Kia ora koutou

The school has been a hive of activity with senior trips to the beach, Class Learning Celebrations, Enviro trips, with focused learning both in and outside the classroom. The end of the term is a great time to reflect on all the fabulous learning, the challenges the students have engaged in, demonstrating our vision Kia puawai te ngakau - Growing Creative Learners from within.

Our much loved caretaker Nigel Cavanah is retiring at the beginning of next term.  Nigel has been looking after the property and grounds at Hillcrest Normal since 2011, and the time has come for him to hang up his work boots and spend more time fishing.  We thank him for his many years of service to our school community and wish him well on his retirement.

Mrs Sandra Neil (Assistant Principal of the junior classes) leaves at the end of this week on her well deserved sabbatical.  She will return to school at the beginning of Term 3.  In her absence Mrs Phillippa Ramsay will be Acting in this role.

It was with great excitement that we finally were able to get into our new classrooms today.  Students from rooms 22, 23 and 24 were bursting with anticipation to get into these beautiful new spaces.  Matua Rei Mihaere led the blessing as we went through all together.  These classes have been in different spaces since the end of last term and were so relieved to be in their new classes.  Over the next couple of weeks these classes will be moving between the spaces and getting used to the new area.  While the spaces looked great, they were missing the life that can only be brought by people being in them.  We look forward to the incredible learning that happens in these rooms.

The summer sports codes are coming to an end.  We are extremely proud of the sportsmanship of our students, as well as appreciative of parents who support their children in this way.  All the best to our Splash Polo teams, with our two senior teams in the final.  Thanks to the numerous parents and our staff, who give of their time and expertise in a voluntary capacity to ensure our children have these opportunities. Organisation for winter sports is now well under way.

Please note that there will be two teacher only days next term. All of the staff from schools in our area are meeting together for a big professional learning development day on 30th May (the Friday before the long King's birthday weekend).  On the Friday 27th June for Parent Teacher Conversations, which is the last day of term.

Noho ora mai

Marie Bramley

Principal

Junior School

This term, the year 2 tamariki have become scientists and have been learning about animal habitats and adaptations.  We have loved finding out about the different habitats around the world and how animals survive in these environments.  We particularly enjoyed learning about elephants and the adaptations they have.  Here are some of our reports we wrote earlier in the week

Elephants need their trunks to help them drink water and to eat, and breathe. They swish their tails to get the bugs away.

Marley Room 21

An elephant's trunk helps them to survive and eat food.  Their big ears help them listen for danger.

Jude Room 21

Elephants have big ears to lower their body temperature and help them hear.  Tusks help protect the elephant. They have big trunks to survive.

Grace Room 21

Elephants have big tusks to help them dig in the dirt. Elephants have a tail to flick away bugs.  Elephants have trunks to put food and water in their mouths.

Matilda Room 21

Elephants' trunks help to get water and food.  Big ears help them to hear far away.

Mack Room 21

Middle School

Sarah The Bee Expert

What a treat for the middle team this week! We were very lucky to have Sarah, the Bee Expert, come to our school to work with a few of the middle team classes that are focused on Bees for our science unit. After some explicit teaching of insects and invertebrates, the children got to get up close and observe some real bees, look at the inside of a beehive, and even try on a beekeeper's suit.

Senior School

It was great to see so many whānau and family members in our junior classrooms last Friday. The children really were proud of their treaties and all the Science learning they had done over the first term. They enjoyed showing their adults their art work around the room and their book work - it was great to see learning displayed in a variety of ways. Thank you to all the kaiako for making this a valuable community sharing time.  

Out of school music starts up next term.

This year we are excited to provide violin and woodwind (recorder, flute, saxophone and clarinet) lessons with William Zhang and Dr Catherine Wallace respectively. We also have Musichouse on board again who offer a range of instrument lessons including drum, bass, guitar, keyboard, saxophone, ukulele, singing and more.

• For more information and to sign up for violin lessons please follow this link
• For more information and to sign up for woodwind lessons please follow this link
• For more information and to sign up for a range of lessons with Music House, please follow this link

There may not be enough spaces for everyone who wants to play so priority will be given to those who have already played and those who are older.

Registrations close on Friday 11th April 2025.

Term 2 Basketball Registrations close off date has been bought forward to today, Thursday 3rd April at 5pm.  If your child is interested in playing Basketball in Term 2 2025, please read the following information and complete and submit the form.  

Year 1 & 2 play on Thursdays, Year 3 & 4 play on Wednesdays and Year 5 & 6 play on Fridays between 4pm & 7:30pm.

Term 2 Basketball registration form. 

Gwyn’s Climbing Championship

I went to Tūrangi to compete in the La Sportiva climbing competition. The walls in the Tūrangi climbing gym are three times the height of my class! There were three people in my category (under 11 females) one was from the Rotorua climbing club, the other was from the Auckland climbing club. I was already friends with the girl from Rotorua (from another competition), and became friends with the girl from Auckland!

There were three climbs - two were qualifiers and the third one was the final. The aim was to get as high as possible before you fell off (don't worry I had a rope tied to me).

I came second and got a ‘silver’ medal and a prize. The medal is actually made out of wood in the shape of a toki, a traditional necklace shaped like an adze that the Māori used to cut things.

I got the BIGGEST ice cream EVER! For a prize I got a free pizza and a buff (which is something to keep your ears and face warm).

Next Friday 11th April, is the last day of term one, school will finish at the usual time of 3pm and ASC will be running on that day as per usual. 

Term 2 will start again on Monday 28th April.  

We have been informed by NZTA that the recently implemented Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 requires NZTA to install variable speed limits (VSLs) on the parts of state highways that are “outside the school gate” by 1 July 2026.

Our school is eligible for a variable speed limit and has been classified as a category 1 school. This means that NZTA plan to install a 30km/h VSL on the state highway outside our school.