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Monday 11th May 2026 | Vol 36 Issue 13 | Term 2 Week 4
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The Important Work of Childhood
Tara Israelson - Nīkau Head Teacher, Preschool
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Dr. Montessori, through her years of tireless observation, came to the conclusion that children are innately driven towards work that helps to develop their bodies and minds. They are constantly observing and absorbing the world around them and are eager to act in and on their environments without interference.
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You often hear us talk about “work” in our learning stories and our informal chats about your child’s day at school. As adults we may resist that word as to us “work” is a kind of toil - something we would rather get out of.
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According to Dr. Montessori, adults have two laws governing our relationship with work: division of labour, and maximum gain with minimal effort. Basically we want to be efficient, and share our load so we aren’t working so hard.
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The child has a vastly different approach because a child’s “work” is, of course, to construct him or herself. For this reason children do not wish to “divide their labour”, or put in minimal effort. You may have experienced this as a parent when you reach out to help and they indignantly say “No! I can do it!”.
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These moments are vitally important to development! Even when the outcome of the child doing it on their own is questionable (pants on backwards, as much cereal or milk outside the bowl as inside it), the mental and physical skills in action are the ingredients that help our children develop what they need to function independently in this world.
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Young children also do not strive for efficiency as their need to develop their body and their character outweighs getting the job done. However, they cannot really do everything for themselves.
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We, the adults in their world, have a minor role to play. We are responsible for providing children with the tools to act in and on their environments independently, with as much time for repetition as needed. We must be there to give the little lessons: how to dress, how to wash, how to tidy, but we must refrain from doing the work of dressing, washing and tidying.
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Dr. Montessori said, "Every useless help is an obstacle to development” (Citizen of the World, p. 34), meaning that we need to think twice before rescuing a child when we perceive a need for assistance.
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During the day in our Montessori classrooms there are many moments when the kaiako could step in and help, but we resist! We watch as water is spilled and then cleaned up, or a child struggles to put his shirt on but keeps at it until he’s dressed. We sit and wait for many minutes for a child to put on her own shoes before heading outside to work.
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I have personally witnessed the relief mixed with pure joy as a child FINALLY gets the thread through the needle, or the apron bow tied. So much of this joy comes from not being rescued - from knowing that the adults in the room believe they are capable, that they can do it!
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As the adults in their world we must remember that our role is to offer the tools, and our patience, so that the child is free to do the important work of creating him or herself.
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E WHAI AKE (Coming up) . . .
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Monday 11th May - Friday 15th May School Support Staff Week
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Monday 11th May - Thursday 14th May Primary Swimming, Te Ngaengae Pool
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Monday 11th May Keeping Ourselves Safe Parent Session, 3:15pm - 4pm, Tōtara
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Tuesday 12th May Preschool Kapa Haka, 2:45pm - 3:15pm, Pōhutukawa
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Tuesday 12th May Drama Club (9-12 and High School ākonga), 3:15pm - 4:15pm, T2
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Wednesday 13th May Primary Kapa Haka, 3pm - 4pm, Kauri Classroom
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Friday 15th May Technology - Year 7's, 8:45am - 12:15pm, Avalon Intermediate
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Friday 15th May High School Cross Country, 1pm - 3pm, Naenae Park
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Friday 15th May PTA Pink Shirt Day & Bake Sale
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Saturday 16th May PTA Pool Party, Te Ngaengae Pool, 6pm - 8pm
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Monday 18th May - Thursday 21st May Primary Swimming, Te Ngaengae Pool
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Tuesday 19th May Preschool Kapa Haka, 2:45pm - 3:15pm, Pōhutukawa
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Tuesday 19th May Drama Club (9-12 and High School ākonga), 3:15pm - 4:15pm, T2
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Wednesday 20th May Primary Kapa Haka, 3pm - 4pm, Kauri Classroom
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Wednesday 20th May BOT/Council Hui, 7pm - 10pm, Tāwari
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Friday 22nd May Technology - Year 7's, 8:45am - 12:15pm, Avalon Intermediate
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Friday 22nd May Year 7 Immunisations, 1pm
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Primary Swimming
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A reminder that swimming lessons for Primary ākonga are happening this week and next at Te Ngaengae pool.
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Please help your tamariki to remember their swimsuit, cap, goggles and towel each morning. If your child has difficulty dressing themselves, please make sure that you give them easy clothes to put on and take off, including footwear (socks can be very tricky). If they come wearing their swimsuit already (which is helpful) then please check that they have included their underwear in their bag.
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Please also make sure they have everything they need in a separate bag so wet swimsuits and towels aren’t going home in their school backpacks!
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Year 7 Immunisation Clinic
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Our public health nurses are coming to Wā Ora on Friday 22nd May 2026 to provide immunisation for year 7 tamariki.
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- If you have changed your mind or your child’s medical situation has changed please contact us at gw-nphsimmunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz, or call us on 04 587 2949.
