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Welcome!
Our innovative, country school is one of the best little schools in NZ and we are incredibly proud of it. We are nestled in the picturesque Ahuroa Valley, just a 15 minute drive from Puhoi or Warkworth. We offer a relaxed and peaceful environment where learning is tailored to the individual needs of each student, with a nurturing and caring approach. Families are recognised as being vital and active partners in student’s daily learning, and the entire community is recognised as the learning environment.
Catering for students from Year 1 through to 8, we offer excellent teacher to pupil ratios and significant one to one support. We promote academic excellence in reading, writing and maths, however we believe learning should not be constrained to the four walls of the classroom and we provide our students with many opportunities for real life learning experiences outside of the classroom.
One of the first things that strikes visitors to our school is the welcoming and positive atmosphere. Students are strongly encouraged to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s differences, and support each other’s weaknesses. We have an open door policy; parents and families are welcomed and encouraged to visit and share in their child’s learning at any time.
Give us a call or pop in - we’d love to meet you.
E TIPUTAHI ANA TATOU. TOGETHER WE GROW.
Recent Updates and News
14th April, 2023
Tēnā koutou,
Ko te kupu beak he wa katoa ki a tatou ki te whakaora. The term beak gives us all time to refresh. It also allows me some time to catch you up on other information.
I trust that you will have enjoyed the extended Easter break and caught up on some quality family time. I managed a few days camping at Ruakaka with family and friends. This was a postponed holiday due to a particular weather event!
Despite the soggy and disruptive start to the year it has been a productive term. We managed a range of enjoyable activities including visits from St. John, Travelwise, Constable John and Driver John. The latter provides bus safety education and given the roads our buses navigate-an essential authentic topic.
Room 3 had an enjoyable experience as part of their learning. They were invited to one of our family’s properties for the day. This required them to use their learning to manage and prepare for all of the associated risks. They began the day walking the 3km route. They needed to be mindful of the traffic and crossing train tracks on the way as well as ensuring their packs had everything they needed for the day.
Then they tramped across the property and fed the horses before hiking up some extremely big hills!
Following lunch they swam in the dam before returning to school by bus - exhausted!
Many thanks to that family for offering this opportunity.
Farewells: Sadly, one of the negative outcomes of the severe weather events and subsequent road damage, is that we have had to farewell several families. Some were not able to even start the year, whilst others made the decision to change schools during the term as their circumstances dictated. This is extremely saddening for all and particularly for small rural communities. We wish them all well and trust that we will still connect with them through our community networks.
PTFA News: On a brighter note, it was great to hold our first PTFA supported event on the last day of term. We are fortunate to have a keen bunch of parents who put their hand up to help out and sold sausages and ice blocks as a small fundraiser. The highlight of the day for our tamariki was the egg hunt and despite the rain everyone went home with a sugar rush (sorry)!
Thank you to those of you who entered the boiled egg competition. There were some very clever interpretations of myself!
Education Review Office: We are currently working with the Review Office as part of the normal cycle of review. They have changed the way that they interact with schools and have moved away from a single event model. In the past a small team would spend a week at the school and present the community with a report. Within the new model a single review officer works across a longer period of time with the school. We began this process at the end of last year and our review officer will visit again this term. She will ask to speak with a range of people including parents so please watch out for that.
Layout Changes: When you return on Wednesday 26th April, you will notice further changes to our operational layout.
Whaea Christine will relocate to Room 1 with me. This will be our administration hub moving forward and include the first aid room. It can be accessed via the lower track and up the stairs or by using the passageway between the staffroom and Room 1.
The current office will become Room 5 and is a flexible teaching space. We will be able to optimise that space for additional curriculum foci or small group work. Eventually the small room off that one will become our library - desperately needed. It is anticipated these changes will provide our students with more opportunities and better resource management.
School Community Support: One of the learnings out of the weather events was the way our school can support its community and not just during a crisis. The internet is now an essential part of daily life and losing it can seriously affect how we go about our business. During the disruptive period immediately after the storms, we were able to provide onsite internet access to several of our families. This allowed them to conduct business and stay in touch with family. As a result, we have created a dedicated guest wifi facility for school community use should you experience problems again. Please ask Christine if you need to use the facility.
Teacher Only Day:
Reminder: Schools have been advised to create three teacher only days this year to discuss aspects of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.
We will use Monday 24th April as our first one which means that students will not start school in Term 2 until Wednesday 26th April.
I will send out a start of term newsletter prior to that day.
Ngā mihi,
Terry.
21/02/2023
West Coast Road Bus PM Run
Leave Ahuroa School - 2.30pm
- Jenkins Lane – 2.34pm
- Wech Access Drive – 2.37pm
- Petit Bois (608 WC Road) – 2.39pm
- Martin Access Drive – 2.41pm
- Ahuroa Fire Station – 2.43pm
- Cnr Komokoriki Road/Wech Access Drive (By Fire Station) – 2.45pm
J Tolhopf/Puhoi Run
AM
7.30 from the end of J Tolhopf Rd
travel down to Puhoi store
7.40 Puhoi store
8.00 Mitre 10 car park
to school
PM
2.30 pm From School
2.50pm Mitre 10
3.15pm Puhoi Store
3.30pm J Tolhopf
TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE ONLY
NGĀKAUNUI
PASSIONATE
One of the first things we noticed, and have grown to love, about Ahuroa School is the openness and friendliness of the staff and children. There really is a feeling of family and being looked after by the whole school....we have found Ahuroa School to have a huge heart with so much to offer our children in becoming well-rounded individuals and enjoying their childhood in such a happy, secure, and nurturing environment."
...When quizzed on what the best bits of Ahuroa School were, our children said 'it wasn't like any other school, the teachers would have conversations with the children and become quite good friends with them, AND you were allowed to climb trees!' In response to the school's approach to learning; 'we were actually learning and not being force-fed dead facts. A lot of that was down to the teachers'. On being questioned what they from being at Ahuroa School, they replied variously, 'I learnt how to make friends', 'I learnt how to be patient and understanding with little kids', and 'I discovered that school can be fun, interesting, and a bit flexible without compromising our acquisition of knowledge and skills'..."
TŪTURU
AUTHENTIC
MANAWAROA
RESILIENT
Since coming to Ahuroa School, my children have been given the opportunity to grow both socially and educationally. The teachers are so approachable, I feel I can always talk to them and find out how my children are doing and, due to the size of the school and classes, I know that they are always aware of my children as individuals instead of just part of a class. Its small size and unique setting create and ideal environment for children to feel safe and secure in. My children have been supported to find solutions to problems and have been given the tools to deal with situations on their own, and I feel that this has provided an important skill set that my children may not have otherwise learnt..."
...What a fabulous choice it has been. We love watching our son grow in confidence, curiosity, and ability - all of which are undoubtedly supported and encouraged by the wonderful staff and vast experiences provided by Ahuroa School. We truely value how Ahuroa School stretches his thinking and abilities, but also allows him the freedom to just be a child. As for our second child, the Four Year Old Friday visits - we don't know of any other school that does this - have been invaluable in making her already feel very much part of the school, which of course will make the transition to full-time schooling so much easier. The way we see it, teachers that can manage to make their pupils look forward to a day at school are blessed with a true gift, how fortunate for us to have that gift right here in our community."