Te Totara Primary School

04/09/2026

🐾 Meet Layla! 🐱

Layla is a much-loved family cat who lives near our school. Her daily visits bring so much happiness to our tamariki and staff, and she has become a little friend to many of our children. ❤️

Little Layla is very confident around cars and often doesn’t move when vehicles are nearby, so if you see her around the school car park, please keep a close eye out and take extra care to help keep her safe.

Layla has a loving family who care for her very much, and we’re so lucky she chooses to brighten up our school days through her visits! 🐾

04/09/2026

💍💐 A very special school wedding! 💐💍

There was plenty of excitement at school yesterday as we celebrated a very special bride-to-be! 👰‍♀️✨

Whaea Siobhan got to walk down the ‘aisle’, alongside her beautiful ‘bridesmaids’ all ready for her big day!

While the real wedding is happening this weekend, we couldn’t resist giving Whaea Siobhan a little practice run (and a whole lot of fun!) before she says “I do”!

Congratulations, Whaea Siobhan! We hope you have the most wonderful wedding day and a lifetime of happiness together. ❤️

Ngā mihi nui and best wishes for your special weekend! 🌸🥂💍

02/09/2026

🏃‍♂️🧠 WHY MOVEMENT MATTERS! 🏃‍♀️✨

Today, our six Beginning Teachers spent a fantastic morning with Sport Waikato , diving into a professional development course all about Why Movement Matters!

They had the opportunity to share ideas, connect, and collaborate with other beginning teachers from right across the Waikato region. It was an inspiring session packed with fresh insights, active learning strategies, and fresh perspectives on physical education!

Our teachers have brought back a wealth of valuable knowledge to enrich the PE space here at Te Totara Primary, ensuring our ākonga stay active, engaged, and thriving.

A big thank you to Sport Waikato for delivering such an empowering session for our new teachers! 👏

01/09/2026

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Cluster Cross Country ⭐

A huge congratulations and thank you to our awesome students who represented Te Totara at the Cluster Cross Country today!

We are incredibly proud of the way you represented our school. You gave it your best out on the course, supported and encouraged one another, showed fantastic sportsmanship, and demonstrated our Te Totara STARS throughout the entire day. 💙

Thank you for representing Te Totara with such pride. We loved seeing the determination, effort and encouragement you showed each other throughout the day.

A massive thank you also to Mrs Gardyne, Mrs Morgan and all of our whānau who supported on the day, or assissted in transporting our runners to and from school. None of this would be possible without your support so THANK YOU!!

Well done to these students who made it into the top 10 for their group:

Year 4 boys - Caleb 7th, Buddy 9th

Year 5 girls - Ashleigh 6th, Hayley 7th

Year 5 boys - Ryan 7th

Year 6 boys - Zakaia 5th, Beau 8th

Year 6 girls - Kara 1st, Isla 4th

Ka mau te wehi – awesome work, team! 👏🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

31/08/2026

🌼💛 SHINING BRIGHT FOR DAFFODIL DAY! 💛🌼

Our Earth (Year 4) Team went all out in yellow on Friday to support Daffodil Day! ☀️💛

We are thrilled to announce that together we raised $710 via KINDO for The Cancer Society! Every dollar raised goes directly towards supporting cancer patients and funding vital research in New Zealand.

Thank you to our whānau for your amazing support and for helping our tamariki make a real difference! 🌿💚

30/08/2026

🌍✨ MEET THE TEAM MONDAY: The Earth Team! ✨🌍

Today we are super excited to feature the awesome teachers who guide and inspire our Year 4 tamariki every day: the Earth Team!

Say hello to Miss Robinson, Miss Campbell, Mrs T, Miss Wilson, and Mr Slade!

Here are a few fun facts about our Year 4 kaiako:

Experience at Te Totara: We have a great mix of long time faces and newer team members, ranging from Miss Wilson in her 1st year all the way to Mrs T, who has been with us for 11 years!

Thank you team for everything you do for our Year 4 learners! 💚

28/08/2026

✨ COMMUNITY NOTICE: ABBEY ROAD DRAMA CLASSES! ✨

A new performing arts academy, Abbey Road, is coming to Rototuna and launching their drama classes in Term 4!

They offer Wednesday classes for all ages, from 5 year olds through to adult groups! Interested in checking it out? Join them for an upcoming FREE sample session!

Please make sure to register in advance. Scan the QR code on the flyer or head over to www.abbeyroadnz.co.nz to register!

27/08/2026

This morning we had the wonderful Milky Way 23 sharing some of their amazing mahi with us.

Our Year 5/6 students have been stepping back in time to learn about the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and the significant impact it had on people, places and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

To bring this learning to life, Milky Way 23 performed a play retelling the events surrounding the eruption and created some fantastic pastel artworks inspired by Mount Tarawera.

It has been wonderful to see the students combining history, drama and art to deepen their understanding of this important event in our country’s past. We are very proud of their creativity, confidence and enthusiasm! 🌋✨

Achievement and Welcome certificates were also given out to our STARS in Milky Way and Neptune. Well done everybody for your amazing mahi!! 🌟

27/08/2026

🌼 DAFFODIL DAY IS COMING UP: FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST! 🌼

This Friday, we are proud to support the Cancer Society (Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa) for Daffodil Day!

Our ākonga and kaiako are invited to wear something yellow to school to show our support for a wonderful cause. Let’s turn our school into a sea of bright yellow!

Donation Details:

KINDO Online: Families have the option to make a donation directly through KINDO.

No Cash/Coins: Please note there will be no cash or coins collected at school, all donations are processed via KINDO.

Where it goes: 100% of the funds raised go directly to The Cancer Society to support cancer research, prevention, and support services across Aotearoa.

Thank you for your generosity and support, Te Totara whānau! 💛🌿

25/08/2026

New TT TV 🎬📣

Check out our lastest TT TV episode for this term! Thank you to Neptune 24 and Earth 34 for sharing some of your amazing mahi with us.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.