Epuni Essentials

As part of the 5+ A Day initiative, Epuni School receives fruit each week for students. Senior students are responsible for distributing these among the classrooms each day and food scraps from this are composted in our garden. Sometimes we have left over fruit at the end of the week which we distribute among the students, and/or take any extras to The Remakery for them to use in their kitchen.

Every week our students have time in the Te Mara Kotahitanga, the school’s Unity Garden, learning about soil preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting seasons, and all of the elements necessary to create and upkeep a successful garden.

This is supported by a gardener from The Remakery (Common Unity Project Aotearoa).

All classes have weekly Kapa Haka sessions with our Kapa Haka coach. Students learn waiata, haka and develop performance skills.

Students Year 3 and above are able to be part of the Kapa Haka group that performs each year at Huttfest and for school occasions.

If students arrive after 8:55, they need to go to the office and get a late pass. They need to give this late pass to their teacher.

This allows the office staff to register their attendance at school, as well as notify the teacher that they have been to the office.

If students need to leave early for any reason, they need to be collected at the office by an adult. The adult will need to sign them out, giving a reason for leaving the school.

Each afternoon, senior students will operate the Pedestrian crossing at the front of the school. This will run from 2:50pm until 3:10pm to assist students in crossing the busy Waiwhetu Road. Students are supervised by a trained staff member at all times. Please listen to their instructions and set a good example for all students in the school when crossing the road.

The pedestrian crossing will be supervised by a trained adult in the morning. Please follow their instructions as to when it is safe to cross. Please wait to cross behind the yellow line on the footpath.

The Road Patrol Safety Team is made up of Year 5 and 6 students. They are trained by our local community constable from the New Zealand Police. Students who are interested in being a Road Patroller need to attend training at the end of each year, and attend the refresher course at the start of the year. Contact Mr. Ingham for more information –

In 2021, the Government announced that some schools would be receiving a healthy lunch for each and every child at the school. Epuni School met the criteria for receiving the Ka Ora, Ka Aka programme.

Our school lunch provider is Lower Hutt Pita Pit. They make each lunch fresh and deliver the meals to the school each day. These meals consist of a healthy main food item along with a snack. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Epuni School receives heated meals, and standard meals are delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In the classrooms, teachers follow the SportStart programme that teaches skills in fun, non-competitive ways and encourages participation, movement and fitness for all ages and ability levels. We are inclusive with our sporting programmes in the classrooms.

Our Years 4-6 students are able to compete in the interschool and interzone competitions. These take place throughout the year and range from Athletics, to Cross Country, Football to Cricket. Students represent Epuni School as they compete against other schools in across region. These are run and managed by the Lower Hutt Primary Schools Sports Association (LHPSSA).

Across the whole school we offer block sessions from outside sporting agencies, teaching specific sporting skills. This varies from year to year, but has included football, badminton, basketball and rugby. There are also opportunities for students to be part of after school sports teams. We regularly have teams in the Total Touch tournaments in Term 1 and Term 4, as well as in Basketball at Walter Nash in Term 2 and Term 3.

We welcome parents/caregivers as volunteers in our school. This can include working in the classrooms assisting with reading, writing, arts & crafts, or outside the classroom with sports/games. You may have a hobby to share with our students. Talk to your child’s teacher and see how you can volunteer your time at our school.

School whānau and volunteers from the wider community support our students in a number of ways. These include:

• Gardening with Common Unity and local volunteers
• Reading tutors from the local Probus group.
• Chilton St James partnership – Senior Chilton group mentorship programme
• Breakfast Club – supported daily by volunteers
• Sport coaches
• Transport to and from school to various events

Epuni School is a water only school. Sugary drinks can adversely affect student’s focus and behaviour. We encourage children to have a drink bottle in the classroom that can be filled and refilled with water throughout the day. Please label drink bottles clearly with your child’s name.