14 November 2025

Kia ora whānau,

As we head into the busy “end of year” season—with the leavers’ dinner, EOTC Week, and all the celebrations that come with it, it can sometimes feel like we’re in a sprint to the finish line!

Amidst it all, I’d like to take a moment to warmly invite our local community to the pōwhiri for Brendon Henderson, our new Tumuaki | Principal, which will be held at 2.15pm on Thursday, 21 November. We’re really looking forward to welcoming Brendon into our SWIS whānau and are excited for the experience, energy, and fresh perspective he will bring to our school. We hope you can join us for this special occasion as we come together to extend a warm and genuine SWIS welcome.

The Importance of School Attendance

Regular school attendance is key to your child’s learning, growth, and success. Every day at school is an opportunity to build knowledge, strengthen social skills, and engage with teachers and classmates. Even a few missed days can make it harder for children to keep up with learning and feel confident.

In Term 3, we noticed an increase in absences due to illness. It’s great to see whānau keeping sick children at home; however, we know it can sometimes be difficult to decide if your child is well enough for school. Health guidance to support your decision-making is available here. If you are still unsure, please get in touch—we’re here to help, and we appreciate working together to support our ākonga.

Arriving at school on time also helps students start their day positively. Morning time is when students connect with peers and teachers, get organised, and settle into learning. Did you know that our student notices are shared at 8:45am each morning in homerooms? These notices let students know about opportunities and what’s happening during the day and week. By supporting consistent and on-time attendance, you’re helping your child develop strong routines, stay on track academically, and make the most of all the experiences school has to offer.

EOTC Week reminder

Finally, just a reminder about our EOTC week coming up in December. The teachers are working really hard to bring this all together and it’s shaping up tp be a fantastic week. Thank you to those of you who have sent in permission and health forms already. If you haven’t, please do so as soon as possible. Also, a friendly reminder to please get your payment through as soon as possible. This helps ensure a smooth and successful week, and supports us to plan well for future years. If you have any questions or concerns—especially about payment—please don’t hesitate to get in touch with dan.miller@swis.school.nz, and he’ll be happy to help.

Have a great weekend,

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Term 4 Dates

Also keep an eye on the school google calendar as dates are added and changed from time to time.

• 18 Nov – Science Roadshow in the Hall
• 19 Nov – WRISSA Athletics at Newtown Park (SWIS is hosting)
• 19 Nov – Year 7 HPV 2 Immunisation
• 20 Nov – Wellington East Orientation Day – details below
• 20 Nov – St Pat’s Orientation Day – details below
• 21 Nov – Pōwhiri for Brendon Henderson, new Tumuaki/Principal
• 24 Nov – School Board meeting
• 3 Dec – Wellington Boys’ College Orientation Day – details below
• 3 Dec – Wellington High School Orientation Day – details below
• 5 Dec – Staff Only Day
• 8-12 Dec – EOTC Week
• 16 Dec – Leavers’ Dinner
• 17 Dec – Prize Giving Assembly
• 18 Dec – Last day of Term 4

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School Notices

SWIS School Board casual vacancy for a parent representative

A casual vacancy has occurred on the school board for an elected parent representative. The Board has decided to fill the vacancy by selection. If 10% or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board, within 28 days of this notice being published, to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, then a by-election will be held. The close off for this request is 11 December 2025 5pm. If you agree that the Board should fill this vacancy by selection, no action in necessary from
you.

Request for a by-election should be sent to:

Glenn Phillips
Presiding member (chair)
South Wellington Intermediate School Board
30 Te Wharepōuri Street
Berhampore
Glenn.phillips@swis.school.nz

College Orientation Days for ENROLLED Y8 STUDENTS ONLY

You will have received this information from the college if your child is enrolled. Any inquiries ask them directly. Here’s the information we have received so far:

Wellington East – Thursday 20 November – half day. Students get themselves to the college for a 9am start (don’t come to SWIS first!) They wear SWIS uniform. PLEASE USE HERO APP TO LET US KNOW YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO THIS! A bus will be bringing your child back to SWIS for lunch time. Please do not pick your child up from Wellington East, or have your child leave Wellington East instead of catching the bus back.

St Pat’s College – Thursday 20 November – full day. Students get themselves to the college for a 9am start (don’t come to SWIS first!). They wear non-uniform. PLEASE USE HERO APP TO LET US KNOW YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO THIS!

Wellington High School – Wednesday 3 December, 8.45 – 11.30am – Students get themselves to and from the college (don’t come to SWIS first!). They wear SWIS uniform and return to SWIS afterwards. PLEASE USE HERO APP TO LET US KNOW YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO THIS!

Wellington Boys’ College – Wednesday 3 December – Students get themselves to and from the college (don’t come to SWIS first!) PLEASE USE HERO APP TO LET US KNOW YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO THIS!

