Upcoming Events
- Last day of Classes 2025 – Wednesday 10th December
- Annual Picnic at the Botanical Gardens – Thursday 11th December – 9am-12pm
- Summer Holidays – Friday 12th December – Monday 26th January
- Term One Begins – Staff Only Day – School Closed for Instruction – Tuesday 27th January
- IEMs – Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th January
- Staff Only Day – School Closed for Instruction – Friday 30th January
- Mihi Whakatau – Monday 2nd February – Mihi Whakatau – 9am. Year 1-6 all students in HB 10:30am – 3:00pm. Years 7-13 NEW students in HB 10:30am – 12:20pm. Years 7-13 ALL students in HB 1:00pm – 3:00pm.
- Term One Classes Begin – Tuesday 3rd February
- Waitangi Day – School Closed – Friday 6th February
- Last day of Classes Term 1 – Wednesday 1st April
- IEMs – School Closed for Instruction – Thursday 2nd April
- Good Friday – School Closed – Friday 3rd April
- School Holidays – Saturday 4th April – Sunday 19th April
- IEMs – School Closed for Instruction – Monday 20th April
- First day of Classes Term 2 – Tuesday 21st April
Message From Anita
Kia ora koutou,
As we come to the end of another uniquely Ao Tawhiti year, full of organised chaos and messy learning I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our caregivers and whānau for your ongoing support, flexibility, and commitment to our community.
Our kura thrives because of the strong relationships between our school and caregivers. We appreciate the trust you place in us to support your tamariki and rangatahi to learn and live their own way.
This year has been full of growth, creativity, challenge, and discovery. Whether your young person was designing their own projects, embracing new passions, collaborating with others, or navigating the ups and downs that naturally come with learning, we are incredibly proud of their progress. We also acknowledge the important role you play in guiding, encouraging, and walking alongside them.
Ao Tawhiti is a special place, and it is our whānau who help make it so.
As we head into the summer break, we hope you enjoy time with friends and family and find moments of rest and joy.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for another year of great learning in 2026.
Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me ta Tau Hou
Season’s greetings for Christmas and the New Year.
Anita
Messages from Senior Leaders
Thanks to our EOTC volunteers
Ngā mihi nui to all the whānau and caregivers who have supported trips off site over the year. This term alone, students have been to places as diverse as The University of Canterbury, The Christchurch Adventure Park, Richmond Community Gardens and Sumner, just to mention a few. This is in addition to all our nearby favourites like Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens and the Margaret Mahy Playground. There have also been overnight camps at Omaka, Mt Hutt and the West Coast, as well as tramps in the St James Conservation Area. We love that the learning journeys of tamariki and rangatahi can be enriched by these off site experiences and we couldn’t do it without your help, so thank you!
Keep an eye out at the start of the year for the dates of the Term 1 RAMs training sessions. These sessions cover the basics of what whānau volunteers can expect when supporting off-site activities. If you’re keen to support our EOTC programme and have not yet attended a RAMs training session, I’d love to see you at one next year.
Megan Taylor
Yr 6 Graduation
Kia ora e te whānau,
As I enjoyed our Y12 and 13 graduation ceremony hosted at The Piano a couple of weeks ago, I reflected that our Y6 tamariki would soon be making a transition and should be celebrated similarly. While we have always honoured the children moving from our community to the Y7/8 community or onto another school, I felt their ceremony should reflect how we celebrate the ākonga leaving Ao Tawhiti for the final time.
It was wonderful to hear the LAs read out their citations that they had written for the tamariki and have whānau present to hear of their successes, dispositions, future hopes and to help us celebrate them with laughter, clapping and the odd tear.
Thank you for coming, for bringing kai to enjoy and to celebrate the amazing children we have had a share in for a short while. They will continue to have an impact on our community, and will always be welcome to visit.
We are excited to see what they’ll do next, and see them grow into their full potential with the wraparound support of whānau and kura.
