Week 7 - Term 2, 2025

Kia ora koutou

This week, we celebrated Samoan Language Week with a vibrant and powerful assembly on Monday morning. Our Maeroa Pasifika group performed beautifully, and we were also honoured to host the Fraser High School Pasifika group, whose performance was equally inspiring. We are hopeful that next term, Fraser High’s Pasifika group will return to work alongside our students—an exciting opportunity to strengthen connections and cultural learning.

Next week, we look forward to beginning our Matariki celebrations with a special Matariki Breakfast on Tuesday morning before school. All students have been invited to attend. This is a wonderful time for reflection, connection, and setting aspirations for the year ahead.

Our boys’ and girls’ futsal teams also represented Maeroa proudly this week in the Waikato Intermediate and Middle Schools competition. The boys’ team placed 3rd, and the girls made it to the semi-finals—narrowly missing a placing. Ka pai to all our players, and a big thank you to our coaches and Miss Rye for their commitment and support.

Another highlight was the Mud Run, where our students had an absolute blast! It was muddy, messy, and full of laughter and fun—an awesome day of teamwork, resilience, and school spirit. See photos below.

This is a reminder to please complete our community survey. We really value your feedback as we continue to strengthen our school together.

Also, student conference bookings will be opening soon. This is a significant opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher and discuss their learning progress. Keep an eye out for booking details.

Our Show Quest crew is also hard at work preparing for their big performance in Week 9. We are so proud of their creativity, dedication, and teamwork as they bring their performance to life.

Ngaa mihi nui

Susan Wood Principal

Maeroa School Community Consultation

At Maeroa Intermediate, we are committed to ensuring that our students receive the support they need to thrive in their learning and development as emerging adolescents. Our school vision and values guide everything we do, helping us create a positive, inclusive, and engaging environment for our students, staff, and whānau.

We offer our students numerous opportunities to participate in a diverse range of activities and groups that support their learning, social, and emotional development. Our principal and deputy principals operate with an open-door policy, ensuring they remain responsive to the needs of both students and parents. We have high expectations for student learning and behaviour and are committed to supporting every student to be their best.

In 2025, our Annual Plan focuses on three key goals:

1. Enhance Teaching Excellence & Professional Practice
   We want every student to succeed, so we support our teachers to be the best they can be. This includes clear teaching expectations, strong planning, effective use of student data, and focusing on what works best for intermediate-aged learners.
   
2. Cultivate Inclusive and Respectful Learning Environments
   We aim to create a school where every student feels valued, safe, and respected. We promote positive behaviour, cultural responsiveness, strong relationships, and student voice.
3. Strengthen Community and Whaanau Engagement
   We value strong partnerships with families. We work closely with parents and whaanau to support student learning and encourage participation in school life.

You should have received an email with a survey link to complete. We would love to hear your feedback. If you have not received the email, don't hesitate to get in touch with our school office - 07 847 5014 or [email protected] to ensure your email address is correct.

Your voice matters – thank you for being part of our journey.

Student Led Conferences - Term 3

How do student-led conferences work?

You will receive your child's mid-year report on Friday, Week 1 of the next term. The following week, you will have an appointment on either Thursday, July 24th, or Friday, July 25th. The conference is an excellent opportunity to review the mid-year report.

Your child will bring home a booking sheet next Monday, and it should be returned to their classroom teacher. You can book times with your child's class teacher, any of the tech or arts teachers, and if your child has extra support from our AL@M teachers, you can also book with them.  It is a first-in-process, so please send the booking sheet as soon as possible. It is our school's intention for every child to have someone from their family or whānau present their learning, as the experience of presenting to those who care most about them is rewarding for everyone.

Conferences last for 20 minutes. During this time, your child will present a 10-minute presentation that gives an overview of recent learning and goals set, followed by a further 10 minutes that allows the teacher to expand on the information your child has shared or for you to clarify something if necessary.

On the booking sheet, you will find details about the arrangements for the conference days. Please indicate whether your child requires supervision or will be at home. This helps with staffing arrangements here at school.

Thursday 24 July   

• Students will be sent home at 12.30 pm. 
• If finishing at 12:30 does not work for your family, we can accommodate an earlier finish time until 3:00 pm - please indicate below.

Friday 25 July   

• Students are only allowed to come to school during their scheduled appointment time and are permitted to wear mufti. 
• If you need your child to stay at school for the day, we can provide supervision; indicate below.
• Regular class programmes will not run for the day; an alternative programme will be offered in their place. 

Tough Guy Girl Challenge - Mud Run 2025

The Tough Guy/Gal Challenge is NZ’s biggest mud run. This competition is run nationwide, with the Waikato leg happening at the Ngaruawahia Christian camp in June.

