau,

It is a busy and exciting week here at Picton School! Here is everything you need to know for the week ahead.

• Virtual Learning Network classes officially kick off this week. This is a fantastic opportunity for our senior learners to extend their thinking, connect with others, and take on new academic challenges.
• Please join us this Friday for our school assembly, which will be proudly hosted by the Nīkau Class. If your child is receiving a Duffy Award, you will be phoned on Wednesday. 
• We have Netball taster sessions happening this Friday - a great chance for learners to give the sport a go!
• This Thursday, we welcome Logan from Sport Tasman! He will be working with our tamariki to create "active designs" on our concrete using chalk and giant stencils. These designs (like squiggly lines on the bike track) are designed to get children moving and playing. Once we test these out and see which ones our ākonga enjoy most, we will be painting them permanently. We would love for whānau to be involved! If you would like to come down on Thursday and help with the stenciling, please contact the office.
• Our Parent Fundraising Group are meeting at 3.15pm in the staffroom on Friday. Anyone is welcome to join! 
  With the change in weather, the pool is now closed for junior classes. Senior tamariki may still be swimming in the afternoons, depending on the daily temperature and conditions.
• Breakfast Club runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 am to 9:00 am. A massive thank you to our wonderful whānau helpers who make this possible1
   

Easter Raffle 2026 (a note from the parent fundraising group!)

Tickets have come home today! Sell tickets to your friends and whānau. 3 prizes of Easter goodies up for grabs, and a yummy treat for the student who sells the most tickets. More tickets available from Mrs. M in the office. Please return raffle money by Friday 27.03.2026. Winners announced Thursday 02.04.2026. 

Lastly, we would like to send a huge shout-out to Miss Kerins, who successfully completed the Taupō Ironman over the weekend! This is an incredible feat of endurance and determination - we are all very proud of you, Miss Kerins!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week,

Katie

Kia ora e te whānau and welcome to Week 3! 

A reminder that today we are closed for instruction with our staff attending Professional Learning. 
Our teachers are at a Numicon workshop in Blenheim, followed by a tour of local schools and learning led by Mrs Lianne Adams and Mrs Dayle Holdaway about the 'Structured Maths Approach' this is a programme designed in Auckland and used in schools across the country. Much like 'Structured Literacy' this programme follows a clear Scope & Sequence and builds on prior learning. Maths is a vital life skill for tamariki and enables them to access all other curriculum areas, solve complex problems, and take ownership of their future opportunities. We look forward to sharing more about this during the year. 

While our kaiako are in Blenheim our wonderful Support Staff are taking part in Professional Learning with our local Ministry of Education experts around neurodivergent brains, and AAC devices. 

Thank you for your understanding while we invest in these learning opportunities for the betterment of our tamariki! 

On Wednesday we have our Whānau BBQ and Open Afternoon from 2-3pm. Please come along for a free sausage, and a cruise through our classroom learning spaces. 

On Friday some of seniors are taking part in a Road Patrol refresher training with Constable Codlin. 

Please support us with road safety! We have had a number of concerned neighbours coming into the school to let us know that they have seen near misses with tamariki crossing roads, and especially walking across driveways. Please take the time to role model using the school crossing, encouraging tamariki to get out of the car on the footpath side and look both ways before crossing, and check every driveway. 

Have a fantastic week, and feel free to get in touch anytime!

Kindest,

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!