UHub

🌧️💛 Rainy days can bring some of the best moments of connection.

As the school holidays begin, the weather might encourage us to slow down a little, and that's okay.

You don't need elaborate plans to create meaningful moments together. Sometimes the simplest activities become the most memorable:

🧩 Build a puzzle together
📚 Read a favourite book, and pop to the Library
🎨 Get creative with drawing or craft
🍪 Bake something delicious
🎲 Play a board game
☕ Share a hot chocolate and a chat
🌦️ Or pop on your gumboots and jacket and enjoy a puddle walk between the showers!

Every child is different, so follow what brings them joy, curiosity, or a sense of calm. Connection doesn't have to be perfect, it grows through everyday moments of laughter, listening, and simply being together.

We'd love to hear from you... What's your family's favourite rainy day activity?
Share your ideas below and help inspire other whānau across our wonderful Upper Hutt community.

Wishing everyone a safe, cosy, and connected start to the holidays. 💛

💛 Helping tamariki thrive starts with understanding, connection, and feeling supported.

We're excited to share our Term 3 UHub Connections, with opportunities for whānau and caregivers to learn, connect, and have meaningful conversations together.

✨ 'UConnect' Sessions
Our free one-on-one 'UConnect' sessions return to the Upper Hutt City Library from Monday 20 July. These relaxed kōrero provide a welcoming space to explore your wonderings, celebrate your child's strengths, and talk through next steps that feel right for your whānau.

✨ 'Empower U' Sessions
We're also looking forward to delivering three practical topics across four wonderful school hosts this term, no cost to attend!

Our sessions are designed to help parents and caregivers better understand their child's emotions, wellbeing, unique ways of learning, and behaviour through a strengths-based lens. Together, we'll share practical ideas, build confidence, and explore ways to support tamariki to flourish at home, at school, and beyond.

🌿 You're welcome to attend any 'Empower U' Session, regardless of which school is hosting.

Book your session through our website www.uhub.org.nz

A huge thank you to our wonderful school partners for opening your doors, working alongside UHub, and helping make these opportunities available to whānau. Your commitment to strengthening connections and supporting tamariki and their families is truly appreciated.🩷

Wishing everyone a positive last day of Term 🫶

UHub 'Empower U' Session: Emotional Coaching – Guiding with Calm

Big feelings are a natural part of growing up and supporting tamariki through those big moments doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

Join us for a free, gentle, practical session where we explore simple ways to stay steady when emotions get big, and guide our tamariki through tough moments with calm, connection, and confidence.

This session is being hosted for the Mangaroa parents, caregivers and wider community, it is designed with whānau in mind, grounded in understanding how our tamariki naturally experience the world.

You’ll learn:
• Easy-to-use emotional coaching tools you can try at home
• Ways to respond to strong emotions with empathy and steadiness
• How to build connection, resilience, and trust
• What helps little minds feel safe, seen, and supported

Session details:
Hosted at: Mangaroa School
Thursday 6th August 2026
9.00am – 10.30am

Everyone is welcome.

We would like to thank Mangaroa School for generously hosting us and supporting this opportunity for whānau to connect.

The 60-minute session will be facilitated by experienced Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) and proud UHubber - Sharyn Spotswood. Afterward, our UHub Team will be available for one-on-one kōrero if you have any wonderings, worries, or would like guidance on possible next steps for your whānau.

This session is completely free, no cost to attend.
Bookings are preferred and can be made via our website: www.uhub.org.nz.

We’d love to see you there and walk alongside you as we support big feelings, little worries, and everything in between.

Kids Do Well If They Can -
If we see a child differently, we can see a different child.

Tamariki want to do well.

When behaviour becomes challenging, it can often be a sign that something is getting in the way, rather than a choice to misbehave.

Join us for a practical and encouraging session Wednesday 29 July, exploring a different way of understanding behaviour, one that starts with curiosity, connection, and the belief that children do well when they can.

Together we'll explore:
• What behaviour might be telling us
• Why some situations can feel harder for some tamariki
• How to respond with calm, curiosity, and connection
• Practical ways to work alongside your child when challenges arise
• How solving problems together can strengthen confidence, relationships, and wellbeing

Moving from "How do I stop this behaviour?" to "What might my child be finding hard right now?"
Inspired by the work of Ross Greene and Dr Stuart Shanker, this session encourages us to look beneath behaviour, strengthen connection, and better understand what our tamariki may be trying to communicate.

