Dear Parents / Caregivers 

In 2026 the Ministry of Education has provided schools with the ability to add 2 teacher only days to their school calendars for the purpose of preparing for the implementation of the refreshed NZ Curriculum. We have been waiting to allocate these two days until the MoE has released the curriculum documents. This release will come in 2 parts – Science and Social Studies on the 12th August and all others on the 9th September.  

At their meeting last week the board approved the following two days as Teacher Only Days: 
*  Friday 25th September (The last day of Term 3) 
*  Thursday 12th November (The day before Show Day in Term 4) 
 
As such school will be closed for instruction on both of these days with staff involved in planning and professional development linked to the refreshed curriculum. 
 
Yours sincerely
Matt Barlow
Principal
Amuri Area School

Due to driver illness, this bus won't be running this morning. Please have your child at Waiau School by 8.05am to catch the Cheddar Bus. The Inland Road bus will run this afternoon. Apologies from GoBus for this inconvenience. 

Just to let you that our parent teacher interviews are now open for bookings. You can make bookings by using this link or scanning the QR code. Interviews are in week 11, Tuesday 30th June to Wednesday 1st July. Bookings will close at 5:00pm on Monday 29th June.

https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/sbds2

Good afternoon Parents / Caregivers

We are sharing this information regarding free dental care for Years 9-13 students. Please register via the information in the poster.

Kind regards

Matt Barlow - Principal

Order of race starts
SENIOR SCHOOL (Y7-13): start line outside back of gym, finish line in rugby club carpark.
Wave 1 starts at 2.05pm: Championship Runners (Year 7-13)
Wave 2 starts at 2.15pm: Year 7-8 Fun Runners
Wave 3 starts at 2.20pm: Year 9-10 Fun Runners
Wave 4 starts at 2.25pm: Year 11-13 Fun Runners
JUNIOR SCHOOL (Y1-6): start line on rugby fields, finish line on rugby fields. Year 5/6 finish line next to Senior finish line.
Wave 1 starts at 2.15pm: Year 1-2
Wave 2 starts at 2.20pm: Year 3-4
Wave 3 starts at 2.30pm: Year 5-6

Photolife have advised that keycodes for student/class photos are being emailed out to caregivers today. Please check your spam/junk or promotional folders if their email isn't in your inbox. The school office has a list of key codes, so please get in contact if you haven't received these from Photolife.

Please note that free delivery applies to orders placed before midnight Sunday, 10th May 2026.

Welcome back to school everyone! We hope you had a safe and enjoyable term break! We wish everyone a successful Term 2!
A reminder that next Tuesday 28th April is a Teacher Only Day. (Monday 27th is also a public holiday as ANZAC day falls on Saturday 25th April).

A serious crash has closed the road between Hanmer and Culverden. The road may be closed for a significant period of time. We will look after all students who travel on the Hanmer bus here at school until the road is open again. We will update you via the ap and our school Facebook page as we receive information. Thanks, Matt Barlow - Principal

Year 1-8 Prize-giving Reminders:
Year 1-8 ceremony starts tomorrow at 1:30pm - please be seated at least 10 minutes prior in the gymnasium.
There are set seats for students and parents / families, please refer to the screen when you arrive to the venue to see where you can sit.
If you are picking up your Year 9 or 10 son / daughter at lunchtime tomorrow, you MUST sign them out at the office.
Year 9/10 students who are not picked up will attend the Year 1-8 ceremony.
Buses will leave at the normal time.
Year 1-8 students are not required to be at school on Friday; however we will be providing supervision for those students who do come to school.
The year 9-13 ceremony is on Friday starting at 10:30am
We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

The PTA are seeking helpers and baking for the trail ride this coming weekend. If you can help with either of these, please contact Carmen on 022 350 7008. Thank you

We have just been advised by GoBus that the Waiau Riber Bridge is closed until approximately 4:00pm. GoBus will run as per normal, however, buses could be delayed.

Kia ora parents and whānau,
 
We hope you are all safe and well after the extreme weather event from this morning. There has been quite a bit of damage at school, largely on the senior side. There are trees and branches that have fallen and damage to buildings. We have determined that it is not safe to be open for instruction tomorrow to allow us to clean up and further assess the buildings along with the Ministry's emergency response team who cannot be on site until tomorrow morning. There is also a high chance power will not have been restored to the school site.
 
I'm sorry for the late notice; however, I have not been able to get any coverage throughout the day (and have driven to Waikari to write this!)
 
