Te Aroha Primary School

Our youngest runners in action!
Our students in Waihou Hub showed determination and perseverance at this week’s Cross Country.
We loved seeing their enthusiasm, grit and excitement from the moment their races started to when they crossed the finish line. A fantastic effort - ka mau te wehi.
Kia tu kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

Together ⭐️
This week’s assembly was organised and presented by Rm 9. They did a great job of sharing their learning and explaining the important messages they had gained from their guest speakers this week and also key ideas learnt from their MITEY mental health education activities.
Our school also acknowledged our top three placed runners across the school for our cross country and our teachers were proud to acknowledge students in their classes for this week’s awards.
Ka mau te wehi!
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

Determination⭐️
Te Moananui A Kiwa welcomed Zayden Bradley as a guest speaker today as part of their learning on Careers. Zayden is coming to the end of his first year as an apprentice plumber for Plumb Co in Matamata and is in the Under 18 Waikato Rugby team and in the wider squad for the Under 20 Chiefs team.
Zayden shared the importance of dedication, having a path to follow, the ups and downs of his job and his continued study at Wintech. Other key messages he shared with our students
- don’t be shy to ask for help if you need it
- have high expectations of yourself
- put yourself out of your comfort zone
- try your best, work hard both on and off the field, even when no one is looking
- be with people who will push you further to achieve your goal
- have a back up option because not everything will go to plan.
Zayden was a real hit with our students - a great role model who inspired with his heartfelt experiences, drive and honesty.
Thank you Zayden - we wish you all the very best for your continued success both on and off the field 🏉
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

For our Year 8 parents and whānau - SAVE THE DATE!
The Open Evening at Te Aroha College on Thursday 3 September at 6pm is an excellent way to find out more about the College and the exciting things they have on offer.
Kia tu kia toa kia mau - accept the challenge. ⭐

Perseverance and pace ⭐️
An absolutely fantastic Cross Country event today. We are so proud of our students who took part and it was awesome to see students encouraging and cheering for each other as they crossed the finish line.
A special shout out to
- Mrs Paul for her super organising of this annual event
- Glenn for his fantastic track set up
- our parents and whānau who helped, marshalled and came to support our students
- Property Brokers, who generously donated ice blocks for our runners.
This was a great event. Check out these really cool photos of our students who ran the farm laps today.
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

Inspiration ⭐️
This morning, students in Te Moananui A Kiwa were excited to welcome Mayor Ash Tanner and Debbie Burge, Mayor and Executive Support Team Leader from Matamata-Piako District Council as guest speakers for their learning about Careers.
Mayor Ash and Debbie shared their career journeys, their roles within Council and some fantastic advice for our students. They were incredibly genuine and down to earth, sharing the successes, challenges and funny stories that come with working for and representing our community.

A few pieces of wisdom that really stood out for our students:
Always put your hand up – give things a go and take opportunities.
Ask for help – if you don't understand, ask. Ask again if you need to!
Always use your manners – please, thank you and thanking someone for their time can take you a long way
Find something you enjoy doing – you spend a lot of your life working, so find something you love.
Make the most of school – it might sometimes feel like it drags on, but it goes incredibly fast!
Care about people and your community.

Thank you, Ash and Debbie, for giving up your time, answering our many questions and speaking so genuinely with our senior students. We really appreciated your honesty, humour and willingness to share real-life experiences and career advice.
We loved having you visit Te Moananui a Kiwa!

PS from Rm 8 - Thank you Mayor Ash for taking the time to respond to Room 8's Paeroa vs Te Aroha battle over the origins of L&P! We loved hearing your thoughts and having a bit of fun with this local debate!
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

Once a TAPS kid, always a TAPS kid ⭐️
Students in Te Moananui A Kiwa welcomed back past pupil, Jack Brittenden, as part of their learning focus on Careers today.
Jack shared his journey in the dairy industry, the love for what he does as a dairy farmer, the pathways he has taken and the plans he intends to achieve in the next few years.
Whilst sharing his experiences of the many varied roles within dairy farming and the skillset required, other important messages he shared that resonated with our students
- work hard and have a plan of what you want to achieve
- be brave to put yourself out there and make the most of opportunities that are presented to you
- keep learning
- surround yourself with good people
- ask for help when you need it
- believe in yourself and have confidence
- keep your focus - the way to reach your goal may change but you have to keep working hard to achieve it
Jack also talked about resilience and the importance of persevering and problem solving when things don’t quite go to plan.
Thanks for being an inspiring role model for our students Jack - we loved having you back at TAPS. We wish you all the best as “Farmer Jack” and your career in the dairy industry 🐄
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge ⭐️

Joy🌺
A special school hui today as we celebrated success in the classroom and acknowledged Cook Islands Māori Language Week. ('Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki 'Āirani)
School hui was led by Rm 10, who also performed a Cook Island dance and then supported other students across the school to give it a go.
Enjoy these special moments that we captured.
Kia tu Kia toa Kia mau - accept the challenge 🌺

📚 Out-of-Zone Enrolments Now Open for Term 4, 2026! 📚

The Te Aroha Primary School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that we have a limited number of out-of-zone places available for students starting Term 4, 2026.
✨ Available places:
✅ Years 3–8

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer out-of-zone places for Years 0–2 at this time due to current roll capacity.

Interested in joining our school community?
Simply email your Expression of Interest for Out-of-Zone

Enrolment to:
📧 [email protected]
Subject: Expression of Interest for Out-of-Zone Enrolment
Once we receive your expression of interest, we'll send you further information about the enrolment process.

Key Dates
• Applications close: 12.00 pm, Tuesday 25 August 2026
• Ballot (if required): Thursday 27 August 2026

If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, a ballot will be held in accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines.
Parents and caregivers will be notified of the outcome on the same day. Successful applicants will receive confirmation of enrolment, while unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

We'd love to welcome new learners and whānau to our Te Aroha Primary School community. If you know someone looking for a caring, inclusive school for their child, please feel free to share this post!