ECS Update Term 2, Week 4 – Friday 15th May 2026

ECS Update Term 2, Week 4 – Friday 15th May 2026

This Email contains information about:

• Important Dates
• Te kupu o te wiki – Word of the week
• Important Reminder re: allergies
• Parent Event – Answering Tough Questions in the Home
• Teacher Only Day 29 May and Early class finish Wednesday 3rd June
• School Board Update
• Notice from Public Health Nurse
• Baking Paper – Clingwrap – Tinfoil – Ziplock Bags – Bin Bags Fundraiser
• Scholastic Book Club Orders
• Ezlunch Orders

Important dates

Monday 18th May – Collect fundraiser orders

Friday 29th May – Teacher Only Day

Monday 1st June – King’s Birthday 

Wednesday 3rd June – Early finish (2:15pm)

Wednesday 3rd June -Combined Christian School’s Parents Night.

Wednesday 10th June – School Photo Day

(The School Calendar including 2026 Term dates can be found here)

Te kupu o te wiki – Word of the week

This week’s te reo Māori word of the week.

We would encourage you to try to use these at home.

This weeks word is:  Mīharo! – (Incredible!)

Important Reminder: re allergies

The ECS team want to respectfully remind you all that we have a number of students with allergies and that we have a strict NO Nuts and NO Kiwifruit policy.

Please do not send your child/ren to school with any item in their lunchboxes that might contain these items.

Combined Christian School’s Parents Night.

“Answering Tough Questions in the Home”

We are excited to invite Emmanuel Christian School parents to a special combined Christian schools’ parent event here in Christchurch on Wednesday, 3 June.

Hosted through the Christian Education Network, this evening will bring together parents from Christian schools across Canterbury for encouragement, connection, and thoughtful discussion around raising young people in faith, wisdom, and truth.

We are privileged to have Dan Paterson speaking on:

“Answering Tough Questions in the Home”

Dan brings years of experience helping families, students, and young adults engage with faith and the big questions surrounding Christianity. This promises to be a practical and encouraging evening for parents.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, 3 June
• Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• Location: La Vida Centre, 34a Hansons Lane
• Cost: Free of charge

While the event is completely free, we kindly ask that you please RSVP/register by 29th May so we can plan and accommodate everyone appropriately.

RSVP  Here: (Or Follow QR Code on Poster)

We would love to see many of our ECS families there as we join together with other Christian school communities across Canterbury. You are welcome to invite friends who do not have children at Christian Schools, please just ask them to register and use Emmanuel as their school when asked, or include theiir numbers with your registration.

Teacher Only Day 29 May and Early class finish Wednesday 3rd June

On Friday 29th May School will be closed for a Teacher Only day.  Staff will be using this time to work on the implementation of the curriculum changes currently underway.  

On Wednesday 3rd June classes will finish at 2:15pm.  This is to allow staff to travel to a combined Christian Schools professional development session.  These chances to gather together with staff from across Canterbury is really valuable as together we grow together as a community.  Looking to do our part in serving God within our Christian School communities.

Update from the Emmanuel Christian School Board

Kia ora ECS parents,

As a Board we are so privileged to serve you, and your children, who are part of our wonderful school community.

While this is our first newsletter note to parents in 2026 there has certainly been plenty underway across the first part of the school year – and there is a lot ‘on the go’ as we look ahead.

We are continuing to develop our ECS Strategic Plan which will guide our next three years. The feedback which a number of the community provided in late 2025 has been used for this process. We will share the plan once it has been confirmed.

The annual process is underway with our auditors with our 2025 Annual Report and finances, and we will make this available on the school website once it is ready.

It’s exciting to see our school community growing by approximately one classroom each year. The Board is very focused on supporting Alistair and the school leadership to make sure we are managing this growth well, and looking ahead in our planning.

The development of the physical site is the responsibility of the Emmanuel Proprietors Trust. Later this month we are having a combined planning morning where both the BOT and Proprietors will come together pray and talk about the future for our wonderful school, including site and building development.

There are also many new families who have joined the school this year. The BOT is listed on the school website (BOT and Proprietors – Emmanuel Christian School) and to help you get to know us some brief profiles will be shared in newsletters over the next few weeks.

Warren Rosser – Presiding Member
ECS Board of Trustees

A notice from the Public Health Nurse

Kia ora koutou,

My name is Natasha and I am the Public Health Nurse for your school.

The Public Health Nursing Service (PHNS) work with tamariki and their whānau where health and wellbeing concerns impact on their home and school lives.

Please contact me if you have any health concerns for your tamariki.

waea pūkoro: 03 383 6877, 021 576 248
īmēra: natasha.graham@tewhatuora.govt.nz 

Baking Paper – Clingwrap – Tinfoil – Ziplock Bags – Bin Bags Fundraiser

Scholastic Book Club Orders

Closing date : Friday 22nd May, 6pm

If you didn’t receive a brochure we have some at the Office and they are also available online on LOOP.

If you would like to order any of the books, this can be done online on LOOP.  For your first time you will need to register in order to make a Book Club LOOP login. 
We cannot take orders/payment via the Office so please order online. 
Instructions are on the back of the brochure.  
Once orders close, they will be sent to school and will come home with your child. On all orders the school earns 15% in scholastic rewards which benefits our school library.

Emmanuel Christian School does not endorse all material that is available for purchase from Scholastic Book Club.  Please use your discernment when selecting reading material for your child.

Ezlunch Lunch Orders

Our school now uses Ezlunch, part of the Kindo platform, for all online lunch orders.

Ezlunch offers a simple, mobile-friendly way for families to order fresh, tasty lunches from the same local providers you already know and love (Sushi Factory on Wednesdays, Subway on Thursdays).
The ordering process is quick, payments are secure, and delivery to school is reliable and easy.

Parents can order using the Kindo app (iPhone and Android) and choose from a range of convenient payment options including card, bank transfer, Google Pay, Apple Pay and more. The system also includes helpful allergen alerts and automated reminders, so no one misses out on lunch day.

Marshmallow Mayhem – Hot Chocolate Stand

The ECS Fundraising Team is opening a Hot Chocolate Stand for students in Years 5–10 every Thursday from 8:25am by the shed on the middle school side of the school.

Hot chocolates will be sold using concession cards, with 4 hot chocolates for $10.

To order your concession card, payments can be made to the school fundraising account: 06-0870-0073625-00 

Once payment has been made, please email your child’s details to ecsfundraiser@gmail.com and we will organise their concession card.

We can’t wait to share some Marshmallow Mayhem and make chilly mornings a little warmer!