One of the things that lots of our relievers and school staff have commented on, is what a calm, settled start we have had to the school year. That can't happen without the hard work of our whole community.
Thank you all for your support for our mahi at Ruakākā to give our tamariki fantastic educational experiences. I am always impressed by the whānau support we get for the trips that we run. I would like to give a big shout out to whānau who supported senior camps, swimming sports, EPro8, the Kauri museum and Tai Tōkerau Kapa Haka festival. Thanks also to our PTA who worked hard to create our Easter raffle. Tau kē koutou! You rock!
Just a reminder that next term we will begin cohort entry for our 5 year olds starting school. This means there will be two entry dates each term - contact our school tari | office to find out more and to book your school visits.
Our old Admin area is beginning to take shape as a new junior classroom - handover will be the middle of next term and then we will take our time to set up this room for the Nest. The next step is that our old entrance area will become an outdoor classroom and play space for our youngest English Medium tamariki. We are currently advertising for a new kaiako to work with Whaea Kelly and Whaea Theresa in the Nest as our group of 5 year olds continues to grow.
Over the Easter break this block and Rooms 9/10 will be painted in beautiful SHINE colours. Early next term the surface of our new playground will be installed so that this area can finally be opened. Exciting!
Wishing you all a fantastic break - stay safe, have some whānau adventures and enjoy some Easter treats.
Ngā mihi Helen
Tūtaki i ngā Kaimahi / Meet the Staff
Our kaimahi (staff) have been working hard to create a visual of who they are. This is being put up on windows of classrooms, offices, etc so that our tamariki and whānau get to know us better.
Each newsletter we will add two of our staff to help you to get to know us. This week is Whaea Katy and Amber.
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Ruakākā School Swimming Sports and Zones
He mihi NUI! A big thank you!
A huge thank you to The Marina and Two Birds cafe for sponsoring us with vouchers to recognise the amazing mahi of our kaiako and kaiāwhina! During celebration assembly Whaea Helen acknowledges two tamariki that have been making our kura a better place. They are rewarded with a special certificate and an even more special pukapuka. We decided to do the same for our kaimahi (staff) and these two cafes graciously donated vouchers to help us recognise the amazing mahi our staff do everyday to help support our tamariki! This week we acknowleged Whaea Elly for running a fun and engaging Gnarley tournament and Cassy for always bringing positive SHINE vibes to school! Ngā mihi kōrua
Year 5/6 Camp
Our Year 5 and 6 students had an unforgettable time at camp at Taurikura, Whangārei Heads, filled with excitement, challenges and plenty of fun. From the adrenaline pumping activities at Adrenaline Adventure Park to conquering the heights of Mt Manaia, every moment was packed with exciting experiences. Students had a great time, swimming and snorkelling in the beautiful waters of Taurikura, playing on the cool playground and various outdoor games. Of course no camp is complete without a delicious menu and time to relax soaking in the stunning setting. We even got to see dolphins and a Navy ship!!! A huge thank you to everyone who made this experience possible, our amazing students, staff and whānau helpers. A special mention to Whaea Helen who climbed Mt Manaia twice so she could support both camps, we appreciate you coming to see us at camp Whaea Helen - we appreciate you.
Te Manawa Tahi - Community Hub Timetable - Term 2, 2025
Dumb blondes? Think again. A persuasive argument.
Caroline Grieve
Persuasive paragraphs: Dumb Blonds!? Think again . . .
Do you go up to people who have brunette or black hair and start assuming that they are dumb?
Saying that ‘all blondes are dumb’ is just rude! Really, if you are calling them dumb then you are the dumb one for assuming it without any evidence. ‘Dumb blonde’ is a stereotype with NO scientific evidence!
Hair colour is not you. If you really want to think that all blondes are dumb then go and test it. Oh wait, you probably can’t. There is no way that the colour of your hair makes up who you are, and how intelligent you are.
Some blondes are dumb. I am not denying it, but there are also many dumb brunettes or dumb people with black hair.
When you see a dumb person who has black, brunette or orange hair do you just think they are normally dumb but a blonde is dumb because they are blonde. That would be WRONG!
How wrong the saying is. It’s amazing how the saying dumb blonde was probably made up by a man who thinks he's right. Many of these sayings about a woman's appearance are probably made by entitled, insecure and misogynistic men. I think it’s sad how even women believe this and say it. I am disappointed and surprised this is what this world has come to. I am especially disappointed with the people who know it’s wrong, and say nothing about it.
In conclusion, the saying is rude, scientifically incorrect and this is me asking for help to stop these sexist sayings for good!
By Caroline Grieve
27.3.2025
Public Health Nurse for Ruakākā School
Kia Ora! My name is Dennaye and I am the Public Health Nurse for Ruakākā School.
I work with children over 3years to 12years of age; However, our wider team includes the Youth Specialty Nurses and Specialty Ear Nurses.
If you have health concerns for tamariki of any age, please feel free to contact me and we can put you in touch with the right team to support you.
Mahi we do within schools includes:
Work with schools to promote the wellbeing of tamariki, and their whānau
Make referrals and liaise with school staff, health professionals (e.g. family doctors and specialists) and social agencies to support tamariki with health issues.
Provide assessment and treatment sore throat, skin infections/conditions such as school sores and eczema
Provide education for schools on supporting children with health issues such as Anaphylaxis, Asthma and Epilepsy
Follow-up tamariki with identified hearing/vision needs
While these are some of the things we do, it is not a definitive list.
