Hillcrest Normal School eNewsletter

Kia ora koutou whānau

We have come to the end of another term and this is an opportunity to celebrate the learning and successes of our tamariki. Matariki celebrations continued this week, with a whole school assembly on Tuesday.

Our students and staff have appreciated the tremendous support at our recent learning celebrations. We do hope that you have enjoyed sharing all their wonderful work and progress.

Today and tomorrow are our parent teacher conversations which will provide further opportunity to have insight into your child's learning.

Senior leaders will be available to have a chat with you in the new school library from 3.30pm until 5.00pm today, and again from 9-12.30 and 1.30 until 3.00pm tomorrow. Please feel free to drop in to say hello while you are at school.

Congratulations to our many sports teams who are representing our school in local competitions each week. A massive thanks to the coaches, managers and staff for what you give for our children to be able participate. We know the importance of sport has on encouraging physical activity and development, as well as the other skills children learn being part of a team. We appreciate the parents who positively support and encourage their tamariki to be involved.

We are currently reviewing our strategic plan and would value your input. Please keep an eye out for a community survey that will be sent to you by email to be completed by Friday 18 July.

A reminder that this is the last day of school term for children. Have a great term break and we will see you when school opens again on Monday 14th July.

Noho ora mai

Marie Bramley

Principal

Junior School

This term in Room 5 we have been focussing on learning within the social sciences curriculum. We used the shared book, Kupe and the Giant Wheke to explore connections and design. We worked on collaboration and completed many beautiful art works. While reading the story we decided we would like to make our own waka. During Learning Through Play, we worked together to design, draw and create a huge waka we are so proud of. We have made some beautiful colourful oars. We each have our own oar that represents our families. We used chalk, pastel and black dye to complete our koru representation of our whanau on the oar. He waka eke noa - We are all in this together.

Middle School

Social Science Unit - Our Journey

This term we have been exploring 'migration' in Aotearoa history for social science. In Room 14, we looked at what life was like in Britain in the 1800s compared to New Zealand at that time. We explored why different groups of people may be attracted to migrate to New Zealand. We used drama to put ourselves in the shoes of Europeans back then who heard about New Zealand as a country to migrate to, and debated the pros and cons of moving and staying. This approach really helped us look at things from different perspectives, dive into these tricky concepts with deeper understanding, all while having fun learning about this part of NZ history.

Senior School

Room's 8, 22, 23 & 24 Production

For the last few weeks, we’ve been diving into our production and it’s been awesome! A group of students from each class worked with Mr Mason to come up with our script, and we are super excited with what we landed on. We’ve had loads of opportunities to act out different scenes and work with different groups of students. For those of us who were keen on a main role, we had a few extra sessions to show what we could do.

We’ve also started learning some of our production songs, and they are absolute bangers! We can’t wait to share this with you next term! On top of that, a group of passionate dancers have choreographed an epic dance which they have been teaching us all this week.

We’re loving all the different ways we have been able to be involved and are looking forward to next term, where we will be getting on the stage and into our characters.

What a wonderful Matariki we've shared at school! It was truly special to see different classes embrace this significant time of year.

Classes across the school marked the Māori New Year in a range of meaningful ways, from sharing delicious Matariki breakfasts together to creating beautiful art inspired by the stars and the season. The week kicked off with a vibrant kapa haka performance, setting a fantastic tone, and many other activities took place throughout the week, bringing the spirit of Matariki to life for our tamariki.

It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn about the significance of Matariki, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the new beginnings ahead.

Arbor Day is a special celebration of nature when we plant trees and other plants. Room 17 was lucky enough to be invited by Mrs Bramley to the planting of a flowering cherry tree on the school grounds. It was planted to replace a previous cherry tree which had been a favourite haunt of tree climbers from across the school. The new tree is, of course, a little small for any kind of climbing action yet! Every child in Room 17 assisted in the planting process - from carrying the sapling to the hole, sprinkling fertiliser and firming down the soil around the base. We also said a karakia and waiata to mark the moment. Grow fast little tree!

Last week we had a teacher vs student winter sports tournament on the turf at lunchtime. Students versed teachers playing netball, basketball, soccer and rugby. Different numbers of students and teachers were announced for each game and as soon as one side scored we changed to a new game. There was cheering and laughter and everyone had a wonderful time! Even when it started raining no one wanted to stop!

This afternoon and all day tomorrow we have our Parent-Teacher conversations. These are a chance to talk to your child's teacher about their learning. Your child's mid-year written report will also be handed out at this time.

Please click here to make your booking. Event code ygp94. If you are uncertain about how to book or do not have a computer at home, please contact the office and we will help you. The bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis within the timetable. Each appointment will be for 15 minutes, and further times can be arranged if there is more that needs to be covered than the time allows.

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a Teacher Only Day so today is the last day of the term for students.

Your child’s report offers a snapshot of their current learning. While it can't capture every strength your child brings to school, it provides an update on their progress in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics as measured against the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. You'll find the report format familiar, but please note that this year, expectations have shifted in some areas and the language used to describe your child's progress has been updated to align with the new curriculum.

On the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics page, there is a curriculum level on the left-hand side. This indicates the level your child is currently working within, based on how well their understanding aligns with the learning outcomes for that curriculum level. For students who are in Years 3-6, you will find on the right-hand side a progress descriptor in each area that relates to your child's year level at school. These are described on the back page. These are not used on the reports for children in Years 0-2.

We understand the importance of the holistic development of your child and that learning encompasses much more than these areas. This report doesn't attempt to capture the full richness of your child's learning journey. For a deeper understanding, we encourage a conversation with your child and their teacher.

Kia ora Hillcrest Normal School whānau,

My name is Corey Redwood, and I’m honoured to serve as the Presiding Member of the Board here at Hillcrest Normal School. I’ve been part of the board since 2022, and it’s been a privilege to contribute to the ongoing growth and success of our kura.

Over the past year, the board has supported and completed several key projects that enhance both the learning environment and daily experiences of our students and staff. These include the redevelopment of the top playground, a full junior block upgrade, and improvements to the Library and Rooms 22 and 23. In addition, we’ve completed smaller but meaningful upgrades such as a new deck under the walkway, improving safety and usability around the school.

Throughout this mahi, the board has remained committed to upholding our school’s SHINE values—Succeed, Honour, Imagine, Nurture, Explore. These values guide our decisions and long-term planning, ensuring we create spaces and opportunities where all ākonga can thrive, feel valued, and be inspired to grow.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome new voices to our team. In September, applications will open for those interested in becoming a member of the Board. If you’ve ever wondered how the board works or how decisions are made, we warmly invite you to attend our next board meeting on Thursday 31st July. It’s a great chance to see how a meeting runs and learn more about the meaningful role you could play in shaping our school’s future.

Ngā mihi nui,
Corey Redwood
Presiding Member, Board of Trustees

We have a significant amount of lost property at the moment, so while you are at school for the parent teacher interviews, please take some time to have a look over the clothes that will be displayed on the hall steps.

Hillcrest Normal July 2025 Holiday Programme..pdf 3.37 MB

6 Oct	Start of Term 4 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

6 Oct	Cohort 7 starts 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM