Nurture each other and our holistic well-being and care for our environment.

We welcome new staff members

-Teachers Sarah McCullagh, John Brooker, Jojo Brown, Julia Bowden

- Learning Assistant Marcus Scheepers.

We regret to inform you that Greg Parkinson, Room 14 teacher is currently experiencing serious health challenges. He has surgery scheduled this week. We are supporting him and his whanau at this difficult time.

Laura Stewart who is a respected and experienced staff member here will 'shareteach' with Greg for 2025. We are grateful that Laura has stepped into this important role.

Thank you for bringing your tamariki in time for them to settle before the day begins formally at 9am. Classrooms are open at 8:30. Parents and children are welcome. Please be aware of the importance to every child of “end of the day" reflections. 

Every class assembles to bless and celebrate the learning of the day, prior to teachers bringing the class to Te Wehenga. Please wait in this park. It is an opportunity to meet other whānau and check in with your child's teacher. Any child being collected early needs a genuine reason and must be signed out at the office.

If you have a baby in your car for pick up, we suggest you come at 3:10pm when the last of the children are waiting on the steps of the carving. There is plenty of parking then.

Come and meet teaching staff and other whānau at our Family Picnic

Introductions and karakia kai at 5pm.
Bring your own kai and / or buy a sausage. 

Beef, halal & vege. $2 each. Cash and eftpos available.

Pool is open from 5:30pm

There is also a Book Fair in the Library. 

Cash and eftpos also available for book purchases. We look forward to meeting you on Thursday 13 February.

 Ngā mihi 

 Pippa Wright -Principal

Kia ora e te whanau,

We're excited to introduce our school counsellor Tania Bullick! Tania has been working at Hamilton East School since last year and has proved to be a valuable resource for our ākonga/learners, whānau and staff.
We understand that navigating the journey of parenthood and supporting your child's educational and emotional needs can sometimes feel challenging. That's why we're fortunate to have Tania on board to assist both you and your child through any challenges they may encounter. Here's what you need to know about counselling at HES:

Expert Guidance: Tania is here to provide guidance and support to both students and parents. Whether it's social pressures, or personal concerns, Tania can help your child navigate through any obstacles they may face. Through individual counselling sessions and even sometimes group workshops, students learn how to overcome challenges and build resilience.

Listening Ear: Sometimes, we all need a listening ear. Tania offers a safe and confidential space where students can express themselves. Tania’s narrative therapy supports our ākonga/learners and whānau to help them work through their thoughts and feelings.

Promoting Wellness: Mental health and well-being are top priorities at HES. Tania works closely with students, parents and our staff to promote positive thinking and optimism, where people's feelings/emotions are supported and valued. Sessions with Tania can provide resources and strategies to help students and whānau manage stress, build healthy relationships, develop self-care habits and a positive outlook about themselves.

Open Communication: Tania encourages open communication between whānau and their tamariki/children. Whether you have questions, concerns, or simply want to check in, she is here to listen and collaborate with you to ensure your child continues to grow socially, and emotionally. If you have any questions, would like to meet with Tania or you would like your child to have some sessions with her,  please don't hesitate to reach out to her, Claire or your child’s Teacher. 

Tania Bullick tbullick@hameast.school.nz
Claire Cameron ccameron@hameast.school.nz

Ngā mihi
Claire Cameron 
SENCo

One of the things we are continuing to focus on in 2025 is student attendance.  You will hear us talking about this with you, with our students and it remains a strong subject of conversation in the staff room. 

If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss more than a whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.

All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school.

You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure.  Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.

 

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school can be tricky. If you are unsure, get in touch with us and let’s work together to support your learner.

If you're struggling at home with getting your child to school, talk to us.

If you are finding it hard to get your child to school, please talk with us so we can work together. Our school is committed to supporting your child to attend school.

Our school continues to build a culture that fosters attendance every day by having:

·    School staff who have strong relationships with students and family.

·    A school culture that recognises your child and your family for who you are, where you come from and what you value.

·    A school whānau that takes all practical steps to make sure your child is at school and progressing in their learning.

·    A school that is safe and welcoming for everyone in our school community.

 If you have any attendance queries and issues, please contact us so we can work together.

To report an absence please
Email - office@hameast.school.nz or
Text - 0212899811 or
Leave a message - 078393377

Kia ora koutou,

We have had a wonderful start to our term.  We welcomed our new entrant tamariki and their whānau last week. It was great to see so many smiles about being at kura (school).

Kiwi whānau has been focusing on whakawhanaungatanga - making connections and building relationships.  

We practised self-portrait drawing, talked about what the Treaty of Waitangi means, and decided on the important things that should be in our class treaties.  

We are swimming for the next 4 weeks so please ensure that tamariki come to school with their togs and towels ready to participate.

We hope to see you at the Whānau Picnic this Thursday at 5 pm - 6.30 pm.

Kia ora e te whānau

We are very excited to be back at school for another year filled with fun and incredible learning experiences. 

We have been getting to know our classmates and settling into our new classrooms for 2025. We are participating in swimming this term as part of our physical education and Hauora learning. Developing water safety skills is essential for all tamariki. Please bring named togs and towels in a bag daily. Even if it is not their class swimming day tchildren may have an opportunity for a lunchtime swim. 

Tamariki have been discussing the importance of nude food lunch boxes to minimise rubbish in order to care for our environment. As Kaitiaki at Hamilton East School, tamariki take pride in the school environment and know how to be nurturers of nature all around us! 

This Thursday we have our Whānau Picnic and Book Fair. We can’t wait to see you all there for ‘meet and greets’ with your children.

Kia Ora,

How good is it to be back into the rhythm and routines of school?!!

It has been great walking around the classes and seeing all the smiling faces getting back into their learning. We are focusing on building relationships and getting to know each other to set us up for the year. Water safety is also part of our programme during these hot summer school days. 

We have lots of new learners to the Kauri team and we welcome them, and their families. You will love being part of our community. 

We look forward to seeing our Whānau at the school picnic this Thursday. 

Below we have some Room 12 akonga reading before school, and some mahi from Room 11. 

Kia ora! 

We are excited about the year ahead with sport, physical education and hauora at Hamilton East. Please see below some notices from the team about swimming and some fun after school opportunities happening in Term 1. 

Please also check our school website for information regarding Sport & Hauora at Hamilton East that includes the sports teams and opportunities we offer. 

School Website Link - Sport & Hauora at Hamilton East School

Our Physical Education focus this term will be on teaching water safety skills in our school pool. This approach helps our tamariki develop critical thinking and physical skills for safer participation in the water.

Classroom teachers will be in touch soon regarding specific swim days for each class. Please ensure your child comes to school with named togs and a towel. While we recommend goggles and swim caps, they are not compulsory.

If you're interested in your child learning more advanced swimming techniques, we recommend registering them at a local swim club.