As an area school, Hurunui College offers many advantages. We are proud of its family atmosphere where students from Year 0 to Year 13 interact and care for each other.
Our vision is an aspirational learning community where all are empowered to reach their full potential. Students enter Hurunui College to learn and to develop their unique talents and abilities, so that they may leave school prepared to serve and enrich both themselves and their community.
Our College is strengthened by our core traditional values: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. These qualities support high academic achievement and promote personal skills required by our local, national and international communities giving our students the foundation for future success in this rapidly changing world.
Please ensure you stay connected with the multiple forms of school communication.
School website - access to the longterm school calendar and general information about the school.
Skool Loop App - pushes out school notices and newsletter, school calendar and can be used for notifying absences - critical mode of communication - download Skool Loop from the app store/google play and select Hurunui College
Edge Student Management System - the parent portal provides access to school accounts, student information, contact information and reporting. Contact the school office if you are unable to access this facility and we can talk you through the process. This is also available via the Edge Mobile App.
Facebook - used only for celebration and pushing out general information and last-minute reminders
Ngā mihi nui,
Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
Panui -Term 2 2025
May 19, 2025
Kia ora koutou parents and whānau,
With three weeks of our nine week term already gone, I realise this beginning of term newsletter is late and I apologise for this. We have had a positive start to the term, and it has been reassuring to see how well the majority of our students/ākonga have settled back into school and engaged in their learning. We began the term with our school assembly, where we welcomed to our school community a new staff member and informed students/ākonga of staff changes. Mr Robert Loretz is teaching music Wednesday, Thursday and Friday while Mr Biddlecombe is on sabbatical leave. Mrs Beth Bailey has been successful in obtaining a LAT (Limited Authority to Teach) and is teaching Digital Technology and Music. Mrs Lauren Hughes has taken on Ms Haley Ross’s role of teacher of Health & Physical Education & History, and Miss Rachel Cooper and Mrs Kate Boyd are teaching the Year 6/7 Hiwa-i-te-rangi class. In a time where schools are finding it increasingly difficult to attract teachers, we are fortunate that we have been able to fill these vacancies.
Focus for 2025 Our Annual Implementation plan, viewable on our school website outlines our mahi for the year. Key themes include a focus on improving student/ākonga achievement, strengthening and improving teacher practice, including building teachers’ skills in being culturally responsive and teachers using data and student/ākonga feedback to inform teacher practice. In addition we are focussing on providing teachers with professional learning in structured literacy and mathematics to ensure the successful implementation of the new English and Mathematics Curriculum.
Positive School Culture Another key focus this year continues to be to build and maintain a positive school culture, through upholding and role modelling our school values of respect, integrity, service and excellence. At our assembly on the first day of the term, I spoke to all of our students/ākonga about this and how our values guide our beliefs, the way we do things, our rules and expectations.
In addition, I spoke to all students/ākonga about the importance of goal setting and how setting goals gives something to work towards, keeps you focussed and motivated, and helps to stay on track and achieve ambitions. It is an expectation this year that all students/ākonga work alongside their homeroom/AKO teacher to set goals and develop actions to meet their goals.
Parents, caregivers and whānau play a big part in positively influencing their child/tamariki to do the right thing, follow our school rules and expectations, and engage in learning activities at school. As parents and caregivers, you can support your child/tamariki by having those conversations about how they can contribute positively to our school culture, and what respect, integrity, service and excellence might look like at Hurunui College. This could include showing respect by looking after the chrome books that Hurunui College allocates to each Year 4-13 student, as well as using them only for learning. Conversations about showing integrity by consistently wearing the correct school uniform would be helpful. Parents could encourage their child/tamariki to show service by participating in every opportunity that is offered and excellence by setting goals, aiming high and putting every effort into their learning.
School Uniform Part of building a positive school culture is ensuring students are following our rules and expectations of wearing the Hurunui College school uniform. Thank you to all parents and whānau for your continued support with this. The new jerseys are available and it is pleasing to see an increasing number of students/ākonga ordering and wearing these. Please click here to see our uniform guidelines.
Attendance Regular attendance is another of our focuses for this year. Schools and kura, along with parents and whānau are legally responsible for making sure students/ākonga attend school every day. Our school is committed to supporting your child/tamariki to attend school and building a culture that fosters excellent attendance. Our staff care about your child/tamariki’s learning, and we do everything we can to make sure your child/tamariki is at school, participating and progressing in their education.
We have established a procedure where if a student/ākonga is absent from school for three consecutive days without an explained and justified reason, the AKO/Homeroom teacher will contact parents/whānau. If absences continue the Deputy Principals are notified and will make contact with the parents/whānau to make a plan to support you and your child/tamariki to attend school regularly.
As parents/caregivers, setting clear expectations with your child/tamariki about why attending school every day is important, and being positive about school and setting good habits would all be helpful in supporting your child/tamariki to attend school regularly.
If you're finding it difficult to get your child/tamariki to attend school regularly, please talk to us.
Parents/caregivers must let the school know if your child/tamariki is going to be absent for a day or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure. Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent. The Ministry of Education classifies any students who are on holiday during term time as an unjustified absence. If you intend to take an extended break or holiday outside of the school holiday break, please notify the Principal in writing at [email protected] at your earliest opportunity.
Curriculum Changes and Reporting Year 0-8 The government has a key focus on lifting student/ākonga achievement and as part of this, from the beginning of this year, they have introduced a new, knowledge-rich and internationally-comparable curriculum for Year 0-6 English and Year 0-8 Mathematics.
This means as a school we are currently changing from the old to the new curriculum. For Year 0-8 we will continue to report using the existing format, but we will be using the language of the new curriculum, and assessing against the new curriculum. One key change is the curriculum expectations for your child/tamariki’s year level has changed, which may change the progress or achievement compared to previous years. If you have concerns or questions about your child/tamariki’s achievement, please talk to your child/tamariki’s teacher.
Reports for some students/ākonga in Years 1-3, and for all Years 4-8 students/ākonga are due at the end of this term.
As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Nāku noa, nā
Jane Marsh Acting Principal - Tumuaki Hurunui College
