Newsletter ~ 14 August, 2025

From The Principal

Tena koutou ngā whānau, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa,

We are incredibly proud of the amazing achievements of our school rock bands at last night’s BandQuest competition. Performing to a packed audience in the James Hay Theatre at the Christchurch Town Hall, our students shone with confidence, musicianship, style, and skill. This is an amazing experience for our ākonga, and, as well as the music, what always makes me proud is the way our bands supported the other bands - cheering them on, dancing, and making new friends.

All the hard work of our ākonga, under the expert guidance of our talented tutor Ursi, was clearly evident in the bands’ performances. Special congratulations go to our senior band, The Pink Ladies and Ted, who placed 3rd overall, an outstanding achievement against strong competition from much larger schools.

A huge thank you goes to Ursi for her inspiring leadership, tireless encouragement, and the many hours she devotes to rehearsals and preparation. Her passion and generosity make opportunities like this possible, and we are truly grateful.

Coming up, we have another opportunity for ākonga to represent the school. On Saturday, 23 August, our Tournament of Minds (TOM) teams will showcase their skills at the Canterbury Competition. TOM is a programme for schools that encourages students to collaborate and solve open-ended problems, both long-term and spontaneous. They then have to present their solutions in a creative and dramatic way. This is the first year we have provided this opportunity for ākonga, and it has been supported by a kaiako (teacher) within the Kahui Āko (Community of Learning) who specialises in running a variety of programmes in schools. We wish this team all the best for an exciting and fun day.

Please don’t forget that in the coming weeks we also have an early closure on Monday, 25 August, to enable staff to attend a Paid Union Meeting.

Have a fabulous couple of weeks, and fingers crossed for some more beautiful sunny days.

Ngā mihi nui,

Jill

School Board Announcement

Kia ora koutou,

We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Board members:

Matthew Barbati-Ross
Daniel Murtagh
Lisa Renton

We welcome them to the Board and thank them for their willingness to contribute to the ongoing success of the school and support the learning and wellbeing of our community.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Board members for their dedication, mahi, and support. Their governance and commitment have made a lasting impact, and we are grateful for the energy and wealth of expertise they have contributed.

Karen Steedman continues as our staff representative. Karen has been in this role for a number of years and we thank her for her continued willingness to contribute.

Please do not hesitate to contact the school office if you have any questions.

Ngā mihi nui,

Henry Dunne - Presiding Member

Band Quest

On Wednesday the 13th of August, the Diamond Harbour School bands, The Pink Ladies and Ted and AB/CD went to the Town Hall to perform at Bandquest. We left at 12 and got there at 12:45, but weren’t allowed in until 1:30.

Once we were allowed in, we got a backstage tour and our dressing room. Then we met all the other bands in the auditorium, and Emma (the MC) told us how it would work and what to expect.

The first four bands would be backstage, and each time a new band came out, another one went to get ready. AB/CD were the second band to perform, and The Pink Ladies and Ted were the fifth band. After the sound check, we walked to Spagalimis for dinner. There was so much pizza!!

Before we performed, we had eight bags of lollies for energy!! We went a bit crazy on the walk back. When we got back, we got ready to perform.

AB/CD did an amazing job, they sounded great! They played 9 to 3 and Zombie.

And they looked so cool in their outfits! A few bands after that it was our turn to perform. We were playing Love On The Brain and Holiday.

Our lead singer Jessie, sang amazingly during her solo in Love On The Brain, and everyone performed their absolute best. After that we just sat down in the audience and watched the other band perform! It was so much fun, especially when we got to dance to some of the other bands. Sometimes Emma would throw T-shirts into the crowd. After all the bands performed, there was a guest band that passed out lollies. Then it was the prize giving. The Pink Ladies and Ted got THIRD!!

Written by Payton and Ruby

On Wednesday night, our two bands performed at the Rockshop Bandquest. There was a mix of nervousness and excitement for both bands as they got ready to perform. Both ABCD and The Pink Ladies and Ted put on a fantastic show and played their very best, with The Pink Ladies and Ted receiving 3rd place. Well done to everyone who performed, what a great effort.
Ursi

Tuesday Sport - Football

On Tuesday, we were super lucky because Josh from Mainland Football came to run our sports session. We started with some drills that helped us get better at passing, dribbling, and working as a team. Josh split us into two teams, and one team had to put on vests so we could play games against each other. Everyone was running around like crazy, trying their best to score goals. It was so much fun, and the games got really competitive.

A big thank you to Josh and Mainland Football for coming to visit us and for giving our class a whole set of footballs to use for Tuesday sports.

By Arthur

Monday Sport - Basketball

On Monday we had sports with Ursi and it was basketball. First we practised our passing and worked on our ball skills.

Then we played Golden Runner, one team lines up to shoot the ball into the hoop and the other team takes turns running all the way around the court. If the team shooting for the hoop gets the ball in before the runner makes it back, the runner is out. It was so much fun.

At the end we played a full basketball game. Everyone was getting really competitive and were cheering so loud it made it more exciting. Jonty and Campbell got to help coach the team at the end.

Library News

The Hell's Pizza Reading Challenge is still running and will continue through until the end of the year. Read 7 books and earn a completed pizza wheel to be exchanged for a FREE pizza at Hell's Pizza restaurants. Details of this and how it is being run at our school are up on the library window.

Happy reading!!

Lorna

Mana Ake Drop In Session

Mana Ake will be visiting school on the Friday the 5th of September. We will introduce the Mana Ake workers during assembly and they will then be free after assembly for you to introduce yourselves. There will also be some time available to book a 'Drop In' session if you would like to take up this offer

What is a 'Drop-in' Mana Ake can provide advice and guidance through a 'drop-in'. Some examples of what other parents ask about at a drop-in:

Child experiencing big emotions
Positive parenting
Child's physical health eg sleep, eating, screen time etc
Supporting boundaries and routines at home
Supporting a child through grief, loss or change
Concerns around child's friendships
Anything that impacts the child's wellbeing

How to I request a 'drop-in' session?

Please contact Karen S to register interest karen.steedman@diamondharbour.school.nz

This is a confidential service, school does not need to know what you wish to discuss

Youth Group Activities Term 3

Make & Do: Sculpture Edition — Term 3 Arvo Programme!

For Creative Kids Aged 10–12 Years Old

When: Wednesdays, 4:30–6:00pm
Dates: August 13 – September 17
Where: St Andrews Community Church
Cost / Koha: $90 for all six sessions (materials + afternoon snack included)
Spaces: Limited to 10 participants — sign up is essential!

This term’s focus is on SCULPTURE — kids will explore form, texture, and creativity while working with a variety of materials and techniques.

Meet Your Mentor: Ali Nightingale
Kia ora! I’m a local artist and teacher at Te Aratai College, with a passion for sculpture and hands-on learning. I'm thrilled to return to working with younger students, having previously taught sailing at Charteris Bay Yacht Club and studied sculpture at the University of Canterbury. I can’t wait to Make & Do with you this term!

To register fill out form: MakeAndDo

email: info.diamondharbouryct@gmail.comIf you got any questions feel free to reach out!

DHYCT Team- Debs & Lina