Week 5

Dear Parents, Caregivers and School Community, kia ora koutou.

As we move further into Term 4, our senior students are now well underway with their NCEA external examinations. This is an important time for them, and I want to acknowledge the hard work they have put into their studies throughout the year, as well as the support and encouragement provided by their teachers and families. We wish them every success as they complete their examinations.

We are also finalizing arrangements for our three end-of-year prizegivings. These are always special occasions in the life of our school, providing an opportunity to recognize student achievement, celebrate the year, and acknowledge those students who are completing their time at Rangiora New Life School. As previously indicated, our prizegivings will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

Our Website and Newsletter

You may have noticed some changes to our school website. We have been updating it to make information easier to find and more accessible to our school community. As part of these improvements, our newsletter has also moved onto the website and is presented in a new format. We hope this will make it easier for families to keep up with school news, events and important information.

School Gates and Access

Another significant development this week has been the activation of our new electronic gates. These are an important part of our ongoing work to improve the safety and security of our school site.

The gates will operate as follows:

Stadium Carpark gates

• Morning: Open at 7.00 am and close at 8.50 am.
• Afternoon: Open at 2.50 pm and close at 4.30 pm.
• Vehicles already inside the carpark can exit automatically, even when the entrance gates are closed. Drivers will need to travel over the judder bar to activate the exit sensor.

Pedestrian gates

• Morning: Open at 8.30 am and close at 8.50 am, by which time students should be in class.
• Afternoon: Reopen at 2.50 pm.

Access to the school, when gates are closed, is through the School Office; park in the visitor carpark and speak to one of the team.

I would particularly like to remind parents that staff supervision begins at 8.30 am. Before this, our staff gather together from 8.15 to 8.25 am for prayer, devotions, worship and meetings. This is an important part of our day as a Christian school, providing an opportunity to begin together in prayer and preparation for the day ahead.

We ask parents to be mindful of these times when arranging for students to arrive at school. Students should not be dropped off before supervision begins at 8.30 am.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we introduce these new arrangements. They represent another step in the ongoing development of our school facilities and our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment for our students, staff and families.

As we approach the final weeks of the school year, I am grateful for the continued support of our school community. There is still much to celebrate before the year concludes, and I look forward to sharing these occasions with you.

Ngā manaakitanga,          Stephen Walters

Christ at the Centre | Culture of Excellence | Partnering with Parents and Whānau

Who to contact

• Absences and attendance [email protected] or 03 313 6332
• Change of details [email protected] or 03 313 6332
• Buses Stephen Walters: [email protected]
• Attendance Dues Sharon: [email protected]
• Camps, workbooks, sports Glenda: [email protected]

For more on upcoming events, visit the Parent Portal or download the 2026 School Calendar below.

“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…”

Titus 3:5

August Clark won first prize in the age 11-13 Lego Competition at the Rangiora A&P Show.

His creation was titled “Medieval Docks”

Congratulations to our latest Year 3 and 4 Service Challenge certificate recipients:

Room 5: Adah – Service Champion

Room 5: Myles – Service Champion and Service Champion Seed

Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve”.

Congratulations to our certificate recipients at this month’s primary assemblies.

The Year 10 Rite Journey Girls helping Room 5 make Harakeke stars with Mrs Simpson.

Congratulations to Niklas Kane on receiving an Otago Performance Entrance Scholarship.

This is a significant achievement and a testament to Niklas’ talent, dedication, and hard work throughout his schooling journey. Earning a scholarship of this caliber reflects, not only his commitment to excellence, but also the many hours of effort in developing his abilities.

This accomplishment is also a wonderful recognition of the support and guidance provided by his teachers and the wider school community. Niklas’ success highlights the strength of the opportunities and encouragement available at RNLS, and we are incredibly proud of all he has achieved.

We congratulate Niklas on this outstanding accomplishment and wish him every success as he begins the next stage of his journey.

We’re excited to launch the YWAM fundraiser and would love your support!

Reese Allnutt is currently fundraising to help cover the costs of a mission’s outreach that she will be involved in for 6 months next year. YWAM (Youth With A Mission) is a global mission’s movement that trains and equips believers to make Jesus’ name known across the world.

She will be part of a 3-month Discipleship Training School, followed by 3 months of outreach where she be sent out to serve and share the gospel.

Every purchase, donation, and bit of support brings her one step closer to this opportunity. Any support, whether that’s donating, purchasing something, or simply sharing this with others is greatly appreciated.

Thursday Lunchtime Tuck Shop Sales – Students from Year 5 to Year 10 only

On Thursday 19 November, 26 November and 3 December we will be selling a range of delicious treats from the Food Room kitchen, including:

• Fudge
• Lolly Bags
• Biscuits
• Soft Drinks
• Other sweet treats

Payment Options:

Cash and PayWave are accepted. Please note that a surcharge applies to PayWave transactions, and regular EFTPOS will not be available.