Contact me at Dennaye.channings@northlanddhb.org.nz or ask the school staff to make a referral about any health concerns you may have for your tamariki.
16-24 Commerce St Whangarei Health New Zealand |Te Whatu Ora
Classic 100 Hīkoi
Some of our kaimahi took part in the Classic 100 challenge to walk, run, skip or hop 100km each over the month of March. This year we collectively walked 2605.88km!!! How epic is that, and what an example of papahueke - never giving up. This was a kohi pūtea (fundraiser) for the "I have a dream" charity who are focused on inspiring dreams and enabling futures for tamariki (children) and rangatahi (youth). We managed to raise $875. Thank you to all that donated to the cause!
SHINE Whānau Winners
He mihi nui ki ngā tamariki o Taranga i te kaha o tō koutou Piatatanga i tēnei wāhanga. I kohikohi koutou ngā tōkene kō atu ki ētahi atu Whānau! Haramai ki tētahi āhua! Well done to Taranga on your efforts to SHINE this term and collect more tokens than the other Whānau. Amazing effort. Here is a picture of our SHINE whānau leaders of Taranga with the trophy they have earned this term.
Ruakākā School Apparel Ordering / Hoko Kākahu
Ruakākā School hoodies and tees, Whānau t-shirts and Te Whānau Harakeke hoodies and tees can be ordered online here. These are not being done as a fundraiser and are being sold at the lowest possible price for you all. Happy shopping. Any questions, please get in touch with Emma, info@designbyem.co.nz
Spare Change of Clothes / Kākahu mō te pēke
Please make sure your tamariki has a change of clothes in their bag every day. We only have a small amount of clothes in the office in case of emergencies, so we may need to call you to bring in some clothes for your child.
Lifewalk
We are really fortunate that Helen from Lifewalk will be supporting our kura as a Wellbeing Mentor. She will be available for 4 hours each week to meet with any students who are needing extra support in a low key way to chill or chat. All conversations/sessions will have parent permission prior and no religious aspects will be part of the sessions. If you would like your tamaiti to be able to talk with Helen please contact the office so that we can set that up.
Important Dates
End of Term 1
All Day
Please note: Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day all fall in the holidays.
Term 2 Starts
All Day
Staff Only Day
All Day
No children at School
Kings Birthday
All Day
Matariki holiday
All Day
Term 2 Ends
All Day
Term 3 starts
All Day
Term 3 ends
All Day
Term 4 Starts
All Day
Term 4 ends
All Day
School finishes at 12pm
Community Notices
The primary basketball competition is due to start next term.
The first night - Tuesday 30th April - will be a casual & fun game night, so if players don't have a team they can still come along and join one. I will have a laptop available to do personal and team registrations.
Please note that I have changed the fee structure this season to a flat $15 per person fee to make it fairer.
Basketball New Zealand has also implemented an across the board $10 fee for every junior player. This goes straight to them, but covers the whole year, so won't need to be paid again for term 3.
Following is the TEAM registration form. If you are coaching/managing a team, please register ASAP. You will then get a link to share with your team members.
We’re excited to share that our Year 6 Transition Programme has just been extended to include both Year 5 and Year 6 players. We’d love your students to be part of it!
This school holiday programme is specifically designed to support Year 5 & 6 netballers to help develop their basic skills as they prepare for this season. It's a fun and engaging way for players to build confidence, skills, and knowledge ahead of the new season.
The programme includes:
· Skill development
· Teamwork and communication
· Understanding positions and rules of 7-aside netball
· Fun activities to boost fitness and agility
It’s the perfect opportunity for young players to gain insight into what netball will look like at the next level—while having a great time on court!
Programme Details:
Dates: 14 & 15 April 2025 Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm Location: Whangārei Netball Centre Cost: $25.00
We’d appreciate your support in promoting this opportunity to your Year 5 & 6 netballers and their families.
Save the date: 15th April 2025 11am Town Centre outside Two Birds Cafe Come along and bring your children and grandchildren and join in our first Storytime event complete with stories, songs and even a couple of ukeleles. Following the activities, children will be invited to join a “Bean Hunt “ which will end at the Ruakaka library. At the library each child will be able to choose a book provided by Bream Bay Learning Community. Library enrolment forms will also be available.
North Stars Gymsports Proudly presents.... April School Holiday FLIPPING AWESOME EASTER FUN GYM DAY!!! Awesome action packed Fun Gym Day including foundation shapes, safe landings, skill development, team games and of course fun, fun FUN!!! All ages and abilities most welcome. Preschoolers can attend with parent/caregiver to stay onsite. Awesome coaches, Physical exercise, Gymnastics foundation skills, Fun challenging circuits, Great group games, Handstands & Cartwheels, Colourful chill-out area. Wednesdays 16th, 23rd April 2025 1.00pm - 3.00pm and/or 3.00pm - 5.00pm $30 for 2 hour session (Siblings $25ea) $50 for 4 hour session (Siblings $45) $15 for 1 hour ( Preschoolers) ***Gymnasts must bring; Water Bottle and lunch/snack box, Good listening, Be ready for action packed fun Wear comfortable clothing with no zips please Long hair tied up Great sportsmanship To book your space please email us with your gymnasts name and age and preferred day and time(s). Breambaygym@gmail.com Happy handstands!!
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