Week 10, Term 4 Newsletter
In this week's newsletter:
School Life
This Week
Welcome
Thank yous
School Donations Target SUCCESS
Hero
Holiday Projects
Touch Rugby and Basketball - Expressions of Interest
Last Day Ice Blocks!
Library Books
Other Opportunities
Holy Moly Arts and Crafts
Skids Holiday Programme
Summer's Out Pool Party @ Pt Erin Pools
Mini Market
School Life
This Week
It's been another exciting week at Westmere. Classes have still been in full swing with Reading, Writing, Math and the odd Christmas card-making session. Our Year 5s have been growing their leadership skills in preparation for 2026 and have been running athletics sessions for our Middle and Junior School tamariki.
The Middle School had their Banqer Market Day today. There was plenty of merchandise and a plethora of services being bought and sold. The kids were buzzing! Some emptied their bank accounts while others are sitting on a small fortune. There have been a few lessons about the free market.
Congratulations to all our Year 6s who graduated today! We are so proud of you and the people you have grown into during the six years most of you have spent with us. It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of your lives. And although it is bittersweet to say goodbye, we are so excited for the future you are about to embark on - you are more than ready.
To all the whānau who also leave us at the end of this year, it has been wonderful getting to know you during your time at Westmere. We hope you have enjoyed being a part of such an awesome community. We are going to miss you as much as your tamariki. All the best for the next stage in the journey.
Welcome
Next year, we welcome four new staff members:
Georgia King will be joining us in Ngā Uri O Ngā Iwi
Emma Wellington will be joining us in the Senior School
Meghan White and Florence Boyd will be joining us in the Middle School.
Georgia and Florence will be in tomorrow for "Meet the Studio", where our tamariki meet their new studio buddies and teachers. Meghan and Emma have made videos for their studios. Meghan will be moving from Canada at the beginning of the new year, and Emma is relocating from Napier. We can't wait for them to join our team.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Lottie Jones. She has been appointed as our AP/SENCo for 2026. We know she will be missed in the classroom, but we are thrilled to have her join our Senior Leadership Team. The way she goes above and beyond, and her curriculum expertise, make her an invaluable asset.
Thank you!
A massive thank you to all the parents for all the many, many, many ways you have contributed to our school throughout the year. You have turned up in every way to support the work we do with your tamariki, from volunteering as parent help on our many field trips, supporting with events like Freaky Friday and the book fair, shelving books, wiping down tables, sharpening pencils, cleaning fish tanks, coaching sports teams, parent reading, and so much more. We hope you have found it as rewarding as our children and staff have. I think community is what you put into it, and you certainly put in a lot of heart!
Thank you to the Westmere School Supporters for your tireless fundraising efforts. You are a small but mighty group, and your impact on our school and tamariki is huge! You are a humble group who expect little praise for your efforts - but please know, we appreciate you!
Thank you to our parents who sit on our Board. You are a dedicated group who are curious, passionate and want the best for the school, tamariki and wider community. Thank you for your questions, wonderings and support throughout the year. We are lucky to have such a remarkable group overseeing our school.
I also want to thank our amazing staff. Every day they awe me in new ways. Their dedication to the school and your children is second to none. They worry and care for your children like they would their own, and often put more hours into getting things right for your children than their own families. Our staffroom is a lively place - with staff members retelling stories of successes and joyous moments from each block. They are incredibly hard on themselves, and I often hear them discussing how to do something better the next day. It makes me proud to hear how open they are about their teaching and learning from one another. They are true professionals.
School Donations
We hit our school donations target! THANK YOU!
This has contributed to so many wonderful things around the school - refreshing the buildings, resources in studios, grounds maintenance, extra Learning Assistant time, Jaci supporting with sport, and the list goes on... THANK YOU!
Hero
Don't forget to check out Hero - goal wheels have been updated, and all comments have been published for the year.
You will also be able to see your child's next studio or class for 2026 from midday Friday.
Holiday Projects
Please be aware that there will be contractors coming and going from the school during the summer holidays. Please look out for vehicles coming and going from the school grounds at the beginning and end of each day.
Happy Holidays!
We hope you and your whānau have a wonderful summer holiday and we look forward to seeing you in the new year.
School restarts Monday 9th February.
Look out for Ash and the WSS on the Garnet Road gate on the last day of term - they'll be handing out ice blocks. Thanks Ash!
Touch Rugby and Basketball - Expressions of Interest
Touch Rugby and Basketball starts again in Term 1 next year. Some of our teams will continue but there may be opportunity to create new teams which require parent help with coaching and managing these teams. If you are a newbie to touch or basketball and would like to play - please fill in the expression of interest forms below. You are welcome to get your own team together and let me know so I can register you. If we are unable to create a full team, we will add your child to a waitlist. Any questions, email sport@westmere.school.nz.
Expressions of Interest:
Last Day Ice Blocks!
Library Books
Please keep looking for school library books. The stocktake has been done, which means that any books still out under names are either at home, in bags, in the car or in the classroom. We will be sending bills home to cover replacement costs, but we would rather have the book back! Many thanks in anticipation.
Other Opportunities
Holy Moly Arts and Crafts
Skids Holiday Programme
Summer's Out Pool Party @ Pt Erin Pools
The Kindness Collective Joy Store is at the centre of the event. Every child attending is invited to bring a toy to help families in need this Christmas. With just ten days to go, the Kindness Collective still has 1,800 families needing support.
Mini Market
Event details:
Sunday 18 January 2026
Bayfield School Hall
11am–1pm
Free Mr Whippy for stallholders + first 20 kids
Limited spaces – kids need to apply
Registration link: https://forms.gle/fSVZ8DZRj8XbWfcc9
