Dear Parents, Whānau and Friends,
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou - greetings to you all.

A special welcome to our new students and their whānau joining us this term - we’re thrilled to have you as part of our Harrisville School community.

Term 4 has started off with a bang with our Annual Pet Day Gala  what an amazing day we had on Saturday! The school has been buzzing. I am so proud of our community and how everyone goes above and beyond to ensure our children have the very best. It was wonderful to see our HSC, parents, teachers, students, and wider community all coming together to make Pet Day and Gala such a success.

As we head into the final term of the year, there’s a lot happening across our classrooms and within our school community. Please keep an eye on our newsletters, Hero notices, and Facebook page for updates on upcoming events and important dates.

We’re looking forward to an exciting and busy term ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,
 Jonathan Salisbury
Tumuaki / Principal

We wanted to give you as much notice as possible that Harrisville School may be closed on Thursday 23 October due to nationwide strike action. Negotiations are still taking place, but if a settlement is not reached, our school will be closed for the day.

We understand this may cause inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and support. The action is part of a wider effort to ensure a quality education system for all tamariki. We will confirm the situation as soon as we receive official notice. If the school is closed, KAS (Kids After School) will be available to provide care. Bookings can be made directly through by contacting their team 092364078

At Harrisville School, we take great pride in recognising and celebrating the achievements of our students. Each assembly, we award students who exemplify our school values and demonstrate commitment to their learning and citizenship.

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 who received awards at our last assembly! 

What an amazing Pet Day Gala we had at Harrisville School last weekend! It was heartwarming to see the big smiles and pride on our students’ faces as they showcased their hard work. The sense of community was strong as we all came together to celebrate their efforts.

A massive thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to making the day such a success. We are especially grateful to our amazing HSC team, who put in countless hours to organise the Gala and ensure everything ran smoothly. We also extend our appreciation to our generous sponsors, dedicated staff, judges, parent helpers and hardworking students.

A special thank you to Julia Thompson, who tirelessly supports our students and families with their animals and for her outstanding organisation of the Pet Day.

GROUP DAY

All students who received placing ribbons for their animals are eligible to enter Group Day, which this year will be held at Harrisville School on Friday, 24th October. Please get your entries to Mrs Thompson by the due date Tuesday 14th October. Mrs Thompson is also organising this event and would greatly appreciate any support on the day if you’re able to help, please email her at juliat@harrisville.school.nz.

These events not only keep our rural traditions alive but also creates lasting memories for our children. All funds raised from the day go directly towards supporting our 2026 school camps, helping make these experiences possible for all our students.

Over the last few years, our Board of Trustees has worked hard to ensure Harrisville School continues to provide the very best environment for our staff and students.

As part of this ongoing commitment, our staffroom kitchen renovation was completed over the school holidays and our staff are really enjoying this new space! It was fantastic to be able to partner with local companies and Harrisville School families on this project, including Rodgers Plumbing, Collett Electrical, and Next Level Kitchens. We truly appreciate their hard work and support in helping us create another modern, functional, and welcoming space for our team.

A big thank you also goes to Aqualectrix, who continue to look after our school’s water plant and ensure our drinking water is always at its best for our students.

In addition, Eds Powerwash gave our school buildings a full washdown, acoustic tiles were installed in Rooms 7 and 8 to reduce noise and create a more comfortable learning environment, and our septic system received a full upgrade to improve reliability and efficiency.

We were also very grateful to receive two more outdoor tables, beautifully crafted by the Tuakau Menz Shed and donated by our Harrisville School Community Group (HSC). These additions provide more welcoming outdoor spaces for our students to connect, learn, and enjoy their breaks.

To top it all off, our school fields were fertilised and sprayed to remove prickles by Dronzeup, ensuring our students can run and play freely in bare feet , just as school should be!

Our property developments continue to make Harrisville School a safe, modern, and inspiring place for everyone to learn and work.

“Slugs, Bugs and Creepy Crawlies” were on the agenda for Room 2’s adventure to the Sharda Centre today. We loaded up our trusty trolley with all the essentials - spades, buckets, magnifying glasses, insect ID cards, sketching clipboards, and of course, the Milo and marshmallows!

Upon arrival, we ate our brain food, reviewed the rules, and then set off to explore, run, balance, swing, build, and invent new ways to play. We even found some of the mud monsters we’d created before the holidays still clinging bravely to the trees -  despite all the rain we’ve had!

The punga bridge over the ditch provided plenty of adventure too. There was laughter, a few wobbly moments, and a lot of teamwork as we helped each other across. Ditch jumping was the top activity today. Some brave explorers also ventured up the slippery hill beyond the ditch - it was tricky going, but the determination and encouragement we saw made us proud.

Our minibeast hunt was a huge success! We discovered slaters, caterpillars, slugs, worms, a ladybug, and even a wētā. Ms Turner added to the collection with a few creepy crawlies from her woodpile at home - an earwig, a centipede, and some mystery extras. Our magnifying glasses got a great workout, and our insect sketches were very impressive. 

By the end of the morning, we had certainly earned our Milo and marshmallows. A big thank you to Max and Dawn for joining us and supporting our outdoor learning. We had another fantastic (and slightly muddy) adventure at the Sharda Centre.

Over the holidays, I had the incredible honour of performing with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra as part of a 30-piece orchestra on stage with legendary Kiwi rock band Blindspott at The Rock 2000, held at Spark Arena.

It was an unforgettable experience – the energy of the crowd, the excitement of the live show, and the chance to collaborate with one of New Zealand’s most iconic rock acts.  This was nothing short of surreal.

Opportunities like this are a great reminder to our tamariki that music can open amazing doors, take you to exciting places, and create lifelong memories. Whether it’s in the classroom, on stage, or at home, music is a journey that can lead anywhere!

A massive thanks to Blindspott, the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, and The Rock for making this once-in-a-lifetime moment possible.  

It is that time of year to start thinking about school hats. We are a Sun Safe school so all students are required to wear their green wide-brimmed sun hats during terms 1 & 4. If your child does not have a hat, they will have to play in the shade during breaks. Please ensure your child's hat is clearly named so it can be easily returned. Our school hats can be purchased at The Uniform Shoppe and SAS Sport 7A, Glasgow Road, Pukekohe. 

 

Phone: 09 239 1310

The shop hours are:

Monday to Friday: 8:30 to 5pm

Saturday: 9am to 1pm

Our school athletics will be held on Monday 20th October at Harrisville School. This is a fun day that allows all our students to actively participate in a variety of athletic activities. The day’s programme will begin at 9:00 am on the school field, starting with track events followed by the field events after morning tea. Students are encouraged to come dressed in their school house colours. Sports shoes may be worn or they can compete in bare feet. A team of athletes to compete at the River Zone Athletics event, on Friday 31st October, will be selected at the school athletics. (more information to follow) Parents, families and friends are welcome to come along and support our athletes.

Ms Campbell has been working hard organising all our sports events for Term 4.

Please keep an eye out in Hero for upcoming sports notices and make sure to complete all permission slips promptly.

This term we have:

Ms Campbell will also be asking for parent assistants to help at these events - your support is always greatly appreciated!

Our heated school pool will open for class swimming from Tuesday, 28 October.
Please ensure your child brings a named swim bag, towel, and togs each day.

We’re also excited to announce that the pool will be open for family use after school hours from Tuesday, 16 December. Pool keys will be available for purchase from the school office starting Monday, 1st December.

We invite students to have a photo taken of themselves reading a book in an unusual but safe place. The winner of this competition will receive a special book prize. Email your photo to office@harrisville.school.nz or drop a copy into school. Entries close Wednesday 5th November.

Parents and grandparents are invited to come in and read to their child’s class during Book Week. We will be sending a form to complete with your child soon - please complete this if you are able to read to a class. We will confirm what time you are booked in to read.

The Book Fair starts on Thursday 13th November and ends on Tuesday 18th November. It will be open from 8.30 to 9.00 in the mornings and 3.00 to 3.30 in the afternoons, except for Friday afternoon.

