Kia ora e te whānau

To follow on from last week's end of year information, below is some start of year information for you to be aware of to ensure everyone has the information you need before our kura closes for the summer break. 

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Staff News

We will farewell the following staff this year. In a large school there will always be staff changes with exciting promotions, changes in direction or new exciting chapters ahead. Ka nui te mihi to each and everyone of these staff members for their tautoko and mahi to support our special Frimley tamariki. We will acknowledge these staff at our Hui Whakamutunga/ End of Year Service & Farewell Assembly tomorrow that all whānau are invited to.  

  • Hilary Bartlett is taking a year's leave to do some travel and explore the world. Hilary will be back in Term 1 and 2 in a part time capacity before she heads off so we will still see her here at Frimley. Safe travels Hilary. 

  • Ian McCabe has won a new role at Waipawa Primary which is a lot closer to home, so he will have a few extra hours in his day! Ngā mihi ana for all your sports support and mahi. 

  • Georgia Skelton has decided it's the big OE time! We will miss Georgia’s vitality in our kura but wish her all the best and we are sure there will be lots of fun to be had! Safe travels Georgia. 

  • Niamh Flanagan is heading to Melbourne to teach next year. What an exciting place to live and we wish her well with this move. 

  • Morgan Fraser has completed her fixed term contract and will be teaching at Maraekakaho School next year. Enjoy getting back to Year 7 & 8 Morgan. 

  • Karlene O’Dowda has completed her fixed term parental leave contract and will be teaching next year at Marewa School in Napier. Ngā mihi Karlene for your amazing efforts this half year. 

  • Annalyse England is due to return from parental leave next year but has won a job at Twyford School. All the very best with your return to work Annalyse. 

  • Roimata Rimene has finished her fixed term part time contract and will be relieving next year so we are bound to see you back Roimata! Ka nui te mihi e hoa. 

  • Lesley Essel has finished her fixed term part time contract and will be working at Bledisloe School next year so we wish her well with her ongoing mahi.

  • Madhu Bala will be finishing at the end of the year to focus more on their family business. We look forward to visiting your amazing restaurant Madhu. 

  • Kelly Broad has decided it is time to move from Kaiawhina to Kaiako! Congratulations Kelly on being accepted to start your teacher training next year. 

With a new year, it also brings a new team. Nau mai, haere mai to the following staff who we are excited to share will join the Frimley team in 2026. The full staff list will be shared with whānau before the start of the school year. 

  • Claire Janssen will join Heretaunga Takoto noa and teach Y5 & 6. Claire has recently taught at Hastings Intermediate. 

  • Kate Allen will be joining Heretaunga Haukū nui and be teaching Y1 & 2. Kate has recently been teaching at Lucknow Primary School.

  • Kat Skidmore-Rush is a beginning teacher who will join Heretaunga haaro o te kaahu and be teaching Y3 & 4. 

  • Olivia Epplett will be returning from parental leave and will start back at Frimley in Term 2. 

  • Erika Karena will be returning from parental leave and will start back at Frimley in Term 3. 

  • Hamish Wedd will join our release and CRT team and work in various classes each week. Hamish has been working at Te Whai Hiringa School. 

  • Liz Driver will join our release and CRT team and work in various classes each week. Liz has worked as a reliever and part time teacher in our school and several other Hastings schools. 

School Organisation

Below is the teaching team overview. The full staff list will be shared with whānau before the start of the school year.

Uniform

All our school uniforms (except hats and sports shirts) are available from the NZ Uniform shop, beside Jaycar in Heretaunga Street. The prices are fantastic, there is plenty of stock and plenty of parking. It's really important that all tamariki are in our school uniform to feel part of the kura team.

Stationery

Parents are welcome to come and pay for this before the end of the school year if preferred. All stationery is already pre-ordered and will be in classes to start the year so there is nothing for you to do. We ask all whānau members to pay for this before school starts please. The costs for 2026 are 

  • NE - $20.00

  • Year 1 & 2 - $35.00

  • Year 3 & 4 - $35.00

  • Year 5 & 6 - $30.00

  • If your tamariki needs a book bag these are available for an extra cost of $4.00 from the school office.

  • If your tamariki need a new school hat these are available for $12.00 from the school office. 

School App - HERO

We have changed SMS (student management system) this year and we have moved from ETAP to HERO. HERO is a modern system with many features. We have moved systems for a number of reasons. A major reason for us is its capability with the new curriculum changes. HERO, also has the capability to share your child’s learning so we will not be carrying on with Seesaw. We want to make sure you get support with these changes and we will do that in a number of ways. One way will be sharing small videos on Facebook and creating a space on our website to help you understand the new app and how to use it. 

Office hours

To start the year off, the school office will be open for whānau on the following days prior to the start of Term 1. The office team of Ange and Erin will be here and can help with any general queries on these days - 

Monday 26th January - 9.00am - 3.00pm

Tuesday 27th January - 9.00am - 3.00pm

Wednesday 28th January - 8.00am - 4.00pm

2026 Term Dates

Term 1

Thursday 29th January to Thursday 2nd April (Plus Whanaugatanga day Wed 28th - see below)

No school -

  • Waitangi Day Friday 6th February

  • Staff Only Day Friday 6th March

Term 2

Monday 20th April to Friday 3rd July

No school -

  • Anzac Day Monday 27th April

  • Staff Only Day Friday 29th May

  • Kings Birthday Monday 1st June

Term 3

Monday 20th July to Friday 25th September 

No school -

  • Staff Only Day Friday 21st August

Term 4

Monday 12th October to Friday 11th December

No school -

  • Hawke’s Bay Anniversary Friday 23rd October

  • Labour Day Monday 26th October

2026 Whanaungatanga Day / Class Connection Day - Wednesday 28th January 2026

This is a really important day to start the school year. All classes will be open from 1.00pm until 6.00pm for families to call in and connect with your child's teacher and us here at school. We need every child and whānau to be part of this please at some stage during this time. Please make it a priority as it is an important time to:

  • To explore each child’s akomanga (class) for 2026

  • To connect with staff and talk about the year ahead

  • For whānau to ask any questions, share important information about your tamariki or seek some support for your child/ren

  • To build the excitement of the new year and to help our children reduce the worry of the start of the school

Thank you for supporting this really important day. 

We will share reminders and further details in the new year via the school app. PLEASE make sure you have loaded it on your devices. If there is anything you would like more information about, please do not hesitate to contact us at school. 

Ngā mihi

The Frimley Team. 

We will have one final newsletter coming out next week to wrap up 2025!