Tēnā koutou, Tālofa lava, Konnichiwa, Fakaalofa atu, As-salāmu ‘alaykum, Kia orāna, Hola, Mālō e lelei!
27 June 2025
Dear Parents & Whānau,
As Term 2 comes to a close, we can look back on a term full of energy and achievement. From farewells and celebrations to sporting, academic, and cultural highlights — not to mention our incredible school production — it’s been a vibrant and memorable few months. It is a pleasure being part of this busy kura and witnessing the joy our ākonga find in their learning and experiences. As the photos below show, the smiles, teamwork, and pride have been everywhere—a real reflection of the SWIS spirit. Thank you to our wider SWIS whānau for the support you show your tamariki and our kura. We couldn’t do it without you.
School donations
School donations are voluntary (and tax deductible) and help fund the curriculum, classroom resources including playground and sports equipment, and library facilities. The donation is $270/child (per year).
School donations can be paid online to the school bank account – South Wellington Intermediate 12 3141 0338498 00 (please reference the child’s name and what the payment is for), cash or eftpos at the school office or credit card on Hero. Also remember that you can claim a third of your donation back from the IRD. See more information here.
The Term Holidays are an important time for everyone to rest and recharge and be ready for another busy term at SWIS. Have a safe and relaxing break looking forward to seeing you back for Term 3 on Monday 14 July!
Ngā mihi,
Karl Emson
Tumuaki whakakapi | Acting Principal
Remember to check out the school’s Facebook Page, which has the latest updates about what is going on at school
Term 3 Dates
Also keep an eye on the school google calendar as dates are added and changed from time to time.
- 14 July – Term 3 starts
- 16/17 July – Three-way Student Conferences
- 29/30 July – SWIS school visit for Y6 students
- 6 Aug – SWIS Open Evening for prospective students
- 15 Aug – Staff Only Day, school closed to students
- 18 Aug – School Board nominations open
- 10 Sep – School Board elections
School Notices
Three-way Student Conferences – bookings now open
You will have received a Hero alert to book a Three-way Student Conference in the first week of Term 3 (16/17 July). These are more of a traditional conference to discuss the reports and have 15 minutes to talk with the teacher one on one. Students are expected to attend with their whānau. The reports will be published to your child’s profile on Hero in the last week of Term 2. It details how your child is doing both academically and socially.
School Board Elections
All state and state-integrated schools in Aotearoa New Zealand are required to have a school board. Having a school board is important because it ensures that schools are governed in a way that reflects the values, needs, and aspirations of their local communities. Taking part in the voting process, or standing for board representation, gives parents, whānau, and the wider community a voice in how South Wellington Intermediate School is run.
School boards are elected by the school community through an election process. These elections occur within the same period for all schools. In 2025, the election date for South Wellington Intermediate School is 10 September 2025.
There will be a call for nominations on Friday 18 July 2025.
In the meantime, parents and whanau will need to make sure their contact details (namely email addresses) are up to date. If you do not have an email address, please can you check that your postal address is accurate.
If parents/whanau need to make any changes to their email details they should contact the SWIS Office at: office@swis.school.nz before 16 July 2025.
SWIS Open Days/Evening
At the end of July SWIS will be hosting Y6 students from our contributing schools. They will start their visit in the school hall at 9.20am and then participate in a programme that gives them a taste of what life is like at SWIS. These visits are for students only.
- Tuesday 29 July – Newtown School and Berhampore School
- Wednesday 30 July – Island Bay School, Houghton Valley School and Ōwhiro Bay.
Our Whānau Open Evening is on Wednesday 6 August, 6pm – 7:30pm. If you know of friends, neighbours or family with children that might be interested in enrolling at SWIS in 2026, let them know, all are welcome to come and check us out!
School News
That’s a wrap! “Moments That Made Us”
The atmosphere was electric, the audience went wild, and the show was the winner on the night(s)! Huge congratulations to everyone involved in our school production, whether onstage, back stage, making props and costumes in the lead up, or supporting from the audience. Particular thanks to kaiako Roshni who made the dream such a fantastic reality. The amount of planning and effort to pull it together was phenomenal. Thanks also to all the teachers and whānau who got in behind her and made it such a special event. Every scene was poignant and the overall message was a powerful one – we’re all unique, and have something to offer.