Fudge pre-orders $5-$8

Our popular homemade fudge is available for pre-order until 27 November through https://raised.nz/f/ywam-fundrasing

Distribution Date: 2 December

Orders will be distributed to students at the end of class on 2 December. Delivery arrangements will also be made for those who have placed orders.

Thank you for supporting this fundraiser!

RNLS Sport – Term 4 and Looking Ahead to Term 1
Volleyball
Term 4 sport got underway on day one of the term with six volleyball teams representing RNLS: Year 9 Boys, Year 9 Girls, Year 10 Girls, SNR B Girls, SNR A Girls and SNR Boys.
Our senior teams completed their Term 4 games on 2 November. A special mention goes to our SNR A Girls team, made up entirely of Year 13 students, who have proudly represented RNLS in volleyball since Year 9. They finished their final game with a fantastic win over Rangiora High School – a great way to finish their RNLS volleyball journey!
The SNR Boys also finished their season on a win, while the SNR B Girls unfortunately had a bye for their final game. The Yr 9 teams had one more game on Monday which concludes their term four competition also. Weekly Volleyball now takes a break until Term 1 next year.
The year 10 Girls team have two tournaments this term, Canterbury Junior Secondary Schools and the South Island Junior Secondary Schools. The team had a great time and some really close games at the Canterbury Tournament and are now looking forward to the South Island Juniors being played in Christchurch.
Touch
Our Year 9 Touch team has been playing against Christchurch schools on Wednesday afternoons this term. The team is a mix of boys and girls and had to play in a boys grade as there was only two mixed teams entered for juniors this term. The team has had heaps of fun, enjoyed the opportunity to play against different schools and picked up some new skills along the way. Touch will also be available in Term 1 next year.
Basketball
This term we have run a five-week off-season basketball programme for our secondary boys, helping them prepare for next season. Term 1 will see further preparation for the boys, along with a girls’ pre-season programme. Keep an eye out early next term for more information!
Continuing through Term 4, we have our Year 5 & 6 Boys and Girls 3v3 basketball teams playing on Thursday nights, along with our Year 7 & 8 Mixed and Girls teams playing on Friday nights. These teams play at MainPower Stadium, with their final games on the 11th and 12th December. A big thank you to our coaches and managers for supporting our players throughout the Term 3 and 4 season, especially our student coaches who have given up their time to help develop our younger players.
Twilight Football
Monday night Twilight Football has once again been popular, with six RNLS teams taking part across the Year 0/1/2, Year 3/4, Year 5/6 and Year 7/8 grades. Games are being played at Kendall Park this term, with plenty of fun and football happening each Monday evening.
Primary Athletics – A Fantastic Couple of Days.
We have had two fantastic days of athletics this term, starting with our Senior Primary Athletics Day, followed by our Junior Primary Athletics Day the following week.
It was great to see so many parents and caregivers come along to support and encourage the students. Our athletes were amazing, not only with the effort they put into their events but also in the way they encouraged and supported one another throughout the days. It was wonderful to see such positive sportsmanship and plenty of enthusiasm.
We were also fortunate to have a number of our Secondary students come out and help across both days. They provided fantastic support and encouragement to our Primary students, helping with events and making sure everything ran smoothly. A big thank you to these students for volunteering their time and giving up part of their day to help. Your support was greatly appreciated.
Following our school athletics days, 28 students represented RNLS at the Rakahuri Year 5-8 Athletics event at Ashgrove Park. We had some fantastic results, with three students qualifying to compete at the Canterbury Primary Athletics Championships at Nga Puna Wai in Christchurch at the end of November.
A huge congratulations to:
● Archie Spall – 1st in Year 7 Boys 1500m and 2nd in Discus.
● Jayden Havelaar – 2nd in Year 7 Boys 1500m and 2nd in High Jump.
● Timothy van der Berg – 1st in Year 5 Boys High Jump.
All three students have done a fantastic job, and we wish them the very best as they head to Christchurch to compete against some of the best primary athletes from across Canterbury. We look forward to hearing how they get on.
Swimming – Year 1 & 2
In mid-November, our Year 1 & 2 students are taking part in Swim Safety sessions at Dudley Pool. Students will have eight sessions over two weeks, focusing on building their water confidence and developing important water safety skills. They will travel by bus to and from Dudley for each session.
Looking Ahead to Term 1
We will be hitting the ground running in Term 1 next year, with plenty of sport and sporting opportunities on offer!
We have a busy term ahead, including Secondary athletics days, swimming time trials, volleyball games and tournaments, basketball training/trials and secondary touch. Our primary students will also have swimming time trials, Twilight Football and basketball to look forward to.
Alongside our regular weekly sport, there will be one-off events throughout the term for Secondary and Primary sports.
Make sure you keep an eye out for sports notices and information coming home early next year so you don’t miss out on any of these opportunities!
Keep Up to Date with RNLS Sport
If you haven’t already, we encourage parents and caregivers to join the RNLS Sports Facebook group. This is a great place to keep up to date with sporting notices, upcoming events and general sports information throughout the year.
Important Dates – Term 1, 2027
Please keep the following dates in mind. These are planned dates and may be subject to change.
● 9 February – RNLS Year 5 – 13 Swimming Time Trials at Dudley Pool
● 26 February – RNLS Secondary Athletics Day (PP 5th March)
● 10 March – Canterbury Combined (CCHS) Athletics Day at Nga Puna Wai
● Week of 8 February – Secondary Weekly Sport begins (Monday 8 February is Waitangi Day Observed).
A Big Thank You!
A big thank you to all the parents and caregivers who have helped transport our teams to their away games throughout the year. Your support makes these sporting opportunities possible for our students, and we really appreciate the time and effort you put in.
Last But Not Least – Sports Uniform Returns!
A reminder that all secondary sports uniforms need to be returned to school so we can complete an accurate stocktake ahead of next year.
We know you love keeping them, but we love having them back!
There is a black box in the School Administration Office where uniforms can be dropped off during school hours.
We really appreciate your help in getting these returned, as it means we can make sure our future teams have full uniform kits ready to go.

