Papatoetoe East Primary

04/09/2026

Leaders’ Trip – Day 4: The Final Day ❤️

And just like that… our Leaders’ Trip came to an end!

It was another wonderful — if very long — day. We made an early start, packed up the vans and headed off for our final adventure at the National Library of New Zealand. The weather certainly did its best to deter us, but by now we had made a pact: nothing was going to stop us having another great day!

We were incredibly privileged to have the National Library opened especially for our visit and to be given a guided tour of some of the most significant and important documents in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history through the He Tohu exhibition.

Our leaders had the opportunity to see He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (the Declaration of Independence), Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Women’s Suffrage Petition, while our amazing guide brought the stories, significance and importance of each document to life. They even got to see one of the earliest known examples of written te reo Māori. It was a truly special experience and a wonderful way to finish our time in Wellington.

After a quick photo stop, it was back into the vans for the long, and very windy, journey home to Papatoetoe and our whānau. But, of course, there were still a few adventures to be had along the way!

We stopped in Taihape, where the leaders had the chance to stretch their legs… and their arms! 🥾😂 We couldn't pass through the Gumboot Capital of the World without having a go at gumboot throwing. Judging by some of the distances achieved, we may have a few future gold medallists amongst our group!

Then it was on to Taupō for our final stop and dinner before tackling the last leg of the journey home, where we were finally reunited with our families and whānau.

What a trip it has been.

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of our leaders. Throughout the four days, they represented themselves, Papatoetoe East School and their whānau with pride, maturity, enthusiasm and kindness. They embraced every challenge, supported one another, tried new things, asked great questions, made memories and — most importantly — had an absolute ball!

A huge thank you to Mr Gilligan for organising such a memorable and rewarding trip, and to Whaea Laura-Anne and Mr K for their incredible help, guidance and support throughout the journey.

And finally, a very special thank you to the families and whānau of our leaders. Thank you for your support, your trust and for allowing us to take your children on this adventure. We know how special that trust is, and we hope you can see from these posts just how much your children have grown, learned and enjoyed themselves along the way.

Four days. Countless adventures. Plenty of laughs. A few tired adults. And 13 very proud leaders.

It is a journey that none of us will forget. ❤️

Ka pai, Leaders — you have done yourselves, your whānau and Papatoetoe East School proud.

04/09/2026

Student Newsletter Term 3 - Friday 4th September 2026 -

Our Making a Difference Expo provided a wonderful opportunity for our students to share their learning with our school community in an authentic and meaningful way. Through their presentations and displays, students demonstrated their understanding of our shared Key Understandings and Key Questions....

04/09/2026

These very clever students from A3 have just come to share with me how they sign their names. They taught me and then taught Colby how to sign his name. Colby had just woken up and wasn't quite ready for learning. He was more interested in having a drink and playing. Great job girls. We'll keep showing Colby. He'll get it.

03/09/2026

🌟 Leaders' Trip – Day 3: Windy Wellington! 🌬️

Another fantastic day of activities, learning and adventure for our student leaders!

It was an early start and a drive into Wellington, and the city was certainly living up to its name! 🌬️ But the blustery conditions weren't going to stop us.

Our first stop was Te Papa, where we were lucky enough to have a guided tour with Jessica. She gave us a fascinating insight into the different areas of the museum and shared the stories and history behind many of the incredible artefacts we saw.

Before saying goodbye to Jessica, we were introduced to her colleague — who was from… PAPATOETOE! 🎉 Unfortunately, he went to Papatoetoe North rather than East, but we'll forgive him! 😜

We then had the opportunity to explore Te Papa for ourselves, discovering more about Aotearoa and the wider world. We saw earthquakes, volcanoes, waka, carvings and so much more. And, in a very special lunch-time moment, we were even joined by a family of baby ducklings! 🦆🦆🦆

After Te Papa, we braved the Wellington wind for a walk to Parliament and the Beehive, where we were given a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how our government works and how the iconic building operates.

We were incredibly lucky to be able to watch Question Time live from the public gallery, seeing MPs ask and answer questions in Parliament. A huge thank you to our guide, Jannet, for helping make this such a memorable experience.

The students were then put through their paces as members of a select committee, where they had to consider issues, ask questions and make decisions. They even had the opportunity to take part in a press conference!

And the excitement didn't stop there. We had a chance encounter with MP Cameron Luxton, who very generously gave up some of his time to chat with our students and answer their questions. What an incredible opportunity for our young leaders!

Finally, we braved the wind once more for a walk through Wellington city and down to the waterfront, where we stopped for some photos beside the iconic WELL_NGTON sign. 📸

It's been another incredible day — and what a trip it has been so far! ❤️

Of course, all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow we'll make one final stop at the National Library before beginning our journey back to Papatoetoe.

We'll be in touch when we're on the road and will provide an estimated arrival time once we have a better idea of our progress.

What an amazing experience for our student leaders — learning, leading and making memories along the way every day! 🌟

02/09/2026

Leaders’ Trip – Day 2: Adventure on the Road! 🏔️

There was a LOT of driving today, but that certainly didn’t stop the adventure! After breakfast and a quick clean-up, we hit the road and made our first stop… Taupō! Yes, we know we’d just left Taupō, but you can’t pass up a good photo opportunity! 📸😄

From there, the team tackled the Desert Road, with some spectacular views along the way. The snow-capped mountains were looking absolutely incredible, so naturally… it was time for another photo stop! 🏔️📸

We eventually made it to Zealandia, a fascinating wildlife sanctuary just outside Wellington. We started with a short video giving us an insight into the history of Aotearoa, before heading out to explore the sanctuary.

The team loved discovering the incredible wildlife around us, both in the trees and on the ground. 🐦🌿 We were especially lucky to spot a tūatara – definitely one of the highlights of the day!

From Zealandia, we headed to our accommodation, where we finally had a chance to settle in after a big day on the road. A delicious dinner was very welcome, followed by some well-earned downtime for the team to relax, recharge and enjoy some time together. 😊

With batteries (hopefully!) recharged, we’re ready for our next adventure tomorrow!

02/09/2026

Update: Our travelling leaders are leaving Taupo and are on the way to Wellington!

Safe travels 🚙

01/09/2026

Day 1 of the Leaders' Trip to Wellington.
First stop Tirau for a meet and greet with some giant animals (no child was eaten in the taking of the pictures). Then, on to the Putaruru Springs to see the most crystal clear water.
A short drive to Taupo, and a competitive scavenger hunt throughout the town seeing some of the landmarks before heading to the overnight stop. Even though the windchill may make it feel close to freezing, there was no stopping the students from diving into the pool (it was heated don't worry!).
Delicious food enjoyed by all to round off a great day!

01/09/2026

🌎🎨 Art Around the World Envelopes! ✈️

Our Year 4/5 students explored different countries by creating colourful travel-inspired envelopes featuring landmarks, flags and cultural symbols.

For a colour-mixing challenge, students were given only the primary colours — red, yellow and blue! They experimented to create their own secondary colours and achieve the shades they wanted.

30/08/2026

MOTAT - Friday photos
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30/08/2026

Best week of attendance this term!

We have a massive 12 classes that hit or smashed our 90% or higher target this week. You are all incredible!

Congratulations to A5 with 96%, closely followed by A8 with 95%.

B6, A3, A4, D2, D3, D5, D6, C4, C7, & C8 were also over 90% for the week

It is fantastic to see so many of our rooms in the 90%+ club! Let's keep this wonderful momentum going as we head into Week 7. Remember, every day counts!