It has been an incredibly busy, speedy year, with lots going on at school and in the wider educational community. I would like to thank the all of the staff for their dedication and for keeping their cool amidst much political change, our parent and caregiver community for your trust in us and constant smiles and encouragement, the children for their mahi and entertainment and Anita for her steadfast leadership. I say it every day, we are lucky indeed to be part of a school that places students at the centre.
Have a wonderful summer, everyone, I’m very excited to see what 2026 will bring.
Aroha nui,
Niki Stephenson
Resources from Mana Ake
As we get closer to Christmas we wanted to highlight once again Listening to families https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz
‘Listening to Families videos and podcasts provide answers to everyday questions about health and wellbeing challenges facing children and adolescents. The questions the videos and podcasts answer are real – they come directly from families. The answers are provided by trusted specialists.’
L2F has recently become available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify. To access these podcasts, use the following links:
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/7DApS8imDeCggDcgzoFz6v?si=4ffe1bac5d0c4c18&nd=1&dlsi=b6428f69…
Apple Podcast link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/listening-to-families/id1813772763
News/Notices
Te Tai Poutini
Students from our Toi Māori class visited Te Tai Poutini this week to explore the area and learn some stories of pounamu. Among the itinerary, we visited Māwhera Pā Museum, Shantytown, Punakaiki/Pancake Rocks and a number of shops and carving studios (special thanks to Steve Gwaliasi and his team at Bonz N Stonz Hokitika!). Our ākonga were amazing and a great time was had by all!
Richard McCance
Medications at Kura
Please register any personal student medications with the school office.
We have a secure medication administration process in place. When your student needs medication, at school, please chat with us. We will complete a medication form and create a plan to ensure safe storage, communication, and administration.
While it might be convenient for students to carry medications including over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and antihistamines, we require all medications to be securely stored in the first aid room. This helps prevent accidental medication ingestion or misuse.
By following this policy, we can create a safer and healthier learning environment for all students. Thank you for your support.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact office@aotawhiti.school.nz
4.2 Bike Class
The 4.2 bike class have been on trips to Crocodile Mountain Bike Park, North Avon BMX Club and Nigel Mahon Pump track, Bottle Lake Forrest, Christchurch Adventure Park (CAP) and Montgomery Spur Loop track.
Rangatahi have increased in confidence as they’ve taken on new challenges, and met terrain they’ve not encountered before.
The highlight for most of them was our day at CAP which was kindly funded by Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa. This included a lesson and then riding for the remainder of the day. Askins a flowy, jumpable trail was a favourite trail for most, as were the bikes CAP provided.
Other new experiences included the Nigel Mahon Pump track which teaches they Physics of maintaining and building speed through curved depressions in the track.
Greg O’Neill
ProActive Physio at Ao Tawhiti
We have a physiotherapist on-site at kura every Thursday morning. Not only convenient; appointments with him will save each student/staff member $43.00 at the initial assessment and $35.50 per follow up visit.
Contact the office to book. office@aotawhiti.school.nz
Outstanding Achievement in University Philosophy
This year, Stephen Godwin (year 10) undertook a STAR course in Philosophy with the University of Canterbury. We are pleased to announce that Stephen has successfully passed Phil110 with an A-. This is an amazing achievement for a Year 10 student, and we look forward to seeing what Stephen will set his sights on next year.
We had a good number of students take the course this year. They all did very well, and when/if we get permission to share their results, we will do so in a future newsletter.
Students interested in making a headstart on their university studies might like to consider taking Phil110 – Science: Good, Bad, Bogus. We teach it at school in collaboration with the UC Philosophy department, which makes it a well supported introduction to university study.
Please contact brent.silby@aotawhiti.school.nz for more information.
Brent Silby
Student Absences
Thank you for always keeping the school informed if your student is off sick, learning from home, or not attending for any other reason.