Make a difference: become a homestay family. Welcome an international student and become part of their journey. By hosting an international student, you’ll gain a new family member, share cultural experiences and create memories that last a lifetime.

Why host?

• Build lifelong friendships and share different cultures.
• Enrich your family life with new experiences and perspectives.
• Make a difference in a young person’s life and their future.
• Good remuneration offered, with short and long-term options available.

For more information, please contact [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

NCEA exams have begun with senior students on examination leave. Our NCEA Student FAQ for 2026 covers assessment and grades, attendance, deadlines and extensions, results and records, pathways, exams, and authenticity and AI. Click a page to read it full size.

RNLS uniforms are available from NZ Uniforms. Shop online at rnls.nzuniforms.com, or see nzuniforms.com for store details and payment options.

PTA coffee is available from 8.15am.

Access is available via the Primary car park, which will be open.

See the Coffee Cupboard menu below.

The PTA is a small but dedicated group of parents and teachers who gather in Week Four of each term to prayerfully consider and discuss funding requests. Each term, teachers submit requests for specific resources that directly support the needs and wellbeing of our students.

Through our fundraising efforts, we seek to bless and encourage our valued teachers as they faithfully serve and invest in the lives of our young people. It is a privilege to partner together in this way, working as a community to strengthen the work God is doing within our school.

• Keep your details up to date. If your emails, caregiver details, address, phone numbers or circumstances have changed, please let the office know asap: [email protected] or 03 313 6332.
• Absence texts. Any attendance related queries should be sent to [email protected]. Thank you to our parents who respond to our absence texts every morning. If we don’t hear from you by text, we will follow up with a phone call approx. 30 minutes later.
• Student access. The school opens for student access from 8.30am and not beforehand, please. A duty teacher supervises the Denchs Road netball court area from 8.30am to 8.50am (prior to class entry).
• Student medication. For the safety and wellbeing of all students, any medication required during the school day, including paracetamol, must be handed in to the school office for secure storage. This ensures that medication is administered appropriately, reduces the risk of misuse, and enables accurate record keeping, in accordance with the school’s health and safety procedures.
• Period products. Thanks to the Ministry of Education’s access to period products initiative, RNLS has a supply of FREE period products for young people, available from the school office as well as from Mrs Hopkins and Mrs Band.
• Email When emailing staff, please use their email address [email protected] or contact them via the school website form https://rnls.school.nz/meet-the-staff/

Board of Trustees

The Board meets at 7pm in RNLS Room 21. Remaining 2026 dates:  2 December.

Agendas and minutes are on our School Board page.

Policies and procedures

RNLS Policies and Procedures, including our Complaints Process, are on rnls.schooldocs.co.nz (username: RNLS, password: seek).

Parent Prayer Meeting

The Parent Prayer Meeting started on Monday 16 February, at 9am in the Star Room at the Church.

Youth Group

Gateway Life Church has recommenced Youth Group, every second Friday night, 7–9pm for ages 12–18. All young people are welcome! More information: Sharon Eloff, 021 030 4781.

Five Ways to Wellbeing

Five simple strategies to introduce into your life: connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active. Find out more at mentalhealth.org.nz.

From our community

Click a flyer to view it full size.

Gateway Stadium and Events Centre

For public bookings outside school hours, contact [email protected].

Athlete’s Foot school rewards

Nominate Rangiora New Life School when you buy shoes at our Northlands Athlete’s Foot store, and the school earns $15 of sports equipment or $10 cash for every pair. Open to RNLS staff, students and their families.

Our Skool Loop sponsors

Thank you to the businesses below for sponsoring our school app. To download it, search ‘Skool Loop’ in Google Play or the App Store and choose our school. To advertise on the app, email [email protected].

Advertise in this newsletter

Email Glenda at [email protected] or call the school office on (03) 313 6332. Click an advert below to view it full size.