May 2026 Edition

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Newsletter Week 4 Term 2

Hastings Christian School

13 May 2026

From the Principal

The Power of Positive Parent Partnership

I’m a sucker for articles that use alliteration in their titles. I guess that comes from the number of sermons I’ve heard over the years that use this literary device! So, when I saw the heading "The Power of Positive Parent Partnership," my interest was immediately piqued.

The article appeared in the Australian Christian Education National (CEN) magazine, Nurture. Our New Zealand Christian schools enjoy a great relationship with this organisation. Every quarter, they publish a magazine that primarily focuses on strengthening the bond between home and school. Other articles in this edition included: "Parent Partnership is the Essence of our Schools," "Home, Church, School: An Idealistic Vision?" and "Growing Together: Strengthening our Partnership with Parents."

The theme and content of this article were brought home to me even more forcefully given that we are right in the middle of the parent-teacher interview season. The piece was written by Stephen Munyard, the Principal of Bayside Christian College in Melbourne.

I would suggest that every Christian school across the globe espouses the importance of home and school partnering together. I have spoken about this many times myself—but what does this actually mean in practical terms? Steven helpfully gave his top 10 tips (more alliteration!). I have adapted them below:

Assume positive intent: As parents, we often get things wrong. Similarly, teachers may not always get things perfect. However, you can be confident that your child’s teacher has their best interests at heart. Starting any conversation with that mindset is critical.

Listen to understand: When dealing with an issue involving your child, teachers usually have a well-rounded understanding of the situation, having spoken with everyone involved. Taking time to listen carefully and seeking to understand the school's perspective before responding is essential. As parents, we are naturally biased and typically see things only from our child’s perspective.

Use respectful language: Even when emotions are high, calm and respectful dialogue keeps conversations productive. This expectation applies to our staff as well.

Model positive partnerships: It is vital that both home and school speak positively and respectfully about the other party in front of the children. This models what healthy partnerships look like. This doesn’t mean you will always agree with school decisions, but affirming teachers in your child’s presence has a powerful impact on their sense of security and well-being.

Support school processes: Follow the school’s communication channels, policies, and procedures. This promotes fairness, clarity, and shared understanding.

Celebrate the positives: Like you, teachers value support and encouragement. Take time to thank them when you notice something great happening; it makes a huge difference!

Partner in problem-solving: When challenges arise, children thrive when they see their parents and teachers working as a team to support them.

Encourage your child’s responsibility: Teachers strive for independence and resilience in students. Support your child by helping them navigate challenges rather than solving every problem for them.

Pray for our school community: As a Christian community, let’s commit to praying for one another, asking God for wisdom, unity, and grace in all relationships. Supporting young people through these formative years is no easy task, but we are on this mission together.

Share feedback constructively: When offering feedback, focus on solutions and be open to honest, respectful conversation. Reserve emails for sharing information—not for resolving conflict! (Having been drawn into too many back-and-forth emails myself over the years, I cannot endorse this point enough.)

Stephen concluded by saying, "When we engage with humility, respect, and a shared sense of purpose, we help cultivate a culture where students feel safe, valued, and ready to learn." (Stephen acknowledged that these ideas were inspired by the Raising Children Network.)

If you’d like to read any of the articles I mentioned, or browse through other CEN publications, please feel free to check out the stand in the office foyer or the staffroom. You are most welcome to borrow these at any time.

Gavin Clark

Principal

Parent Teacher Meetings

Thank you to all those who attended parent teacher meetings across the primary and secondary school over the past three weeks. It is such an encouragement to us to see the high level of engagement from our parent community in this process.

Safety while walking to/from school

If your children walk or bike to/from school, please remind them regularly about being mindful of recognising unsafe behaviors of people around them. NZ Police are emphasising proactive situational awareness. Here are some safety tips:

Buddy Up: Whenever possible, walk in groups or pairs.
Focus on Behaviour: Teach kids to recognise, avoid, and report uncomfortable or unsafe actions, regardless of who is doing them.
Don't Engage: Teach kids that they are not required to be "polite" if they feel uncomfortable. It is okay to ignore strangers and keep walking.
Report Incidents: Suspicious approaches should be reported immediately to police

Lateness

Just a reminder that school starts at 8.40am each morning and it is important that students are on time, ready, and prepared for the school day. We have a number of students being dropped off or arriving after the 8.40am bell in the morning which means that they are late to class. We really appreciate your support with this so that we can set your child up for better success with their learning.

Terms Notice for Withdrawal

As we continue planning for staffing, class placements, and resources for upcoming terms, we kindly remind all families that one full term’s notice is required if you intend to withdraw your child from school.

If your family is considering a change of school, moving away, or any other circumstance that may affect your child’s enrolment, please notify the Enrolment Officer (enrol@hcs.school.nz) in writing as early as possible - even if still in the planning stages.

Where less than one term’s notice is given, families may still be responsible for fees or charges in lieu of notice, in accordance with the school’s enrolment agreement.

Conveyance Allowance

This is a Ministry of Education (MoE) payment provided to help parents or caregivers cover the cost of transporting their children to school when a school bus service is unavailable or the student lives a certain distance from school.

Eligibility Criteria - To qualify for conveyance allowance, students must meet all four eligibility criteria:

They are attending their closest state or state-integrated school.
They live at least 3.2 km (for Years 1-8) or 4.8 km (for Years 9-13) from the school.
There are no suitable public transport options.
There is either no school bus available, or they live more than 2.4 kilometres from the nearest school bus route.

To find out more or to see if you are eligable, please go click this link: Conveyance Allowance

Life Education Caravan

Next week the Life Education Caravan will be here at school. Primary classes will all get the opportunity to visit the caravan during the week.

House Event

Kia ora whānau, We are excited to share details of our upcoming whole school house event, Medieval Mayhem, taking place on:

Tuesday 26 May at 1:00pm

This is a high energy, rotation style event involving students from Year 1 to 13, where they will compete in mixed year level house teams across a range of fun, medieval themed challenges.

What students can expect:
Students will rotate through activities such as Dungeon Crawl, Joust a Plaisance, Capture the King, Trebuchet Target, Robin Hood, Castle Building, and more. The focus is on participation, teamwork, and building house spirit.

What students need to do:

Dress up in a medieval or renaissance costume or wear their house colours
Come ready to participate, encourage others, and represent their house with pride

House colours:

Mako – Blue
Kahu – Yellow
Maunga – Black
Harakeke – Red
Toki – Green

House events are always a highlight of the term, and we are looking forward to seeing strong participation and great house spirit across the school.

Student Podcast

Some of our secondary students have started a podcast to keep the HCS community up to date on some of the happenings around the school.

Here is this week's episode - Take a listen!

The Vine - Student Podcast

RYDA Programme

Following the success of the recent RYDA Programme with our Year 12 students, the same organisation would love to extend their support to you as parents and caregivers. This is a valuable opportunity to build your confidence in supporting your teenager through their driving journey. We encourage you to make the most of this free community event:

Teaching Your Teenager to Drive – Parent Evening

McLean Park - 14 May 2026 5:45 PM - 7 PM

This practical and engaging session will help you to:

• Understand how the teenage brain impacts driving decisions
• Recognise key risk factors for young drivers
• Learn simple, effective strategies for coaching a learner driver
• Support your teenager’s transition to independent driving
• Work alongside driving instructors with clarity and purpose

This is a free event, but registration is required. You can secure your place here:
https://dc_napier_2026.eventbrite.co.nz/

We would love to see as many of our families as possible take advantage of this opportunity. Even attending alongside your teenager could make a real difference to their safety and confidence on the road.