Newsletter Week 10 Term 2

Hastings Christian School

24 June 2026

From the Principal

The teaching staff have recently been busy writing progress reports that will be coming home to you by the end of the term. I have been checking some of these reports and have been impressed by the depth of insights the teachers have about your child. The way they have both celebrated progress and provided helpful next steps has demonstrated the time and effort they have put in to ensure that you as parents have an accurate understanding of your child’s strengths and how they can continue to progress.

When it comes to parenting, sadly many people have a very negative view of the different ages and stages that we go through with our children. I recently read this sobering reminder of a much more healthy way of viewing these stages. The following comes from Brant Hansen’s book, ‘The Men we Need.’

Parenting gets a bad rap in pop culture. Even in conversations when my wife and I first found out we were expecting, I kept hearing about how hard it was going to be, how aggravating the kid would be, how this next season of life was sure to be awful. Here’s how it usually goes down, and I share this from experience.

Your wife is expecting. “This is going to be pretty exciting,” you say. They say, “You just wait.” You just wait, because you won’t be getting any sleep once that baby’s born. It’s all over. It gets harder. It gets worse. Your baby is fun. You think it’s hilarious how he’s amused by one particular stuffed dog above all other toys. They say, “You just wait.” Just wait, because when that kid is toddling around, pulling down the curtains and getting into stuff, you can’t look away for a second. It gets harder. It gets worse. Your toddler is a blast. Everything is new and wonderful to her, from puppies to repeatedly crashing towers of blocks. She laughs all the time and wants you to “Do it again!” They say, “You just wait.” Just wait, because when your kid starts really talking, you’ll get tired of that sassy mouth. You’ll wish she was still a year old. It gets harder. It gets worse. Your elementary-age kid is an absolute joy. You can take him swimming, play catch with him, and teach him hilarious end-zone dances to amuse your friends.

They say, “You just wait.” Just wait until he’s a teenager, because he’ll learn how much he doesn’t like you and won’t want to have anything to do with you no matter what. He’ll eat everything, and you’ll get tired of him and want him out of the house as soon as possible. It gets harder. It gets worse. Your teenager is fascinating. You can’t get enough of him. He makes you laugh because, well, you saddled him with your exact sense of humor. You get to play video games with him. He beats you at chess, sometimes twenty times in a row. He fills your home with music, first with a screeching sound that, months later, becomes recognizably melodic, and then with the sweetness of Bach on violin. He mows the lawn—not always happily, but he does it. You catch him listening to your favorite bands in his room. He says things that you never thought about before. He grows taller than you. They say, “You just wait.” Just wait until he moves away, because your heart will break in two. And for once, for the very first time ever . . . They’re right.

Gavin Clark

Principal

New Families Afternoon Tea

Tomorrow we have a number of new entrant students and their families coming for school visits. These families are warmly invited to come to meet with Mr Clark at 1:45pm in the staffroom. We encourage you to take the time to come along to meet some of the other new families whose children will be starting at HCS during the second half of the year.

Praise Night - Thursday 2nd July

Primary Cross Country

We are exploring the possibility of holding our primary school cross country event on a farm, reserve, or area of natural terrain and would love to hear from anyone in our school community who may be able to help.

We are looking for a venue within approximately 15–20 minutes of school that could accommodate a cross country course ranging from 1.5 km to 3 km. Ideally, the course would include natural features such as hills, paddocks, tracks, or open terrain.

If you own or have access to a suitable property, or know of a reserve, park, or contact who may be willing to help, we would love to hear from you.

Please get in touch with Mr Jon Marinus (j.marinus@hcs.school.nz) or Mrs Nadia Saathof (n.saathof@hcs.school.nz) if you think you may be able to help.

Attendance Dues

Attendance Dues: Invoices for the Term 3 attendance dues are due for full payment by 13 July. Please contact Alida if you have any questions regarding this. hbay.csa@gmail.com

Contact details: a reminder that if your email, phone number or postal address has changed recently, then please update your details with Jo Ward jo.ward@hcs.school.nz or Alida Donk hbay.csa@gmail.com

Fia Fia Night

Kia ora whānau,

As we continue planning for our upcoming Fiafia Night on Thursday 23 July at 6pm, we are now asking families who wish to contribute a performance or bring kai to please sign up using the separate form.

Please note that sign-ups for performances and kai will close on Friday 4 July (the last day of Term 2). This deadline is important as it allows us time to finalise the programme, coordinate performances, and organise food contributions in preparation for the evening.

Ngā mihi nui,
Whaea Marie

Fiafia Night Participation Form:

FiaFia Night Attendance - Please join us

Kia ora e te whānau, all are invited to come along to our Fiafia night, regardless of whether you are performing or bringing kai. We are now gathering attendance numbers for the evening.

Please complete the short form below to let us know if you and your whānau will be attending. This information is important as it allows us to plan appropriately, including ensuring we have adequate seating available and can prepare well for the number of guests on the night.

Ngā mihi nui, Whaea Marie

FiaFia Attendance

B1 Worm Farm

B1 has been learning about waste and where our rubbish goes. As part of this learning, the class visited Ōmarunui Landfill to discover what belongs in landfill, what can be recycled, and what can be composted. They were surprised to learn that 41% of our waste is food waste. Challenged by this, the students have created a worm farm to help manage food scraps from our primary school and reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill.