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Newsletter T1W2
13 February 2026
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It was lovely to welcome new students and teachers at our mihi whakatau last Tuesday. I’m pleased to report a very settled start to the school year.
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Our Year 7s are looking quite smart in their new shirts and I am told by our uniform provider that some of the new items (hoodies and jackets) are flying off the shelves in their warehouse in anticipation of the colder months that are on the way.
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Next Wednesday 18th is our annual meet the teacher evening. This is a chance to connect with your child’s teacher and receive some important information for the year. For those of you who have more than one child it is quite possible that you will find yourself with a clash. Teachers will be emailing out information to all parents so you are able to catch up if you miss their session. The evening will start with a parent forum in the Hall. If you have a question that you would like me to answer then please email it to office@glendowie.school.nz. All salient questions will be answered as time permits.
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The schedule of the evening is as follows:
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We have no ‘new’ teachers to the school this year. Although we welcome Mrs Vigers and Miss Morton to their own classroom teaching assignments for the year. Both were working and training in our school-based teacher education programme in 2025.
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We welcome new Learning Support Assistants Raquel Andrade Valencia, Jedida Va’afusuaga and Lele Sanileva.
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A reminder that wearing a school hat is compulsory in terms 1 and 4. We also request that students bring sunblock to school with them for use throughout the day. All classes also have spare sunblock available for use at school if needed.
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Please be reminded that we are a shoes-off school. This means that students must remove their school shoes before going into class, except in some specialist classrooms. Students are welcome to bring slippers or indoor shoes for use in the classroom.
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Paul Crowhurst | Principal
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A big congratulations to the following 2025, Y8 leavers on their awards presented late last year.
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Proxime Accessit Katie Paterson
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Sports Girl Larissa Vicars
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The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday 17th March, from 6.30pm in the boardroom. Anyone is welcome to attend and a copy of the agenda is available from the school office from 3pm on the Friday before the meeting.
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KiVa: Part of Glendowie School's well-being programme
Glendowie School has been a KiVa school since 2021. KiVa is an evidence-based programme designed to prevent and reduce bullying. Developed in Finland, KiVa is now delivered in over 50 schools across New Zealand and many more worldwide.
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The Three Pillars of KiVa
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The KiVa programme is built on three main components:
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Prevention: Classroom lessons, discussions, and activities focus on teaching students about bullying, its effects, and the roles everyone plays in preventing it.
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Intervention: When bullying occurs, it is addressed using a structured, evidence-based approach. This involves working with the students involved and their peers to find solutions and stop the behaviour.
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Monitoring: We use annual surveys to assess the school climate and the effectiveness of the programme, allowing us to track progress and make adjustments as needed.
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Understanding Bullying Behaviour
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It is important to distinguish between conflicts and bullying. KiVa defines bullying as having three key factors:
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Deliberate: The harm is intentional.
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Repeated: It happens more than once to the same student.
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Power Imbalance: It is targeted at a person who may find it difficult to defend themselves.
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Note: Bullying is not a one-off argument, a disagreement between friends, or a physical fight between equals. Parents, please use this same terminology when talking with your children.
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If your child is experiencing any of these behaviours at school, please encourage them to talk to their class teacher as soon as it happens. This ensures that incidents can be addressed promptly. Together, we can change bullying behaviour and foster a safer environment.
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What Students Are Learning
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Throughout the year, students participate in targeted lessons. Example topics include:
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Fostering a positive classroom environment
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Recognising and understanding different emotions
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Ensuring everyone is included in our class
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Embracing "Difference is Richness"
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Learning how to say NO to bullying
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Refusing to join in when bullying occurs
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Supporting those who are being bullied
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“Let’s stop bullying together!”
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For more information, the Parents’ Guide is available on the KiVa website.
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Year 1 - 1.40pm | Year 2 - 12.10pm | Year 3 - 10.40am | Year 4 - 9.15am
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Glendowie School Senior Swimming Sports
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Year 5-8 Swimming Sports will be held on Friday 20th March, 2026 at Sacred Heart College for our competitive swimmers. Further details will be provided over the coming weeks.
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Glendowie School Orchestra: Years 5 – 8
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All children from Year 5 to Year 8 are invited to audition for the school orchestra. Students should already play an instrument and be able to read basic music.
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Dates: Wednesday 25 February & Wednesday 4 March (You will be advised of your specific day).
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Once auditions are complete (approximately two weeks later), the list of successful students will be displayed. If you are not successful this year, please keep practicing and audition again next year!
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Orchestra is a full-year commitment. Students are expected to attend promptly every Wednesday from 12:30pm – 1:30pm. An attendance roll will be taken each week. Students will be given extra time prior to the session to eat their lunch.
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Bring your instrument and a piece of music you can play.
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Be currently enrolled in regular music lessons.
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Have completed at least one year of lessons.
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Be able to read basic music notation.
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Be prepared to commit to the full year and attend all weekly practices.
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Our school library is so much more than just a collection of books—it’s the heart of Glendowie School. There is something for everyone on our shelves - picture books, graphic novels, fabulous fiction and non-fiction for inquiring minds.
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We are open everyday before school (from 8.30am) and during lunchtimes and have an awesome team of student librarian superstars to help keep our library running smoothly and looking fabulous. I am around to answer any library questions before school so pop in and see me, or you can email me at victoriae@glendowie.school.nz.
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We encourage all our students to read everyday - reading for pleasure has been proven to makes us more empathetic, increase vocabulary at all levels and build confidence. Readers are leaders!
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See you in the library (don’t forget your book bag!)
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Room 29
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Our room 29 Sommerville satellite students are delighted to be back at school. We have a unique group of students who have been together for many years and have formed strong friendships. Every day we strive to meet our Sommerville values of being courageous and connected so that together we are learning to live our best lives. We are working on being courageous and connected within the Glendowie School community by joining a variety of activities, such as whole school events, PE sessions, buddy classes, and building independence during playtimes. Last year, we worked on building connections with other students during playground times, and these connections have carried over into this year. It was very exciting for us to have friends come visit us at lunchtime on the first day of school! Our lunchtime friends help us feel included and build independence during break times, which is very important to our students. We enjoy sharing what we do and how we learn. We welcome questions and want to support the Glendowie School community in learning more about who we are and what we do in room 29.
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Upcoming Events
- Wednesday 18th February - Meet the Teacher Evening - 5.30pm, Hall
- Wednesday 18th February - Y7 Camp Meeting -6.45pm, Mini Hall
- Wednesday 18th February - Montessori Camp Meeting - 6.45pm, Rm 27
- Thursday 26th February - PA Meeting - 7.30pm, Staffroom
- Thursday 5th March - Eastern Zone Softball Tournament
- Monday 9th - Wednesday 11th March - Montessori Rm 27 Camp
- Tuesday 10th March - Y1-4 Swimming Sports
- Wednesday 11th - Friday 13th March - Y7 Camp
- Saturday 14th March - PA School Camp Night
- Tuesday 17th March - Bay Suburbs Softball Tournament
- Tuesday 17th March - Y4 Triathlon
- Tuesday 17th March - Board Meeting - 6.30pm, Boardroom
- Friday 20th March - Y5-8 Swimming Sports, Sacred Heart
- Tuesday 24th March - Eastern Zone Swimming
- Friday 27th March - Bay Suburbs Swimming
- Wednesday 1st April - Parent Teacher Interviews
- Thursday 2nd April - Last Day of Term 1
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Community Notices
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