As we wrap up a busy Term 3, we want to extend a huge thank you to our entire school community for your ongoing support. We are looking forward to an exciting final term of the year! Here is some important information for your calendars.
Proposed Change for 2026: Introducing Cohort Entry
To help make the transition to school a more seamless and positive experience for our newest students, we would like to introduce a cohort entry system in 2026. This means that instead of starting on their fifth birthday, new entrants would start school in groups at the beginning and middle of each term.
This approach helps children to build relationships and settle into school life together, while also allowing our teachers to better plan for their arrival. We believe this will create a more manageable and predictable start for both our new tamariki and our staff. If you have any questions or feedback about this proposal please email a member of the senior leadership team.
Celebrating Our Successful Parent Evenings
We were thrilled with the turnout for our recent parent evenings and want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who attended.
We were fortunate to host two outstanding speakers. John Parsons provided crucial insights and practical advice on helping our children stay safe in the digital world, while Dr. Paul Wood delivered a powerful message on developing resilience, navigating friendships, and making positive choices.
What made these events even more special was that both John and Paul spent time working directly with our students during the day, reinforcing these important messages in the classroom before speaking with our parent community in the evening.
These valuable sessions would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of Tom Fuller and Jane Higgie from Tommy's Real Estate. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support of our school community.
Your presence and engagement make these events worthwhile. If you have any suggestions for future speakers or topics you would find valuable, we would love to hear your ideas!
Spotlight on culture:
The Philippines 🇵🇭
This week, we're celebrating the wonderful culture of the Philippines! We chatted with some of our Filipino students to learn what makes their country so special.
A big theme was whānau (family). Many of our students have lots of relatives, especially grandparents, living back in the Philippines, and they share a very strong connection with them.
Here are some other fun facts they shared with us:
The Capital City: The bustling capital of the Philippines is Manila. We even have a local celebrity—our very own Carlos in Room 10 was born there!
A National Hero: The national hero of the Philippines is Dr. José Rizal. He was a very clever doctor and writer whose powerful words and peaceful actions inspired the movement for independence.
A Symbol of Peace: If you look at the Philippine flag, you'll see a beautiful blue stripe. Our students told us this colour represents peace.
Amazing Wildlife: The Philippines is home to incredible animals, including cobras! But don't worry—they live deep in the forests, so you're unlikely to spot one if you visit.
A Love for Singing: Filipino people are famous for their love of singing and music! It's a huge part of the culture, and all the children we spoke to proudly told us they are great singers too.
Showcase
This week our year 7 and 8 teams celebrated all things “Arts” with a spectacular Showcase! They have worked hard to independently create their items, organise their props and costumes, and getting to see such a variety of skills on display was awesome!
Get Ready for Term 4!
Sunhats are compulsory - A friendly reminder that as the weather warms up, sunhats are a requirement for all students in the playground during Term 4. Please ensure your child has a named school hat ready for the first day back.
Navigating the Journey: Health curriculum lessons will be running. Classroom teachers will send home more specific information early in Term 4.
He Hui Whakanui: Please see the dates for these special assemblies/hui below:
Friday, 17 October: Year 1 and 5
Friday, 14 November: Year 2 and 6
Friday, 21 November: Year 3 and 7
Friday, 28 November: Year 4 and 8
Building & Grounds Update: Please Read Carefully
For safety reasons, it is important that the school grounds are not used during the upcoming holidays. A great deal of work is scheduled, which includes the professional removal of some asbestos. To ensure the safety of our community, we advise all staff, students, and whānau to please stay away from the site during this period. A notice was shared via Hero earlier this week.
Important Dates for Your Calendar
Thursday, 23 October: Teacher Strike – We ask that all children are kept home due to planned industrial action. To help with our planning, if you are unable to keep your child at home please fill in the following form.
Monday, 27 October: Labour Day – School Closed
Saturday, 1 November: School Gala! (11:00 am - 2:00 pm) Don't miss the biggest event of the year! Our fabulous School Gala is a highlight for our community. Please put it in your calendars and come along for a day of fun.
A Look Ahead: Key Dates for 2026
First Day of School 2026: Tuesday, 3 February
Last Day of School 2026: Tuesday, 15 December
Class lists
As part of our process, we’d love to hear from you if there are any important considerations we should keep in mind when placing your child into a class for next year. While we cannot accommodate requests based on friendships, teachers, or classroom spaces, we will carefully consider any other factors you think are important. Please submit your information Here by 10 October, as making changes after the lists are published is very difficult.
