September 2026 Edition

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Newsletter Week 10 Term 3

Hastings Christian School

23 September 2026

From the Principal

Learning and Growing Through 'Creation Connect'

At Hastings Christian School, we are constantly seeking ways to nourish the diverse gifts, talents, and learning needs of our students. This year, we have again been blessed to run the inspiring alternative education programme called ‘Creation Connect’—a practical, hands-on initiative tailored for students who thrive outside the traditional classroom setting.

Every Friday, Liz Wilson and Ruth Harrison take a group of ten students out to Stoney Creek Ranch for a full day on the farm. In Liz’ own words, “It has been an absolute joy to watch these children grow in confidence, both in their social relationships and in outdoor activities. Students who started the term barely knowing one another have formed deep friendships—encouraging each other along the way, learning to work as a team, and even collaborating on bivouac and hut-building projects. We have seen wonderful personal milestones, including students who were initially terrified of animals growing to confidently call over and pat the farm dogs.”

A typical day at Creation Connect is action-packed. The students check on the livestock, hand-feed three-day-old calves, hunt for bugs, explore and swim in the creek (in the warmer months), and use hammers, nails, and timber offcuts to build bird boxes.

Looking ahead to next term, Liz said they are excited to introduce a dedicated planting module that will run for an hour and a half each Friday. Each child will receive their own bucket to plant seed potatoes, with the goal of taking them home to enjoy fresh new potatoes on Christmas Day! They will also be planting lettuce and other vegetables. Through this, the aim is to teach the children the satisfaction of planting a seed, caring for it, and harvesting their own food, all while reflecting on God’s hand in creation and what causes life to flourish.

Creation Connect offers far more than just practical skills; it teaches empathy, teamwork, and social connection, showing our young people how to love and appreciate one another with all our unique personalities and quirks. Plans are already underway for another fun-filled programme next year, and we look forward to sharing those plans with you once finalised.

Blessing Our Local Community: A Special Outreach

In addition to our school’s Friday programme, Liz Wilson has plans to support our wider Hawke's Bay community. Next term, Stoney Creek Ranch is offering a completely free camp to a local low-decile state school that has been through a particularly challenging time. The Principal of the school was overwhelmed with gratitude at this opportunity.

As a school community, we would love to surround this camp with practical support. We are looking to assist by helping provide food for the camp to help bless these students and staff during their stay. Keep an eye out for further details on how you can contribute baking, non-perishable food items, or support toward this initiative in the coming weeks.

Please be encouraged to pray for both Creation Connect and this outreach opportunity!

Gavin Clark

Principal

School photos and Keycodes

School photos are ready for ordering online via Photolife. Keycodes have been sent via email from Photolife. Please ensure you check your junk, spam, or promotions folders, in case the message is filtered. Free delivery applies to orders placed before midnight on Sunday, 27 September 2026.

Pizza Lunch this Friday

This Friday the boy's volleyball team will be selling pizzas for lunch (in place of the regular Home & School pizzas). Please support them with their fundraising efforts. Students can order before school outside the staffroom.

Also - thank you for your support of the mufti day last week. $350 was raised to help the boys on their way to volleyball nationals.

Primary Swimming

Swimming lessons for primary classes will begin next term at the Regional Aquatic Centre. Students will travel on bus to the pool at various times during the day each Friday. The dates are below - keep an eye out for more details from your child's teacher next term.
Fridays - 16 Oct , 30 Oct, 6 Nov , 13 Nov , 20 Nov , 27 Nov , Mon 30 Nov, 4 Dec

Formal Tickets

Senior Formal tickets are now on sale - $80 per ticket. Payment is required by Friday 25th of September. The tickets will be issued first thing next term. Students can pay cash to the office or deposit money to the school bank account HCS Board 12-3439-0013004-01.

Health Notice

We have had a case of Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) at school in a junior class last week. This is a mild, contagious viral infection common in children that lasts about 3 to 7 days. Key symptoms to keep an eye out for are:

Mouth sores: Painful red blisters or ulcers on the tongue, gums, and inside the cheeks.
Rash/Blisters: Flat red spots or blisters on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and sometimes the buttocks or legs.
General signs: Fever, sore throat, tiredness, and poor appetite.
Stay home: Keep your child home from school until their fever is gone and all blisters have completely dried.

House Picnic - Rain couldn't stop us!

Last Friday lunchtime, students from Years 1 to 13 came together for one of life’s simple pleasures: sitting down, sharing food, and enjoying each other’s company.

Our House Leaders had carefully planned an outdoor picnic. The weather, however, had other ideas. As the rain came down, each House quickly shifted indoors, trading picnic blankets and open spaces for warm, cosy rooms and a slightly more “close-knit” picnic experience.

The change of plans did little to dampen spirits. Students adapted brilliantly, found a spot, unpacked their lunches and settled in together. It was especially great to see our senior students engaging with younger students, teachers joining their Houses, and conversations happening across year levels that might not normally cross paths during the school day.

Sometimes the best events are the simplest ones. No competition, no points to chase, just time to gather, eat and enjoy being together.

A big thank you to our House Leaders for the preparation they put into the event, and to everyone who helped make the last-minute indoor version work so well.

We’re looking forward to more opportunities like this to build whanaungatanga across our school community.

Praise Night

Thank you to our music prefects for organising an uplifting and heart-filled Praise Night last Thursday. This event created a wonderful space for our community to gather, reflect, and praise our God together.

HB Cross Country Champs

Huge congratulations to our Primary students who competed in the Hawke’s Bay Cross Country Championships! You all gave it your absolute best and made our school incredibly proud.

Support Our Volleyball Team on Their Journey to Nationals

Our school volleyball team is heading to Nationals in November this year, and we are seeking support from local businesses and members of our school community.

Sponsorship will help reduce the cost of transport, accommodation, tournament fees and other essential expenses, making this wonderful experience more affordable for our players and their families.

We are offering the following sponsorship options:

$750 – Major Sponsor: A large logo on the front of the team’s warm-up shirts
$500 – Supporting Sponsor: A logo on the back of the shirts, with space available for four sponsors
$200 – Sleeve Sponsor: A logo displayed on a shirt sleeve

Sponsors will also receive recognition and advertising in the school newsletter, along with the opportunity for a business profile or feature in a future newsletter.

The boys will wear their sponsored shirts throughout the Term 4 volleyball season as well as at Nationals, providing valuable exposure for the businesses supporting them.

We would also be extremely grateful for any businesses, families or members of our community who would simply like to make a donation towards the team. Every contribution, regardless of its size, will help.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our boys to represent and promote our school, demonstrating what a small school like ours can achieve on a national stage. We also hope their journey will blaze a trail for future school volleyball teams and inspire our younger players to keep going and set their sights on achieving the same.

All sponsorship payments will be invoiced through the school and treated as marketing and advertising.

If your business would like to sponsor or donate to the team, please contact Kelly Fenwick at kelfenwick@gmail.com or 021 081 52254.

Thank you for helping our boys represent our school at Nationals!