Mākara Model School - MMS

Congratulations to our two teams who competed in the Wellington Lit Quiz competition last Friday!

Well done to our 8 students who represented our school so positively and gave the competition their best effort. We are proud of all you. One of our teams placed 14th out of 61 teams competing — an outstanding achievement!

A huge thank you to Matua Andrew for organising and supporting the teams, and to James for providing transport. We appreciate all the support that helped make the day such a success.

Here's a little taster of what we mean when we say points mean prizes at our upcoming Quiz Night....

3 lucky teams will be winning a set of 6 tickets to either...

* Matilda the Musical at the St James Theatre
* a day of exploration at Zealandia
* or a trip to the cinema (Lighthouse or Embassy)

On top of this we will also have a number of amazing spot AND raffle prizes up for grabs on the night, so make sure you book your tickets!! All the info you need to do so can be found on our event page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/17YNopGoYf/

We can't wait to see you all there 🤓

Yesterday our students had an awesome day at Mākara Beach and Estuary with Mountains to Sea! The tamariki had a great time testing water quality, searching for stream and estuary bugs, and exploring the rock pools through a fun scavenger hunt.

It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience and a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the health and biodiversity of our local environment.

A huge thank you to Alice and Ngahuia for leading such an engaging and informative day, and to all of our parent helpers who supported the trip and made it possible. We are so lucky to have these learning opportunities right on our doorstep! 🌿🐚

Kia ora koutou

The Mākara Model School Board is pleased to announce that five spaces are available for out of zone students. These are open from term 3 (20 July 2026) and will remain open until filled. The deadline for applications is Monday 29 June. Applications can be submitted to [email protected].

If we have more out of zone applications than available places, students will be selected in priority order by ballot. If a ballot is required, it will be held on Tuesday 30 June.

If you would like to visit the school or learn more about what we have to offer, please get in touch.

Ngā mihi nui
MMS Board

What an awesome day at our School Cross Country! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

It was fantastic to see all of our students getting involved, competing, challenging themselves, and showing such great perseverance. We were especially proud of the encouragement shown by everyone — the chanting, cheering, and support for one another created an amazing atmosphere.

A huge thank you as well to all whānau who came along to support the event. Your encouragement and presence helped make the day so special for our tamariki.

Well done everyone! 👏

What an amazing two days of fun and learning we have had with Mountains to Sea! Our tamariki explored the health of our stream and discovered the biodiversity living within it through hands-on learning and investigation. 🌿💧🦗

A huge thank you to Alice and Ngahuia from Mountains to Sea for leading such engaging and meaningful sessions. The children had an absolute blast while learning so much about our local environment and the importance of caring for it.

We would also like to thank all of the parents and whānau who supported the days — we couldn’t do these opportunities without you.

We are so lucky to have this incredible resource right here at our kura. It has been fantastic to be using the stream again after our wonderful parent group cleared the area and made this possible once more.

Ngā mihi nui 🌱

What an awesome day at the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge last Friday!

Our tamariki showed incredible fitness, determination, resilience, and teamwork throughout the event — all while having lots of fun along the way. It was fantastic to see students encouraging and supporting each other through every muddy obstacle and challenge.

A huge thank you to Kat for organising this great opportunity for our students, and to all the parents and whānau who helped with transport and support on the day. We couldn’t do it without you!

We are so proud of everyone who took part and represented our kura so well. Ka mau te wehi!

✨ Celebrating Our Connection with Capital Kiwi! ✨

It has been an incredible month at Mākara Model School, filled with unique opportunities for our tamariki and staff to connect through our ongoing partnership with the Capital Kiwi The Capital Kiwi Project

Here’s a look back at our recent highlights:

Capital Kiwi Wānanga (15 April)
We were honoured to host a group of fellows from Hawaii's East West Center Asia Pacific Leadership Programme. Three of our amazing students stepped up as ambassadors, speaking passionately about our school’s connection to Capital Kiwi and the mahi we do to support the cause. Seeing our tamariki lead was a proud moment for us all!

A Special Release (24 April)
Our staff had the privilege of heading into the hills right behind our kura to witness the release of four kiwi into the wild. It was a moving experience to see these beautiful birds find a home in our own backyard.

Milestones at Parliament (28 April)
Ten of our tamariki and three staff members represented our kura at a pōwhiri at Parliament. We were there to celebrate a massive milestone: the release of the 250th kiwi as part of the project! It was an honour to be part of such a significant piece of history.

We are so grateful for these experiences that allow our tamariki to grow as kaitiaki (guardians) of our land. A huge thank you to the Capital Kiwi team for involving us in this journey!

Get ready to put your thinking caps on and join Mākara Model School for a night full of fun, laughs, and friendly competition, at our Pub Quiz Night – Sunday 21st June at Bar 1852 in Brooklyn!

Event details: https://www.facebook.com/share/17fkbrwB2X/

Here’s everything you need to know:

Tickets:
Just $20 per person (this is an over 18s event) – this includes:
• Your quiz night entry
• A goodie bag
• Prizes for the top 3 winning teams, as well as the chance to win HEAPS of spot prizes

Teams:
Teams can have up to 6 people – you can either organise your own crew or let us know if you'd like to be popped into a team. We’ll make sure everyone is covered!

To book:
Simply pop in and see, or email, Sara ([email protected]) with your name, number of tickets you’re after, & which team you’re in – or if you’d like to be added to one.

Payment can be made by cash, Eftpos or Bank Transfer into the school account:

Makara School
12-3223-0142499-000
ref: Quiz and name

It’s going to be a fantastic night of community fun and a great fundraiser for our kura – tell your friends, we can’t wait to see you there!

Emergency School Closure – Tuesday, 21 April

Kia ora e te whanau,

Due to the ongoing State of Emergency in Wellington and the Red Heavy Rain Warning issued by MetService, Mākara Model School will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday 21 April.
The safety of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. Given Mākara’s rural location, the risks of surface flooding, potential landslips, and hazardous road conditions make travel to and from school unsafe at this time.

Updates: We will monitor the situation throughout Tuesday and provide an update by 5:00pm tomorrow regarding school operations for Wednesday, 22 April.
Please stay safe, keep off the roads if possible, and follow updates from WREMO and MetService.

If you need any support, please get in touch with James.

Ngā mihi,
James Appleton and Joe Coyle