If you have quality: clothing, books, toys or garage sale items you’re able to donate please collect them up and drop off at the school hall on Sun 19th October 11am - 2pm, or Sat 25th Oct 1pm - 4pm (we’ll send reminders and specific information closer to the time.) If you can help receive the donations at one of these times, please email knsgala6012@gmail.com.
🍅 Deli Stall 🍋: Please drop lemons or jars to the school office (jars should be 380g or smaller, have a lid and label removed.)
🌿Garden Stall Contributions🌿: Any contributions towards the garden stall would be greatly appreciated. Vegetables/herbs/edibles and all indoor plants are especially popular. If you are able to grow any plants for us please make contact.
🌏Environmental considerations 🌏 At the Gala we are making efforts to reduce waste and minimise our impact on the environment. If you're looking for a Gala role that's low on glamour, but high on impact this is a great group to be part of. Contact Zofia or Jo (email below)
Here’s a list of stall holders - they’re always looking for more help. Feel free to email them. or there’ll be a sign up sheet closer to the event where you can sign up to help for 2-3 hours.
From: KNS Gala Committee knsgala6012@gmail.com . Hannah Carty, Andrea Schuenko, Kerryn Taylor and Naomi Lane.
PTA News
Latest updates from the PTA
KNS Disco - Thanks
A huge thank you to our parent helpers on the night, this is a volunteer-run event and we couldn't do this without people putting their hands up to give their time and help out with a huge list of jobs on the day. If your kids had a fun time, consider getting involved with the 2026 Disco.
KNS Working Bee - Thanks
A massive thank you to the families who took part in the annual working bee. You did a wonderful job of caring for our Kura/School.
KNS PTA Kids Art Works Calendar Fundraiser - ORDER NOW!
ORDERS 11.59pm MONDAY 20 OCTOBER
As you know the students have been busy creating beautiful artwork ready to be turned into high quality calendars, greeting cards, sketchbooks, diaries, and mouse pads. These make the best Christmas gifts!
Samples of the products available are located in the school office for you to view.
Your child’s artwork is now available for viewing online.
Details on how to view your child’s artwork and how to place your order will be sent home on a personalised printed order form.
You can also add your own photos to all of the above products - maybe you ordered a lovely school photo in electronic form that you could turn into greeting cards or a calendar?
If you don’t have your printed order form, just follow these instructions to place your order::
This is one of our PTA’s largest fundraisers, providing valuable resources for our teachers and students at KNS so we thank you for your generous support.
Yummy Stickers
Please return your sticker sheets to the Office ASAP so they can be sent off and the school can receive new sports gear.
Follow KNS on Facebook - www.facebook.com/karorinormalschool
Upcoming parent information sessions hosted at Northland School
Te Kāhui Ako o Te Whanganui-a-tara is thrilled to invite you to our next Parent Information Evening, held at Northland School on Thursday 9 October.
The evening will feature a workshop format, with two sessions available. Whānau are invited to select two topics from the four available. Registrations can be made here
Important Dates
Upcoming Dates
6th October - START OF TERM FOUR
13th October - Yr 4-6 Athletics (pp 15.10)
16th October - Rōpū Kākāriki to Akau Tangi
16th October - Shakeout NZ Drill
23rd October - Primary Teachers Strike - please see info in newsletter
27th October - Labour Day
31st October - WZ Athletics (pp7.11)
1st November - KNS Gala
11th November - New Entrants Open Morning
20th October - WGC Induction Day
3rd December - WC Induction Day
10th December - Year 7 and 8 Dance
11th December - Year 8 Day Out
17th December - School finishes
Matika is a free, 8-week bereavement programme designed for tamariki age 6-12years. In small groups of 6–8 children, and supported by three experienced counsellors, tamariki are guided through a range of activities to explore and express their feelings in a safe, supportive environment.
Next term, will be at our Wellington location - Skylight Office on Webb Street.
Starting 15th October 4pm-5:20pm
Term 1 2026 - Lower Hutt at Barnardos office, Margaret Street.