Hosted by St Brendan's School and facilitated by experienced Learning Support Coordinator and proud UHubber, Sharyn Spotswood.

Following the session, our UHub team will be available for one-on-one kōrero if you have any wonderings, worries, or would like to explore possible next steps for your whānau.

💛 Free to attend | Everyone welcome
Bookings preferred via www.uhub.org.nz

💕 Feeling incredibly grateful.

We're honoured that UHub has been named a finalist in the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, representing Upper Hutt in the Education category.

This recognition means so much because it celebrates something we deeply believe in, the power of community, connection, and walking alongside whānau to help tamariki thrive.

UHub has only been possible because of the incredible support of our schools, educators, whānau, community partners, volunteers, funders, and everyone who has believed in our vision of a more connected Upper Hutt. This recognition belongs to all of you too.

Congratulations to all of the amazing Upper Hutt organisations recognised this year. Our community is filled with people who give their time, energy, and heart to making a difference, and it is wonderful to see that mahi celebrated.

The Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards bring together the five Wellington region councils to recognise the outstanding contribution of community organisations and volunteers across our region. We are proud to stand alongside so many inspiring groups.

Together, we're growing connection, strengthening our community, and helping give every child the best start.

Ngā mihi nui to everyone who continues to walk alongside UHub. 🩷

Congratulations to the 2026 Wellington Airport Community Award Finalists for Upper Hutt City Council!

See more: http://www.wellingtonairport.co.nz/community-awards

💛 Sometimes, the best place to start is with a conversation.

Whether you're wondering about your child's learning, big emotions, behaviour, wellbeing, or simply looking for some guidance, UHub is here to walk alongside you.

Our free 'UConnect' sessions are a chance to pause, share what's on your mind, and explore your child's strengths together. We'll listen, help make sense of your wonderings, and talk through practical next steps that feel right for your whānau.

Our Next Sessions is:
Upper Hutt City Library, Fergusson Drive
Monday 20 July, 9.30am - 12 Midday

🩷 Free 45-minute connections
Bookings via our website.

Because every whānau deserves to feel heard, supported, and connected.

💛 Small Conversations, Big Support

Sometimes worries can feel heavy, for tamariki, parents, and caregivers alike.

Whether you're worried about your child's emotions, wellbeing, behaviour, or things are simply feeling harder than usual at home, you don't have to navigate it alone.

Megan from Atareira offers a calm, supportive space to talk things through, explore your concerns, and consider what might be helpful for your whānau.

🌱 Sometimes a conversation is a great place to start.

📞 Phone connections with Megan are available on Thursday mornings.

Bookings are required and can be made via our website: www.uhub.org.nz

🌱 Tamariki grow confidence through encouragement, belonging, and feeling seen for who they are.

Confidence doesn’t always look loud.

Sometimes it looks like:
💛 trying again
💛 asking for help
💛 sharing an idea
💛 walking into school when it felt hard
💛 recovering after a difficult moment

Noticing strengths such as kindness, creativity, humour, determination, curiosity, empathy, helps tamariki begin to recognise those strengths in themselves.

We know whānau and educators do this every day in ways that often go unnoticed.

At UHub, we believe every tamariki already carries strengths, potential, and value within them. Sometimes all it takes is noticing, nurturing, and believing in those strengths for them to grow. 🩷

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Just a gentle reminder that our next UHub 'Empower U' Session is on Wednesday, warmly hosted by the wonderful Trentham School .

🌿 Helping Little Minds Feel Big & Brave
📍 Trentham School - Learning Resource Centre
🗓 Wednesday 10 June
⏰ 9.00am – 10.30am
Everyone welcome | Free to attend

Join us for a practical and encouraging session, you’ll learn what’s happening in your child’s “worried brain” and how to support them in ways that build confidence and capability.

Come along, connect with other whānau, and leave with practical tools you can use straight away. Together, we grow brave, confident tamariki..

Our UHub team will also be available afterwards for one-on-one kōrero and connection.
Bookings preferred via www.uhub.org.nz

💛 Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you have worries about your child’s learning, emotions, behaviour, or wellbeing.

At UHub, we offer a welcoming space to connect, ask questions, and explore what might help. Whether your concerns feel big or small, a conversation can be a great place to start.

Come and have a kōrero with our team, together we can explore your wonderings, identify strengths, and look at possible next steps that feel right for your whānau.

You don't have to navigate it alone. 💛 Beacause U Matter