As we move further into the term and look towards the end of the year, there are several important updates and exciting bits of news to share with you all.
Property Update: Bike Track Remediation
For those of you who have been on school grounds over the last couple of days, you will have noticed that our school field is currently cordoned off. This is great news, as it means our bike track remediation is officially underway!
Earlier in the year, the Board identified parts of the track that were deemed unsafe. Through successful applications to local charities, we gained the funding to make the necessary changes. We expect the track to be open and ready for action just prior to the end of the term.
Health & Safety Update: Coloured Sand Recall
Following on from the message sent to whÄnau via Hero earlier this week, we want to provide an update regarding the coloured sand recall. We have followed all guidance provided by the Ministry of Education, WorkSafe, and MBIE to address this matter.
We are very pleased to confirm that all spaces within the school that contained the sand, as well as the sand itself, have been tested and all were found to be negative for asbestos.
The Ministry of Education has released information for whÄnau who may also have these sand products in their homes. Health New Zealandās Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joe Bourne, has shared an important message regarding the level of risk and the impact on children's health. The video also contains helpful information on how parents and carers can safely dispose of any sand product they have at home.
You can view the advice here:
Planning for 2026: Dates and Class Placements
As we approach the end of the year, we are busy finalizing our organization for 2026.
Class Structures
Next year, all classes at West Harbour School will contain a single year level; there will be no composite classes. This structural change means that some classes will be slightly larger than in recent years, but rest assured, this is well within the capabilities of our teaching staff.
Our staff take tremendous care in placing students into their next class. We ensure that students are placed with at least some of their friendship group, and with the teacher we believe will best support their specific learning needs. If there is anything you would like us to take into consideration when placing your child, please share this directly with me by emailing annas@westharbour.school.nz.
Term Dates
Please make a note of the following key dates:
Final Day of 2025: Monday 15th December (This will be a Whanaungatanga day).
2026 Teacher Only Days: Friday 30th January and Thursday 2nd April.
First Day of 2026: Students return on Monday 2nd February.
Final Day of 2026: Friday 11th December.
(Full term dates are listed in the Important Dates section below).
Sun Protection: Be Sun Smart!
Our school is committed to keeping all of our tamariki safe, and as the weather warms up, this includes protection from the sun. Please ensure your child brings a hat to school every day. Students who do not have a hat will be directed to play in the shady areas of the school during breaks.
It is also highly advisable that children bring a small tube of sunscreen in their bag so they can re-apply it before going outside for PE or during lunch breaks.
Navigating Conflict and School Conduct
The nature of school often sees students falling out with friends or experiencing altercations as part of day-to-day interactions. A key part of our curriculum focuses on supporting students to navigate these situations effectively; however, as they are still developing these social skills, immediate resolution is not always possible.
If your child comes home discussing a conflict that you feel hasn't been resolved, we urge you to contact your child's teacher immediately.
Please remember: It is inappropriate for whÄnau to approach another child at school to address these situations directly. Our community conduct expectations state that this is not an appropriate course of action. If you believe a situation remains unresolved after speaking with the teacher, please escalate your concern to the Senior Leadership Team via email at admin@westharbour.school.nz or by phoning the office. Our Community Conduct Expectations policy is available on our school website.
Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Finally, you may have seen that our school has joined over 1,000 other schools in reaffirming our commitment to enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi, following recent legislative changes removing this statutory obligation from the Education and Training Act. This available on our school website under the Our People/Board of Trustees tab.
NgÄ mihi nui, Anna
From the Office
AJ Hay, Suzanne Armistead & Raiany Aires Araujo Magalhaes
Welcome to our new School Business Manager
We would like to extend a huge congratulations and warm welcome to AJ Hay, who has won the position of School Business Manager here at West Harbour. AJ will be overseeing our school finance and property, as well as supporting the Health and Safety and HR spaces. In this pivotal role, AJ also leads our school administration team, including our front office staff, caretaker, and library & resource manager. We are thrilled to have him on board!
Health, Safety, and Attendance
Sickness and Contact Details
We seem to have a gastro bug circulating at the moment. If your child has been unwellāparticularly if they have been vomitingāwe ask that whÄnau keep their child home until their symptoms have fully cleared. This is vital to prevent the spread of infection to other students and staff.
