Weekly update form Mr V

Kia ora e te whānau o Tūtira,

The frosty mornings we’ve been having always seem to lead to the most beautiful days – and it was so lovely to see the sun shining today!

What an amazing night we had on Saturday at JINGO!

Games , music , laughter , great food , and of course... MULLLED WINE to warm the soul!

Our Jingo Night was a huge success – all thanks to our incredible whānau who showed up in true festive style and brought the Christmas spirit alive (in the middle of July!).

Massive shoutout to our amazing PTA – your dedication, passion and sparkle are appreciated beyond measure. You make the magic happen, and we are SO grateful. We’re already planning the next one… and yes, we’ve got some epic theme ideas up our (jingle) sleeves!

This Wednesday was NZ Principal Appreciation Day, and I want to thank everyone for your kind words, messages, cards, and morning tea. I felt truly spoilt. It is such an honour to lead our amazing kura – and as we know, it takes a village. I’m incredibly grateful for our incredible Tūtira Team. A special shout out to my wonderful Deputy Principal, Jo, for everything she does behind the scenes (and out front!) every single day.

Today’s assembly was fantastic as always - well done to all our presenters and performers. And this afternoon marks the final round of Winter Sports for our Year 5–8 students – go well, teams!

With winter bugs still doing the rounds, we’ve had quite a few tamariki and staff away unwell. Please do take care of yourselves and one another – rest, hydrate, and don’t hesitate to keep your child home if they’re under the weather. A huge thank you to our staff for your flexibility and teamwork as we’ve juggled relievers, classroom cover, and adjusted support. You are all awesome.

As we look ahead, our Board of Trustees Elections are coming up soon. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to email me directly at leon@ashgrove.school.nz.

📌 Important Update – 2026 Term Dates:
Please see the article attached to this publication regarding updated 2026 dates. Due to ANZAC Day being Mondayised, we are required to add one additional school day to meet the Ministry of Education’s requirements. Therefore, the last day of the school year in 2026 will now be Friday 18th December, finishing at 12 noon.

Strength Based Learning Conferences - we are looking forward to seeing whānau at these on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend – good luck to those involved in weekend sports, and stay warm, stay safe, and take care.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Mr V (Leon Van’t Veen)
Tumuaki – Tūtira Ashgrove School