Thank you for your understanding and see you all on Tuesday. Stay safe and enjoy the long weekend.
 
Matt Barlow
Principal

The Balmoral bus will travel to the junction of Balmoral Station Road and Shortcut Road this afternoon. If you live further up Tekoa Road beyond this point, could you please meet your children there. If your children are not collected from this point, they will come back to school on the bus and we will supervise them until they are collected.
Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this wind!
Matt Barlow
Principal

Kia ora parents / whānau

I have been liaising with Go Bus this afternoon to discuss the current wind conditions. The protocol they follow is to start the bus service from school. If the driver assesses that conditions are unsafe, they will contact their headquarters and then return to school. Should this happen for any services this afternoon, we will communicate with families and supervise the children here at school until they are picked up by families. Please keep an eye on the School App and Facebook page through the afternoon.

With thanks.
Matt Barlow
Principal

Dear Parents, caregivers, whānau

We are currently seeking your feedback to help create our next strategic plan. The following survey: https://forms.office.com/r/4nYdKuwmbs has a range of questions that will help us form this important document.  
We would love to have every family from our school community complete the survey. It should take about 20 minutes. There are some general questions as well as some questions that are derived from the Education Review Office’s School Improvement Framework, a tool designed to help schools plan strategically and for improvement. 
For our Filipino families, a copy of the survey questions has been translated into Tagalog, please feel free to email me principal@amuri.school.nz to request a copy of this. 
We really value your feedback and look forward to incorporating it into our next strategic plan. 
Kia kitea toikaka 
Mr Matt Barlow 
Principal  

Kia ora parents / whānau
 
This morning we have received official notification from the PPTA and NZEI that their members will be holding a full day strike on Thursday 23rd October. This will impact all year levels at school from 1-13.
 
As such, we will be unbale to provide instruction for students this Thursday. We will be able to provide supervision in a limited capacity for students in Years 1-8. If you are unable to make alternative arrangements for your child on Thursday. Please complete the following form: https://forms.office.com/r/f0uBfCdLux or email the school office (office@amuri.school.nz).
 
Thank you for your understanding.
 
Mr Matt Barlow
Principal

Kia ora parents, caregivers, whānau,
 
Today we have received formal notification confirming industrial action from members of the PPTA. The action includes students in Year 13 not being taught by members of the PPTA on Friday 17th October.
 
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to provide supervision for these students. In light of this we ask that your child remains home if they are in Year 13 on Friday 17th October. All other year levels are expected to be at school as normal and will be taught by their teachers.
 
This is in addition to the industrial action that we have already communicated with you this week.
 
We will continue to communicate with you as we receive formal notification of any future industrial action.
 
Thanks again for your patience and understanding.
 
Matt Barlow
Principal

Kia ora all, for the purpose of clarification we have received formal notification from the PPTA for the following Industrial Action:
 
Tuesday 14th October: Years 7 & 9 rostered home
Wednesday 15th October: Years 8 & 10 rostered home
Thursday 16th October: Years 11 & 12 rostered home
 
We have not yet received, but do expect to receive, formal notification for the following industrial action:
 
Friday 17th October: Year 13 rostered home
Thursday 23rd October: Full day strike (Years 1-13)
Wednesday 5th November: (Half day strike (Years 7-13)
 
We will confirm the 3 unconfirmed dates above once we receive formal notification which will likely be 3 days prior to each of the proposed dates.
 
Thanks for your understanding
 
Matt Barlow
Principal
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kia ora parents, caregivers, whānau,
 
Yesterday and today we have received formal notification confirming industrial action from members of the PPTA. The action includes students in Year 8 and 10 not being taught by members of the PPTA on Wednesday 15th October and students in Year 11 and 12 not being taught by members of the PPTA on Thursday 16th October. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to provide supervision for these students. In light of this we ask that your child remains home if they are in Years 8 or 10 on Wednesday 15th or in Years 11 or 12 on Thursday 16th October. All other year levels are expected to be at school as normal and will be taught by their teachers.
 
As we have already communicated, we are also preparing for students in Year 13 to be rostered home on Friday 17th October. We have not yet have formal notice for this but will communicate with you should we receive this.
 
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this industrial action.
 
Kia kitea toikaka
Matt Barlow
Principal

Kia ora whānau, 

Re: Measles cases in Aotearoa - Update from MOE

Recent measles cases linked to overseas travel have been reported in Te Tai Tokerau and Queenstown. Cases were active in the community while infectious and there is a risk of measles circulating there, and more widely in Aotearoa.

