Kōrero from Craig - Principal's Message
Kia ora e te whānau,
What a wonderful weekend it was on the Kāpiti Coast and in Wellington! I spoke to lots of tamariki, parents and staff who made the most of the fantastic events on offer — the New Zealand PGA Championship at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club 🏌🏼♂️, the vibrant Chinese New Year Festival celebrations in Wellington 🐉, Movies in the Park in Waikanae 🎥, and the always-energetic Kāpiti Women's Triathlon 🏊🏼♀️, 🏃🏼♀️🚴🏾♀️.
What a wonderful weekend it was on the Kāpiti Coast and in Wellington! I spoke to lots of tamariki, parents and staff who made the most of the fantastic events on offer — the New Zealand PGA Championship at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club 🏌🏼♂️, the vibrant Chinese New Year Festival celebrations in Wellington 🐉, Movies in the Park in Waikanae 🎥, and the always-energetic Kāpiti Women's Triathlon 🏊🏼♀️, 🏃🏼♀️🚴🏾♀️.
And best of all… the weather behaved! 🌞
It’s pretty special living in a place where there’s so much happening right on our doorstep.
Staff News
It has been wonderful to welcome Caroline Goodhue to our staff. Caroline is an experienced teacher, and a school mum, who is providing junior literacy support in the mornings, four days a week.
Ngā mihi to our Board of Trustees for providing the funding to support this valuable initiative. 🙏
Whānau Kōrero Meetings
Ngā mihi to everyone who came along last week. It was great to see so many of you connecting with teachers and sharing your hopes for the year ahead.
Remember, our doors are always open. We look forward to working together with whānau and staff to make 2026 an amazing year for your child.
Swimming Carnival
Our Swimming Carnival is on Thursday 26 February. At this stage, the weather isn’t looking great. If that doesn’t improve, we may take only those children involved in the competitive races and postpone the whole-school fun swim, relays and whānau celebrations.
We’re crossing our fingers that won’t be necessary — but wanted to give you a heads up.
What to bring
- Togs
- Towel
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Plenty of water
Don’t forget to wear your whānau colours!
Te Waka - Red, Te Moana - Light blue, Te Awa - Dark Blue, Ngā Manu - Yellow, Te Whenua - Green
Te Waka - Red, Te Moana - Light blue, Te Awa - Dark Blue, Ngā Manu - Yellow, Te Whenua - Green
Event Times
- 9:30am – Heats begin (Years 4–8)
- 11:30am–12:30pm – Whole school fun swim Year 3-8 in main pool, Year 1 -2 classes in various time slots in Junior pool from 11.30 -2.30pm.
- Around 1:15pm – Whānau Relay (plus teachers and parents!)
Parents are warmly invited to come along and support. Let’s hope for sunshine and calm water! ☀️
Thanks to Mr Wynne for organisng this event!
Thanks to Mr Wynne for organisng this event!
🎥 When Kids Feel Anxious– (Tedtalk)
Mrs Richards sent me this informative Ted talk (17 min) from Kathryn Hecht at TEDxMinneapolis. You can view the talk which is available on YouTube I have also summarised the key points below
The Big Idea
Rather than trying to protect children from every uncomfortable or anxious situation, we can help them build confidence by supporting them through manageable challenges.
Key Messages
1. Comfort vs Confidence
- Many parents naturally try to reduce their child’s anxiety or distress.
- While this helps in the short term, it can limit opportunities for children to develop resilience.
- Confidence grows when children experience challenges and learn they can cope.
2. Anxiety Isn’t the Enemy
- Feeling nervous or unsure is a normal part of growth.
- When children face fears with support, they learn that discomfort is temporary and manageable.
- Avoiding anxiety can unintentionally strengthen it.
3. Brave Parenting
- Shift the goal from “making it better” to “helping them handle it.”
- Offer calm presence, encouragement, and belief in their capability.
- Celebrate effort and courage rather than just success.
4. Long-Term Impact
- Children who are supported to face challenges develop stronger problem-solving skills.
- They are more likely to approach new situations with confidence.
- Resilience is built through experience, not avoidance.
A Reflection for Whānau
When your child feels nervous about trying something new, consider asking:
- “What would being brave look like here?”
- “How can I support you while you give this a go?”
Small moments of courage today help build confident, capable young people for tomorrow.
What is CRT (Classroom Release Time)?
Info from last week-Classroom Release Time (CRT) is provided to all schools by the Ministry of Education to support teachers to focus on important professional responsibilities such as planning, assessment, meeting with whānau, observing colleagues, and engaging in professional development.
Classroom teachers receive five days of release time each term to use this time effectively. During CRT, your child will continue their learning with a carefully selected relief teacher, ensuring their programme remains engaging and uninterrupted. Our main CRT relief teachers — Shelley Torr, Rebecca Shelford, Maria Cassidy, Rose Graham and Ellie Childs — are all well known within our school community. This provides greater consistency and minimises disruption for learners.
This MOE initiative strengthens the quality of teaching and learning in our classrooms, allowing teachers the time they need to plan thoughtfully, respond to student progress, and meet the diverse needs of all learners.
Road Patrol – can you help?
Mrs Swanson is once again organising our Road Patrol roster. We’re lucky to have many wonderful parents and whānau who have already offered to help; however, we still need another 2–3 volunteers.
Do you have 15–20 minutes spare one morning or afternoon a week? If so, please contact Emma on emma.swanson@kks.school.nz – we’d love to hear from you.
Lunches
We’re delighted to continue offering delicious lunches from Bakehouse Waikanae on Fridays and Sushimi Sushi on Wednesdays.
Ngā mihi nui!
Craig
Craig
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