Week 9 – Saturday 28th March,
In this newsletter:
- A message from the Principal
- Welcome to new whānau and ākonga
- Fundraising Committee
- Important Dates and Reminders
- School Events
- From the classrooms – Room 3 & 5
- Writer’s Corner
- Sport at DSS
- Community Noticeboard
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Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
It’s crazy to think we are almost at the end of Term 1 and ¼ of the way through the school year. I have enjoyed see the tamariki getting involved in lunchtime clubs, transferring skills from basketball sessions into playtimes and lunchtimes, and the leadership our seniors our showing as Whānau group leaders. The Eid Celebration was a good example of this yesterday.
A few newsletters ago, I mentioned that I was undertaking some professional learning this year through the Springboard trust. The purpose of this programme is to develop a strategic plan. So far we have looked at vision statements and key stakeholders. It made me reflect upon our school vision – “Whakapiki i te mana o ngā ākongā kātoa” – Enhancing the mana of all learners. I’ve enjoyed listening to our staff and board of trustees reflect on whether this vision is fit for purpose and relevant for our needs still after only being 3 years old. It seems from the stakeholders I have talked to so far that our current vision aligns with who we are as a kura, our values and our beliefs. I did wonder thorough whether there was any feedback out there from whānau so if you had any thoughts, feel free to email me.
Exciting progress is officially underway this week as the Ngā Iti Kahurangi project kicks off its carpet installation! We are thrilled to share that Room 1 is already finished, sporting a fresh new look that sets the stage for the rest of the school. Our goal is to have all Ako Iti classes completed by the end of the holidays. When paired with the brand-new chairs and furniture recently introduced across the junior school, these upgrades will make a positive impact on classroom learning environments. Looking back over the last 3 years, It means across all classes, we now have new furniture, new carpet, devices, LED lighting, acoustic paneling, RCD adaptors and new curtains. I am really proud of the progress our kura has made in this space in such a short time.
You may have recently noticed a significant amount of noise in the education sector regarding curriculum changes, new reporting requirements, and the ERO review process. I want to reassure you that we are navigating these mandated shifts at a pace that is right for our kura. A prime example is the Ministry of Education’s newly released SMART assessment tool. Currently, our Year 3–6 students use PAT assessments; because they are familiar with this process and it consistently provides us with high-quality data, we see no immediate need to switch. While we may explore the SMART tool as an option next year, our priority right now is managing change at a rate that is sustainable for our staff and students alike. As we continue to develop our curriculum roadmap, I look forward to sharing more updates with you.
Term 2 is a longer term at 11 weeks in length. Our school also priortises our commitment to Te Tiriti through the Huttfest Performance which we have a dedicated group of 70 ākongā who have shown interest and started practicing with Matua Whaitiri. Practices for Hutttfest will be on Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings during school time. We also have auditions taking place for our production in Term 3- Honk Jr. This will be a brilliant opportunity for your child to share their talents in the arts. A huge shout out to Addi for their amazing roadmap and vision for this kaupapa.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and break once school finishes up next Thursday.
Ngā mihi nui,
Lee Ewington
Tumuaki
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Week 7 Principal’s Award Winners
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 Week 9 Principal’s Award Winners
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Welcome to our new students:
Room 1 – Lev, Selix
Room 2 – Skylah, Jude, Kairo
Room 3 – Leilani
Room 5 – Sinalei
We are so happy to have you join our school community.
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Dyer Street School has a small but friendly fundraising committee that works together to raise funds and put on fun events. We are in need of some more people to come on board this year. There is an active Facebook group as well as a mailing list to receive posts on Hero. The committee has plans for more online hui this year to make sure those who can’t attend in-person meetings can be more involved.
The next meeting is Monday May 4th at 7:30 p.m. in the school library. We’d love anyone who would like to be involved to come along. If you can’t make it but have ideas or would like to be kept in mind as a volunteer, please email megw@dyerstreet.school.nz or join the Facebook group: Fundraising Facebook Group
Thank you for the great response to both the Easter raffle and the Hot Cross Bun fundraiser.
The raffle will be drawn on Monday morning and Hot Cross Bun orders will be able to be collected Monday too, from the school library.
Pumpkin Party – if you are able to help with the planned October/Halloween event please fill in this form: https://forms.gle/Bkn873rUKTubkJPM6
Woops – two wonderful people filled out the form before we had realised it wasn’t asking for names! If this was you please get in touch with Meg Waghorn megw@dyerstreet.school.nz or comment here on Hero or the Facebook group.