Points to share with parents, caregivers and the school community:

Measles is very contagious and can make people of any age very sick.
Watch for measles symptoms – fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes and a blotchy rash.

https://info.health.nz/.../measles-locations-of-interest...

If anyone in your whānau has measles symptoms keep them home and contact a doctor or Healthline urgently on 0800 611 116.
Vaccination is the best protection from measles. Check all whānau are immunised.

https://info.health.nz/.../about-measles/measles-immunity

https://info.health.nz/.../measles-mumps-and-rubella-mmr...

Anyone closely exposed to measles who has not received two MMR vaccinations cannot attend their school | kura for at least eight days.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re always happy to help and want to make sure our Amuri community stays informed and healthy. 

Ngā mihi nui, 

The Amuri Area School Team

Updated School Calendar
Please see below an updated school calendar for the rest of 2025, for your reference.

SEPTEMBER
19th             End of Term 3
OCTOBER
6th               Start of Term 4
6th               CSS Volleyball starts
6th-8th         Year 5/6 Terako Hub Camp to Living Springs
8th               School Assembly at 2:00pm
22nd            Amuri Primary Athletics
22nd            Board of Trustees meeting at 5:30pm
23rd             Amuri Primary Athletics Postponement
27th             Labour Day – School Closed
28th-30th     Year 8 Camp - Lake Rotoiti, Nelson Lakes
29th-31st     Junior TOSI Collingwood  
29th             School Assembly at 2:00pm
23rd-24th    Junior TOSI in Collingwood
31st             Senior Study Leave starts
NOVEMBER
3rd                NCEA Exams begin
5th                HPSSA Athletics – Amuri
6th                HPSSA Athletics – Amuri Postponement
7th                Primary Market Day
13th             Christchurch School Choir Festival
10th             CSS Volleyball finishes
26th              Board of Trustees meeting at 5:30pm
DECEMBER
2nd-5th        Year 10 Camp - Windy Point
5th-7th         NZSS Athletics in Hastings
12th              Prizegiving and end of Term 4
2nd-5th         Year 10 Camp - Windy Point
5th-7th          NZSS Athletics in Hastings
12th              Prizegiving and end of Term 4

Good morning everyone

Please find attached a notice from Matt Barlow regarding the changes to the Balmoral Bus route.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Kind regards
Janine

Good morning, after a tumultuous night of a pretty intense wet weather system we are monitoring conditions on our roads for travel to and from school. At this stage buses are still running, we will update you if this changes. 

All CASAfest students and Whanau, The bus is scheduled to leave earlier than planned tomorrow morning. Please be at school for 7am. 

Here is the link for the newsletter - WE 04/04/2025

https://hail.to/amuri-area-school/publication/SEFLOLD

Unfortunately the weather does not look to be working in our favour tomorrow so we will postpone the Primary Duathlon until a date to be advised in Term 2.

**HELP WANTED**
The PTA are wanting extra hands on Sunday 30th March for the Amuri Rangers Run at Landsborough Station, Leslie Hills. Either as a marshall on the day or to help with setup on Friday and Saturday. Please contact Vicky on 021-134-1793

Swimming Sports Postponement:
Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday), we have made the decision to postpone this event. The new date will be this Friday 14th February. (the forecast for next week is also uncertain so we have decided to make the most of the good forecast for the end of this week.) Thanks for your understanding.

 

Due to a detour on SH1 following an accident earlier, our vans have had to make a detour to get back to school. Therefore, they running about 15 minutes late. This applies to Cheddar and Hanmer Springs buses.

The PTA are URGENTLY needing more helpers to assist with the trail ride this Sunday (8th). Please call Carmen 022 350 7008

Attention Hanmer Students / Whānau
We have been advised that there are some roadworks scheduled along the Hanmer bus route for Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. This may cause delays for the bus both on the trip to school in the morning and the return to Hanmer in the afternoon.
With thanks,
Matt Barlow
Principal

This is a reminder regarding the external exams scheduled for Thursday, 14th November. Please note that this day has been designated as a Teacher Only Day, meaning that there will be no regular classes, and school buses will not be operating.
Despite this, all external exams will proceed as scheduled. It is essential for students sitting exams on this day to make alternative transport arrangements to ensure timely arrival at school. We ask parents and whānau to kindly assist in getting students to and from school for their exams.
The exam schedule for 14th November is as follows:
Morning Session (9:30 a.m. start): Level 1 Agriculture
Level 3 Statistics
Afternoon Session (2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Level 1 History
Level 3 Accounting

Please ensure students arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled exam time to allow for check-in and preparation.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We appreciate your support in ensuring students are well-prepared and on time for their assessments.