If your child becomes unwell or is injured at school, they will visit the sickbay. Unfortunately, there are occasions where we are unable to contact whÄnau when a child requires further attention. Please ensure your contact details are up to date. Our policy states that if a child requires further medical attention and whÄnau cannot be contacted, a staff member will accompany the child to a doctor.
Early Pickups and Appointments
We have noticed an increasing number of whÄnau arriving at the office between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm requesting to pick up their child early. While we understand that tamariki may occasionally need to be collected during the day, we ask that you please notify the office earlier in the day so we can have your child ready.
Regarding appointments, our attendance policy asks that, where possible, appointments are made outside of school hours or during term breaks to minimize disruption to learning.
š Sporting Highlights: Triumphs on the Field and Court! š
Scott Buckingham
What an exciting few weeks it has been for our student-athletes! Our commitment to building sporting skills and showcasing teamwork has led to some fantastic achievements across multiple codes.
Touch Rugby Success!
A massive congratulations to our Mixed Touch Team who have had an outstanding season! They competed in the Northwest Touch Tournament at Moire Park on Tuesday, November 4th, and proudly won their division! This incredible result earned them a spot to represent the Northwest Zone at the prestigious Auckland Champs at Bruce Pullman Park, where they finished a highly commendable 6th overall against tough city-wide competition. Well done, team!
Upcoming Competitions!
Badminton: We wish the best of luck to the Badminton Team being taken by Mr. Chettier to compete at the Northwest Badminton Competition. They will be showcasing their skills at the Waitakere Badminton Hall on Royal Rd. Go get 'em!
Tag Tournament: Next Wednesday, Mr. T (Room 2) and Mr. Tagaloa are taking our Year 5/6 Boys and Girls teams out to Moire Park to compete in our biannual Year 5/6 Tag Tournament against other schools from the Northwest Zone. Building on their skills from the rippa rugby tournaments earlier in the year, we wish them all the best!
Basketball: Don't forget, our basketball players are still in action for the Tuesday afternoon Basketball competition! A big thank you to Julie Murdie, our team coach. Without support from our whanau, our students would miss out on these opportunities. The team started the season slow but are hitting their straps now and are currently sitting in 3rd position with a semi final appearance next Tuesday. We wish the boys all the best!
Annual School Athletics Days
We enjoyed two wonderful days of competition for our Annual Athletics.
Junior Athletics: In Week 5, the weather was kind to our Junior students for their athletics day here at school. They enthusiastically participated in High Jump, Long Jump, Sprints, Discus, Shot Put, and Javelin. A big thank you goes to our School Councillors and House Captains who did a fantastic job running the activities for our younger students.
Senior Athletics: Week 6 was the turn of our Senior students. It was great to see everyone out there giving all the events a go and building on the skills taught over the past four weeks. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as kind, and we had to pack away at lunchtime.
A huge thank you to all the parents who came out to support their children on both days!
Northwest Athletics Championships
Following our school events, five students went on to represent us at the Northwest Championships on Thursday, November 20th. A massive congratulations to Ben Robinson, who placed an outstanding 3rd in Shot Put!
Important Dates
Term 4 Dates
Term 4:
Begins on Monday 6th October
Last day of Term 4 is Monday 15th December
School Assembly Week 8
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School Assembly led by Rooms 23 & 25
@ West Harbour School hall
Tu Fa'atasi Choir Performance @ Britomart
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Our Tu Fa'atasi Choir have been invited to perform at Britomart!
Britomart, Auckland City
Harbour Harikoa
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Come and join us on the courts for our end of year Christmas celebration! Bring your picnic blanket and enjoy the sing-a-long
School Assembly Week 10
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Our final assembly for the year, led by Rooms 4 and 24
@ West Harbour School hall
Y8 Graduation & Dinner
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Shine Awards - School Prize Giving Ceremonies
All Day
We will be holding our prize giving ceremonies throughout the day - more information regarding times will come out via Hero
Final Day of School for 2025
All Day
Our final day of school for this year is the 15th December. School will finish at the usual time of 3.00pm
Today will be a Whanaungatanga Day - Whanau are welcome to come and join us for a day of activities. All students can wear their house colours
Term Dates 2026
We have two staff only days scheduled in Term 1; Friday 30th January and Thursday 2nd April. School is closed for instruction for these two days.
