Nau mai, hoki mai ki a koutou ki te kura o Waitohu for the 2026 school year.  

A very special welcome to our new students who are joining us at Waitohu School this year: 

Oscar Fudakowski, Tūi Willis-Bregmen in Room 1, Maddie Anton, Zarna Ward, Aria Barton and Amahlee Mayall in Room 2, Isla Bourke and Mercy-Starr Thompson in Room 5. Welcome to Waitohu School.

On Monday 9 February at 10.20am we will be having a pōwhiri welcome for all of the new students and whānau who are joining us at Waitohu School. Please feel very welcome to join us for our pōwhiri.

WAITANGI DAY
Tomorrow, Friday 6 February, school is closed for Waitangi Day. 
Today, as a school we acknowledged Waitangi Day by gathering and raising the rangatiratanga flag.
Below is information about Waitangi Day celebrations here in Ōtaki.

Waitangi ki Taumanuka – Celebrate Te Tiriti o Waitangi Together
Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki, in partnership with Kāpiti Coast District Council, warmly invite the community to commemorate Te Tiriti o Waitangi at Taumanuka on Friday 6 February 2026. This free whānau-friendly event, Waitangi ki Taumanuka 2026, runs from 10am to 3pm, with a pōwhiri at 9am that all are welcome to attend.

Taumanuka, the former Children’s Health Camp (at the end of Health Camp Road), is a site of deep historical significance as one of the locations where Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed. Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki Tumu Whakarae Kim Tahiwi says the day is about whānau and whanaungatanga – a day for us to take time to reflect on the past, reconnect with each other, and celebrate the enduring legacy that is Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Congratulations to Emma Ironside, recipient of our 2025 Winstone Aggregates award for exemplifying the qualities of our core values, To Be Our Best.

Congratulations also to Mahinarangi Edwards, recipient of our Senior Language of Learning award for her living of these words.
 
 

A huge ngā mihi to each Shay-Marie Peneha (Language of Learning raranga) and Marie Jamison (Winstones Award korowai) who each made and gifted us the beautiful taonga with which we are now able to cloak our recipients of these awards. These taonga will be on display throughout the year in our Administration Block. Feel very free to come and have a closer look at the magnificent gifts they are.

Big congratulations to our other award recipients below:

Maths - Hunter Lethbridge-Picken
English - Ruby Engels
PE - Jacob Easton
Cultural - Mihiterina Pereira | Tahlia Falaoa | Sidney Growcott | Declan Bilich
Arts - Tia Houpapa
Service - Lacy Thorn
Junior Language of Learning - Taika Askew

KOASTAL KERB & TERRY'S CONCRETE - NGĀ MIHI NUI
A HUGE ngā mihi to Nathan Howell (Koastal Kerb) and Terry Whiteman (Terry's Concrete) for really generously gifting their time and products to our students and whānau community over the break. You will notice a big change at our Te Manuao Road entrance with the concreting of this area, and then inside the gate the new pathway up to a recently developed working space. The difference is so noticeable and practically a real help. With Nathan and Terry donating us their time and product it means we can spend this money on our tamariki in other ways, which is awesome.

Nathan and Terry are prior students of Waitohu School. Their kindness to us in this way is seen and felt. I would encourage you to seek out Koastal Kerb and Terry's Concrete if you have any concreting needs in the future.

A big thank you to Callum McMurchie for organising a crew of firefighters to delight our senior students at the end of last term in a ‘water fight!’ Special thanks also to Soapbox for donating the suds that generated many smiles - a much loved end of year tradition!

The Lunches in Schools programme resumed yesterday. Our break times for 2026 are outlined below:

Band 1 - 9.00am  - 10.45am  

Kai time (Lunches in School) 10.45am - 11.00am 

Play  - 11.00am - 11.20am 

Band 2  - 11.20am - 12.45pm 

Snack and play - 12.45pm - 1.30pm 

Band 3 - 1.30pm  - 3.00pm  

We ask that you also send a snack with your child to eat during the day. This is to ensure they have enough food - in a short amount of time your child will be able to inform you whether or not the provided lunch is enough. 

If at any time you have questions about the ‘Lunches in Schools’ programme, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

Student Absences - We ask that all parents contact us if their child is absent from school. To assist parents who only have mobile phones, we have a school mobile phone for the specific purpose of receiving text messages. If your child is going to be away please text the full name of your child, their room number, and the reason for their absence. The number is 027 545 0530.  Another option is to send an email via our dedicated absences email which is: absences@waitohu.school.nz  As always, our landline is also an option, the number is 364 8272.  

 

Road Safety - If your child walks or cycles to school, the start of the year is a good time to remind them about safety around roads. Perhaps over the next weekend or two, you could ride or walk to school with your child to check that their road safety habits are in place.

School Patrol - Thank you to the students who have volunteered to be school patrollers this year. This is a very important job and we appreciate your willingness to help in this way. A huge thank you to Vicki Cracknell (Mondays), Emma Cracknell (Tuesdays), Niki Hurliman (Wednesdays), Shelly Hill (Thursdays) and Salina Gibson (Fridays) for supervising the Te Manuao Road pedestrian crossing between 8.30 – 9.00am. 

Sun Hats - During Terms 1 and 4 students are required to wear a school hat at morning tea and lunchtime. These hats are generously provided by our Home and School Association. As well as the hats, I encourage you to ensure your child has sunscreen on before they leave for school each morning.

LUCKY BOOK CLUB

Scholastic Lucky Book Club Offer 1 2026 has been handed out today. Orders are due by Thursday 19 February. The online ordering system now available is explained in the brochure or bring in your order and correct cash to the office.

 

ABSENCES
Before 9.00am, please phone 364 8272, text 027 545 0530 or email absences@waitohu.school.nz to inform us that us that your child is away and the reason for their absence.

If any individuals are interested to play touch, they can register below. They will be placed into a team, otherwise you could also enter a team in either grade.

Just use the word 'TEAM' in the name section. 

Please feel free to register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qx2Kl35IxBOC6RMd82Pte6E6GafCijN1OzrEqKdfO2Q/viewform

Alternatively, players or teams can also join in on any of the weeks.

After School Music Lessons - Pokapū Puoro Ōtaki, 

Enrolments are now open for 2026 group music lessons for primary and intermediate students at Ōtaki College Performing Arts Centre after school on Tuesdays. I’ve attached our online form with all the info about the After School Music course if you’d like to enrol your child/children (Please use a separate form for each child).  Get in quick as it will fill up fast and feel free to share with friends and whanau if you think if might be something their primary school and intermediate school children might be interested in. Here is the link to enrol: https://form.jotform.com/220297619040049

Our registration day for new students is Tuesday 17th February at Ōtaki College Performing Arts Centre 3:30-4:30pm and lessons will commence on the Tuesday after that (24th February) in the same place.

In early January 2026, Kāpiti Coast District Council’s contractor began laying a new pipeline between the existing Waitohu Reservoir and the new Ōtaki Reservoir.
The work is expected to take six months.

The new pipeline will replace an ageing pipe and future proof the area for a possible second new reservoir.

The pipes will be laid mostly along the berm on Waitohu Valley Road from the existing reservoir to the reticulation network on Te Manuao Road. Traffic management will be in place. At the worksite, traffic will be controlled by traffic lights and flow past the work on one lane. Construction has also started on a new pump station on road reserve near 57 Waitohu Valley Road.

This pipe upgrade will make water supply more resilient. It’s part of Council’s commitment to providing excellent water services to the community.

The contractor Mills Albert is planning to work from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.