Wednesday 15th August - Strike day
Please be advised, if not already aware, the teachers and principals of many schools around NZ, including Te Mata, are going out on strike for the day, on Wednesday 15th August.
They do not choose to do this lightly. And whether you support the decision or not, you need to ensure arrangements are made for your children on that date, as there will be no staff at school to care for them.
If you are a stay at home parent, perhaps you could have a special bonding day, doing something totally different. Have a cafe day, or a spa day, or a trip to the MTG or The Faraday Centre, in Napier. Flip Out will be open as will the Museum and Art gallery in Hastings. Have a mid winter picnic up in the Redwoods. Or a trip to Birdwoods Gallery. How about taking in a movie? Maybe you could organise a tour of the fire station or police station. Or you could get out old sheets and build a fort in your lounge, or have a movie marathon and enjoy home made baking together. If it's not too wet, giant chalk and hot wheels (for boys and girls) works a treat. Or, if it is wet, water pistols followed by hot chocolates.
If you are a working parent, perhaps you could organise with a friend or one of your childrens' classmates parents to have them take your child for the day, in exchange for you taking theirs on a weekend day.
Whatever your situation, don't stress, you can do this. If you get stuck for ideas, put a shout out to me and I'll post a notice for you. We'll see you right. That's what we are here for.
Let me know what ideas you have. We'll see who can come up with the best, eh?!
And don't forget, there will be no Pita Pit orders on that day 😉, but Friday Treats will still be on.
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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41% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.2% No, I enjoy it
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1.8% Other - I'll share below
Don't overthink this riddle...
I have a silver sole
but no feet,
I make my living by bringing the heat.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Alan and Hazel Kerr share Senior New Zealander of the Year Award 2026
Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr describe themselves as ‘just ordinary old Kiwis’, despite being named as the 2026 Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealanders of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.
The amazing couple prompted a standing ovation at a star-studded Auckland event which recognised their tireless efforts, with Alan travelling to and from Gaza and the West Bank 40 times to help children over 20 years, and Hazel travelling 20 times.
Click read more to find out more.
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