In this week's newsletter:

School Life

• This Week

  • Strike Action

  • Grounds @ Weekends

• Tricky Chats

• Hats - Term 4

• Freaky Friday - Change of Date

• Library - Christmas Shopping

Other Opportunities

• Grafton Cricket

• Kids Only Market

• School Promo - Pure Air Heat Pump Cleaning

School Life

This Week

Welcome back for Term 4. It's hard to believe it's the last term of the year already. Despite the rain, there has been plenty to enjoy about Spring arriving - the warmer and longer days are always a treat.

It was a real delight to welcome the tamariki back on Monday and see how excited they were by the new turf under the Supertop. And the timing was perfect as we had cricket sessions with Grafton Cricket Club this week.

It was great to see so many of the kids had remembered their rain jackets and hats - it really is a crazy time of year when you often need both in the same day or even break time. Don't forget, we have hats to purchase in the office if you can't track your child's down - it's always handy to have a spare - getting out the door in the mornings is tricky enough without the stress of trying to find a hat.

Strike Action

Teachers will be taking part in strike action Thursday 23rd October.

This action has been organised by NZEI (New Zealand Education Institute) in response to ongoing negotiations with the Government. As the majority of our staff are union members and will be participating, we will not have enough staff on site to safely operate, therefore school will be closed that day.

School Grounds at the Weekend

Just a reminder that we keep the school grounds open at the weekends so that our whānau are able to use them. This does, however, mean that they are open to the public/whole community. Please be mindful of this and consider carefully what level of supervision your child requires if they are on the grounds.

Also, please be extra careful if you have a younger child on the Senior Playground. It is designed for older children, and during school hours, we monitor this.

One last reminder, please monitor your children carefully before and after school on the Junior Playground. They are not allowed to climb on top of the monkey bars, flying fox or any of the huts.

Thanks for your support.

Tricky Chats talk by Jo Robertson

The WSS has asked Jo Robertson from Tricky Chats Parenting to come along to Westmere to talk to parents about some tricky topics.  The talk will be in the School Hall from 7pm on 16 October 2025. The talk is free to attend but please get your ticket(s) here so that we can keep track of numbers.

Jo is a qualified sex therapist with a Master of Science in Medicine and has had nearly 20 years professional experience in sexual health, relationships, child development, and sexual trauma. As a therapist, Jo specialises in relationships, sex and the cultural influences on relationship expectations and norms. She takes a sociological lens and delves into the impact of culture on relationships and sexual wellbeing from childhood to adulthood. Through her talks and parenting programmes (not to mention her great Instagram account), she helps adults talk to children and teenagers about the ‘tricky topics’ - sex, porn, grooming, abuse, consent, online safety. Jo works in schools and community groups every week to offer practical guidance on how to do this. Jo is also a parent to three boys herself, so she not only speaks from immense knowledge but also from a practical perspective. Jo's topic for her talk at Westmere is: 

Tricky Chats: Screens, Safety & Sexual Wellbeing 

Keeping kids safe from sexual harm - both online and offline. Learn where children are vulnerable, how to discuss consent, and what to do if harm occurs. We’ll explore online risks like porn and exploitation, plus strategies for safer internet use. Gain practical tools for age-appropriate conversations about sex, puberty, and media literacy. Leave with research-backed strategies to prevent harm, respond effectively, and foster open, confident discussions with your child.

Please note that this talk is not appropriate for children to attend.  If you would like to come along but need childcare at the school, please contact lucyafarrugia@gmail.com. If there is enough interest, we may organise some caregivers to help with childcare during the talk in a studio at school.

Hats - Term 4

A reminder that in Term 4 all children must wear a hat during breaks. We have school hats available from the office for $20 each. Please name your hats, as you can appreciate, these go missing easily!

Freaky Friday - Change of Date

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.

Other Opportunities

Grafton Cricket

Kids Only Market

School Promo - Pure Air Heat Pump Cleaning