Term 2 -Wellington, Webb Street
Term 3 - Porirua, Pember House
Term 4 - Kapiti
If any whānau are interested in enrolling their child(ren), get in touch with us by email at programmes@skylight.org.nz or call 0800 299 100.
To register their interest, we’ll need:
A contact phone number and email
The child(ren)'s name and age
Information on who they have lost
SEPT/OCT. 2025 HOLIDAY PROGRAMME (M. 22/9 – F. 3/10/25) NORTHLAND KIDZ CLUB
We're making crumpets and jam drop cookies, exploring the Battle Hill Farm Forest Park, and going to the Brooklyn Central Park playground. We're learning more about flax weaving with Iri, having a scavenger hunt and exploring more art techniques with Maria. Join us for Wheels Day, Movie Day, Music Day, as well as barbequed sausages and fish & chips ! $45 per child per day (third child onwards, $20), 8.30 am to 6 pm each day. More info on www.nkc.org.nz or contact : Jan - cell (022-140-2612), e-mail (nkc.jan@gmail.com).
Karori Arts & Crafts has fun, creative activities for children lined up for the September School Holidays:
Picture This! - with Rowena Fry, Monday 22 September from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Colourful Sea Creatures - with Rowena Fry, Tuesday 23 September from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
The Ins and Outs of Weaving - With Daisey Bingham and Junko Moritz, Thursday 25 September from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Driftwood Creatures with Rowena Fry, Monday 29 September from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Cityscapes - with Rowena Fry, Tuesday 30 September from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Wild Things Shadow Play -Thursday, 2 October from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Postpartum & Women’s Fitness Classes in Karori – Term 4
Sparkle Fitness classes are designed specifically for mums, with a focus on safe, effective exercise for the postpartum body. Designed by Sierra Ryland, a MumSafe™ accredited trainer, classes are small and supportive, giving each participant individual attention.
Term 4 Timetable: Sparkle Together – 30 min express HIIT, Mon/Wed/Fri 6:15am (only 1 spot left on Fridays) Strong Mums Strength – 45 min strength-based class, Thu 7pm (only 1 spot left)
These classes are ideal for mums looking to return to exercise, improve strength, and build confidence in a safe and supportive environment. LIMITED trial spots are available for $10 to come and try out one class.
Whether you're new to the sport or returning, Capital Gymnastics Club in Newton offers exciting programmes for children aged 5 to 18 years. Our structured classes help kids build skills, confidence, and a love for gymnastics in a supportive environment.
The club offers two sessions so you can book for the morning, 9 - 12:30 PM, or the afternoon, 12:30- 4 pm of the full day drop off starts at 8:30 am ($30 per half session or $55)
The programmes are full of fun games, gymnastics circuits on all of our equipment, including tramp, tumbling, etc. Each day will have a gymnastics skill focus, so fun and learning will go hand in hand – No Experience needed! For more information, please go to our website: https://www.capitalgymsports.org.nz/holiday-programme
We are excited to announce we are hosting a Wellington Phoenix Girls Only Experience Camp at Fraser Park on the 24th and 25th of September between 9am – 3pm for girls born between 2011 and 2016.
Our experience camps provide a unique opportunity for us to engage with young football enthusiasts from diverse communities across New Zealand. It serves as a platform for local talents to interact with Wellington Phoenix Staff, offering from a glimpse into a life of New Zealand’s sole professional football academy. Moreover, it marks the initial step in our talent identification process and aid us on our mission to bridge the gap between grassroots and academy-level football.
Join us this school holidays for a fun, engaging football environment that includes:
Technical, tactical and physical development run by our Wellington Phoenix Staff.
Workshops that give insight into life as a Wellington Phoenix Player.
Build new friendships and deepen your love for the game.
As Seen on the Screen – bring your favourite films, TV shows, and games to life at the library these holidays, 20 September – 5 October! Craft your own mini TV, write an original script in a hands-on scriptwriting workshop with Andrew Thomson, let loose with games inspired by your favourite blue dog, create your own stop-motion film, and much more!
All events are totally free, but some do require registration as spaces are limited. Visit wcl.govt.nz/kidsholidays/ to browse the full programme on our event calendar.
