About our School
School Assemblies and Newsletters
Join us every second Friday morning at 9.15am for our school assembly, where we celebrate learning. Parents are warmly invited to join us as we recognise achievements with certificates and showcase the incredible work of our learners. Each assembly, a different classroom takes the spotlight, sharing their learning through waiata and presentations. It's a fantastic opportunity to see the creativity and hard work of our students while connecting with our school community!
Whanau Groups
At Kaipaki, we foster a strong sense of community through our Whanau Groups, where students of all ages come together to work and learn as one. These groups are led by our Year 7 and 8 students, who take on leadership roles, guiding and looking after the younger students. The mix of ages creates a real family atmosphere, where everyone supports one another. These Whanau Groups are involved in school activities like camp and term competitions, earning tokens/points throughout the day - whether it's during lunch breaks or events. It's all about building relationships, teamwork, and school spirit in a fun, supportive environment!
Reporting on student progress is achieved through ongoing, informal contact between teachers and parents. Mid year we hold Parent/Discussions which are followed by written reports. End of year written reports are sent home in early December. We also have a Meet the Teacher picnic at the beginning of each school year.
Every second year, our school comes together for an exciting and memorable production, centered around the themes of learning and education. All students are involved, offering a chance for everyone to shine in areas they are passionate about—whether it's acting, set design, or helping backstage. Held at the Raleigh St Christian Centre in Cambridge, these productions are a highlight of the year for many students, showcasing their creativity and teamwork. It's an opportunity for students to express themselves, work together, and create something truly special that the whole community can enjoy. Our next production will be held in 2026.
Kaipaki School places a strong emphasis on providing a variety of educational experiences out of the classroom. A feature of the calendar is the whole school camp, usually held in the first term of the year. This is traditionally known as a family oriented event with many parents joining us. Older students also have the opportunity to embark on another camp experience designed to specifically cater for the needs of senior students later in the year. All classes incorporate trips to support classroom learning.
Ag. Day is held at Kaipaki School each year in Term Four. This day consists of the showing and judging of students’ animals and a Flower and Craft Show to which all students contribute their work. It is a highlight of the school year!
Inter-school fixtures
Kaipaki School has a close and supportive association with other schools in the Cambridge area, which ensures students have opportunities to participate in a variety of inter-school activities. These include regular sports or physical education activities, learning programmes, social events and competitions. We are also affiliated with the Waikato Full Primary Association, which provides opportunities for our Year 7 and 8 learners to have competition within the greater Waikato area.
Tech-Arts Programme
Our Yr 7/8 students attend a tech-arts programme at Peachgrove Intermediate School each week. This programme includes Drama; Visual Art; Music; Dance; Food Technology; Materials Technology and Computational Thinking.
Environmental Education
While we are not an official Enviro School, we have embarked on a programme of developing ecologically friendly and sustainable practices in our school. We are thankful to the hard work from Mrs Bracken in driving this initiative within our kura and the hard work she has put into growing our knowledge.
Home learning
We want Home Learning to be a positive experience for students. Whanau are asked to support their children with their home learning and to encourage them to take responsibility for returning their home learning to school e.g readers sent home, spelling words to learn. Each classroom operates their own home learning system tailored to the specific needs of Äkonga.
School Lunch
In conjunction with Project Energise, we encourage healthy lunches . Items not eaten from lunchboxes are returned home so that parents have a clear idea about what their child has had to eat that day. At Kaipaki School lunch is eaten at the end of the lunch break after playing. This ensures children have plenty of time to eat and go back into classes ready to learn.
Dental Treatment
Appointments are made through the Cambridge Community Dental Clinic Tel: 0800 825 583. Referral notices are usually received directly from the Dental Therapists once a year.
Stationery and other school costs
Stationery is available from the school throughout the year. We operate an account system where families are billed once a term for stationery and other school activities. Options are also available for automatic payments.
Sun Smart
We are a SunSmart School. The wearing of Kaipaki School sunhats when children are exposed to the sun is compulsory at our school (Terms 1 & 4). Sunhats with the school name can be purchased at the office for $21.50 each. We also encourage children to apply sun block before going out in the sun.