Newsletter – Week 5, 20 May 2026

Term 2, Week 5 – 20 May 2026

John Walker Foundation-Find your field of dreams

Kia ora Whaanau,

Last week our Year 4-6 tamariki started their Community Swim visits to Moana Nui Pools in Maangere. These visits are free for our kura and this includes transport, access to pools and instructor costs. The Community Swim initiative is due to the partnership of the John Walker Foundation and a number of community funders such as The Lion Foundation, Auckland Council, Water Safety New Zealand and Potter Masonic Trust.

The Community Swim programme was developed and launched in 2008 to ensure all tamariki have access to water skills for life lessons. 

Benefits of the Community Swim Programme:

– Incorporates the 27 skills from Water Skills for Life programme

– Intervention programme in partnership with schools to build water confidence 

– Barrier free programme approach – with transport provided for schools

– Early start to promoting aquatics as a physical activity

– Partnership with Drowning Prevention Auckland in their delivery of Aquatic Education in Schools programme

– Children’s water safety skills are recorded on Water Safety New Zealand database

Our Year 4-6 tamariki go to the pools each Wednesday and you’ll find the timetable below. If your child doesn’t have togs or a towel – no worries, just let us know because we have spares.

Enjoy the rest of this week.

Ngaa mihi,

Andrea Jamieson and the Waterlea Team

Attendance

Our attendance rate as a school for the fifth week at school for Term 2 is at 92%. At this midway point of the school term, our overall attendance rate continues to be within the green zone or the rate of good attendance – what a great effort! As always, 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 this great mahi in ensuring your children are coming to school each day!

Important Dates

20 May – Year 4 – 6 Swimming

21 May – New Entant School Visit, 9-10am

22 May – MANA Assembly – 9:45am – 10:30am

22 May – Ihumaatao Rm’s 10 & 11 – More information coming from teachers

27 May – PTA & Parent meeting 7.30 – 8.30pm

27 May – Middle School Parent Drop In

28 May – New Entant School Visit, 9-10am

               – New parent workshop, 10-11am

01 June  – Kings Birthday – School Closed

01 June – Samoan Language Week

05 June – MANA Assembly – 9:45am – 10:30am

19 June – MANA Assembly – 9:45am – 10:30am

26 June – PTA Movie Night

03 July – MANA Assembly – 9:45am – 10:30am

03 July – Last day of Term 2

Term 3

20 July – First day of Term 3

21 July – Mid-year reports go home

23 July – 2 – 7.30pm Teacher Led Conferences, children go home at 1pm

News from the PTA

Important Weekly Notices

You can download your sticker collection sheet here if you would like your own one, or pick one up at the office