Welcome to the very special learning community that is
St Matthew's Primary School.
Update July 23
Health Alert from The District Health Board
We have a child with measles in Hawkes Bay. Measles is a serious, highly infectious viral disease that is easy to prevent through immunisation. We suggest you release the following information, again, to your whanau and wider community.
If your child has had two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunisation they are protected.
As there is a high chance that measles could spread throughout Hawke’s Bay, we urge you take the following steps to make sure your child is protected:
Check your child has had two doses of the MMR immunisation.
If your child only has a record of receiving one dose of MMR they should have another as soon as possible. If your child has no record of MMR immunisation they should have one dose now and a second dose FOUR weeks later. Immunisation is FREE from your GP or Practice Nurse.
Please make sure your child’s school has a copy of their immunisation certificate. If your child has contact with a person with confirmed measles they may be asked to keep away from school for up to two weeks if there is no record of them having been immunised against MMR.
Immunisation is highly recommended as it protects your child and helps prevent the spread of infection in the community when an outbreak occurs.
If you require further information, you can find out more from the Ministry of Health’s website www.health.govt.nz/measles
Guitar Lessons & Piano Lessons
Guitar lessons have started again with our new tutor. His name is Jamie Fisher and he has over 30 years experience and comes well recommended. He can be contacted on 027 2913310 or email, fishermusic37@gmail.com.
Kathy Fletcher will be starting piano and flute lessons from next Monday, 875 8392 or
027 8242669.
Cross Country Training
Yes, Term 3 means we have started Cross Country training.
As a school we run around our ‘short block’ that surrounds our school site. Can you please make sure your child is bringing their PE gear to run in—including sneakers. They are running for about 10 minutes at 12.10pm at the moment. One of our big aims here is to lift the fitness level of every child.
Keeping Ourselves Safe
During Term 3, Weeks 1-3, all the
children will be taking part in the Keeping Ourselves Safe (KOS) programme.
This is a school-based personal safety programme.
They will learn:
to work out when their safety is at risk, for example walking home alone in the dark;
how to keep safe when they meet and mix with other people;
who and how to ask for help if they, or someone they know, is being abused;
to go on asking for help until someone does something to stop the abuse;
that it is important to make and follow personal, family and school safety rules.
Who teaches KOS?
Your local police education officer introduces KOS to the school staff.
Your child’s teacher will take the KOS lessons.
The police education officer may take part in some of the lessons.
If you would like to find out more about the programme, we are having a parent meeting at school (in the Staff Room) 3.15-4.00 p.m. Monday 1 July.
Read Together Programme
In Term 3 we would like you to
consider taking part in our
Read Together workshop programme. We all know how important reading is for children to succeed. One of the things that really helps children to
become good readers is support from home. The Read Together workshops will show you how best to do this.
The programme consists of three workshops and a graduation- each 1 hour and 15 minutes.
These will be held at the school on:
Thursday 1 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
Thursday 15 August 1:45-3:00 p.m.
The programme does not cost you
anything but you will get a huge
benefit out of it and it will help your children become much better readers.
The workshops will finish in time for you to collect children after school. Please let us know if you need crèche facilities for pre-schoolers.
The workshops will be taught by our two Reading Recovery teachers,
Katrina Drinkwater and Nicola McCullough.
If you would like to attend the
programme please leave your name with Mike in the office (ph. 876 4958).
If you have any questions about the programme, please talk to your
classroom teacher or to Kathryn Rowe, before or after school.
Skool Loop App
We have a school app that is up and
running. Skool Loop (yes – I hate that spelling as well!) operates with a calendar, notices, our newsletter. It even has a great absentee function as well. Just download it from your App Store and get it to search for St Matthew’s School, Hastings.
The Calendar function is very good – it gives you the school dates and times indicated as a red dot, and aligns it with your own calendar – shown as a blue or purple dot.
Please try it and let Mr Coyle or
Mr Anderson know how it goes for you.
St Matthew's School 25th Anniversary
We will be celebrating this Silver Anniversary during the weekend of 14, 15 March 2020 with a dinner, thanksgiving church service and other events.
We are forming a working group to plan the event.
If you would like to help organize the event or know of sponsorship sources that may assist us please contact the school office or if you have any other ideas please see Kathryn Rowe, who is convening the SWAG or email to silver@ourplace.school.nz
Winter Uniform
Girls: it is long white socks OR stockings/tights. It is NOT leggings.
Boys: please note that the winter shorts are different (and much warmer) than the summer shorts.
A group from the BoT is currently looking at the uniform and they will be inviting comments from the community soon.
In the meantime, feel free to email me with any comments you might have : tim@ourplace.school.nz
Girls’ Winter Uniform
Year 1-6, white skivvy.
Year 7-8, white long sleeve cotton shirt.
Year 1-6, school pinafore.
Year 7-8, school skirt.
School v neck jersey or polar fleece option for non wool wearers.
White plain knee length socks or navy rib tights.
Black lace-up, velcro or t bar school shoes.
Boys’ Winter Uniform
Year 1-6, white skivvy.
Year 7-8, white long sleeve shirt.
Year 1-6, grey winter weight shorts either side strap or elastic waist.
Year 7-8, long grey trousers, (optional).
School v neck jersey or optional polar fleece for non wool wearers.
Black lace up or Velcro school shoes.
Grey school socks.
Books In Homes
Whaea Jan has put together a programme to encourage children to read with parents/caregivers/brothers and sisters each night at home. Children can select books with the above sticker attached from a new library here at school.
However, we need the books first! Do you have any books you could donate? They can be at any age level. Thank you.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club is up and running, in the Hall from 8.10 until 8.45 every morning. All pupils welcome for Weetbix and toast. We are looking for more volunteers to help us in the morning—if you had a spare hour it would be most welcome!
Term dates for 2019
They are as follows:
Term 1 4 Feb to 12 April
Term 2 29 April to 5 July
Term 3 22 July to 27 Sept
Term 4 14 Oct to 19 Dec
Your Chatterbox
Many people get the Chatterbox by email and enjoy reading it on a device. If you would this by email, please let Mr Coyle know at admin@ourplace.school.nz
If you would ONLY like an email version (and not get a paper copy) also please let Mr Coyle know at admin@ourplace.school.nz.
Picking Your Child Up
A reminder please that if you are dropping off your child to school after 9:00am, make sure they come in via the office to sign in.
It would be best if you accompany them.
If you are picking up your child
early from school or for an appointment, please do this from the office as well.
Your child will meet you in the school office.
It is not OK to just meet them in the carpark, you need to let the office know.
Waiapu Kids-Early Childhood Centre St Matthew’s Early Childhood Centre is now taking enrolment's for 2017. There are still places available for 2016. The centre is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm and they cater for children from 0-5 years. Children can attend full time or part time and it is open all year except for three weeks over Christmas. The centre is ideally situated for Mum’s and Dad’s working in the city centre. There are a few vacancies for this year available.
St Matthew's Primary School is an Anglican state integrated school, catering for students from Year 0 to 8, situated in the heart of Hastings. Since its inception in 1995 it has grown to become a small school of just over 130 pupils.
Our motto is "teach our children to use the right path, and when they are older they will remain on it" (Proverbs 22:6). We achieve this by offering high quality values and curriculum based education within a special character context.
We have an open door policy and we encourage all members of our community to be involved in educating our children.
St Matthews Primary School has students from around Hawkes Bay, as well as from around the world.
Our website is aimed at the whole community, students, parents and parish members, to make it an information site to find out what is happening in the school.
Tim Anderson (Principal)