There are multiple ways you can record an absence;
- send a message through SchoolApps – an App available on Apple or Android. Simply subscribe to Ao Tawhiti via the app.
- leave a voicemail or speak to us directly on 03 377 7773
- send an email to office@aotawhiti.school.nz
Please make sure you notify the office via one of the above options in order to prevent being sent an absence message, regardless of whether or not your student’s LA is aware of their absence.
Wearable Arts 2025
Outdoor Cooking Class
The ākonga have been getting into a range of cooking styles for pit cooking over the coals, wood fire pizza ovens and charcoal BBQ. There’s been plenty of skills learnt and lots of memories to take away.
They’ll be cooking for the staff on Wednesday 10th december using the new offset smoker.
Evan Kiddey
Floor 4 Camp Omaka 2025
Floor 4 spent a lovely 3 days with a record number of students and parents at Omaka Scout Camp.
The setting is lovely along a river right next door to Lake Rua. We spent the first day putting up tents and then taking part in colourful challenges.
We enjoyed having 100 people or more for meals and sharing time cooking and eating together.
A lot of time was spent bobbing along the river in tubes and playing in the camp grounds. We also spent one lovely afternoon at Lake Rua swimming backwards and forward to the pontoon in small groups.
A huge thanks to those parents who slaved away in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up for everyone.
Kay Hayes
Forensic Science
Students in this class have been training to become skilled forensic scientists ready to solve any crime. We have explored a range of evidence that could be found at a crime scene and what we can analyse from them. This has included forensic photography, fingerprints, footprints and powder analysis. For their final challenge they were tasked with solving the case of the barefoot burglar which they all successfully solved.
Jess Dewhurst
Big Day Out – A Fantastic Adventure!
What a wonderful way to end the year all together! Our Big Day Out was filled with sunshine, laughter, and plenty of outdoor fun. The children enjoyed splashing in the stream and even worked together to build an impressive dam. They put their problem-solving and teamwork skills to the test during orienteering, and spent time exploring the playground.
We also had some great games of cricket and even a few intense chess matches happening under the shade! It was a beautiful day of connection, creativity, and adventure — the perfect celebration to wrap up our year as a team.
Mary Lee
HB Toroa Term 4
This year has been great, although everyone’s tired and ready for the holidays.
This term has been eventful, we’ve done sooooooo many extraordinary things this year including sewing with Heather, a cool virtual reality workshop with Blake NZ, camp with Mel’s HB, a futsal tournament, lots of cricket and half a day of drama performances.
We have made some cool things in the sewing room with Heather this term, like costumes for plays, little bags and a lot of other random stuff.
Camp was cool. We went to Mount Hutt Retreat with Mel’s HB and did awesome stuff like, a water slide, abseiling, archery and air rifles, even though it was windy some of the time.
On Thursday (week 9), we performed 2 plays and 6 skits. The plays were, The Legend Of Mythomorphia 2 By Milo, and Micheal and Agos By Henry And Mykhail. The skits were, The Donut Ad By Max, Where In The World Are We? By Ivy And Noëlle, A Play By Fox, NZSL Play by Ivy and May And The Puppet Play by Eloy.
Yay, Summer! That means cricket, and there’s definitely been a lot of it this term. (with some Epic dives and plenty of sixes).
Earlier this term we had a workshop with Blake NZ. They had 30 VR head sets which we put on and they taught us about sustainability.
By Milo And Maz
Recycle a Device
RAD (Recycle a Device) has been a great success this year. We have donated 37 laptops to students in need at Ao Tawhiti and 5 to community!!
We have also donated 15 Chromebooks to the Year 1-6 community. This is saving us a considerable amount of money as we do not have to lease these.
One of our senior students has taken the opportunity to train as an intern with the RAD programme. Ka pai James Hole!! A big shout out to you for all your mahi. Another shout out to Ciaran Reiser who has risen to the challenge of overseeing the final checking of laptops before they are released.
