Kia ora Harrisville School Whaanau,
What a busy and exciting few weeks it has been, both in and out of the classroom! Our students have been actively engaged in a wide range of activities, including sports tournaments, performances, and special events.

A big thank you to the many parents who have gone above and beyond to provide transport and support. Your  involvement makes a real difference. A special thank you also to our dedicated teaching staff who spend considerable time and energy  preparing and organising these opportunities for our students.

Please keep an eye on our school calendar for upcoming events, including:

We’re proud of the wide variety of learning experiences on offer and are grateful for the support of our school community in making these possible.

Student Teachers
We have an ongoing partnership with the University of Waikato, regularly welcoming student teachers into our learning environment. This term, we’re excited to have three student teachers working with us:

It’s wonderful to support the next generation of educators, and our students benefit greatly from the fresh ideas and enthusiasm they bring to our classrooms. Welcome to the team!

 

The Principal’s Award is a special certificate given to one student each assembly who has demonstrated excellence in our 4Rs – Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Relationships. This award recognises students who consistently uphold these values in their learning and interactions, setting a positive example for their peers.

In addition to the Principal’s Award, two students from every class receive recognition for their hard work and dedication:

These awards showcase the effort, determination, and character that make our students shine. We encourage all students to continue striving for excellence, embracing our 4Rs, and supporting one another in their learning journey.

Congratulations to those students below who received awards at our last assembly!

Harrisville School Values Programme
At Harrisville School, we are proud of our values programme, which supports our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Relationships. Students who consistently demonstrate these values in their everyday actions are recognised with a Values Badge. It has been wonderful to see so many students receiving badges over the past few weeks an excellent reflection of the positive attitudes and behaviours being shown across our school. Ka pai, tamariki! Keep up the great work. 

This week, we take time to celebrate and acknowledge our incredible support staff here at Harrisville School!

From the front office to the library, classrooms to the playground, and all the spaces in between our support staff are the heart of our school. Their dedication, kindness, and mahi behind the scenes help create a safe, welcoming, and successful environment for our tamariki and staff every single day. WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO!

Today we welcomed tamariki and kaiako from Tuakau Kindergarten to Harrisville School! Our visitors spent time in Rooms 1 and 2, joining in with fun, hands on activities and getting a taste of what school life is like.

These visits are a wonderful way to support smooth and positive transitions from ECE to primary school, helping our youngest learners feel confident and excited about starting school. It was fantastic to see such happy faces and curious minds in action.  It was also heartwarming to see our Harrisville students stepping up to help and support our younger visitors. Ngā mihi nui to Tuakau Kindergarten for visiting us we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Today Harrisville School participated in Pink Shirt Day, joining thousands across Aotearoa to say loud and clear: bullying is never okay!

It was wonderful to see our tamariki, staff, and whānau dressed in pink to show their support for kindness, inclusion, and respect. 

We explored what it means to be a good friend and how to stand up if they see bullying happening. We talked about the important differences between:

Rude – when someone says or does something hurtful without meaning to.

Mean – when someone says or does something hurtful on purpose once.

Bullying – when someone is intentionally mean again and again, and it feels like it’s hard to stop.

We also shared the message:

Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!

A huge thank you to everyone who took part. Your support helps make Harrisville School a place where every student feels safe, accepted and valued.

The Ministry of Education has recently released updated guidance for schools on how we report student progress and achievement, alongside the launch of a new Parent Portal. These initiatives were introduced this week by the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, to support families in understanding how their child is progressing at school particularly as schools begin implementing the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Mātaiaho.

The updated guidance includes:

You can explore these new resources on the Ministry of Education website:
 Ministry of Education Parent Portal
Ministry of Education Reporting to Parents Information for schools

At Harrisville School, we are already well aligned with these national changes. We have been a Structured Literacy school since 2021, with a strong emphasis on building foundational reading and writing skills. We use the New Zealand Curriculum progressions across reading, writing, and mathematics to closely monitor and support learner progress.

In mathematics, we have been using the Numicon structured approach since 2014, and our staff have participated in extensive professional learning to ensure a consistent, evidence based approach to teaching across all year levels.

These learning approaches are now recognised as key national focus areas for all schools and we’re proud to already be leading the way.

Over the coming months, we will continue to review and refine how we report learning to parents and whānau, adopting the new Ministry guidance to ensure communication about your child’s learning is clear, timely, and meaningful.

