2026 Updates: A Fresh Start for the New Year

Welcome back to another exciting year of learning at our kura! We’re thrilled to dive into 2026 with a few important changes that took place over the holidays. These updates are designed to streamline processes and enhance our school environment for tamariki, whānau, and staff.

Office and Administration 

Our office administrator will now be at school 4 days per week. Fiss Davison will be manning the desk from 12:00-2:30 Monday -Friday. You can call us on 07 872 2826 or via email at office@wharepapa.school.nz.

Lunches at School

We are no longer part of the Government 'Lunches in Schools' programme where lunches get delivered to school as the watse to too great and not many of the children were eating them. We have a healthy lunch policy which means your child will need to bring a healthy packed lunch and morning tea to school each day. Please avoid sending chocolate, lollies, or sugary drinks as these are not permitted.

HERO Communication

We are continuing to use HERO as a way of communication and reporting for your child's schooling. Facebook will still be updated with information that is suitable for the public, but anything specific to your child or child's class will be communicated through HERO. You should receive an email with any new communications that are put on HERO. If you have any issues with using this system, please get in touch with the office so we can sort it out.

Term 1, 2025 Information

First Day of Term
The first day of Term 1 is Monday, 2nd February 2026. The school day starts promptly at 8:50 am. Please ensure children not traveling by bus arrive by 8:45 am to organize their belongings and prepare for the day. School finishes at 2:45 pm, and all students should be picked up by 3:00 pm. If you’re running late, please notify your child’s teacher through the HERO app.

Swimming in Term 1
Term 1 is our swimming term, and water safety is a vital part of your child’s education. All children are required to bring their togs, rash shirt, and a towel to school each day. As a SunSmart school, we must ensure tamariki wear rash shirts or swimwear that covers their shoulders to protect against harmful UV rays. Swimming is a compulsory part of the curriculum, so if your child is unable to swim due to illness or injury, please notify their teacher directly through the HERO app with a reason for why they can't swim.

Stationery
To make things easier, stationery for your child/ren has been pre-arranged. An invoice will be sent during the first two weeks of the term, with payment due by the 20th of the following month. This information will also be visible in the HERO app.

Open Day
Join us for an Open Day Evening on Tuesday, 10th February, from 4:30–6:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, learn about how the classes are run, and connect with other whānau. Teachers will also provide a welcome letter and an overview of the year ahead. To make it easier, we’ll have some fun games set up for the kids and a sausage sizzle so no one goes home hungry!

We’re excited about the year ahead and can’t wait to work together with you to make 2026 a fantastic year for everyone at our kura. Stay connected and informed through HERO, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need support. Kia kaha!

All stationery will be provided through the school to ensure that children have all the correct books and equipment for learning.  

Stationery will be made available to students on the day they start school and you will be invoiced.  We appreciate payment to be made by 20th of the following month.  

We are happy to discuss payment options by way of internet banking.

If you have any questions about the stationery your child needs, then please contact our staff to discuss this further.

Costs involved in your child's schooling can come under the following headings. We ask that payments for the costs relevant to you be paid as soon as possible, generally by the 20th of the following month as we are unable to provide a 'credit' situation.  An invoice will be sent home each term to show any amounts you have paid as well as any owing costs that are coming up.

Bus Fees

If you live within the transport entitlement zone, there is no cost for your child to catch the bus to and from school. See the transport tab HERE to check details on this. If you are not in the transport entitlement zone, you will be charged $110 per student per term for catching the bus. Please note this is not a fee imposed by the school. It is charged directly from Go Bus.

Stationery

You will be sent an invoice with stationery costs at the beginning of the year. We collect and purchase all stationery items in an attempt to ensure children start school with all the correct gear from day 1, and we are often able to get a great price by purchasing in bulk.

Uniform

School shirts and jackets are required for trips and sport events. These are available for purchase at the office. (We also have a small number available to borrow if needed. -These need to be washed and returned within a week of being used).

Class Camp

Each class attends a school camp each year. This could be based in either a beach, city, or bush type of setting. We do our best to keep costs involved in these camps as manageable as possible, often subsidising some of it as well.  You will be given plenty of notice when a camp is approaching and we encourage you to set up a payment plan to ensure costs are covered before the event takes place.

Sport Teams and Adventures

If you choose for your child to take part in a sport team such as netball, miniball or touch, there are often fees involved with this. The cost of this will be advised at the time you are signing up and are generally due before games begin. 

We also take students year 4 and above to the Tough Guy and Gal challenge each year. The school will usually subsidise this to reduce the cost.

Class Excursions

Generally, if there is a local class trip coming up that is related to the learning that takes place at school, there will be no cost involved with this as the school will cover it, we will just need some helpers to help with transport and supervision.

Day to day dress code

For day to day learning, we don't have a school uniform that students are required to wear. As a rural school, students do tend to enjoy the outdoors a lot and can on occasion, get a bit messy. Wearing any 'nice' or 'going out' clothes to school is discouraged as there is potential for them to get dirty through art, water play, or sport activities. A change of clothes is encouraged. Please do not send your child to school with any clothing that has swear words on it, or any themes that are inappropriate for children. 

We are a Sun Smart school at Wharepapa South. During terms 1 and 4, it is compulsory for students to wear a bucket or wide brimmed hat and ensure they have covered shoulders (no singlets or shoe string straps.) They are also required to wear a rash shirt during swimming. These requirements are to protect their young skin from the harsh New Zealand sun.

School trips and sport events

Whenever we go out for trips or to sporting events, students are required to wear a school shirt and jacket.  These are available for purchase at the school office. The cost of these are available on request from the office.

We also have a small collection of second hand sports shirts and jackets at school that we are able to loan out to our students for the day.  These need to be washed and handed back to the school within a week after the event.

Sick student guidelines

Going to school every day is important for all school aged tamariki (children). It helps build their confidence and social skills, and to achieve their education and life ambitions. 

This information helps you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home and when you should contact a health professional for advice.

To show care for other students and staff at Wharepapa South School the following criteria has been developed in response to Health NZ’s guidance for parents: knowing if your child is well enough to go to school. 

These guidelines have been developed to ensure that your child is completely well before returning to school and therefore less likely to become unwell again. The guidelines are also in place to protect other ākonga (students) and the staff at Wharepapa South School.

Medications

At Wharepapa South School, we ensure student medication is kept securely and taken appropriately. This policy applies to prescription and non-prescription medication:

• Medication held by the school is stored securely in the first aid cupboard in the administration office. 

• Medication is refrigerated as required.

• Medication must be supplied in its original container/packaging labelled with the name of the student and dose required. Any variation in dose must be notified in writing.

• Medication must be delivered to school by parents/caregivers, not by students.

• Medication must not be kept in student school bags or lunch boxes.  It must be taken to the school office or given to the classroom teacher so they can store it appropriately.

Up-to-date Parent / Emergency Contact information for your child

• Please ensure that your contact details are up-to-date so we can contact you should your child become unwell.

• Provide the school office an alternative person and their contact details should your child be unwell and we are unable to contact you, the parent.