Lost Property!

With the end of the year fast approaching, this is your reminder to check at the office for any lost property. We have a growing collection of items awaiting collection. Please note that any unclaimed belongings remaining at the end of the school year will be donated.  

Reminder: Immunisation programme for Year 7 tamariki

Our public health nurses are coming to school on 19 November to continue with the immunisation programme for Year 7 tamariki.   

• If you have changed your mind or your child’s medical situation has changed please contact us at gw-nphsimmunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz, or call us on 04 587 2949.
• If you have not yet consented, but want to, please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
• If you declined the vaccines last year but you have changed your mind and you now want your Year 8 child to receive the vaccine(s) please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
• If your Year 8 child missed out last year and you would like them to catch up on their vaccinations, please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
• If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at gw-nphsimmunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz, or call us on 04 587 2949

Y8 Leavers’ Dinner – Tues 16 Dec @ Grand Century

The annual Leavers’ Dinner is an opportunity for us to celebrate our Year 8s and all the wonderful things they have done during their time at SWIS. Teachers provide supervision during the dinner; parents drop off their child/ren before 6pm, when the dinner starts, and collect them at the end. 

• When: Tuesday 16 December, from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. The dinner starts at 6pm.
• Where: Grand Century Restaurant, Tory St (opposite Moore Wilsons and Harvey Norman). This is a Chinese restaurant. If your child has specific dietary needs, please let Christine Sangster know as soon as possible.
• Cost: $45, which covers food. This can be paid through Hero, or by cash/EFT-POS at the office. We would love all the Year 8 students to be able to come, but if this is a problem, please contact Karl Emson or Christine Sangster. If any family would like to make a donation to help students who might not otherwise be able to attend the dinner, that would be wonderful! Please let me know if you can do this. 
• Dress code: Smart/tidy casual, as it is a formal occasion – no ripped jeans, track pants, hoodies, t-shirts, or jandals/crocs. Lava lavas, kilts, or other cultural dress are all welcome! Clean shoes, sandals, or open-toed shoes are all acceptable, but no bare feet, thank you. If you have any difficulties with this, please contact me.
• Very important!! Please rsvp by Friday, 5 December, so we can confirm numbers with the restaurant. Please fill out the survey on Hero as soon as possible. More information will be forthcoming shortly.

SWIS is taking enrolments for Year 7 and Year 8 students in 2026!

If you or someone you know is looking to join our awesome school next year, please encourage them to go online and complete the form at www.swis.school.nz/enrolment. 

Enter the Weetbix Tryathalon and join the SWIS team!

If your child is interested in participating, you can search for SWIS in the registration form and help us when prizes for the school!

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School News

Skating boarding love hits new heights!

The new turf areas and skate zone at SWIS are receiving a lot of love. Our tamariki are pushing themselves and achieving some great personal goals like dropping in and nailing the elusive rock to fakie! If you have any skateboards lying around that we could use for parts or get some feet on then please send them to Greg in Rm 20.

Discovering the element of art of space

Using liquid paint we demonstrated our understanding of the element of art of space. Tadgh, Archie, Nina and Davui have created the illusion of space by using lighter colours for the distance and darker colours for the foreground.

Brave Art 4 Arts Sake kids in assembly today with their canvases. They also made beautiful skulls!

Congrats to our Children’s University graduates

The Children’s University graduation this year was great! Each student got to walk onto the stage, receive their certificate and a tassel, and shake hands with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maori of Massey University. Following the ceremony we got to have a group photo with Massey University’s mascot, a ram called Ferg, which was definitely the highlight of the evening. Overall, the graduation was a great experience that we all enjoyed.

Children’s University is an extracurricular where you can complete little activities to get hours which you can put into the CU passport. If you get over 30 hours in your booklet, then you get a bronze award. 65 hours earns you a silver award, 100 hours, a gold award, and many more levels as well. Any hours that you earn from the previous year carry on into the next year as well. The activities range from small things such as poetry that you can do in a sitting, to baking and arts and crafts, science related things, sports and outdoors, and so much more fun stuff that you can do. There are also learning destinations, places which support Children’s University. You can go to the places and receive some hours in your passport, usually by doing an activity at the learning destination. These are another fun way to earn hours also. Overall, Children’s University is a really fun extracurricular that you definitely should do. – Gabe and Miles (Room 19)

Life Education visit

Life Education Trust is visiting us this term! Classes have been spending time in the mobile learning space this week and over the next two weeks. Sessions focus on making positive decisions around friendships, time, and change, as well as understanding how our brains react to stress. If you see educators Emma and Harold around school, be sure to give them a friendly hello!

Congrats to our Credit and Distinction achievers in ICAS exams

William Pike trampers have a blast!

