Week 2, Term 1, 2025

Kia ora e te whaanau,

It has been fantastic to welcome all our new Year 7 students to Maeroa Intermediate and to see our Year 8 students returning, ready for another great year. The energy around the school has been wonderful, with students settling into routines, making new connections, and engaging in their learning.

It is also great to see so many students already taking up the wide range of opportunities available at Maeroa. Whether it’s sports, kapa haka, leadership roles, or other extracurricular activities, getting involved is a fantastic way for students to build confidence, develop friendships, and strengthen their sense of belonging—particularly important for the emerging adolescent. I encourage all students to give something new a go this year!

A big thank you to our students and whānau for ensuring our tamariki are wearing their school uniform correctly, including the appropriate footwear. Our uniform reflects our school pride and helps create a sense of unity and belonging.

Swimming at Maeroa – A Non-Negotiable Skill

Swimming is an essential part of the New Zealand Curriculum, and at Maeroa Intermediate, it is not an optional activity. Every student is expected to participate in our swimming programme unless there is a very good reason they cannot.

We are fortunate to have a well-maintained school pool, thanks to the ongoing support of our Board of Trustees. This allows all our students to develop essential swimming and water safety skills, critical in a country like Aotearoa, New Zealand, where access to beaches, rivers, and pools is a normal part of life.

If your child cannot participate in swimming due to a medical or other serious reason, please ensure you send a note to the school or contact their teacher via email to explain why.

Let’s work together to ensure all our tamariki develop the confidence and skills they need in the water.

Ngā mihi nui,

Susan Wood

Principal

Waikato Intermediate Japan Trip 2025

Is your child in year 8 and interested in going to Japan with the Waikato Intermediates school group this year. There will be a meeting on Tuesday, 25 February 5:30 pm in the school library for students and their parents who are interested in going.The cost this year will be $4500 plus spending money per student. It is a fantastic experience for our students. 

Uniform

A reminder that school uniform is to be worn every school day. Thank parents/whaanau for your support in these matters. 

• Shoes or sandals are to be completely black with no white or other colours. Socks are to be black or white without logos on them.
• Jewellery is limited to one pair of small studs in ears, a wristwatch, and a necklace of special significance. 
• Hair that is shoulder length or longer must be tied up.
• Hair is to be a natural colour.
• No false eyelashes, false nails, nail polish or makeup is to be worn.

If there are any difficulties with the uniform, please either contact me via email (swood@maeroa.school.nz) or send a note to the school with your child explaining why they are not wearing the correct uniform, a dispensation may be given for the day, or we may be able to provide them with some uniforms to wear for the day. 

Mathematics at Maeroa Intermediate

We have been using PR1ME Maths in some of our classes for the last four years. This year, we are excited to be moving all of our classes to PR1ME Maths. 

PR1ME Mathematics has been chosen as the programme that we are using here at Maeroa Intermediate. Research suggests that students in the primary years require a logical structure for learning that gives them the ability to do, understand and learn math with confidence. They need repeated practice to embed the learning of processes using consistent approaches and methods as well as gradually building on what they have previously learned. PR1ME does all this.

Made up of multiple standards, PR1ME takes into account the successful practices of top-performing countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong. It is based on an educational approach and instructional design that covers five strands of math across six year levels. These are: Numbers and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Data Analysis and Algebra.

PR1ME Mathematic treats problem solving not only as a goal of learning math but also as a major tool of doing so. It teaches both aspects of problem-solving - the method and the process and is proven to be effective in developing conceptual mastery and procedural fluency.

Crafted to enable our teachers and students to evaluate learning and identify areas of focus if needed, the knowledge of teachers and teaching support for the materials are critical factors in the success of a mathematics classroom environment. Equipping our teachers with a programme  that is logical, comprehensive and rigorous allows them to spend time focusing on their students and responding to their needs. The programme also presents material that is well suited to practical learning and can easily connect to contexts that students are familiar with in their everyday lives. With PR1ME, as with all good programmes, the teacher explores and works through content with the students and matches the pace and selection of coverage according to the individual's capabilities and needs.

There will also be a big focus in our school on all students learning their basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

Life Education Visit - from Week 4.

The Life Education Van and Educator Amy Lake will visit our school on Tuesday, 25 February, for a month.  It's incredible how many of our students enjoy a visit from Harold, for some, a familiar friend of their primary days.

Each class will visit the van for three sessions to learn, discuss and think about "Change and Choice'.  How to cope with change - for example, a change in school, class, teacher, and friends- as this is a preeminent transition time for students this age.  We will also cover decision-making, what may influence our decisions and the consequences of our choices, and how wanting to fit in and/or peer pressure works when forming new communities and friendships.   The lessons will fit our initial unit of inquiry, "I Am, We Are'. This is about who I am and how we make and build a community, how to make friends, be a classmate, learn the Maeroa Way, and settle into the new year.

Drop-In Evening -Wednesday, 5 March

We invite you and your child to come into school on Wednesday, 5 March, to check in and see what they have been doing at school and how they have settled in. This is an open-style evening between 4 pm and 6 pm, so no appointment is needed.  We are sure your child would like to show you how well they have settled into the new year at Maeroa.

