ECS Update Term 3, Week 6 – Friday 22 August

ECS Update Term 3, Week 6 – Friday 22 August

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done.” (Psalm 105:1)

This psalm calls us to give thanks, remember God’s goodness, and celebrate His work among the nations. What a joy it is to be part of a school community where so many cultures are represented, each reflecting God’s creativity and love. As we look forward to our Cultural Day on Wednesday, let’s take the opportunity to recognise and value the different backgrounds that make up our school family, giving thanks for the richness they bring. Together, we proclaim God’s faithfulness and rejoice in the stories He is writing in each of our lives.

Blessings,
Alistair

This newsletter contains information on the following:

• Important Dates
• School Board Elections
• Paid Union Meeting – Early Finish Monday 25th August
• 2026 Enrolments – applications close Today 22nd August
• No dogs on school grounds
• Secondhand Uniform Sale
• Tonga Language Week
• Cantamath Competition 2025
• Rolleston Christian School Spring Fair

Important Dates

Monday 25th August – Early finish (12:30)

Wednesday 27th August – Cultural Day

Friday 19th September – Last day of Term 3

Monday 6th October – First day of Term 4

Friday 12th December – Last day of Term 4

(The School Calendar including 2025 Term dates can be found here)

School Board Election

Update on School Board Election Process
Thank you to all who have been praying for the School Board election process. We’re pleased to share that several nominations have been received. Thank you to those who have put their names forward—it’s encouraging to see such strong interest and support from our school community.

This week you should have received an email with instructions re voting and information reguarding our 4 nominations.  A copy of the candidate statements is also attached to this email.

We encourage you to continue praying for this process, and to seek God’s guidance as you consider who to vote for. Voting will close at 4pm on Wednesday 10th September.

Paid Union Meeting – Early Finish Monday 25th August

Over the past few months, the NZ Education Unions have been renegotiating employment contracts that affect all school staff. This morning we received formal notification that NZEI will be holding a series of union meetings for its members.
As a result, this will impact our staffing on Monday 25th August.

We kindly ask that, where possible, students are collected at 12:30pm (the beginning of lunchtime) on Monday 25th August.

A number of staff will remain on site in the afternoon, and we will provide supervision for students who are unable to be collected early. Supervision will be available until the usual end of the school day.

If your child(ren) will require supervision please fill in this form:

Supervision Request Form

Thank you for your understanding and support

2026 Enrolments – applications close 22nd August

Attention all parents! Are you thinking of enrolling your child at Emmanuel Christian School for 2026? Enrolments for all year levels are now open, but it’s essential to note that the deadline for applications is Today, Friday 22nd August 2025. Visit our website at https://www.emmanuelchristian.school.nz/enrolment/ to access all the necessary information and submit your application. Take the first step towards giving your child a strong Christ centred education.

This includes applications for any children turning 5 during the 2026 School year.  

No dogs on school property

Just a reminder that dogs are not allowed on school property.  Please leave dogs in the car when you come to drop off or pick up your children.  If you walk to school with dogs please drop off and pick up your child at the gate.

Secondhand Uniform Sale

The fundraising committee are going to run a second-hand uniform sale over two days in Week 9 on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th September. 

More details will be given closer to the time but for now please make note of those dates on your calendar as this will be a great opportunity to purchase some uniform items for your children.

If you have any uniform items you would like to donate to the fundraising committee these can be dropped off at the Office.  Please ensure all donated items are clean and in good condition.

The fundraising committee have been working steadily this year to raise funds for a new playground.  They have run a sausage sizzle, done some catering and run exercise classes which so far has raised just under $3000!  All funds raised through the secondhand uniform sale will also be going toward a new playground.

Tonga Language Week 2025

Mālō e lelei!

This week we are celebrating Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga (Tongan Language Week). It has been so special to see our Tongan ākonga arriving at school dressed proudly in their cultural attire.

As part of our celebrations, our beautiful young Tongan ākonga taught us to sing and dance to the Tongan children worship song Malimali mai during Junior assembly. It was such a joy to see their confidence and pride shine through, and even more special to share this moment with our Tongan whānau who joined us today.

Mālō ‘aupito to our Tongan whānau for celebrating with us and supporting our tamariki.

Cantamath Team Competition 2025

We had the privilege of entering 5 teams into the Cantamath Team Competition held on Wednesday 20th August at the Wolfbrook Arena. This consisted of teams of up to 4, having to answer 20 questions in 30mins. One of the team members had to be the runner, where their job was to run their answer to the marker to get it checked. 

The results for each team were:

Year 7 team – 75 points out of a possible 100

Year 8 team – 70 points

Year 9 team – 40 points

Year 10 team 1 – 15 points

Year 10 team 2 – 25 points

All the teams did an incredible job and really worked cohesively. 

Also, shout out to Anna from Year 10 for participating in Cantamaths every year since she was year 7.

Rolleston Christian School Spring Fair