Week 4, Term 1 Newsletter

Westmere Office — March 3rd, 2026

In this week's newsletter:

School Life

This Week
Advertising @ Westmere
Junior School Breakfast - Next Friday

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Netball - Windmill Park
Sports - Code of Conduct

Other Opportunities

Herne Bay Racket Club
Holy Moly Arts & Crafts
St Peter's College - Enrolments Closing
Playball
Western Springs AFC Junior & Youth 2026 Season Registrations
Believe Dance & Acro
Philippa Campbell School of Ballet
Learn French

School Life

This Week

Apologies for the late newsletter. I have been up north at Matangirau for the week for the annual Ngā Uri o Ngā Iwi marae trip.

It was an amazing week filled with whanaungatanga and manaakitanga. We visited Ruapekapeka Pā site, Mahinepua Bay, Waitangi Treaty Grounds and spent some time at the local kura in Kaeo.

A massive thanks to Jarrod and his whānau for hosting us.

Next week, the Senior School are off to Rangiriri Pā. This haerenga helps bring to life the history kaupapa they are studying this term. They travel along parts of Great South Road, once a trade route for Māori and then a pathway for soldiers heading to the Waikato for the Waikato Invasion. They stop at the Mangatawhiri River, the boundary between Auckland and the Waikato and hear about the significance of this marker. At Rangiriri Pā they learn about the area, activities that were happening there and about the battle that later happened.

Next week, the Middle School are heading to Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae for their annual marae trip. The Year 4s spend the night at the marae. This is an opportunity for them to spend the night away from home in a supported environment. This is one of the stepping stones for helping our tamariki to build confidence for staying away for three nights at camp in Year 5/6.

Staffing Funding Cuts 2026

Due to reductions in staffing, this year we are funding the AP/SENCo position held by Lottie. This position helps us to sustain the high-quality support we can offer across the school for children with and without special needs. Choosing to fund the position for the year also meant that we could keep class numbers at low ratios. Our Senior classes are 1:26 at highest, with Juniors and Middles at 1:23 at highest.

NUONI also have ratios well below Ministry-funded ratios.

Your school donations are going to help support these low numbers and the leadership team to be able to deliver support across the school. Thanks to all of you who have contributed already.

The advertising along the fence (see below) is another way we are working to increase income.

Advertising @ Westmere

Westmere School | Te Rehu is inviting local businesses and organisations to tender for signage opportunities around the school's perimeter fence line.

It’s a great opportunity to display your brand, as well as be seen to support your local school, our children's learning and the wider community.

Signage sites are open for tender — please submit this form with your best tender offer before Thursday 12th March 2026 at 5pm.

Successful tenders will be notified no later than Monday 16th March.

Junior School Breakfast - Next Friday

Friday 13th March from 8am

Extra Curricular Opportunities

Netball - Windmill Park

We are now taking expressions of interest for netball in Terms 2 and 3. Games are on Wednesdays (Year 5-6) and Thursdays (Year 1-4) at Windmill Park.

Year 1-2 (4v4)
Year 3-4 (5v5)
Year 5-6 (6v6)

Due to it being a shorter term, we would like to start building our teams, but note that the games don't start until May.

Please register your interest here.

PREVIOUS PLAYERS/TEAMS: You may have roll-over players from last year who want to play together. Please email your team lists to sport@westmere.school.nz. Please note that we will add any newbies to your team if you don't have enough players.
NEW PLAYERS: Register your interest in the link above so we can place you in a team.
UNIFORMS: Bike shorts and school shirt (no more skorts)

Sports Code of Conduct

We endeavour to place every child who wishes to play sport at Westmere into a school team. Sometimes this isn't able to happen due to not enough players to create a team or too many players in existing teams. We avoid overloading teams as children do not get enough game time, and it creates too many logistics for the coaches/managers. We will put your child on a waitlist if there isn't a team for them, and if any gaps open up, we will let you know.

To play in school sports teams (at a cheaper rate than playing sports through clubs), you can expect that we: