Tēna koutou e te whānau,

How amazing is our Arataki School community! It was so fantastic to see so many of you last night at our ‘Christmas in the Park’. Thank you so much to all of you who contributed baking for our bake sale, for whānau who came in and helped out in the classes with the preparation of crafts to sell and to our Friends of School for your amazing organisation. I really enjoyed the relaxed family atmosphere and seeing our children enjoy sharing their Christmas class items on stage. 

At the end of this year we are farewelling Mr Sean Crotty. Mr Crotty has accepted a position at Otamarakau School. We wish Mr Crotty well for his next teaching position. We are also farewelling Mr Mike Paton who has worked part time as a specialist teacher and Stephanie Latto who has worked part time. Whaea Fran Mortell is taking one year leave from her teaching position in 2025.

In 2025, we welcome the following teachers: Mel Morgan, teaching year 5 & 6 and is joining us from Mount Maunganui Intermediate. Michelle Paterson, who will be an art specialist teacher and is joining us from Fairhaven School, and Nikita Jay, who will be teaching Year 1 & 2 and is joining us from Bairds Mainfreight School in Otara.

This year we are celebrating our end of year prize giving slightly differently to what we have done in the past. We are having two prize givings. One for our children in Year 3-6 (Hopukiore, Kopukairoa, Montessori Seniors, Mauao), and one for our students who are in Year 1 & 2 (Hikurangi, Mangatawa, Montessori Juniors, Akomanga Teina). 

The date for our end of year prize giving is Friday 13th December. Our first prize giving will be at 9:30am - 10:45am. Our second prize giving for our younger students will be at 11:20am - 12:00pm. Our awards are changing slightly this year to align with our school values. We will only be presenting trophies to students who are Year 5 & 6. Our other prize winners across all year levels will receive certificates and medals.

Our Year 6 leaders programme will also be different in 2025. Next year, we are going to focus on service leadership and give all Year 6 children the opportunity for leadership rather than focussing on a small number of students.

Finally, I would like to thank the community so much for your warm welcome of me into your school community. It is hard to believe that I have almost completed my first year at Arataki School. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be the Tumuaki. Everyday, I feel so lucky to work in such an awesome school with fantastic staff, students and whānau.

As this is my final newsletter for the year, I wish you all a very Meri Kirihimete and a Happy New Year.

Ngā mihi nui, 

Vicki Hiini - Tumuaki

DATES FOR THE DIARY

Fri, 13 Dec -  Te Rā tāku Taonga - Prizegiving

                            9.30 - 10.45 - Years 3-6 

                             11.20 - 12.00 - Years 0-2

Mon, 16 Dec - Year 6 Graduation - 5.00 - 6.30 pm

Wed, 18 Dec - Last day of school - finish at 12.30pm

2025

Mon, 3 Feb - Learning Partnership Day

Tues, 4 Feb - First full day in class

Thurs, 6 Feb - Waitangi Day - School Closed

Fri, 7 Feb - School Closed

Click here for 2024 and 2025 Term Dates

In this issue:

• News and Events
• From the Sports Desk
• ATK here Everyday
• Community Notices
• Extra-Curriculars @ Arataki
• After School Care/Programme
• Pre Loved Uniforms
• Report an Absence

NEWS AND EVENTS

Christmas on the Field - Video

Check out some highlights of our amazing Christmas on the Field.

Room 23 - Term 4 Highlights

FROM THE SPORTS DESK

Mauao Tournament

News from 

Arataki Friends of the School

ATK here EVERYDAY

It's been such a great year of celebrating amazing attendance.  We love seeing beautiful smiling faces like these everyday!

Looking forward to celebrating excellent and improved attendance next year!

HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES

COMMUNITY NOTICES

EXTRA CURRICULARS 

@ ATK

Play Time @ Arataki

PRE LOVED UNIFORMS

Needing a few pieces of uniform.  Come and see our pre-loved uniforms at the school office. 

Have your tamariki grown out of their uniforms? We are especially in need of Polo Shirts if you have any spare.

Please consider donating them back to the kura.  These uniform donations are:

• sold to our whanau for donations of $5. The money raised is used for resources for our classrooms. 
• used for our tamariki who may need them.

These donations are gratefully received at the school office.

Please remember to enrol your preschoolers as early as you can. This helps us to get prepared for their arrival.

To enrol you can click this link to the online application form or come into the office for an application pack.

For more information on enrolment check out our website www.arataki.school.nz

ATTENDANCE REPORTING