In this week's newsletter:

School Life

• This Week

  • Trips

  • Health Curriculum Consultation

  • Senior School & Waitematā Breakfast

  • WSS

• Photolife - Sports Teams and LS1 Class Photos

• Freaky Friday - Tickets on Sale Now

• Next Westmere School Supporters Meeting

• Calendar Art

• Senior School Breakfast - TOMORROW

Other Opportunities

• Puna Fest - Western Springs College

School Life

This Week

It has been a busy time inside and outside of school. We've loved hearing tamariki share how they celebrated White Sunday last weekend, while others have talked about upcoming preparations for family Diwali celebrations. Our children have such rich lives outside of school!

Once again, we're off on some exciting trips this term to supplement the work we do in our studios. Our Science Kaupapa is ecology, and we are working with Living Labs, Urban Ark and DOC at Tiritiri Matangi to give our tamariki wheako (experiences) that bring their learning to life - children are meeting real-life scientists and seeing how science is applied out in the world, and even finding out how they are scientists in their everyday lives too. We are, of course, also using our local environment - Cox's Bay, Wellpark and Wai Ōrea. We are so lucky to have so many wonders of nature right in our backyard. Thanks to all the parents who are helping us make these trips happen!

Thanks to those of you who filled out the Health Curriculum Consultation Survey. It would be super appreciated if a few more of you could spend 5 minutes filling it in, to ensure we've done our due diligence and we're assured the community has been heard.

This week's Senior and Waitematā parakuihi (breakfast) has been moved to the hall. Our new turf can't have food on it so we're making the move to the hall - probably warmer in the winter months! We look forward to seeing you there.

Westmere School Supporters (WSS) are meeting Monday night at 7pm. It would be wonderful to see some of you there. The commitment is as big or small as you'd like it to be. Their recent fundraising has helped to pay for the replanting of Pohutukawa Park (as well as fixing issues we had in the whole area, so the slide remained open all winter this year!) and the very popular turf under the Supertop. Adding the turf has brightened the area and helped absorb sound. There are some exciting projects ahead too - stay tuned!

Photolife - Sports Teams and LS1 Class Photos

Photos will be held in the hall next Wednesday 22 October for all teams that have participated in extra curricular sports (netball, touch rugby, basketball, swim, ski and flippaball). We will use school jackets in place of uniforms. If children have been in a team for one term and not another, we will include them in their team photo as well as anyone that's switched teams from one term to another, we will put them in their Term 4 team. Keep an eye out on how to order photos in due course.

LS1 will also be getting photos done that day and will be the first photo of the day.

Next Westmere School Supporters Meeting

• Monday 20 October, 7pm in the staff room - all welcome

Freaky Friday - Tickets on Sale Now

It's time to dig out your spookiest costumes and save those gold coins for the games, rides and food because our much-loved annual school fundraiser is back! Following strong opinions from the tamariki and input from the community, we have changed the date so it will now be taking place on Friday 7 November 2025 from
5-7pm.

Join us for a fun-filled evening of games, rides, delicious food, music and costume competitions, all while supporting a key school fundraiser and enjoying one of the most anticipated events in our school community calendar.

This fundraising event is brought to you by the Westmere School Supporters. 

We are extremely grateful to Hellers for providing the sausages for our sausage sizzle. If you would like to donate or sponsor any of the other food/beverage or activities at Freaky Friday, please get in touch with Lucy - lucyafarrugia@gmail.com.

Tickets can now be ordered here and please don't forget to sign up to help (link is on the ticket form) - we can't put these events on without you.  

Library - CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!

Our school has chosen to participate in the Scholastic Lucky Book Club Bumper Christmas Edition for term 4. Check in your children's bags for the flyer!

This issue is packed full of wonderful titles which I’m sure your children will enjoy.  For each book you purchase, the school receives a 20% kickback in rewards.  We will use this to purchase more books for our Library. Christmas is fast approaching, and this is the perfect time to shop from the comfort of home, whilst supporting our school!

To place an order, please follow the link below, register your details, add your child, find your school, and once this is complete, you are set up to place your order.

https://mybookclub.scholastic.co.nz/Parent/Register.aspx 

To find our school, type in the first 4 letters of our school name (not our postcode) and our school will drop down.

Please do not send Cash or Cheque payments to our school, we are participating with online orders only.

Please have your orders placed by the end of the day, Saturday 18th October. All books will be delivered to our school during the following week, and delivered to the Children’s classrooms. Or if you want it to be a secret Christmas present, tick the 'is this a gift' option, and it will be delivered to the office for you to collect. 

For help at any time, you may call 0800 266 525 and chat to the friendly customer care team, or click on the help button on the Book Club platform.  You can also email   bookclub@scholastic.co.nz  or contact Jules O’Malley our Territory Manager on 029 9689834

Thank you for your wonderful support.

Calendar Art

Once again, our tamariki have been quite busy letting their creative juices flow to create their pieces for this year's calendar art items: 2026 calendars, greeting cards, diaries, mouse mats and sketch pads with your own child's artwork make the best Christmas gifts or items for your own use! 

Sales will open in the next week or two so please keep your eyes on the upcoming newsletters for ordering  information and the timeline. All profits from sales support Westmere School and the WSS!

Senior School Breakfast - TOMORROW

Other Opportunities

Puna Fest - Western Springs College

PunaFest 2025, our very first festival, is happening this Saturday at Ngā Puna o Waiōrea, Western Springs College! It's boutique, it's intimate. And we're all warmly invited! 

PunaFest 2025 comes to life with live music, haka, art exhibition, student & alumni showcase, kai & market stalls, speakers & activations, raffles & giveaways. Including WSC's very own Crying Ivy!

It's a chance to: 

• celebrate 30-years of Ngā Puna o Waiōrea & our 30-year unique relationship as Springs & Waiōrea

• fundraise for Mā Te Huruhuru, and to establish an indigenous cultural exchange programme; and

• salute the wealth of talented people from Seddon Memorial Tech days to WSC-NPoW now & more...

Thanks to Aroha and Friends, a selection of work by Māori & Pacific artists will be showing as part of PunaFest. Tauira (students) who have exhibited at Akl Art Gallery, some by established artists including:

Natasha Keating, Tracey Tāwhiao, Dan Tippert, Maila Urale, Matua Rewa Worely; together with

alumni Rākai Karaitiana, Rona Ngā Huia, Sparrow Phillips, and more...available to purchase, proceeds shared with PunaFest.

Te Rehu Stage 

Our stage includes an eclectic mix of live music, performances, thought-provoking speakers, and of course haka!

Kai & Market Stalls

Taurikura - whānau prosperity, like manaakitanga, is a priority. Plenty kai, coffee & sweets. You can pre-order your hāngi now too.