Newsletter ~ 4 June, 2026

From the Principal

Kia ora te whānau Te Kura o Te Waipapa,

As flagged previously, our Staff have been very focused on implementing the new Ministry of Education guidelines around Assessment and Reporting. We are covering the why, what, when and how of assessment, and plans are coming into place. At the end of this term, you will receive the first written report that follows the new regime, and you will notice a significant change from previous years. We will hold an information evening to go over the new reporting requirements. This will only take about 45 minutes:

- WEDNESDAY 17th June - 6.00 pm -

If you are not able to attend this meeting, I will attempt to summarise the changes. It is mandated that we report twice yearly in Literacy and Numeracy and across curriculum statements. Students will be assessed using Progress Descriptors that will indicate if a student is Emerging, Developing, Consolidating, Proficient or Exceeding at the curriculum expectation for their level. For example, if your child is in Year 4, the Teacher will assess them against the Indicators for Year 4. The term 4 report will indicate progress against those descriptors from Term 2. Furthermore, the Term 2 report will provide a narrative summary as well as Next Learning Steps and How You Can Help at Home. You can read more by searching MOE Guide to your child’s reporting and progress.

Learning Conferences

There will be Learning Conferences held on Monday, 27th July ( Term 3, Week 2). The purpose of your child’s Learning Conferences is for them to share their learning, review goals set at the beginning of the year, and ask questions regarding their report.

Ngā mihi

Hugh Gully

SE Zones Cross Country

On Tuesday, 26 May 20 of our tamariki proudly represented Diamond Harbour School at the South East Zones Cross Country held at Hansen Park.

The races began with the Year 5 runners, it was their first time competing at zones, and then continued through to the Year 8 events. Everyone showed determination, resilience, and sportsmanship on the day. The weather was sunny but cool, which was the perfect conditions for running.

By Patiki

Competing against students from schools across the South East zone was a fantastic experience for our tamariki. They challenged themselves, supported one another, and represented our school with pride. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and the positive attitude they displayed both on and off the course.

A big thank you to the whānau who helped with transport and came along to support our runners.

Food Fairy Fun Run Salvation Army Pick Up

A huge thank you to our wonderful school community for your generosity and support of this year's Food Fairy Fun Run. Thanks to the amazing efforts of our tamariki and their whānau, we collected an incredible amount of food donations for those in need.

Today, the Salvation Army collected the donations and were absolutely overwhelmed by the quantity of food received. They expressed their sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed, noting that these donations will make a real difference to many individuals and families in our wider community.

We are incredibly proud of our tamariki for embracing the spirit of giving and community service, and we thank everyone who donated food, sponsored runners, and supported this special event.

BLAKE NZ-VR Under the sea virtual reality experience

On Monday, Pīoke class was treated to an exciting visitor. Anna, from BLAKE, had come in to educate students about the effects of climate change on the ocean. As the lesson started, the students began to talk about the many ways that humans were changing the environment. They were then told to put on their neighbouring VR headsets and a series of short 360 degree videos were played about the environment. They took off their headsets, talked about what they saw and then put their headsets back on again. This process continued multiple times, showing videos of agriculture, and the effect storms are having on the environment. Students were treated to the experience of virtually swimming through a coral reef. When they were finished, they said a big thank you to Anna and left.

By Joe

Year 6 Art with Belinda

The Year 6 girls recently enjoyed an art session with Belinda, where they worked together to create a collaborative abstract artwork.

Using colour, shape, pattern, and texture, the students explored different artistic techniques while learning how individual contributions can come together to create something unique and meaningful. The project encouraged creativity and teamwork, with each student adding their own ideas and artistic flair to the final pieces.

It was wonderful to see the girls experimenting with new concepts, supporting one another, and expressing themselves through art. The finished collaboration are a vibrant reflection of their imagination, creativity, and willingness to work together.

A big thank you to Belinda for sharing her expertise and passion for art with our students. We look forward to seeing more creative projects emerge from Patiki

Te Kōhanga Yr 0/1 Construction Site

This term our dramatic play area theme is Construction. We have been busy building with blocks, cardboard tubes, reels and cones. The students have created marble runs, houses, animal enclosures and car ramps, demonstrating great imagination and creativity. There has been lots of problem solving, as the students have worked out how to make structures stable, what materials are suitable for the task, testing different designs and making improvement when things did not work as planned. The children have shown perseverance, teamwork and critical thinking as they shared ideas, solved challenges and celebrated their successes together. Construction play has provided valuable opportunities to develop communication, collaboration and early engineering skills in a fun and engaging way.

Construction Challenge

Recently, the Year 0/1 students were presented with a construction challenge.

A big, heavy elephant needs to cross a river, but a fierce and very hungry crocodile was waiting in the water!

What can you build to help the elephant get across the river safely?

The students worked hard to design and construct bridges using a variety of materials, testing their ideas and making changes when their structures were not strong enough. This challenge encouraged the children to think critically, problem-solve, collaborate with others and persevere when faced with difficulties. It was wonderful to see the creativity and determination the students demonstrated as they worked towards a solution.

Matariki Night Mākete

Save the Date

'We held a competition to design the promotional poster for our night market. We are grateful to Jane McCulla (local ceramic artist) for judging this competition for us. Congratulations to the competition winners: Finn, Joe and Molly. Also a special mention to Maddie, Elsie and Zadie for their beautiful posters. All six posters will be used around our community to advertise the market so look out for these colorful and artistic entries! Well done and thank you to everyone who entered the competition, we hear the judging decision was very difficult.'
Thanks

Kat

Library News

Ivy and Scarlett are having game time in the library every second Wednesday.

Game time is going great. We had a lot of kids come in, and they loved it, so come along and play some games with us and have a good time. Play with us and have the best lunchtime.

By Scarlett and Ivy

Lost Property

Lost Property Overflowing!

Our lost property box is currently overflowing with unnamed clothing, lunchboxes, drink bottles, and other items.

We encourage all parents and caregivers to take a moment to check the lost property for any belongings that may belong to your child. The lost property box is now located in the sick bay.

Please make sure all clothing and personal items are clearly named, as this helps us return lost items to their owners quickly and easily.

Any unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the term.

Thank you for your support.