TAKE YOUR CHILD TROUT FISHING
CAPITAL TROUT CENTRE (Landfill Road, Owhiro Bay) WHEN
Sunday 28th SEPTEMBER
2025
A fishing experience for children aged 2 to 11 years. You must have a Capital Trout Center licence/registration FREE licences/registration forms will be available from 16th July 2025 At Capital Fishing, 49 Ghuznee Street (off Cuba Mall) Hutt Valley Hunting & Fishing, 8 Te Puni Street, Petone Your donation is appreciated This is manned by volunteers from the Wellington Flyfishers Club and is funded by your donations For further information, contact Strato Cotsilinis 04 386 3740
SPRING SCHOOL HOLIDAYSAT SOUTHERN PRIDE: SOUTH WELLINGTON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL (SWIS) HALL, NEWTOWN
Age Range: 4 – 17 years
Dates: 22nd SEP – 3rd OCT 2025 from 7.00am-6pm daily
Fees: Daily $84.04/cub per session or $142.87 for two siblings per session Weekly: $336.16 per cub/week or $571.47 for two siblings/week
15% Wild Card Discount Available for $70/year from the day of purchase.
Social Development: Interactive Activities and NO TV or Video Games, Kai Cubs Cooking, and Life Skills Programme creating healthy Breakfast, Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Teas provided. No Bag Needed.
Overnight Sleepover ($110 per night): TOP 10 Holiday Park – (Tuesday 23rd Sep 2025): Our overnight sleepover will be in Lower Hutt and our evening activities will be Trampoline park and some evening entertainment at Clip & Climb.
Qualified 1st Aid Trained Activities Coordinators and Youth Mentors
One-on-One Care: Available for cub(s) if extra support is needed at $14/hr
Here To Support All Tamariki & Rangatahi (Neurotypical and Neurodivergent)
At Pride Lands, we welcome neurotypical and neurodivergent children and youths with on-on-one support available to those that need it in our communities.
Cyperus Tennis + Fitness has new season activities at the Karori United Tennis Club. Holiday Tennis Program over the second week of holidays, afternoons 1.00pm to 4.00pm. Spring Tennis Coaching (Term 4), schedule now online, registrations open for a variety of ages and levels - 5 year olds to adults, beginners to competitive players.
For further information and to register, go to www.cyperus.co.nz or contact Darren 021 870 978
Need to entertain the kids these school holidays? Join Conservation Volunteers on a volunteer day. Bring the whole family along to one of our conservation events. Conservation Volunteers (CVNZ) have planting days, coastal dune restoration, weed control events. Something for everyone, at various location around Wellington. CVNZ provides all the tools needed, including gloves, vests and a light morning tea. Even transport to the sites, though spaces are limited so email Wellington@cvnz.org.nz to reserve a place.
Join Harbour City Gymnastics for an action-packed holiday programme during the term 3 break! Our programme, suitable for ages 5-12, combines exhilarating gymnastics with fun creative projects. Kids will get to play games and learn new skills in our dedicated gymnasium, while also taking part in mind-stimulating crafts. Located in Hataitai, each session is $45.
Experienced piano teacher, city end Karori Term 4 special: Half-price lessons for new pupils - $14 per half-hour. I have a few awkward gaps in my schedule I’d like to fill. 3:15 Wednesdays, a few spots 4:30 and later, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you would like to try out piano lessons, please be in touch! Raewyn Brockway (04) 938-7027 or brockway.murray@internet.co.nz
We've got an early spring special starting from Sunday, 31 August - Sunday, 19 October.
For adults and children, unlock the following prices between the hours of 2pm - 4pm every Sunday:
$2 One-way
$4 Return
This offer is exclusive and can only be purchased via our Lambton ticket box during the promotional period, every Sunday, 31 August – 19 October, at 2pm to 4pm. For the terms and conditions, click here.
CAPITAL BASKETBALL HOLIDAY CAMPS 2025
Walter Nash Centre | Term 3 Holidays (Sep–Oct)
Fun • Friends • Skills • Confidence
Camp Dates
All Star Camp (Y6–8) → Sep 22–23 Level Up Camp (Y7–9) → Sep 25–26 Swish Camp (Y3–6) → Sep 29–30 Bounce Camp (Y1–3) → Oct 1
Girls Got Game (Years 5-10) 24 Sep
All registrations go in the draw to WIN prize packs!
Financial Assistance Available Times are tough — we get it. Apply for support through the JT Trust to help make camp possible. Apply at: www.jttrust.co.nz
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