The William Pike Challenge Award is a year-long youth development programme that encourages Year 7-8 students to develop confidence and skills through outdoor activities, community service, and a new passion project. It’s all about overcoming challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone. Last week 20 students went on a tramp to Turere Hut as one of their outdoor challenges. “The William pike tramp was really fun! We did lots of bonding activities like building rafts and racing them down the stream. We also built huts that you could sleep in. I had a lot of fun. And no, Mr. Emson did not win the raft race!” -Scarlet H

Forensics trip to Police Museum!

The Forensics enrichment group went on a fantastic field trip, gaining access to the fascinating artifacts and history at the Police Museum! Students learnt about the different skill sets and specialist teams that work on solving crimes. They also got a first-hand look at a scene of crime officer’s tools of the trade and heard about some of the cases where forensics were key in uncovering the truth. The session included a hands-on workshop where students developed the skills to lift latent fingerprints and analyse their findings.

Congrats to our School Bands on their performance at Island Bay School Fair!

A big shoutout to our SWIS School of Rock bands who showcased their talent at the Island Bay School Fair last Saturday! Cavemen and The Girls From Sesame Street, along with Wellington High, entertained audiences of all ages with their fabulous repertoire of songs — showing real pride and professionalism. Ka pai to our SWIS students Ada, Willa, Alisi, Armeresa, Myah, Theo, Tarn, Axel, and Yohann!

National Chess On-line Competition

Four children took part in this – Axel, Kees, Roscoe and Ethan. The team came 8th in the Intermediate competition, competing against schools from all over the country. The team played nine games each over the course of a day, and they all won either three or four of their matches. Max D went up to Auckland to take part in the National Individual On-site Competition.  He played nice games, and won five.

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Community Events

PRIDE LANDS FUN HOLIDAY ADVENTURES 

SPRING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS AT SOUTHERN PRIDE: SOUTH WELLINGTON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL (SWIS) HALL, NEWTOWN

22nd DEC – 30th JAN 2025 from 7.00am-6pm daily. Age range is 4 – 17 years with overnight sleepover activities provided with Interactive Activities and NO TV or Video Games. 
Kai Cubs Cooking, and Life Skills Programme creating healthy Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Teas. One-on-one care and shuttle services available. 
Daily $84.04/cub per session or $142.87 for two siblings per session; Weekly: $336.16 per cub/week or $571.47 for two siblings/week
. MSD Approved & WINZ subsidies are available for eligible families.
Qualified 1^st Aid Trained Activities Coordinators and Youth Mentors
One-on-One Care: Available for cub(s) if extra support is needed
 at $14/hr
ACTION (Home support 1-on-1) Mentors is also available if needed at $37/hr per mentor.

Please contact us: 0800 PRIDE 4 U Or Register online: www.PRIDELANDS.co.nz or 
Visit our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/PrideLandsChildcare

 Here To Support All Tamariki & Rangatahi (Neurotypical and Neurodivergent)

At Pride Lands, we welcome neurotypical and neurodivergent children and youths with on-on-one support available to those that need it in our communities.

Capital Gymnastics Club

Capital Gymnastics Club offers exciting opportunities for children to excel in gymnastics! Our programmes cater to all skill levels, from preschoolers to national-level athletes, covering gymnastics and tumbling. Led by experienced coaches, our structured approach fosters skill development and confidence in a fun, supportive environment.

Book online for classes, birthday parties, or school groups at www.capitalgymsport.org.nz or contact us at 027 239 9139 or office@capitalgymnastics.nz.

Jump, Flip, Thrive!

Ready to flip, tumble, and soar? Bigair Gym is the ultimate destination for kids who want to learn cool skills, achieve and build unstoppable confidence! Whether it’s cartwheels, flips, tramp tricks, or parkour, Bigair Gyms action packed classes combine fun, fitness, and focus, in a safe, supportive space.

Classes to Help Your Child Shine:

Crashmat Kids Sessions (walking-4 years) – Great for little ones to become familiar with the gym.

Pocket Rockets Gym Classes (3-4 years) – Start building coordination and confidence early!
Gravity Busters Gym Classes (5+ years) – Learn the fundamentals of gymnastics and tumbling.
Team Extreme Gym Classes (Advanced) – Take your skills to the next level!
Free Running (5+ years) – Parkour + flips = epic agility and body control.
Trampoline (5+ years) – Boost spatial awareness and acrobatic abilities.
Recreational Cheerleading (5+ years) – Strength, flexibility, performance—Cheer style!
Tumbling (5+ years) – Learn walkovers, handsprings & aerials—perfect for Cheerleaders and Dancers wanting to boost flexibility and stage skills.

Hurry – Book Online for at www.bigairgym.co.nz! Don’t miss out on the chance to help your child grow, achieve, learn, and have fun at Bigair Gym! Contact us at: Bigair Gym Wellington: ph. 383 8779, e. wgtn@bigairgym.co.nz at 14 Landfill Road, Owhiro Bay.