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Newsletter 3 – February 18, 2026
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Senior School Tamariki Kayaking on Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa
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Kia ora Whaanau,
We are proud of our Year 5 & 6 tamariki who are taking their learning to the waters of the
Maangere Bridge waterfront this week. As part of our Mountains to Sea Project, students traded their pencils & chromebooks for kayaks, to explore the unique marine environment right here in our own backyard.
In partnership with the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, our senior school embarked on an experiential journey to become future kaitiaki (guardians) of our blue spaces. This hands-on initiative allowed our tamariki to:
Explore Local Ecology: Students paddled through mΔnawa (mangroves) and along beaches, spotting local birdlife like kootare (kingfishers) and pied shags.
Integrate Learning: The trip combined science, literacy, and numeracy as students conducted water testing and beach clean-ups to better understand the health of the Manukau Harbour.
Build Resilience: Kayaking provides a fantastic opportunity for our tamariki to challenge themselves, promoting physical wellbeing and aumenga (resilience).
This project is a key part of the Waterlea Local Curriculum, which aims to provide students with authentic, real-world learning experiences in their community. The learning doesn’t stop at the waterfront. Later this term, our Year 5 & 6 students will head to Moana
nui-a-kiwa pools to practice snorkelling skills in preparation for their upcoming trip to the Goat Island Marine Reserve. There, tamariki will compare the protected marine environment to our local waterfront to develop action plans for solving local environmental challenges.
A huge thank you to the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, our kaiako and the many whaanau who supported these sessions on the water.
Ngaa mihi,
Andrea Jamieson and the Waterlea Team
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Attendance:
We’re still going strongly with most of our tamariki attending regularly. Our attendance rate as a school for the third week at school is at 98%. Please remember to let the office know if your child is going to be away and the reason for the absence. This information will allow us to enter the correct attendance code for your child. You can phone the office on 096364233 or email reception@waterlea.school.nz.
If your child is going away during the school term please email principal@waterlea.school.nz with the details for the absence and the dates your child will be away.
Keep up the great effort ensuring your children are coming to school each day!
 
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Learning in the Junior School:
Just a reminder that the teachers of Year 1 and 2 would like to invite their whaanau to a workshop looking at learning in the Junior School. The workshop will be tomorrow, 19 February at 3.00pm. Child minding will be provided and the venue is Room 21.
The Senior and Middle school teams will be holding learning workshops in Terms 2 & 3.
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Peer mediation explained for parents
Peer mediation is when kids help other kids with problems to find their own solutions. Some of the problems we help solve are exclusion, gossip and turn taking. There are a few problems that we can’t solve, like breaking school rules or things that could be harmful, but we are trained to know when we send the problem to a teacher to help with.
Peer mediators will be going around the school in high vis green jackets, but if kids can’t find a peer mediator they are welcome to come to the “Mediation Station.” outside Room 22.
Your kids are guaranteed to have a wonderful day thanks to us, the peer mediators. Don’t worry parents, do not fear, for the peer mediators are here!
By Ashling Rm 6 and Anita Rm 5
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Parking and keeping our tamariki safe
Since it is the beginning of the year, it is timely to have some reminders about parking around the school. Drop off and pick up times get really congested and parking is often challenging. The yellow lines are there to remind us that these areas are where no parking is permitted. Eric, our caretaker, puts our cones each morning on the yellow lines as an additional reminder of no parking. To park on these lines is unsafe for our tamariki who are using the crossings to walk home. We have some photos below as an extra reminder of our cones and yellow lines close to the school.
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Bikes and scooters in the school grounds
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Introducing 2026 Moth Plant Busters
It’s that time AGAIN! Those nasty moth plants are popping up, flowering and growing pods all over our community.
This will be Waterlea’s 4th year as part of this wonderful competition. It is our biggest yearly fundraiser for school gardens. If you collect pod or seedlings please bring them into school and pop them into the bin outside the school office. Alternatively, If you know of a plant that you need help removing please contact me megan.lundberg@waterlea.school.nz and we will come and remove it.
Thank you for your support 
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Important Dates:
18 Feb – Senior School Kayaking (Rm 6, 8 and 5)
19 Feb – Learning in the Junior School-Whaanau Workshop 3pm
23 Feb – Senior School Snorkling (Rm 6, 7 and 5)
24 Feb – Board of Trustees Meeting 7:00pm
– MOSA Boys Cricket
27 Feb – Senior School Snorkling (Rm 8, 9 and 5)
– MANA Assembly
4 Mar – MOSA Girls Cricket
5 Mar – Goat Island (Rm 7, 9 and 5)
9 Mar – New Entrant Cohort 2 first day
12 Mar – Goat Island (Rm 6, 8 and 5)
13 Mar – MANA Assembly
28 Mar – PTA Brick Show
2 Apr – Last day of Term 1
20 April – First day of Term 2
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Plant sale
We have a variety of plants for sale outside our school office. These have been grown with aroha by our garden club tamariki. You can pay at the office, cash only 
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LUCKY BOOK CLUB LUCKY BOOK CLUB LUCKY BOOK CLUB LUCKY BOOK CLUB
This Friday, 20 February is the last day to order books through LOOP from the Scholastic Book Club.
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SECONDHAND UNIFORMS
If you are after any secondhand uniform items, such as tee-shirts, polo shirts, skorts, shorts or sweatshirts, please get in touch with the Waterlea PTA and we will do our best to help you find what you need.
All items are $2, except the fleece sweatshirts which are $10
Gmail: waterleapta@gmail.com
Facebook: @Waterlea PTA | Instagram: @waterleapta
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