Ka pai to all the ākonga who have participated in this very cool and worthwhile initiative. Look out for our 2026 class!
Anne-Marie Hampton
Giving Tuesday
A big thankyou to all the students, staff and whanau who donated to the Te Tahi Youth Giving Tuesday collection. The team from Te Tahi Youth were blown away by your donations. Many thanks to you all
Bridget, Suze & Libby
Counsellors Corner
The holiday season is a time to relax and connect with family and friends. It can also be a stressful time for many of us. For young people it can mean they are away from their friends and the routines that bring structure and predictability to their lives. They also have less access to the support systems available to them during the school year. If you are worried about yourself or a young person over the holidays there are services and supports that you can reach out to.
- This ‘traffic light’ resource is for young people in Christchurch to support their well-being and has been developed locally by Tessa Appo. The categories for this are Keeping Well, Extra Support and Immediate Crisis. Check it out: https://www.pegasus.health.nz/your-health/services-for-patients/children-young- people/wellbeing-support-that-meets-you-where-youre-at/
- Wellbeing Resources – Pegasus Health – Talk to your GP about being referred to see a counsellor for your mental health and wellbeing. You may be able to access up to five free talk therapy sessions. http://www.pegasus.health.nz
- Te Tahi Youth – free support for 10-24 year olds. A one stop shop for medical, sexual and mental health services, as well as mentoring and employment support. Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ph. 03 943 9298 http://www.tetahiyouth.org.nz Drop in Clinic Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am-12pm
- The Manawa App – This app can be downloaded onto your phone from the App Store. It is a safety planning app for anyone (adults or young people) who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. It is easy to access and can be a useful tool to work through with someone who is feeling at risk/suicidal. It includes local resources and numbers that anyone in distress can access.
- Online or phone AFTER HOURS SUPPORT: Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 support from trained counsellor
- Lifeline – 0800 543 354
- Safe to Talk (If affected by sexual harm) 0800044334; Txt 4334.
- Aviva (Family Violence Services). 0800 284 82 669
- Youth line – 0800 376 633 or free text 234
- Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
- What’s Up – 0800 942 8787 (5–18-year-olds). Phone counselling Monday to Friday,
- midday–11pm and weekends, 3pm–11pm.
- Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 for young people up to 18 years of age. Open 24/7.
- Anxiety New Zealand – 0800 269 4389
- For Mental Health Crisis or Emergency CALL
- Child, Adolescent & Family (CAF) Emergency Team (Business hours)
- 0800 218 219 – press 2
- Crisis Resolution, Freephone 0800 920 092, (After hours), 7 days a week.
- If it is an emergency, or you, or someone you know, is at immediate risk call 111
- Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Listening to Families: This is a great resource for families and provides answers to everyday questions relating to health and wellbeing challenges facing children and adolescents.
ADHD, Anxiety, Autism, CAF, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Eating Challenges, Emotional Regulation, Gender Diversity, General Practice, Information for Muslim families, Information for Pasifika families, Mental Health, Sensory processing, Suicide.
The questions the videos answer are real – they come directly from families. The answers are provided by trusted specialists. https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/
Breakfast Club and Student Food: We are keen to have more helpers on a Wednesday morning at 8.15 at Breakfast Club. We provide cereal and make pancakes as a social place for students of all ages. We would love to host breakfast on other days, perhaps just cereal and fruit, if there are any parents who would like to support this, especially during winter when students might need food and warmth on dark mornings.
Thanks to everyone who helped this year, parents and students, and to all the whānau who have contributed to our emergency lunches for students. Students don’t focus well on learning if they are hungry so your food donations have been very welcome.
Contact either Bridget or Miriam counsellors@aotawhiti.school.nz if you have any questions about student food in 2026.
Variety Kiwi Kids sponsorship and grants: We have several students supported by the Kiwi kids programme here at school, and it’s a great help for families with Community Card income levels as it provides funding for extra curricular activities and some basic items – see their website: https://www.variety.org.nz/get-support/find-Support
Contact Miriam if you need any help applying, or information about how it works.
