1 Feb 2026

REMINDERS FOR TOMORROW! 

First day back for 2026 - Monday 2nd February at 8:30am 
If you are not sure what classroom your child is in do not worry. We will do a class list call at Karakia in the morning! 

Mihi Whakatau starts at 9:00am. This will take place in Whaea Shirley's room (Tuarua classroom). 
We will start the day with Karakia and then all children will head to their classroom for the roll and start of day. 
All new whaanau will then move to their assigned waiting area with Whaea Cecilia to be welcomed in to the space. 
There will be a small kai for all whaanau and new students after the mihi whakatau. 

Please also remember HATS need to be worn every day in Term 1. Please also send a water bottle to be refilled and remember to apply sunscreen in the morning for the day. We will have sunscreeen to reapply at school. 
MOE free lunches will start tomorrow and 'Dollars for Schools' lunches will start this Wednesday so get your orders in. 

We are looking forward to seeing you all at 8:30am tomorrow morning! 

29 Jan 2026

Kia Ora Whaanau,

Some reminders for the start of Term 1 2026:

SCHOOL LUNCHES - These will continue to be provided for our students this year and are available from the first day back for all students currently enrolled. Please note if your child DOES NOT require a free school lunch, please let your child's teacher know so we can take their name off the list.

DOLLARS FOR SCHOOLS LUNCHES - Sushi orders will continue to be available for families on Wednesdays. If you require more information on this initiative please go to https://dollarforschools.co.nz/ and search for Te Paina School.

FRUIT - Fruit is provided for all children but this will not start until Monday 9th February. Please ensure you send some morning tea for your children in the first week.

WATER ONLY SCHOOL - We are a WATER only school. Please send a water bottle to school for your child to refill throughout the day in this very hot weather. No other drinks are allowed. Thanks for your support whaanau.

HATS FOR TERM 1 - Please ensure your child has a fully brimmed blue or black (preferably) hat for the whole of Term 1. Children with no hat will be directed to covered areas. Any fully brimmed hat (no tags, inappropriate images or words) are acceptable.

UNIFORM - Te Paina Uniform Shirts are available for purchase at the office for $60 each. Eftpos available at reception.
Children can wear blue or black appropriate shorts, skorts, pants etc for the rest of their uniform. These can usually be purchased cheap at Postie Plus, The Warehouse or Kmart. We have some black school shoes available from our amazing charity KidsCan if you require these. Please ask Anne in the office if you need a pair.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS: Please remember our school office is not open full time due to capacity and rural setting hours.
Our Office hours for 2026:
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays - 8am to 1pm
The office is CLOSED on Thursdays and Fridays.
Our school phone number is 09 232 6817 - If you call the office outside of these hours you will need to leave a message on our 24 hour answerphone. These are checked sporadically through the day on Thursdays and Fridays by either Matua Adam or Whaea Haley.

STATIONERY - Thank you to those who have paid for stationery already. This is a one off cost of $30 per child and can be paid to the school office. Teachers will provide the children with all the stationery they need for the whole year in their classrooms.

POOL KEYS STILL AVAILABLE - If you are still wanting to purchase a pool key (only for Term 1) we have reduced the price to $45 as there is only 8-9 weeks (weather dependant) left. Please see Anne at the school office to purchase.

More information and important dates will be out in our first newsletter next week.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday 2nd February at 8:30am or our Mihi Whakatau for all new staff members and children at 9:00am.

Ngaa manaakitanga,
Adam and the team at Te Paina

29 Jan 2026

Kia ora Tuatoru families

I hope that you have all had a lovely break and have managed to get out and enjoy some sunny days amongst the not so sunny days. 

The start of Term 1 is fast approaching and I'm looking forward to seeing you all again after the long break. The swimming pool will be open, so please encourage students to bring their togs, and towel every day as we will definitely be making the most of the pool from Monday. 

 

If there is anything you wish to know, or at any point you have any questions, please either email me, or pop into the classroom.

 

Enjoy the next few days,

 

Ngaa mihi

 

Sarah