Wiki Tuarima (Week 5), Term 3, 2026: Next week’s message from Jason Elder.

Friday 14 August

Kia ora whānau

Lockdown Procedures – Keeping Everyone Safe

Last Friday, our school was placed into Lockdown following advice from the Ministry of Education. This was due to a Police incident occurring across town.

Our tamariki and staff did an amazing job of following our procedures and ensuring everyone remained safe and secure throughout the Lockdown. We are incredibly proud of the calm and responsible way our staff and ākonga responded.

On Monday, we welcomed Senior Constable Phillippa Joblin (Constable Pip) into school to check in with ākonga across the school following Friday’s events. Ki runga rawa, Constable Pip! We really appreciated her taking the time to support and reassure our tamariki.

What happens during a Lockdown?

  1. Whānau will receive a text notification through our Student Management System, eTap. As these text messages are limited to 150 characters, more detailed information will then be shared through the School App.
  2. When the Lockdown has concluded, whānau will be notified using the same communication process.
  3. During any Lockdown, we ask whānau to remain offsite and not call the school or your child’s teacher. This is extremely important as it allows staff to focus fully on managing the situation and keeping all tamariki calm and safe.

Did you receive our text?

If you did not receive a text notification last Friday, please contact the School Office ASAP to check and update your contact details.

Likewise, if you know of a whānau member who did not receive the text, please encourage them to contact the School Office as soon as possible.

Having the School App on your phone is also an important way to stay connected. During situations such as a Lockdown, further updates will be shared through the App. It is also where you can access our regular school communications, including newsletters, class notices, sports information and other important updates.

Please help us keep everyone informed by making sure your contact details are up to date and you have the School App installed.

Sickness and Attendance

We have had a significant amount of sickness affecting tamariki and staff across all classrooms this week. As a result of staff illness and reduced teaching capacity, some classes have needed to be split across the school during the week.

Regular attendance remains important as we work towards the Government’s goal of at least 80% attendance. At the same time, we need everyone’s support to help reduce the spread of illness and keep our tamariki and staff well.

Our key message to all whānau is: If your child is unwell, please keep them at home.

If a child becomes unwell while at school, we will contact their parent or caregiver and ask for them to be collected.

Thank you for supporting us to keep our school community healthy and for helping minimise the spread of illness.

Year 8 Enrolments for 2027

32 of our 57 Year 8 ākonga have already booked their Stratford High School enrolment interview. Information about these interviews is advertised below.

Whānau, if your child is planning to attend Stratford High School in 2027 and you have not yet booked an interview time, please contact our Office Team to arrange this.

Likewise, if your child will be attending a different high school in 2027, please let the Office Team know so we can update our records and support the transition process.

Thank you for helping us ensure all of our Year 8 ākonga are well prepared for their transition to secondary school.

Stratford High School: Year 8 Enrolment Interviews for 2027

When: 

  • Monday 24 August from 10.00am until 2.00pm.
  • Tuesday 25 August from 10.00am until 12.30pm.

What to bring: Birth certificate and complete the online enrolment form. 

Online Enrolment Form: Click here

How to book: Go to schoolinterviews.co.nz, enter the code 77xgv, choose one of four representatives.  Note that each interview is for 30 minutes.

If you need to cancel or reschedule please ring the Stratford Primary School office.

What is happening next week?

  • Monday 17 August: Epro8 Internal Competition – Yr 7-8; Te Reo Māori Online.
  • Tuesday 18 August: Huranga Whānui – Food Tech, Dance and Photo Animation.
  • Wednesday 19 August: Huranga Whānui – Food Tech, Dance and Photo Animation; Epro8 Internal Competition – Yr 5-6. 
  • Thursday 20 August: Kapa Haka; Ākonga Council. 
  • Friday 21 August: Assembly at 9.15am – all whānau are welcome to attend; Year 7-8 Winter Sports Tournament (Hawera – Rugby, Football and Netball). 

Key Future Dates for Term 3

  • Monday 31 August: Teachers Only Day. 
  • Friday 25 September: Last day of Term 3. School finishes at 2.35pm. End of the Winter Hours. 

Important Information

Ngā mihi nui


Jason Elder
Principal
Stratford Primary School