Feel free to contact either Bridget or Miriam if you have any queries about next year, our counselling service, or anything we might be able to help with before the end of term. bridget.scott@aotawhiti.school.nz miriam.denney@aotawhiti.school.nz
Lastly we with you a very safe and happy holiday and we look forward to seeing you all next year.
Bridget, Miriam, Mike and Susan
In moments of stress, pause and take a gentle breath.
This time of year can feel especially demanding — many of us are juggling multiple commitments and moving through tiredness, overwhelm, and a sense of being ungrounded. One of the simplest and most soothing ways to settle your system is to return to your breathing.
You might like to try this calming pattern:
• Inhale softly through your nose for a count of four
• Pause for two
• Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of eight
• Pause for two
Let your breath move down into your belly, and allow your tongue to rest loosely in your mouth. This gentle combination helps activate the vagus nerve, inviting your body to shift out of “fight-or-flight” and into a more restful, steady state.
Repeat for as long as you need, letting each cycle bring you a little more calm, presence, and ease. This technique can also be supportive during moments of panic. And the beauty of it is that you can use it anywhere — while driving, walking through a busy mall, or settling yourself before sleep. With practice, it begins to work more quickly, helping your nervous system stay steadier and widening your overall window of tolerance.
If you feel you’d like more guidance or support through this busy season, you’re warmly welcome to book a free fifteen-minute discovery call or arrange a consultation online:
https://www.sarkahnaturopath.com/
Paleontology
Students in this class have been exploring all things dinosaur. We have looked at the requirements to support life on earth, how living things have evolved over time and how people studied dinosaurs through fossils. Students had the opportunity to share their favourite dinosaurs with the class through a dinosaur of the day presentation and were also tasked with designing their own dinosaur and fossil.
Jess Dewhurst
AT Food Pantry
Some of you may or may not already know that this year, there has been an Ao Tawhiti food pantry established on the 1st floor next to the elevators.
Our school community works with Kairos Food Rescue and we are given food weekly to help with our hospitality classes and food for breakfast club. Recently, the quantity of food received has increased, which means that this can be shared within our community.
With the cost of living always increasing, this has been a massive help for so many people and regular comments on how grateful people are, are being heard. “Every little bit helps.”
During the final weeks of term 4, student Sid Gibbs designed and created a sign for it that is much nicer than the temporary piece of cardboard that was being used. Thank you Sid!
Next year we hope to utilize this food pantry again to support our Ao Tawhiti community. Any spare food that is found in your own homes can also be shared here.
See you in 2026
Cinty Gable
4.2: Outdoor Education
We had a great time – exploring new activities every week. Impressive effort from the students as they were open to new challenges each week.
Week 1: Orienteering at the Groynes
Week 2: Kayaking on the Avon
Week 3: Mountain biking at Bottle Lake
Week 4: Bouldering at Uprising
Week 5: Cardboard boat building at Lake Rua
4.2 Not Sport
We had lots of fun experiencing a wide variety of recreational activities. These included:
Team building activities; basketball; mini golf; indoor bowling; laser strike, Les Mils Spin class, photo scavenger hunt. A big thanks to all the students involved – it was so nice to share this with such positive, engaging and inclusive students.
4.2 – Making PJ’s
We spent the first lesson mocking up a pair of PJ pants, the next shopping for fabric at Spotlight and then the final two lessons cutting out/sewing the PJ’s. Everyone completed their PJ pants and they looked awesome.
Nic Kelly
The Junior Formal: A Celebration of Student-Led Learning and Partnership
Last Friday’s Junior Formal for Year 7 and 8 students was more than just a memorable night of fun; it was a powerful illustration of our school’s core Guiding Principles brought to life. The event’s journey—from a single student’s idea to a thriving community celebration—perfectly showcased the dynamic and student-centred culture we strive to foster.
