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ECS Update Term 1, Week 9 – Friday 27th March 2026
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Kia ora e te whānau,
As we move towards the final week of term one, we also find ourselves just a week out from Easter. A significant point in both our school calendar and our shared Christian faith. The busyness of finishing well, completing learning, and preparing for a break sits alongside an invitation to pause and remember.
Easter reminds us of the heart of our faith: that through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we see both the depth of God’s love and the hope we have in Him. In the middle of full classrooms, events, and end-of-term routines, it is worth holding onto this truth, that our hope is not found in how much we achieve, but in what Christ has already done. As we read in 1 Peter 1:3, we have been given “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
My prayer is that as we head toward the end of term, there will be moments for both our students and families to reflect, to rest, and to be reminded again of the hope and new life that Easter brings.
Ngā mihi nui,
Alistair McKinnon
Principal
Emmanuel Christian School
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This Email contains information about:
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- Important Dates
- Māori and Pacific Whanau Hui
- Easter Service
- Attendance and Lateness
- Shredders Wanted for Term 2
- Free period products
- School Holiday Art Classes
- Yr 5 – Yr 8 Music Festival
- KiwiSchools Connect App
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Thursday 2nd April – Last Day of Term 1
Monday 20th April – First Day of Term 2
Monday 27th April – ANZAC Day observed
Wednesday 29 April– Māori and Pacific Whanau Hui
Monday 1st June – King’s Birthday
Friday 29th May – Teacher Only Day
(The School Calendar including 2026 Term dates can be found here)
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Māori and Pacific Whanau Hui
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For all of our Māori and Pacific Whanau we would like to invite you to a hui on the evenning of Wednesday 29th April. This is a great change to be together and to share and plan as we look to how we can support your whanau as a school community.
More details will be available over the coming weeks.
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You are welcome to join us for our Easter Services in the School Hall on Thursday morning:
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9:30am H1/2, K1, K3, R1, R3, T1, T3
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11:05 H3, K2, K2, R2, T2, T4
Senior Choir and Junior Choir will be singing. Our worship will be accompanied by a group of our musicians.
Please join us as we celebrate through worship what Jesus has done for everybody who believes in Him!
John 14:6 Jesus said, “I AM The Way, The Truth and The Life.’
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School attendance plays an important role in both academic progress and maintaining strong social connections within the life of the school.
We recognise that there are legitimate reasons for absence, particularly when students are unwell. At the same time, regular attendance provides the best opportunity for students to engage fully in their learning and to be part of the classroom community.
Under the Education and Training Act 2020, parents and caregivers are legally required to ensure their child attends school each day it is open during term time.
If you would like support with your child’s attendance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we are here to work alongside you.
It is also important that students arrive at school on time. When students are late, they miss key parts of the day’s learning and their arrival can disrupt the flow of the class. Our school day begins at 8:50am, and we encourage students to arrive by 8:40am where possible. For safety reasons, please avoid students arriving before 8:20am.
As a Christian school, we are reminded of the value of faithfulness in the small, everyday habits of life. As Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Regular attendance and punctuality are simple but important ways we help students grow in responsibility, diligence, and community.
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Shredders wanted for Term 2
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Where? Dove Bookshop, Bishopdale Mall
When? 3:00 – 4:00, once a week (or two pairs, once a fortnight)
Who? 2 or 4 students (Y7 – 10)
What? Shredding old, damaged or unwanted paperbacks at the shop
Why? Our students volunteer to help in this way; in return we get a substantial financial donation to our school library plus, each time, three free books of their own choosing to keep.
If this might work for your family, please contact me for further info. If your child has volunteered before, and wishes to do so again, they would be very welcome!
Make a pair and volunteer!
Thanks
Nicki Davison nicki@emmanuelchristian.school.nz
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We have free period products available, provided by the Period Products in School Initiative Ikura | Manaakiti te whare tangata.
These are available to all students who need them, for both school and home use. We have a range of individual products available in the senior changing room and full packs in the Sickbay (in the drawers) and girls may come and help themselves to these products at any time. They can take just the items they need or they can take multiple packs home.
Please let your daughters know about these products and ensure they stock up on enough packs to see them through the school holidays.
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School Holiday Art Classes
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Music Festival – Years 5-8
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Our choir is excited to be part of the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival this year.
The Festival is still looking for more applications to audition for one of the Representative groups. They are looking for the best singers for the Junior Choir (Yr 5 & 6) and Senior Choir (Yr 7 & 8), and for talented musicians (Grade 3 equivalent and above) to audition for the Orchestra and Concert Band.
The audition process takes only 5 minutes and each student is auditioned individually. Information on what is required in the audition is on our website.
The Representative groups are on stage in the Christchurch Town Hall for every performance of the Festival (4 nights). With more than a thousand people in the audience and 900 children in the choir stalls watching every night, it is an amazing experience they will never forget.
To find out more information or to register your child click here:
https://musicfestival.school.nz/representative-group-information/joining-a-representative-group/
Be quick, registrations close 01 April. For Years 5-8 students only.
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For those who are unaware, Emmanuel Christian School has a Mobile App for access by the school community. To download the app click this link (or use the QR Code): link
We are aware that there was previously an issue for android users and this has now been rectified.
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This App allows school:
· Student Absences – this is our preferred method for notifying absences – it’s easy for you to use.
· Communications – school communications all in one spot at one time and you can be connected at all times.
· Calendar – links to our school calendar.
· Links – to our newsletter and school website.
· Alerts – The app also allows us to send out an Alert really promptly if something is happening at school that you need to know about urgently.
We encourage parents to download the app today to stay up to date with what is happening in and around the school.
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