Gilberthorpe School

🥎 TUHURA TE PŌRO! – COME AND HAVE A GO AT TEEBALL! 🥎

Riccarton Softball Club, in partnership with Canterbury Softball, are inviting tamariki and whānau to come along and give teeball a go!

📍 Wycola Park
⏰ 4pm–5pm
📅 12th, 19th & 26th August and 2nd September**

🌟 All ages welcome
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bring your friends and whānau
🥎 All equipment provided
🙌 No experience needed!

Come along, have some fun, learn some new skills and see what softball is all about. Everyone is welcome!

For more information or to join a team, contact Riccarton Softball Club at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

Friday 21st August is a big day at Gilby - we have the Book Character dressup day, then the PAG student disco that night! with Friends of Gilberthorpe School P.A.G - Parent Action Group who would love some more volunteers to join us in creating fun for our students.

Kia ora Whānau,

Each year, Manaiakalani gathers feedback from whānau to help evaluate how effectively the Learn, Create, Share approach is being implemented in schools across Aotearoa New Zealand.

We would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete this short survey. Your feedback is important and helps us reflect on what is working well and identify areas where we can continue to improve.

If you would prefer to complete a paper copy, these are available from the school office.

Surveys close on Friday, 21 August (Week 5).

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and support our school.



Ngā mihi

Simon Scott

An Incredible Act of Generosity from Iziah!

We are so proud to share an amazing story of community spirit from one of our Year 2 students Iziah!

Iziah recently sat through his very first haircut which took almost two hours. Iziah and his family decided to donate just about 1 metre of hair directly to the Cancer Society in Dunedin!

To meet the donation criteria his hair had to be completely natural (uncoloured), carefully split into four sections, and kept clean without touching the ground once cut. Cancer has touched many lives in our school and wider community making Iziah’s thoughtful gift even more meaningful.

The Cancer Society will send Iziah a well-deserved Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of his dedication and kindness.

Please join us in giving Iziah a massive round of applause for making such a wonderful difference! 🌟

💛 Daffodil Day – Standing Together 💛 Friday 28th August

Cancer has touched many lives within the school community, impacting staff, students, parents, caregivers, whānau, and friends in many different ways.

This Daffodil Day, we wear yellow to stand alongside everyone who has been affected by cancer—no matter the type of cancer or where they are on their journey. We honour those currently facing cancer, celebrate survivors, remember those we have lost, and support the families, friends, and loved ones walking beside them.

Together, we can show that no one has to face cancer alone.

💛 Wear your yellow & green with pride this Daffodil Day and please bring a gold coin donation, as we stand together in support of everyone whose life has been touched by cancer. 💛

Gilberthorpe School Team - Daffodil Day 2026 1 in 3 could be me

🎉✨ Join the Fun... We Promise We're Not That Committee! ✨🎉

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ Our Parent Action Group (PAG) is on the lookout for a few more amazing parents and caregivers to join our crew!

Let's clear something up first... there are no suits, no stuffy meetings, and you definitely don't need fundraising experience! 😄☕

We're a relaxed bunch who enjoy a laugh, sharing ideas, and working together to raise money for the fun extras that make our school even more awesome for our tamariki. 💙

🎨 Interactive playground games
🔊 Equipment for school events
🎈 Fun activities and special projects
😊 And plenty more along the way!

You don't have to commit to everything.
✔️ Help at one event? Awesome!
✔️ Pop into a meeting when you can? Perfect!
✔️ Share a few ideas or lend a hand behind the scenes? We'd absolutely love that! 💡🙌

The more people we have, the lighter the workload becomes—and the more fun we can have together! 🎉

So, if you've been thinking... 🤔 "Maybe I could help..." this is your sign! Come and meet a great group of parents who enjoy giving back to our school while having a few laughs along the way. 💙

🌟 No pressure.
🌟 No expectations.
🌟 No experience needed.
🌟 Just good people doing good things for our kids. ❤️

📩 Send us a message and we will let you know when our next PAG meeting is—we'd love to welcome some new faces! 😊 Also follow us over at Friends of Gilberthorpe School P.A.G - Parent Action Group

🌺 Calling Our Pasifika Community 🌺

Gilberthorpe School is looking for a passionate Pasifika volunteer to work with a small group of our tamariki.

Our previous volunteer has had to step away, and we'd love to find someone who can continue building on the wonderful foundation that's already been created. The role involves teaching Pasifika songs, dances, and cultural performances while sharing the richness of Pasifika culture with our students.

If you have experience in Pasifika performance, enjoy working with children, and would love to help our tamariki connect with and celebrate their culture, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in our school community.

If you're interested, or know someone who might be, please send us a message or contact the school office for more information.

Please feel free to share this post within your Pasifika networks to help us find the right person. 💙🌺

Send a message to learn more

The countdown is on for the Hornby - Greater Hornby Residents Association Inc Disco!

This Friday 24 July. 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Hornby Primary School.

Calling ALL local Year 1–6 children – grab your friends and come along for a night of music, dancing, games, and colourful fun!

💛❤️💚💙💜 Wear your favourite coloured outfit and help us fill the dance floor with a Splash of Colour !
We can't wait to see you there !

The fantastic DJ Danny-Ill will be our DJ once again.

Please note this is NOT a Gilberthorpe School event or held at our school, everyone is welcome to attend though.

Kia ora whānau,

A friendly reminder that school is back tomorrow. Classrooms will be open from 8:30 am, and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone again. Please ensure students are at school before 9:00 am so we can start the day smoothly together.

We will be holding a mihi whakatau just after 9:00 am to warmly welcome our new students to Ara Tū Whakatā Gilberthorpe School. We encourage whānau to join us for this special occasion if you are able.

We’ll see you all tomorrow.

Ngā mihi nui



Simon Scott