Dear parents / whānau 
 
I am writing to outline a change for our end of year prize-giving ceremonies. As many of you know we have continued to grow as a school. This is positive; however, it creates an issue of space, especially in our gymnasium when we include all students, staff, whānau and community members. We want everyone to be able to attend this occasion without putting pressure on the space that is available. 
 
In light of this we are planning to hold two separate events as follows: 
 
Thursday 12th December 1:30-3:00pm 
Year 1-8 Prizegiving Ceremony. 
Year 9 and 10 students will attend this ceremony unless they are picked up by parents at 1:20pm on this day.  
School buses will run as normal at 3:10pm. 
 
Friday 13th December: 10:30am-12:00pm 
Year 9-13 Prize Giving Ceremony 
Year 1-8 students are not required to be at school; however, supervision will be provided if you need to send your child to school. Please let the office know if this is the case. 
Any year 1-8 students who are at school will attend the Year 9-13 Prizegiving ceremony. You are welcome to bring your younger children to the Year 9-13 ceremony. 
Buses will operate as normal in the morning and then leave at the completion of the ceremony (approx. 12:15pm not at 3:10pm) 
 
Both events are school events and students are expected to attend their respective ceremonies. We also ask that students in attendance wear their school uniforms.  
 
Thank you for your support and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of many of our students at these events.  
 
Yours sincerely  
 
Matt Barlow 
Principal  

Amuri Area School has changed back to the ANZ Bank. Please ensure that you use account number 01-0877-0150099-00 for all school related payments from 1st November 2024.
If you have any queries, please phone the office or email accounts@amuri.school.nz
Thank you

We have just been advised that there are tickets available for the Christchurch Choir Festival tonight. You can get them online through Ticketek.co.nz or calling the Christchurch Town Hall.

PTA Meeting

Tuesday 12th November

7:00pm in the staffroom

Come along and be part of making our school even greater. We would love to see some new faces.

Our school is participating in the Ministry of Education’s phonics check trial. More than 75 schools across the country have agreed to try out a new phonics check assessment in class to help make sure it is fit for purpose before it is introduced to all schools in 2025.
Children in Year 1 and 2 who have been at school for a specified number of weeks have been identified to participate in the trial. Parents of these children will be notified directly. If you have questions about the trial, please talk to your child’s teacher or email enquiries.national@education.govt.nz

Tennis Championships are starting up tomorrow (Wednesday) so remember to bring your gear to school. Thanks

A reminder that tomorrow (Wednesday) is the final day to earn hours for this year. Please make sure you return your passports and any of the learning books you have completed so they can be marked. The hours have to be submitted by Thursday the 17th October. Thanks

Due to unforseen circumstances, the Leslie Hills bus will not be running this morning. Parents will need to bring their students into school. Will keep you updated as to whether it will be running this afternoon. Go Bus apologises for this inconvenience. 

Kia ora, Go bus has advised that the buses will run this morning, however, they will only run as far as is safe so they may not be able to complete full runs. Please check for any further updates here between now and 7:30am and we will use the school app..

1. To finish the Cultural week festivities, tomorrow (Friday) is a 'free' mufti day and we encourage you to wear something that is a reflection of your culture.
2. If you are bringing along a dish for the 'shared lunch', please bring it to the Food Room first thing Friday morning.
3. Form Class 'World Map' challenge- bring your completed map to Room 15 at the end of form time, Friday morning.
4. The last day to submit your entries for the Colouring Competition is Friday. Take these to the school office, make sure that your name and age is on your entry.

The lights are on and the stage is set for the Wearable Arts and Talent Show tonight, starting at 6:30pm. Ticket sales are available at the door, price is $5.00 per person, free entry for under 10 year olds.
Please note that there has been a time change for when performers and models are expected to arrive at school:
5:00pm for Talent Show performers
6:00pm for Wearable Art models.
Come along and prepare to be WOW'd!!