Principles in Practice: A Student-Centred Success
The overwhelming success of the Junior Formal fundamentally confirms our belief that Students are at the centre of their learning.
- Learners are encouraged to be creative, innovative and take risks: The entire event was a massive undertaking, starting with one student’s creative vision. When the initial momentum slowed, a new core group was formed—a risk that paid off spectacularly. They innovated around logistics, decorations, and entertainment, showing courage in taking ownership of a large-scale project.
- Students are at the centre of their learning: The students were not passive recipients; they were the architects of the event. They determined the theme, managed the budget, and coordinated the details. This level of self-direction ensures that the learning experience—in this case, event management and teamwork—was relevant and impactful because it was entirely student-driven.
- Diverse and flexible individual learning pathways are supported: The planning process involved different students contributing skills ranging from graphic design for posters, budgeting for supplies, public speaking to recruit volunteers, and coordination of complex logistics. Furthermore, a Learning Advisor ran a specialized course to equip the student group with the necessary organisational tools, showing how we offer flexible pathways to support their ambitious goals.
Learning is a Partnership
The Formal also beautifully demonstrated the collaborative spirit essential to our community:
- Learning is a partnership: This event could not have happened without active collaboration between students, staff, and whānau. Core students worked closely with Learning Advisors for guidance and mentorship, and senior students stepped up to manage key areas like the DJ and bar service.
- Everyone is a learner and everyone is a teacher: The organising students were the ultimate teachers, demonstrating leadership and project management to their peers and even the adults supporting them. Conversely, the Learning Advisors and parent volunteers acted as learners, adapting their support and teaching methods to best enable the students’ vision. We were all learning together how to successfully execute a major school event.
Thank you to the students whose creativity sparked the idea, the dedicated organising team whose innovation made it a reality, the Learning Advisors who guided them, and the parents and seniors who partnered with us to ensure a safe and joyful night.
Kay Hayes
Other Notices
MOVE
MOVE is a community that welcomes everyone and every ability to connect through the joy of artistic movement.
Born from Christchurch City Council’s ‘Share an Idea’ campaign following our region’s earthquakes, MOVE represents our community’s resilience and vision. It’s a testament to our city’s spirit, and our tenacity to make something better, together.
Our purpose is simple: bringing the joy of artistic movement to all corners of our community.
MOVE’s purpose-built studios in the soon-to-open Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre – the only arts, sport, recreation and health centre of its kind in Aotearoa – will be an accessible space that anyone can enjoy. Whether you are already involved in the dance, circus and movement community in Ōtautahi or ready to try something new, MOVE has a place for you.
From January 2026, we will be offering summer taster classes, followed by the launch of our term-based classes and courses set to begin early February 2026. From public classes and partnership programmes with community groups and schools, to showcase events and opportunities for professional movement artists, MOVE caters for individuals of all abilities.
Visit our website at move.org.nz, or reach out to move@move.org.nz
Southshore Holiday Programme
Spaces available for a nature-based holiday programme in Southshore
for the summer holidays. This is our second year running the
programme, we run sessions for every school holiday break, no matter
what the weather!
We will be exploring the estuary and red zone area of the Southshore Spit.
Activities may include hut building, tree climbing, foraging, games,
care of our environment and creatures, weaving, crafting, creating
with clay, wand, kite, nest and fairy door making and most importantly
free play in nature whatever the weather!
Group size is small, the ratio is no more than 7 children to 1 leader.
Dates available: I would love to offer Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th
(please get in touch ASAP); as well as
Thursday 18 December, Friday 19 December, 2025;
January 12 to 30, 2026.
.
Each day runs from 9am to 3pm (extended hours negotiable)
Ages 5 to 12.
Cost is $60 per day (sibling discount available)
Led by Rachael: South New Brighton School mum, fully qualified ECE
teacher, experienced Forest School Leader and yoga teacher.
Please email
rachaelwilliamsca@gmail.com
for further information
