Te Totara Primary School

05/06/2026

This afternoon we had the pleasure of watching a very special sharing assembly from Neptune 27!

Neptune 27 loves all things singing, writing, art and dance! They had read the book 'I Am Jellyfish' then wrote their own stories about how Jellyfish was brave. Their favourite part of their sharing was the Gruffalo Dance, which was our favourite too!

Achievement certificates were also given to our STARS in Neptune and Milky Way. Mālō te taupā! Great work!

05/06/2026

🌲 Arbor Day 2026 🌲

Te Totara School was represented at the Hamilton City Council's 2026 Arbor Day planting by 15 enthusiastic students, Mrs Goile, Katie Denning-Kemp and Mrs McLaughlin.

Along with students from 17 other Hamilton schools, over 10,000 native trees were planted at Tauhara Park. It's amazing how many trees can be planted in one day when we all work towards the same goal!

If you are visiting the Callum Brae Playground, keep an eye out and see if you can spot the 10,000 newly planted trees.

Thank you so much to everyone invovled! We are so proud of you all for representing Te Totara well, and showing your STARS.

04/06/2026

🇼🇸 Samoan Language Week — Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa! 🇼🇸

Another awesome song for you to practice and learn at home to celebrate the beautiful Samoan Culture. Your tamariki may recognise this song from Kapa Haka with Whaea Penny, where we have sung it in Te Reo Māori.

Give it a go together in a new language!

HAPPY Samoan Language Week 🇼🇸❤️Here's the Samoan version of "Kore...

04/06/2026

Lots of tamariki in the Earth Pod team have been learning to take care of the worms in the Te Totara worm bins! 🐛

The worms are really important to our school. They break down food and paper towels and turn it into compost which helps our plants in the Maara Kai to grow.

We get water first, then open the bins. We remove the blanket that keeps the worms warm, then mix the worms, food, paper towels and dirt around. We pour lots of water in, and that’s it!

A massive thank you to Miss Wilson for helping our aakonga with their worm farm duties!

03/06/2026

🤝 Tuakana-Teina in Action: Rototuna Senior High Visits Te Totara! 🤝

We had some very special guests on site yesterday! Students from Rototuna Senior High School came over to spend time with our awesome Milky Way Team for a fantastic afternoon of sports, games, and connection.

From team-building challenges to shooting hoops, it was incredible to see the leadership, encouragement, and high energy the senior students brought to our playground. Our tamariki absolutely loved learning from the "big kids" and giving some new sports a go!

We truly value the close relationship we share with our neighbours at Rototuna Senior High. Opportunities like this bridge our kura's, inspire our future leaders, and strengthen our whole community.

A massive thank you to Mrs Gardyne for organising this awesome experience for the Milky Way Team—we are already looking forward to the next one! 🏀⚽✨

03/06/2026

🗓️ LEARNING PLAN DISCUSSIONS – BOOKINGS OPEN NOW! 🗓️

It is time to book your child's Learning Plan Discussion! These meetings are a vital way to build a strong partnership between home and school, especially as we navigate the new curriculum and reporting changes together.

Here is everything you need to know:

Early School Closure:
School finishes early at 2:00pm on both Wednesday 24th & Thursday 25th June.

Discussion Details:
Discussions are 15 minutes long and run from 2:30pm onwards on both days. A change-over bell will ring to keep everyone on time.
If you have multiple children, we recommend booking a break between slots!

Please note: Rooms 2 & 3 will NOT be having Learning Plan Discussions, but will still be finishing school at 2pm both days.

Wednesday 24th June: 2:30pm – 6:45pm (Teacher break 5:45pm–6:15pm)

Thursday 25th June: 2:30pm – 5:45pm

How to Book:
Link: www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/csxza
Booking Code: csxza

Bookings close:
Monday 22nd June at 3:00pm (no late bookings accepted).

New Curriculum Information & Support:
Special Newsletter: Keep an eye out for Mrs Stewart’s special edition Curriculum Newsletter later this term.
Community Q&A Sessions: Join Mrs Stewart, Mrs Lewis, and Mr Murray to discuss the changes on Thursday 18th June at 9:00am or 2:30pm in Matariki Hall.

Following your Learning Plan Discussion, your child's Learning Plan will be sent to you via the Parent Portal.

A massive thank you to our incredible Te Totara kaiako for their hard work gathering this data for our tamariki!

Secure your spot on School Interviews today! 👇

03/06/2026

🇼🇸 Samoan Language Week — Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa! 🇼🇸

To celebrate Samoan Language week we will be posting different resources to help you learn and practice new words and phrases.

This welcome song will teach you many basic phrases like saying hello, how are are you and many more. Give it a go in your household!

Samoan Welcome SongWritten and composed by Siu Williams-LemiVocals and video actions by Siu Williams-Lemi and Leah Williams-PartingtonGuitar by Toa Siulangap...

02/06/2026

🌧️ Wet Weather Pick-Ups: Keeping Our Tamariki Safe! 🚗

With the rainy weather setting in, school pick-up time can get a bit chaotic. To make sure all of our students stay warm, dry, and most importantly, safe, we need a collective effort from our awesome school community.

Here are a few quick reminders for those wet afternoon pick-ups:

Patience is Key: Visibility is lower and roads are slicker when it’s pouring. Please take your time, slow down around the school gates, and expect things to take a few extra minutes.

Use Designated Crossings: It can be tempting to dart across the road to avoid the rain, but please ensure your children only use the traffic light controlled crossings on both Hector and Moonlight Drives.

Park Legally & Safely: Please avoid parking on yellow lines, over driveways, or double-parking in the drop-off zone. This blocks the view for pedestrians and other drivers.

The "Pack a Brolly" Plan: If you can, park a little further away where it's less congested and walk to the gates with an umbrella or raincoat to meet your child.

Let's work together to keep the mood bright, even when the weather isn't! Thank you for your cooperation and for keeping our Te Totara STARS safe. 🌧️💛

01/06/2026

🇼🇸 Talofa lava! Welcome to Samoan Language Week — Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa! 🇼🇸

Our cultural leaders have put together an awesome clip where you can learn some essential Samoan words and phrases to try out this week, plus they’ll take you on a journey to learn a bit more about the beautiful islands of Samoa.

Learning even a few words is a beautiful way to show alofa (love) and fa’aaloalo (respect) for the vibrant Samoan culture that is a big part of our school community.

Give the video a watch, practice your pronunciation, and try some new phrases with your whānau this week!

Fa'afetai tele lava (Thank you very much) to our amazing cultural leaders for sharing your amazing work with us!

31/05/2026

👑 King's Birthday 👑

We will be closed on Monday 1st June for King's Birthday. We hope you enjoy a day of rest, sunshine and some whānau time.

See you all back at kura on Tuesday!