Newsletter:
Term 4, Week 9

Principal's Pānui

Kia ora koutou,

I think we're into the ‘accepting it’s okay to talk about the festive season’ phase now, especially as we edge closer to the end of the school year. We’ve had so much to celebrate in regard to the strength | wairua of our school community this year, and I can’t think of a better encapsulation of that than the mana on display in our kapa haka group at Tūhono, the spirit shown at Battle of the Bays, and the energy of our Choir performing on the weekend in our matanui..

Battle of the Bays! What a legacy this has already created for our school community. There are so many people to thank for the success of this event, a brainchild of Mike Lough. Huge thanks to him, the connections he brought into our kura, and the opportunities provided for us that enabled this event to go far beyond what would normally have been possible. Mike had great support from our PTA, namely Hamish Craw, who liaised, made things practical, and helped bring the vision to life, along with Chris Till and his construction and artistic handiwork. Our event got amazing traction in the wider public and media thanks to the tireless mahi from Will Hall. A massive shout-out to Brendan Key — the coach of the Redcliffs team. His energy to take a group of predominantly non–football-playing whānau and mould them into something that resembled the 1950s Hungary side (one for the football nerds in our kura!) is testament to his time and energy. A thanks also to our team (The Candycanes) who brought the intensity to the match, making it both sellable to a paying public and entertaining from the first minute. Also, a big thanks to ‘Axe’ Stanley and Adam Whitelock from Sumner, who helped stoke the fires at the Sumner end of things and whose team gave us a rivalry to take well into the future.

Finally, a huge thanks to everyone I’ve forgotten (impossible to capture all the individuals who chipped in) and all of you who attended, supported, streaked(!), and brought friends from far and wide. You can see how awesome our school community is in the amazing shots captured by world-class photographer and parent, Kai Schwoerer.

We finish the community side of our year with Christmas Fun Night on Friday (with a fire-engine water slide!) and our special assemblies next week. Wednesday is our End of Term Celebration Assembly from 2–3pm, and our Prize-giving is on Thursday at 6pm. These are both special occasions, each with slightly different purposes, so more will be shared about these in the wiki on the weekend.

We have finalised our classes for 2026, which you will see linked here. As communicated earlier in the term, we are shifting into single-year-level classes in order to support our teachers and learners, with the impending changes led by the new curriculum. You will receive confirmation of your child’s class placement and peers when reports are shared with parents and caregivers on Monday 15th December.

Finally, an opportunity to thank you all in our school community (a little pre-emptively!) for all you bring as whānau, supporters, and advocates for our young people and our team here. We have had a huge year of change in the educational sector in 2025, often caught up in politically motivated back-and-forth in the media, but the heart of what we do here has not changed — nor has the positive support we receive from you. We will continue to prioritise our young people, staff, and community, ensuring our learning connects to our local contexts and the values and vision that drive our decision-making.

I look forward to wishing you all a safe and happy summer, and a Merry Christmas, in person over the last couple of weeks.

Noho ora mai,
Nick Leith

Sports Stuff - Canterbury Athletics

Our Year 7 relay team!

Teana running the 800m in the height

of the day’s heat!

Congratulations to these amazing athletes who competed at Nga Puna Wai on November 26th.

Teana, Dylan, Angus, Oliver C, Koby, Sofia, Oliver N and Aria.

They all did so well in the intense conditions - 30 degrees and howling winds.

Many of our athletes set personal records for the day which is an awesome achievement goal.

Thank you to our parents who transported on the day and came to watch and get amongst the vibe!

Student Achievements to Celebrate

Congratulations to the following students who have received puawai awards:

Manaakitanga: Naiah, Eira and Orla

Excellence: Alex B., Jasmine, Kennedy, Eli B. and Nayvie

Responsibility: Olivia, Riley S., Jacob, Saoirse and Angus A.

Resilience: Charlie Co. and Briar

The following student will receive their Values Badge at our next assembly that will be held on 10 December: Briar

Welcome to our new student

Leon who will be in Te Ana 10 with Leonia (Miss O).

Policies for review this term

We have a number of policies up for review this term.
They are:

Bullying and Harassment
Behaviour Management
Searches, Surrender, and Retention of Property
Minimising Physical Restraint
Stand-down, suspension, and Exclusion
Staff Wellbeing and Safety

Please follow these instructions to review the policies:
· Visit the website
· Enter the username (redcliffs) and password (beach).
· Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
· Read the policy.
· Click the Policy Review button at the right hand top corner of the page.

· Select "Parent".
· Enter your name (optional).
· Submit your ratings and comments

Office notice

This will be the last Newsletter of the Year, as the school will be closing on Thursday

18 December from 12:30pm onwards.

The school will be reopening at the beginning of February in 2026. More information will be shared towards the end of the school year with dates for 2026.

Enjoy the festive holiday break and safe travels.

PTA

FIELD OF DREAMS

The inaugural Battle of the Bays is done and dusted, and what a day it was! Football dreams genuinely came true on the hallowed turf of Redcliffs School. It turns out “if you book them, they will come” and come they did. Hundreds packed the school grounds, and they were treated to an epic curtain-raiser from our Under-9 Ferrymead Falcons and Sumner Teddys.

Then the smoke show hit… and the big boys and girls came out to play. Sumner struck early and took a 2–0 lead into halftime, but Redcliffs were never going down quietly on their home patch. The second half was all Redcliffs: wave after wave of possession, pressure, and passion. With just two minutes on the clock, the equaliser finally dropped, thanks to @jp.vink 2–2 at full time and straight to penalties. From there it came down to the keepers, and Sumner’s goalie slotted the winner to take the first bite of the paddle. Well played, Sumner. A brilliant match and a brilliant rivalry in the making. But the real winners? Community and football.

Good friends were made, good times were had, good vibes were vibed, and a whole lot of local pride. A massive boost to the Redcliffs PTA and Cure Kids, some serious cash was raised thanks to the generosity of sponsors and everyone who came along.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in pulling this crazy idea together, especially Michael Lough. Bindy, you can finally have him back!

Let’s go Candy Canes! (Oh-ah Candy Canes!)

See you all again in 2026.
Written by Will Hall

Whats Happening at Kelly Club?

Everything Else...

2025 School Term Dates

Community Notices

Message from New Zealand Traveller Declaration Team

Going overseas for the school holidays? Everyone travelling into New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, including returning New Zealand passport holders.

Its FREE and you can do it on the online form or on the NZTD app.

If you’re travelling as a family or group and completing multiple declarations, the NZTD app allows you to copy your travel details into another declaration, making it easier to complete multiple declarations for the same journey. The submitted declarations are then all easy to see within the app.

The New Zealand Traveller Declaration collects travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity information and aims to improve the safety and security of New Zealand. It replaces the paper card you used to fill out on the plane. 

To make your arrival easier, do your digital declaration before your flight back to New Zealand.

Head to travellerdeclaration.govt.nz today!