Reporting to parents
Our approach to written reporting has shifted from traditional twice-yearly reports to an
ongoing system using HERO as our primary reporting platform. Our written posts are now delivered to parents
throughout the year, offering real-time updates rather than limiting feedback to mid-year and end-of-year reports.
This approach allows you to stay informed about your childs learning journey, progress, and next
steps in real time. Through HERO our teachers will share work samples, reflections, and assessments, creating a richer
and more engaging picture of student learning. This also fosters student involvement in their own progress. Our
school follows a HERO Post Schedule each term to ensure we meet Ministry of Education requirements while
reporting on a broad range of curriculum areas.

LEARNING CONFERENCES – WEEK 10
We warmly invite you to attend our upcoming Learning Conferences, held on:

This is a valuable opportunity for you and your child to meet with their teacher to discuss their learning progress and talk through your child's learning journey posts.

Booking Meet the Teacher & Goal Setting Meetings on HERO

Please make your bookings as soon as possible. If you do not have access to a computer, please phone or visit the school office, and we will assist in making an appointment for you.

Harrisville School uses the HERO app for booking Learning Conferences.

Caregivers will receive notifications via HERO when:
- A booking event opens or closes.
- A booking is made or updated by a staff member.
- An event is cancelled.

To book a meeting:

1. Log into the HERO app.
2. Navigate to 'School Bookings' in the menu.

3. View event details for your child.

4. Click 'Manage Bookings' to see available time slots.

5. Select a GREEN slot 

Being at school every single day is essential for tamariki to succeed in their learning. Regular attendance builds strong learning habits, helps children stay on track with their progress, and supports the development of important social skills. Even missing just 1–2 days can interrupt learning and impact achievement over time.

Being on time is equally important—arriving late means your child misses valuable settling in time and key learning at the start of the day. Being ready and present from the morning bell helps set your child up for success.

This year, the Ministry of Education has made school attendance a key priority across the country. As part of this, you may receive more frequent reminders and communication from our school or attendance officers if we notice regular patterns of absence or lateness. We appreciate your continued support in promoting the importance of being at school on time, every day, ready to learn!

Last year, Seth from Volleyball Waikato visited Harrisville School and ran two volleyball taster sessions with our Year 5 and 6 students. We were extremely fortunate to have Seth return to our school recently and not only complete two volleyball lessons with our Year 5 and 6 students, but also with our Year 4 students. All of the Year 4, 5, and 6 students got to take part in two one-hour volleyball lessons with Seth.

The first lesson was on Thursday, the 1st of May. This lesson was packed with fun activities and drills that allowed the students to practise some of the basic volleyball skills—underarm serve, how to dig the ball, and how to set the ball. The lesson concluded with volleyball games, which allowed the students to try out their new skills and also practise rotating around the volleyball court correctly as a team.

On Tuesday, the 6th of May, Seth had the Year 4, 5, and 6 students for their second lesson. This was another hour full of various activities and drills that revisited the skills from lesson one.

The two lessons were extremely valuable, enjoyable, and very worthwhile for our students. The two lessons with Seth definitely gave our students a taste of what volleyball is all about! 

A huge thank you to Seth and Volleyball Waikato for providing this terrific opportunity for our Year 4, 5, and 6 Harrisville School students. 

A thank you to our amazing HSC and teachers for making Friday night’s School Disco such a success! 

It was awesome to see so many smiles and dance moves, over $1000 was raised to go directly back into supporting our students at Harrisville School!

At the end of last term, we were thrilled to celebrate Emma Peters and Abbie Ngatai as they officially graduated with their Bachelor of Education degrees! The Harrisville School team is incredibly proud of them.

Emma and Abbie are fantastic role models of lifelong learning, and we are so lucky to have them as part of our team, inspiring our tamariki every day. Ka mau te wehi!

 

Researchers at the Education Review Office (ERO) are doing some research about school attendance. They want to hear your thoughts about what makes a difference. Please help them by clicking on this survey link https://survey-au.yoursurveynow.com/.../sel.../53b/250531...#?

Kia ora whānau,

As part of our Matariki celebrations this year, we are planning a special learning experience for our tamariki – preparing and enjoying a traditional hāngī. This will support our focus on Tupuānuku – the star connected to food grown from the ground – and will tie in with our school Production, which is based on The Māori Creation Story.

We are looking at holding the hāngī early in Term 3. The hāngī will be prepared for the tamariki to enjoy as part of their cultural learning and as a way to connect with the meaning and values of Matariki.

To make this possible, we are seeking support from anyone in our community who has experience with hāngī preparation or would like to be involved. This may include:

This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community and share knowledge with our tamariki in a meaningful and memorable way.

If you are interested in being involved, please fill out the Google form with your contact details.