The play followed a class discovering a magical portal that sent them through different cultures and fun dimensions.The portal took them through Bollywood dance, kapa haka, poly club, sign language, Chinese radio gymnastics, Sangster’s paradise, Dungeons & Dragons, Tuhura tech and WOW. Each dimension was a chance to experience something new and fun! Along the way, the class learned the importance of respecting each other, celebrating cultural diversity, and how awesome your textiles teacher can be! Thank you to all who came or participated in the production, especially the teachers and backstage helpers for making it possible. And to our sponsors Stannard Architects and The Beach House Kiosk for their generous contributions towards our show. The SWIS 2025 production was an unforgettable experience for all and will definitely be remembered! By Lia, Y8
From dawn Hautapu to our Showcase, Mānawatia a Matariki!
Huge congratulations to all our kaiako (especially Aaron and Rececca!) and ākonga for come wonderful Matariki events!
Sushi making in Food Tech
Veronique, Lervander and Apeksha from R18, were a great team when making their sushi in the foods room. I’m sure they will be now making it for their families if they weren’t already.
Purple Power Workshop – empowering our young wahine
This week (23-27 June) is Purple Power Week at Wellington East Girls College. This is an initiative that was established by Wellington East Girls’ College 2015 Head Prefect, Olive Brown who focused on women’s empowerment and Mana Wahine, addressing mental health, body image, self esteem, and cultural identity.
Nine students and Miss Bush were given the opportunity to attend a special event at East girls college: Purple power week! Purple power week is a chance to celebrate women, feminism, and leadership. We got to see two amazing speakers – Tamatha Paul, the local MP and Winnie Catherine, a fashion designer. We did a pop quiz, and we learnt more about this amazing event! This experience was a cool way to celebrate the amazing week and we all had a great time!! By Emily Rm 2 and Willa Rm 12
Film studies at SWIS – making music videos!
In Film this year we are making Music Videos. The children are enjoying being creative and letting their talents shine.
I love filming so much; It’s fun and exciting. Doing film at S.W.I.S is so amazing because we have so much support from the teachers to create a cool piece. – Freda
Filming at S.W.I.S is very lively – I always look forward to Thursday afternoons because that’s when we do film. We also get to look at music videos every lesson to see the creativity from other artists. – Cleo
Term 2 Philosophy: What is Real and What is Not!
For the classes who have been taking philosophy for the past two terms, things are winding up. We have spent a lot of time thinking about reality and what is real or not. Is the number 5 real? How do we know whether history is real? For the past few weeks the students have been thinking of creative ways to show their learning and what has interested them. We have a great variety of posters, videos, poems, slide shows, comic strips and writing.
PHILOSOPHY
Principles that guide your thinking.
Historical topics to mull over.
Ideas that come to mind.
Logical perspectives.
Outlooks that clash.
Societal types to question.
Opinions that contrast each other.
Pondering over complex topics.
Human nature.
Young, wondering minds.
By Gabe (Rm 19)
Personally, I think philosophy is underrated. Everyone wants clear answers all the time, but life doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes you have to live in the “maybe” and just see what happens. And that’s not always a bad thing.
Extract from writing by Teo & Amin (Rm 18)
Teachers saving lives!
During our busy term Ms Shuker organised a blood donation expedition for the teachers! The bus arrived and took us all to the nearby donation clinic. NZ is desperate for donors and so we did our bit by helping save lives – one donation at a time! Here’s Miss Sangster and Morgan!
Term 1 and 2 Celebration Recipients
At the end of every term we have a special assembly to celebrate students who have shown the SWIS values (Respect, Responsibility and Safety) and who have put in extra effort, either in class or in representing SWIS in some way. Ka rawe, you make our kura a special place to be!
Meet Ava from the SWIS Dog Squad
What is your name?
Hi everyone, I’m Ava!
What is your favourite treat?
I’m part Labrador, so I like all the food treats – carrot, cheese, you name it! Once I tasted something called salmon. Wow…I still dream about that. Sometimes for variety I help myself to the outside snack box my family call ‘the compost’ (weird name).
What is something you love to do?
I love belly rubs, zooming about at the park, snuggling with my family (that’s three humans and another dog), and snoozing in the sun. I get to do these things every day, so I think that means I’m a very good dog?
What is your favourite part about visiting SWIS?
Once I found some chips on the floor. Not gonna lie, that was pretty great. Mostly though I love hanging out with SWIS buddies. They give the best pats! If you knock on Nazli’s door sometimes I forget to use my inside voice and bark to say hello – but don’t worry, I’m a super gentle pup. People say I’m a good listener, so come read me a story or have a chat. I’d love to meet you!