BOOK CHARACTER DRESS-UP AND GRANDPARENTS' DAY

Friday, 14th November is our Book Character Dress-Up and Grandparents’ Day! Students dress up as a book character and bring the book with them to school. They will parade their costumes at a special assembly. Grandparents are invited to visit the classrooms at 9am, followed up with a special assembly. The Book Fair will be open from 8.30 to 9.00 and 11 - 11.30, during morning tea. Grandparents are welcome to take their grandchildren home with them after the event.

The Year 6 Graduation Dinner will be taking place on  Monday 15th December in the school hall from 6.00pm until 8:30pm.  This is a time of celebration and acknowledgement of our Year 6 students as they prepare for the next stage of their learning journey. The evening will include dinner, speeches, certificates, cake cutting and a dance to conclude the evening.  Please note this is a formal evening so the children are required to wear their best outfit. Due to the amount of school leavers and the increase in costs to put on this event, students and teachers will be attending the dinner from 6pm. Parents and Whanau are invited to attend the presentation of certificates, speeches, cake cutting and dance which starts at 7.15pm.  Seating will be provided at the back of the hall so that you can see your child receive their certificate. (further information about this event to follow)

Planning has started for the End of Year Prize Giving. We need all trophies to be returned so we can get them prepared for our end of the year awards.  Please return to the school office as soon as possible.

We are thrilled to announce that planning is well underway for our Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) Camps 2026. These camps are a highlight of the school year, offering rich opportunities for learning, teamwork, and building independence.

Monday 16th – Tuesday 17th February (Week 3, Term 1)
 Chosen Valley, Ararimu
 Approx. $110 per student

Wednesday 18th  - Friday 20th February (Week 3, Term 1)
An offsite trip is planned for 1 day and two days will be spent at school or at places in the local community.

 

Our EOTC experiences are built around the New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies, supporting students with:

Participating and Contributing – working alongside others in outdoor activities.
Relating to Others – developing leadership, showing tolerance, respect, and resilience.
Managing Self – taking responsibility for belongings, keeping areas tidy, being punctual, and building independence.
Thinking – engaging in problem-solving and challenging outdoor activities.

To ensure these camps are safe and successful, we rely on the support of parent helpers.

Please note: there is a cost for parent helpers to attend, and if we receive more volunteers than needed, names will be drawn by ballot.

More details about the application process and confirmed camp costs will be sent home next week.

It is extremely important that the school has all your correct contact numbers and home address.  Should your child require urgent medical attention, we need to be able to get a hold of you as soon as possible.  Whenever any of your child’s contact details change, please let the school office know.

Harrisville Netball Club are entering a team in the Pukekohe Summer Netball Tournament. They are needing some more Year 5 and 6 players. Boys and girls are able to participate in the tournament. 

All games are played at Pukekohe Netball Centre on Tuesday evenings. The starting date is Friday 28th October and it finishes on Tuesday 9th December. 

If your child is keen to take part in this fun netball opportunity, or if you have any queries about the Summer Netball, please email Kylie using the following email address: harrisvillenetballclub@gmail.com

Registrations and entries close for the Summer Netball on 20th October.

Kirstie Campbell

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 

Searches, Surrender, and Retention of Property
Stand-down, Suspension, and Exclusion
Staff Wellbeing and Safety

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.

Harrisville School is governed by an enrolment scheme to ensure our numbers are managed.  We are required to fill any vacant out-of-zone places by ballot in cases where there are more applications for enrolment than there are places available. This year we had many out-of-zone applications and completed a ballot for 2025 at the end of last term. I would like to send my apologies to those who were not successful in this year’s ballot. We will monitor our enrolments closely and will let you know if and when we will be having another ballot.

We are currently planning for 2026. If you have a child who is due to start at our school anytime over the 2025 or 2026 school year, please contact the school office to confirm dates. Likewise, if you are aware of friends or neighbours who live within our school zone and have pre-schoolers, contact from them would also be appreciated as this assists our forward planning and subsequent classes for 2026.