 Students run 3 km over a muddy obstacle course consisting of a swamp crossing, spider web, net climb, crawling under obstacles through native bush trails, under tunnels, over a climbing frame, through water crossings, and manoeuvring through loads and loads of mud!

We had over 80 students attend the day on Thursday.

Our students had a wonderful time making their way through the course. It was great to see them all working hard to complete the course and not giving up when the challenge became more difficult. This challenge was made even more intense as the rain came down really hard just as the race started, and the mud got thicker and thicker as they moved around the course.

Well done to all the competitors who successfully finished the race and thanks to the many parents who supported them during the run and helped provide transport to the event.

Charles Hume Deputy Principal

Mud Run 2025

2026 Maeroa Enrolments

We have fielded many enquiries about enrolments for 2026. This information is available on our school website; however, below is the first part of the process that may be relevant for many of you as you begin to consider next year.  If your student is in Year 8, we encourage you to make conact with the secondary school of your choice and begin the enrolment process early as all school have enrolment deads to meet.

Term 3

Tuesday 5th August - Orientation Night   from 6 pm - 7.30 pm

• We are hosting an open night for families considering Maeroa as their choice for 2026.
• You don’t need an appointment; just make your way to the auditorium by 6 p.m., and students will be out to guide you.
• We discuss various options, and classrooms are available. 

Wednesday, 6th August - Enrolment Packs Available 

• Enrolment packs are available at the following contributing schools: Frankton, Aberdeen, Forest Lake, Nawton, and Vardon School.
• If your child attends another school, you can collect one at the Orientation Night or from the school Office on Wednesday, 6th August.
• Return before Wednesday, 10th September, at 3 pm in Term 3.  
• Students applying for placement in the Sports Unit, Reo Rua, or Gifted and Talented class must meet the enrolment deadlines to be considered. This includes students both within and outside the school zone.
• Please note - We do not accept any out-of-zone Year 8 enrolments. 

Wednesday 10th September, 3 pm 2025 - Enrolment Packs are due back

• All enrolments for 2026 are due back at school, and out-of-zone ballot entries are closed.

Monday, 15th September - Ballot, if necessary, for out-of-zone enrolments.

• Depending on the number of enrolments, it may be necessary to hold a ballot.
• Details of the ballot procedures are included in the enrolment pack.

Wednesday, 17th September  - All applications notified of their enrolment status.

• Families and Whaanau will be notified by email of their enrolment status by Wednesday, September 17th; This includes in-zone and out-of-zone applications.
• If there has been a ballot and you are unsuccessful, you will be notified of your status on our wait list.
• All out-of-zone families will receive emails by Wednesday, the 17th, to inform them of their enrollment status. They could be placed on a waiting list if they did not get on the ballot. 

Mobile phone use at home

The Role of Parents in Managing Cell Phone Use

New Zealand schools, including ours, have policies banning cell phones during school hours to minimise distractions and drama. However, growing concerns show that the real challenge begins after school. Group chats, social media, and constant phone access mean issues often follow students home and can escalate overnight.

Teachers are asking for parental support in monitoring and limiting phone use at home, especially after bedtime. Even if students aren't engaging in drama, late-night phone use impacts their sleep, which affects focus, behaviour, and learning the next day.

Suggestions include:

• Delaying giving children a smartphone as long as possible

• Setting nightly limits and taking phones away at bedtime

• Talking to children about responsible digital behaviour

• Using parental controls to guide safe use

Schools can set rules, but lasting solutions start at home.

Summarised from an article by Christine Derengowski, Writer 

Quilling

Two groups of students have been working with Whaea Karyn, our art teacher, on quilling. The students enjoyed learning how to use the quilling tools and making a collaborative picture.

See below Whaea Tash with room 49 picture

Dates coming up

• 20 June—Matariki, our school, and all other NZ schools will be closed on this day.
• 27 June - last day of term 2. School will finish at 3 pm as normal.
• Term 3 begins on 14 July.
• 17 July - maths evening for parents/caregivers 6 pm
  
• Mid year reports will go home in week 1 of term 3.
• Student Conferences will be on 24 and 25 July. 

  Our student conferences will be held the following week, on:

  • Thursday 24 July from 1:00 pm – 7:30 pm
    (Students may go home at 12:30 pm after lunch)

  • Friday 25 July from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
    (Students only need to come to school for their scheduled conference)

  Student conferences are a valuable opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher, discuss their learning journey, and celebrate their progress. They are an essential part of building strong school–home partnerships.

  Supervision
  If your child cannot go home at 12:30 pm on Thursday or if they require supervision on Friday, we will have staff available at school to supervise them.

• 18 August - Teacher-only day

  - Our teachers will all be involved in professional learning on the new maths curriculum with a facilitator. Our school will be closed.