Te Papapa School Book Week 2026

Books Bring Dreams to Life

"Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu."
Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.

Books give us the knowledge, confidence and imagination to soar, and next week Te Papapa School is excited to celebrate the joy of reading during our annual Book Week.

Throughout the week, our students will enjoy a wide range of activities designed to inspire a love of books, spark creativity and bring our school community together. Our theme, Books Bring Dreams to Life, celebrates characters who inspire courage, kindness and imagination.

What's happening during Book Week?

Every class will choose a favourite book to inspire classroom displays, artwork, masks or hats, discussions and creative activities. Students will also enjoy:

• Daily book unwrapping surprises

• Special reading sessions for our junior classes

• Guest readers, including parents, grandparents, whānau, teachers and senior students

• Clue Boxes visiting classrooms throughout the week

• A Matariki Library Scavenger Hunt for senior students

• Around the World Reading Challenge

• Read Every Day Challenge

• Zine making activities

• Bookmark Design and Colouring Competitions

• Book Character creations using masks or hats

• A celebration assembly to showcase students' creativity and announce competition winners.

Special Visitors

We are delighted to welcome two New Zealand authors who will inspire our students through storytelling and their own writing journeys.

David Riley, a well-known New Zealand author, will visit to share his passion for reading and writing, giving students the opportunity to hear about the creative process and encouraging them to become authors themselves.

We are also pleased to welcome Ryan Bodman, a local author and Te Papapa School parent, who will talk about his writing journey, answer students' questions, and share one of his children's books exploring the early history of rugby league in New Zealand.

In addition, staff from Auckland Libraries will lead creative zine-making workshops, encouraging students to write, illustrate and publish their own mini-magazines.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our Scholastic Book Fair will be open throughout Book Week in the Old Library Room.

Opening Hours

• 8:30–9:30 am

• Morning break

• 2:30–3:30 pm

Signs and arrows around the school will guide you to the Book Fair.

Families will be able to browse a fantastic range of children's books, gift ideas, stationery and book-related merchandise—perfect for birthdays, Christmas and encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

We Welcome Our Community

We warmly invite our parents, grandparents, whānau and caregivers to visit the Book Fair during the week and join us in celebrating reading. Your support helps foster a love of books while also supporting the continued growth of our school library collection.

We look forward to sharing a week filled with stories, imagination, creativity and community as we celebrate the wonderful world of books together.

Books really do bring dreams to life!

Principal's Welcome

Kia ora 

I am proud to be the Principal of Te Papapa School and part of this vibrant and diverse learning community. Our dedicated staff work closely with whānau to provide engaging learning opportunities in a safe, inclusive, and culturally rich environment where every child is valued and supported to succeed.

We believe that tamariki achieve their greatest success when school and home work together. Strong partnerships with our whānau are at the heart of all we do, and we value the important role families play in their children's learning and development.

Our vision, Kia Maia – We Can, reflects our belief that every learner can achieve success. We encourage our tamariki to be courageous, resilient, and confident learners who embrace challenges, persevere through difficulties, and strive to be the very best they can be.

The wellbeing, learning, and success of our tamariki are at the centre of every decision we make. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Our open-door policy reflects our belief that strong relationships are the foundation of a successful school community.

We look forward to working alongside you and your whānau as partners in your child's learning journey and to celebrating the many successes that lie ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,

Robyn Curry

Principal, Te Papapa School