- If you have not yet consented, but want to, please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
- If you declined the vaccines last year but you have changed your mind and you now want your year 8 child to receive the vaccine(s) please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
- If your Year 8 child missed out last year and you would like them to catch up on their vaccinations please collect a consent form from the school office or contact us.
- If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at gw-nphsimmunisation@tewhatuora.govt.nz, or call us on 04 587 2949
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Term 2 Whānau Coffee Morning
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Our Preschool and Primary parent get-together is happening on Wednesday 10th June at 9am at Trade School Kitchen, 17 Everest Avenue, Naenae.
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These gatherings are very relaxed and offer a great opportunity for Preschool and Primary parents to meet and connect with other families. Toddlers and babies are very welcome!
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Come along for a relaxed chat and a cuppa and stay for as long or as little as you like.
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Lost Property
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With the cooler autumn weather now well and truly here, we are already starting to see quite a build-up of lost property, particularly jumpers and jackets.
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Next time you are in the office, please take a moment to check the lost property rack in the hallway at the Rātā class end of the deck for any of your child’s clothing.
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School Support Staff Week
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This week is School Support Staff Week, a time to recognise and celebrate the incredible people who help keep our school running every day.
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Support extends far beyond the school office and includes our librarians, teacher aides, teacher assistants, caretakers, and pastoral support staff. These valued team members work behind the scenes and alongside our tamariki to ensure our school is a safe, welcoming, and well-supported place to learn.
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We invite everyone to wear green to show support and solidarity, and to acknowledge all they do for our school community.
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Thank you to all of our amazing support staff for the care, dedication, and hard work you bring each day.
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Wā Ora High School Cross Country
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Coming Up
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Next Meeting: Thursday 2nd July (via Zoom)
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Pink Shirt Day Cupcake Sale - Friday 15th May
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One of our favourite school traditions is back!
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Our amazing PTA will once again be holding their annual Pink Shirt Day Cupcake Sale - and yes, the famous pink cupcakes are returning!
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Pink Shirt Day is all about celebrating kindness, inclusion, and standing together against bullying. It’s a day to remind our tamariki that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported.
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Cupcakes will be on sale:
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- Friday 15th May
- From 3pm
- Primary Playground
- $2.50 each
Gluten free and dairy free cupcakes are available by pre-order from the school office.
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We’ll also be creating a Coin Trail around the playground!
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Bring along a gold coin donation and help us see just how far our school community’s kindness can stretch. The longer the trail, the bigger the impact we can make together. All proceeds from the Coin Trail will be donated to the Pink Shirt Day campaign.
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All other proceeds from the cupcake sale will go back into our school to support the wellbeing of our tamariki.
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Thank you for supporting this special day and helping us spread kindness throughout our school community.
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PTA Pool Party - Saturday 16th May
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This is one the kids are going to love! Our PTA Pool Party is coming up and it is shaping up to be a fantastic night of fun for the whole family.
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Saturday 16th May
6:00pm – 8:00pm
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Expect non-stop slides, inflatables, splashing, and plenty of fun from start to finish.
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- $15 per child – includes pizza, a drink, and unlimited slides and inflatables
- Family Pass $60 – includes 1 adult and up to 4 children
- Spectator Pass $10 – includes pizza and a drink
- Children under 4 must have an adult in the pool
- All children must be actively supervised
- No drop-offs – this is a family event
- All pool rules apply at all times
We are also trialling a new ticket system called Sendd. You will receive a QR code ticket that can be saved directly to your phone using Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, making check-in quick and easy on arrival.
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Tickets can be purchased via this link or the QR code in the poster.
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It is sure to be a busy night full of happy kids, so make sure you grab your tickets early. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Join the Hutt Valley Community Kai Collective
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This is a local space to share and trade homegrown and homemade kai across Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai - building our resilience and community connection - and motivating us to get growing, and teach our kids too.
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Loads of local trades and connections are already happening through the Hutt Valley Community Kai Collective - feijoas swapped for fresh fish, sourdough starters and scobies shared between neighbours, homemade chutneys and jams exchanged for seeds, mulch and garden produce.
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People are meeting each other, building local relationships, sharing skills, and learning more about food sovereignty, self-sufficiency and community resilience here in Te Awa Kairangi ki Ta.
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Badminton
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School Cross Country (Running Laps with Samantha)
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Congratulations to all of our tamariki who gave it their best running laps, whether it was competitively or just getting some fitness in. We would also like to acknowledge the following volunteers who made this event possible:
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- Ruhi Jeram and Yiyi Su for being marshals on the course
- Elliotte McLennan-Deans on recording results
- Esra Alsadah and Nyla Daud for timekeeping
- Benjamin Flint for guiding children with lap counting and being a course marshal
- Hannah Tysoe for helping out wherever needed throughout the afternoon
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Tough Guy and Gal Challenge 8th of May
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It was a great morning at the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge and the weather held off. We would like to say a huge thank you to Natalie Horspool (Jesse’s mum) for being the team’s manager for the morning.
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