Dear Parents
The weather is supposed to turn tomorrow afternoon (One forecast says 2pm and the other later in the afternoon around 5pm). At this stage we plan to run the cross country according to the current plan, assembling at 1:50pm (bring a warm jacket!). However, we will review the weather tomorrow morning and may shift it to a slightly earlier start – 12:20 assemble, hold the event, have lunch and then a normal period 5.
We will let you know tomorrow morning if we do decide to shift it earlier.
Thanks for your understanding
Naku noa nā
Matt Barlow
Tumuaki (Principal)
Amuri Area School
Kia kitea toikaka – nothing but the best

Our upcoming school cross country event is this THURSDAY 16 May. Details below. (note change of time from original publication). 
A reminder all our school events are advertised in the calendar space in our school newsletter in each publication.
When:
Thursday May 16 (pp day Thursday May 23)
Time:
1.50pm:
Where:
Entire school assembles at Rugby Clubrooms
What to wear?
All students are allowed to wear Whanau colours to school this day. All students who run or walk the cross country will be allocated the following points for their Whanau as they cross the finish line.
15points for a full kit of Whanau colour
10pts for 2 pieces of Whanau colour
5pts for 1 piece of whanau colour.
The AAS red/black shirt is NOT counted as a piece of Whanau colour clothing. Get creative and we look forward to seeing the array of yellow, red and green colours 🙂
Race start times:
These are all approximate times depending on how long it takes everyone to get assembled into correct race groups.
Seniors: Year 7-13's
2.00pm: Championship Yr7-13's boys and girls
2.05pm: Fun Run O15's boys and girls
2.10pm: Fun Run U15's boys and girls
2.15pm: Fun Run Yr7/8's

Juniors: Year 1-6's
2.10pm: Year 1's
2.15pm: Year 2's
2.20pm: Year 3/4's
2.25pm: Year 5/6's

Parents welcome 🙂

Kia Ora parents/caregivers

Just to let you know that the Hanmer Bus passed by an accident on the way home where the traffic was down to one lane. The bus may be slightly delayed. We are unsure what children may have seen and wanted to make you aware of this in case they were feeling unsettled or upset.

Kind regards

Matt Barlow
Principal

Dear parents, caregivers, students, and whānau

An opportunity has arisen for us to change the postponement date of our senior athletics from Tuesday 12th March to Thursday 29th February (tomorrow). Changing the date will allow us to:
- Have certainty with the weather an avoid a cancellation all-together.
- Make use of the field, which is already prepared, rather than having to prepare it again in 2 weeks’ time.
- Ensure another Tuesday isn’t lost for learning for senior classes.
- Have more time to finalise entries for Combined Country High Schools and Canterbury athletics champs.
After some careful thought and have decided that we will run the postponement day tomorrow (Thursday 29th Feb). We hope that you are able to come along to watch the students competing. The programme that was posted on our Facebook page will be followed and the coffee cart will be on site during the event. We look forward to seeing students dressed in their house colours and participating fully to earn points for their houses.
We appreciate your understanding and support of this decision,
Matt Barlow
Principal

Kia ora koutou
The weather forecast is looking questionable (drizzly rain and south-west winds) for our senior athletics event tomorrow. We will make a final call by 7:00am tomorrow morning and let everyone know via our Facebook page and the school App. It is hard to know if the rain will eventuate and we want to give the event every opportunity to be able to go ahead. Students should come to school prepared for either athletics or classes depending on the final decision.
Thanks in advance!
Matt Barlow
Principal

Here is the programme for Senior Athletics on Wednesday 28th February, commencing at 9:00am. Come along and grab a coffee from Pam's Coffee Cart and watch the events.

Swimming sports is on today from 9:15am. Attached is a programme for your information. Come on down and grab a coffee while you watch the event.

Due to a shortage of bus drivers, the Balmoral and Pahau buses will be combining on Monday and Thursday afternoons next week. The Balmoral kids will be dropped off first then the Pahau kids. GoBus apologises for this inconvenience. 

Good afternoon
If you are wondering where to access stationery lists for 2024, please click on this link which will take you to our website and there you will find all year groups.
https://amuri.school.nz/a/KHD694o
Remember that all stationery can be purchased from the school.

Due to a printer malfunction last week, students in Rooms 1-4 missed out on receiving their copy of the annual school magazine. If you would like a copy, please collect from the office before 4pm this Thursday or from the 22nd January onwards.

Balmoral & Pahau buses combining Thursday afternoon. Pahau kids will be dropped off first then Balmoral kids.