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Week 10
Monday 30 March – Hutt Fest Kākahu Hui
Tuesday 31st – Basketball Catch Up Sessions
Wednesday 1st April – Whānau Groups Rob the Nest
Thursday 2nd April – Whole School Easter Egg Hunt
– Last day of Term 1
Friday 3rd April – Good Friday (Public Holiday, School closed)
Term 2
Week 1
Monday 20 April – Pōwhiri for new students and whānau
Week 2
Monday 27 April – Day off for Anzac Day (Public Holiday, School Closed)
Friday 1 May – Whole School Cross Country
Week 3
Friday 8 May – Teacher Only Day (School Closed)
Week 6
Friday 29 May – House of Bricks Lego Day
Week 7
Monday 1 June – King’s Birthday (Public Holiday, School closed)
Week 8
Friday 12 June – Disco
Week 9
Tuesday 16 June – Zone Cross Country
Week 10
Hutt Fest Week – Performance Dates TBC
Week 11
Tuesday 23 June – Regional Cross Country
Friday 3 July – End of Term 2
Term 3
Week 4
Friday 14 August – Teacher Only Day (School closed)
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Important Reminders from the School Office –
Lost Property – The lost property bin (outside the library) is overflowing! Please check it if you can, and remember to name all clothing, especially hats and hoodies/sweatshirts.
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Eid
On Thursday of Week 10 we held a shared kai to recognise Eid, an important celebration for our Muslim whānau. Thank you to Whaea Penny and the Cultural Committee for their mahi, and also to Mubina from the Lower Hutt Masjid for her advice.
 Holi
In Week 9 we celebrated Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, with a colourful dress-up day and a lunchtime rainbow disco.
 Saint Patrick’s Day
It was cool to see so many kids wearing something special for Saint Patrick’s Day. It is so interesting learning about the different cultural traditions of DSS children.
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Room 3
 Room 5
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No submissions this week!
Please send any contributions for Writer’s Corner to megw@dyerstreet.school.nz – this can be work created at home or at school, and from any year level.
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Hoop Club – Basketball Sessions
Tamariki have been loving the basketball sessions with Coach Jay from Capital Basketball.
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Wellington Phoenix Experience Camp
We are excited to announce we are hosting a Wellington Phoenix Experience Camp at Fraser Park from the 7th-10th April between 9am-3pm for players born between 2012-2016.
The Wellington Phoenix Experience Camp is an intensive football programme designed to help young players develop their skills through engaging, professionally delivered training sessions led by Wellington Phoenix Academy staff.
Across the camp, players will take part in a variety of sessions focused on the Wellington Phoenix principles, helping them improve their technique, confidence and understanding of the game in a fun and supportive environment.
Our camps give players a genuine insight into the Wellington Phoenix Academy environment, allowing them to:
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Experience coaching led by Wellington Phoenix Academy staff.
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Learn the training principles used by elite players.
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Build new friendships with other young footballers.
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Develop their confidence and love of the game.
This camp also offers flexibility, as we provide an option to attend the camp for either 2 or 4 days.
Ngā mihi,
Wellington Phoenix Academy Camps Team
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Girls Boxing Classes
My name is Bre and I am one of the coaches at Naenae Boxing Academy. We are currently looking for some girls aged 9-18 to come join our academy.
In our boxing classes we help the girls build strength – both mentally and physically. They develop positive, long-lasting friendships. Their confidence grows and they are provided with a safe, supportive and fun environment. All while learning how to box.
The classes run on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school – ages 9-11- 3.30pm-4.30pm & ages 12-18 4.45pm-6pm. They are girls-only classes run by myself and another female coach called Hailey. Any girl wishing to join is entitled to a free trial class to see if we are the right place for them.
Bre Reynolds
Coach
Naenae Boxing Academy
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Girls Rugby
This is for any girls interested in giving tackle rugby a go, whether they have played before or are interested in the sport for the first time. There is NO COST to participants.
Timeline of Events:
- Term 1 / April School Holidays. ‘Skills Hub‘ days, to have fun and learn some of the basics of rugby. (15th April – Western Bays/Northern Suburbs, 16th April – Hutt City, 17th April – Wellington City)
- Term 2, May-June 2026 Rugby games for Yr 3/4, Yr 5/6, Yr 7/8 on Mondays.
- Monday 13th July (TBC) Term 2 Holidays – Rugby Festival!
Key Information:
- Registrations for individuals or teams can be made via the Rugby Explorer website ‘rugbyxplorer.com.au‘
- Teams can be created through local rugby clubs, or individuals can register and local teams created by the organisers.
- No rugby experience required.
- Free!
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Hutt United Hockey Club welcomes new & returning players – Come play hockey!
For a taster, come to our Muster on Tues 31 March: 5-6pm for Yr 1/2 & 2/4; and 6-7pm for Yr 5/6 & 7/8, at Fraser Park. All welcome!
Hockey is great for kids! Coordination, balance, teamwork, mental strength and fitness. The training sessions and games are positive and fun, increasing in focus as children progress up the grades.
Junior teams practice Tuesday evenings and games are played Saturday mornings. Games start 2 May and run to 12 September. For all details, dates and times visit our website: https://www.huttunitedhockeyclub.co.nz/junior-club. Subs are between $65-$135 for the whole season (all info on our website).
See you on the turf!
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