If you need a one-to-one appointment, don't hesitate to contact the class teacher directly to make a time. 

Immunisation Forms

Immunisation consent forms have been sent home to students with information about the vaccinations and consent forms. Health New Zealand requests that everyone return the YES or NO form to have the immunisation at school.

Year 7  -Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough vaccine (Boostrix)

The tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough vaccine is offered to children for free from when they are 11 years old.  It’s available through our for students in Year 7.  If you prefer not to have it done at school or your child has missed out, you can take them to your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider for their vaccinations. Consent forms have been sent for the parent or caregiver to sign, and students are to return to school with an indication of YES or NO.

Year 8 - HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine

The HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine is offered to children for free from when they are 11 years old.  It’s available through our for students in Year 8.  If you prefer not to have it done at school or your child has missed out, you can take them to your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider for their vaccinations. Consent forms have been sent for the parent or caregiver to sign, and students are to return to school with an indication of YES or NO.

School Triathlon - Wednesday 26 Feb.

We have a school 'Try" Athlon for students to have a go at a sports event.  It is after school on Wednesday, 26th February, at Maeroa Intermediate from 3.30 to 4.30.  There are options for either individual or group entries to participate.  If they enter as a team, it is up to the students to organise themselves into a team, and their teacher can support them by connecting and encouraging team participation.  This is an excellent opportunity for students keen to earn a koru, as everyone participating will receive a dark blue koru.  

Course

• Cycle - 4 laps of the field - 1.5km approx 
• Have a bike to ride, and helmets must be worn; we ride laps of the field
  
• Swim - 3 lengths of the pool - approx 100m
• Swim or walk the pool & flutter Boards are available for those who struggle to swim.
• Run - 1 lap of the block - approx 1.2 km
• You must wear shoes for the run as students run around the block.

We will discuss this at the school assembly on Monday, and students who participate will bring a permission slip home.

'Back to Basics' School Camp

Thank you to everyone who has returned the camp permission slip so their child can attend class camp. The camp experience is an excellent way for students to get to know each other, shine in new environments, challenge themselves in new situations and build on their experience at Maeroa.  

We encourage you to reconsider if you have decided that your child will not attend and to contact us to see if we can work out a solution to have them attend.

Many family and whaanau members have volunteered their time and energy to come away and support the overnight camps; thank you, as we would not be able to go without this help.  I know some camps are still looking for volunteers, so please reach out to the class teacher, and they will confirm whether they have enough support.

If unsure when your child's camp is, visit our school website, www.maeroa.school.nz. The calendar displays all camp dates.

We have a camp information evening next Wednesday, February 19th, from 6:30 to 7 pm in our school auditorium for anyone with questions. If you can’t make it, here is a brief meeting outline.

Music Lessons at Maeroa

Please email our music teacher, Mr Hills, with all music class enquiries. ahills@maeroa.school.nz

At Maeroa, we offer music classes in Guitar, Violin, and Drums for beginners and experienced students and audition for Rock Band. These lessons are half an hour long, once weekly, and occur during the school day. This means that your child will be absent from their class for half an hour once a week.  Although these classes have a cost, they are very modest compared to private lessons.

The classes are very popular, and there are limited spaces available, so it is essential that if your child is successful in joining a class, they are committed to attending for the entire year = 32 lessons.

Guitar

Students who take guitar lessons will require a guitar, which they can transport to school for lessons. These lessons will be on Monday mornings during school time. The charge of $80.00 covers the lessons for the year and the guitar tutorial book, which they get to keep. Students will learn to read chord charts and tablature as part of the course. This means that students will play chords - strumming-rhythm guitar and play melodies -picking-solo guitar.

Percussion - Drums

There is a charge of $80.00 per student per year. This covers the cost of equipment, including sticks and skins. You Do Not need to own a drum set at home, and in most instances, students require very little equipment, although as they progress, they might need to purchase some small items. It is an expectation that students will participate in group music-making - Band once they reach a satisfactory skill level: Thursday during school time.

Violin

There is a charge of $80.00 per year for these lessons.  If you need to hire a violin, there is a cost of $80.00 per year for violin hire if required. Students will learn in small groups, expecting to participate in group music-making (ensembles) once they reach a satisfactory skill level. This will be on Tuesday mornings.

Rock Band

Auditions will be held for the Rock Band. It is recommended that only those who already have experience with their instrument should audition. The instruments auditioned are Electric Guitars, Bass Guitar, Drums, Keyboards and vocals. This class will run on Thursday’s last block in the music room.

Fees can be paid in advance or term by term for students to participate in lessons.  Options for payment are cash, eftpos or online. Please note that non-payment by the end of term one will result in your place being given to another student. Don't hesitate to contact the school for any concerns - no student should miss out on tuition because of financial concerns. 

School Bank Account Details 

• Maeroa Intermediate     
• ASB 12–3454–0024510-00
• Particulars: Student’s Surname
• Code:  Music 2025
• Reference:  Room number

Being part of a music lesson is also an excellent way for students to earn a yellow cultural koru toward earning badges. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me early on to work out a plan for your child. We will send confirmation of lesson times, fees due, and organisation during the third week of school, so if your child hasn't already picked up a form from the office. 

Waikato BOP Schools XC MTB Champs