Ngā mihi nui,

Jo Zachan

Rooms 7, 8 ,9 & 10 Release Teacher

Across School Leader; Cultural Responsiveness, Kāhui Ako o Te Puaha o Waikato 

Room 7 has been busy exploring the fascinating world of changing states of matter. We identified and investigated solids, liquids, and gases through hands-on experiments. Students observed steam forming in a glass mug and turning into condensation when it touched a plate of ice placed on top. They also compared the weight of ice cubes before and
after melting, and even weighed balloons to see the difference between those filled with air and those that were empty. One of the highlights was making ice cream using a plastic bag inside another bag filled with ice and salt—a chilly but delicious experiment! We also had a great time making hokey pokey, which led to discussions about irreversible changes in matter.

Yesterday Room 2 had a wonderful time embracing our Awhi Rākau (Tree Hugging) theme during our discovery trip to the beautiful Sharda Centre bush. The tamariki explored our bush playground with enthusiasm—racing down the hill, swinging and twisting on the ropes, and sharing laughter in nature’s classroom.

We spent time by the stream, then wentup the bush path to touch the ‘health rocks’, and then enjoyed a warm, sweet treat of hot milo with marshmallows. Our tamariki hugged trees, listened carefully to the peaceful sounds of the bush, and offered a caring karakia to the trees as a sign of respect.

Later, we chose a tree to sketch, taking time to observe its details closely. To finish our special day, we planted a totara tree as a heartfelt thank you to the Sharda Centre for welcoming us into their bush haven.

Ngā mihi nui,

Room 2 Team

Last week, we were fortunate to work with Ben from the Tuakau Fire Brigade, who audited our fire drill. He was impressed by how quickly and responsibly our students evacuated the buildings and assembled with their teachers. 

As part of our ongoing focus on health and safety, we conduct regular emergency drills both evacuations and lockdowns to ensure our staff and students are well-prepared for any situation. Early next term, we will be conducting an audit of our lockdown procedures in partnership with Richard Davies and Hannah McMulkin. Their expertise will help us review and strengthen our emergency readiness.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep Harrisville School safe for all.

Te Whare Kai has been proudly serving nutritious, delicious meals to students in our community for over three years and are excited to bring this opportunity to Harrisville School on Tuesdays and Fridays, offering students the chance to enjoy a freshly prepared meal from their kitchen twice a week – delivered to the school at an affordable price.

Complete the Harrisville School Lunch Order Form (below). Please ensure all required fields are filled out and submit the form to finalise your order. https://form.jotform.com/242027912255856

One Form Per Student: Please submit a separate form for each child.

Payment Reference: Include your child’s name and class as a reference when making payment.

Absence Policy: In case of absence or inability to collect the lunch, refunds cannot be provided; however, the meal will be given to a student in need.

For more information please contact Mel Simmons, Manager of Te Whare Kai, 0274 193 639 mel@tewharekai.com 

Planning and Preparing for Emergencies, Disasters, and Crises
Communication During an Emergency, Disaster, or Crisis
School Closure
Emergency Management
Disaster Management 
Crisis Management

Harrisville School uses SchoolDocs to maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date set of policies and procedures. These policies and procedures follow guidelines and legislation and best practice and have been tailored for our school. To access our 'SchoolDocs' simply visit www.schooldocs.co.nz, search for Harrisville School. Enter our login name (harrisville) and the password (hv1877)

We would like your input and encourage you to review these policies.

All you need to do is:

Visit the website https://harrisville.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm

Enter the username (harrisville) and password (hv1877).

Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.

Read the policy.

Click the "Start Your Review" button at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Select the reviewer type.

Enter your name (optional).

Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.

Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit Review”.

If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

At Harrisville School, we are committed to ensuring every learner has the support they need to thrive. We recognise that some students may experience learning, behavioral, social, emotional, or physical challenges that require tailored support to help them access the curriculum and succeed. 

 Our SENCO Lisa Beere works collaboratively with classroom teachers, whaanau, and outside agencies to provide personalised interventions and inclusive practices that meet the needs of each learner. This may include in-class adaptations, small group or individualised support, and targeted programmes. 

 We also understand that some students may be both gifted and have additional learning needs (Twice Exceptional or 2E), and we are committed to supporting their unique strengths and challenges. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss learning support for your child, please email our SENCO. lisa@harrisville.school.nz 

Gifted and Talented children at Harrisville School are those with potential, or who display, relative to their peer group, outstanding general or specific abilities, behaviours and qualities in the following areas : 

Athletic, Creative, Cultural, Intellectual, Personal / Social / Leadership, Technological, Visual and Performing Arts 

We recognise that some students maybe Twice Exception ( 2E) which means that they may have gifts beyond their peers in conjuction with a learning disability. 

Gifted and Talented students may require differentiated programmes and/or services ( such as social and emotional support ) in order to realise their contribution to self and society.