Tēnā koutou, Tālofa lava, Konnichiwa, Fakaalofa atu, As-salāmu ‘alaykum, Kia orāna, Hola, Mālō e lelei!

12 May 2025

Dear Parents & Whānau,

Firstly, a big thanks to all the whānau who came along to the Student-led conferences last week. It was great to see so many of you supporting your kamahi. Thank you also to those of you who popped in to see me with ideas and suggestions for our Strategic Direction 2026-2029. Your input is really important to us and we appreciate the time you took to share your views with us.

You may have seen that SWIS is participating in a number of Pink Shirt Day events this week to raise awareness against bullying, celebrate diversity and promote kindness and inclusion. Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying! Throughout the week, we will have a few events running to help raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation.

Monday – Thursday: Students can enter a “Design a Pink Shirt” competition. The winner will have their design printed on a pink shirt and receive a free photo at the photo booths on Friday.

Wednesday: At lunchtime, Class Reps will host a bake sale in room 7/8 with baked goods ranging from $1 – $3.

Friday: Students are invited to wear pink shirts/pink outfits and provide a gold coin donation instead of their uniform. During morning tea, we will have a pink shirt parade and group photo on the bottom court. At lunchtime in Rm 7/8, Class Reps will run pink photo booths where, for a gold coin, students can dress up in even more pink and get a film photo with their friends!

Thank you for supporting our fundraising for this important cause.

Ngā mihi,
Toby Stokes
Principal | Tumuaki
Remember to check out the school’s Facebook Page, which has the latest updates about what is going on at school

---

Term 2 Dates

• 12-16 May – Pink Shirt Day activities
• 20 May – School Board meeting, 6pm in the Staffroom
• 21 May – Tough Guy and Gal Challenge
• 21 May – Interschool ChessPower tournament – see details below
• 22 May – Parent info session hosted at SWIS – Understanding our kids’ online world by Rob Cope
• 28 May – WRISSA Cross Country
• 2 June – Kings Birthday, school closed
• 3 June – Staff Only Day, school closed to students
• 11 June – WRISSA Girls’ Basketball
• 17 June – School Board meeting, 6pm in the Staffroom
• 18 June – WRISSA Boys’ Basketball
• 17/18 June – “Moments That Made Us” SWIS production at the Indian Centre. More details to come
• 19 June – SWIS Matariki celebrations – dawn ceremony, shared kai, games and more. Details to come
• 20 June – Matariki, school closed
• 27 June – last day of Term 2
• 14 July – Term 3 starts

---

School Notices

On 21 May, SWIS is hosting an interschool chess competition run by ChessPower. This event was well attended last year and we’d love to see our ākonga sign up to give it a go this year.

• Cost is $6.  Payment is via Hero with reference: May 2025 Chess.
• If your child has not yet registered and would like to, they can email Miss Wendy at: wendy.collis@swis.school.nz
• Parents are welcome to attend as spectators. Prizegiving is usually held at 2pm and then students return to their normal scheduled classes.  

On the day, ākonga attend Homeroom at the start of the day as normal, then head to the school hall for a 9.15am start. There are usually 7 rotations of chess matches. There is no scheduled lunch break, in order to keep the rotations going, however there will be plenty of time between rotations to eat their snacks/lunch.

First, Second and Third placements are awarded in each category, along with other prizes e.g. Knights Tour, Fastest Draw etc.

Save the date and parent help needed for SWIS production “Moments That Made Us”

We’re excited to announce our upcoming school production, Moments That Made Us, taking place at the Indian Centre on June 17–18! This original performance will involve all our ākonga in some way, and we’re eager to include our wider SWIS whānau! We’ll doing a call out for specific areas that we need help with, including grant applications to cover various costs, so watch this space!

Y7 immunisations start 26 May

Our public health nurses are coming to school in the week starting 26 May to provide immunisation 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

College Open Evenings on soon!

It might feel very early in the year, but the College Open Days/Evenings and school visits are fast approaching! The following list includes visits to SWIS by the Colleges, whānau Open Days/Evenings – some which you have to book directly through the colleges (see below for this info), and finally visits where our students go to the colleges.

May

• 16 May (Fri)
  • Rongotai College visiting SWIS (9am, in the Hall)
• 23 May (Fri)
  • St Catherine’s College visiting SWIS (9am, in the Hall)
• 27 & 29 May (Tue & Thu)
  • St Patrick’s College tours (10–11:30am & 12:30–2pm) – book via website

---

June

• 6 June (Fri)
  • All Year 8 boys visit Rongotai College (9–11:30am, bus from SWIS)
• 9 June (Mon)
  • Wellington High School Open Evening – 4:30pm & 6pm (ticketed)
• 10 June (Tue)
  • Rongotai College Open Evening – 6:30-8:30pm – no booking necessary
• 11 June (Wed)
  • St Catherine’s College Open Evening – 6pm (book online)
• 12 June (Thu)
  • Wellington East Girls’ College Open Evening – 3-4:30pm and 6:00-8:00pm – RSVP online
• 16–17 June (Mon–Tue)
  • Wellington College Open Mornings – 9–11am – see website
• 17 June (Tue)
  • Wellington Girls’ College Open Day – 9am, 9:45am, 11:45am (book online)

---

School News

Ākonga in Action

In Design Technology, students have been busy working on their individualised projects either digitally or with wood in the workshop. The 3D printer has been working hard, but not as hard as our students! Our focus has been on managing ourselves ensuring that we can recognise distractions and move ourselves away from them to try and keep our focus on our work.  

Learning simple embroidery stitches on hessian in Textiles.

Wider Community Notices

Youth Mini-Term: A 4-Part Taster Series to Dip Your Toes into the World of Clay. ​Got a creative kiddo aged 10 to 15 who’s keen to explore clay but not ready for a full term? Our Youth Mini-Term: A 4-Part Taster Series is the perfect way to dip their toes into the world of hand-building pottery!

​This short and sweet series is all about experimenting, playing, and discovering the magic of turning raw clay into something totally unique. It’s relaxed, fun, and designed to give young makers a taste of the pottery process—without the pressure. See here to register and for more details.

Calling All Kids!
Whether you’re a dancer, an active go-getter, or just love to move – Enhance Your Skills at Bigair with Gym and Tumbling Classes! If you haven’t booked your child’s spot for Term 2 Gym Classes at Bigair Gym yet, there’s still time!

Classes to Help Your Child Shine:

• Pocket Rockets Gym Classes (3-4 years) – Start building coordination and confidence early!
• Gravity Busters Gym Classes (5+ years) – Perfect for beginners looking to develop fundamental gym and tumbling skills.
• Team Extreme Gym Classes (Advanced) – For those ready to take their skills to the next level.
• Free Running (5+ years) – Enhance agility and aerial awareness through parkour and flips.
• Trampoline (5+ years) – Boost spatial awareness and acrobatic abilities.
• Recreational Cheerleading (5+ years) – Build strength, flexibility, and performance skills.
• Tumbling (5+ years) – Focused on mastering walkovers, handsprings, aerials, and more – perfect for dancers, mastering fundamental tumble moves like walkovers, aerials, and handsprings which can significantly enhance performance, flexibility, and overall stage presence.

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