May Monthly Updates
Welcome to our monthly updates.
It is a good idea to register the address @nchenz.org.nz as a safe sender as all contact from us comes from a variation of this address.
Visit the private members-only area of our website
BOOKMARK THIS LINK!
You can only access this section of the website through this members only link,
so it is best to bookmark it for future access.
NCHENZ Programs and Discounts
When programmes are due for renewal Gin will email you from that programmes email address while all the emails are different they all end with @nchenz.org.nz so it is best to save this as a safe sender to ensure your emails don't get sent to spam.
LITERACY PLANET
For students aged 4-15 (Years 0-10). A comprehensive online literacy program with thousands of interactive activities across multiple strands. The program covers key literacy areas, inspiring a love of learning through engaging storytelling, while building strong foundational literacy skills and supporting each student’s individual growth. For more info & to enrol please click here
SPELLZONE
Spellzone unlocks the mystery of New Zealand, British and American English spelling. Based on phonic progression, Spellzone is designed for ages 6 to adult. Students can study independently online using any device. For more information & to enrol please click here
READING EGGS
Reading Eggs makes the learning to read journey fun, interactive, and highly rewarding for students, in a comprehensive learning to read program. For more information & to enrol please click here
MATHSEEDS
Mathseeds is one of the sister programs to Reading Eggs, designed for younger students ages 3-10. The program teaches foundational maths and problem‐solving skills while nurturing an early love of maths. For more information & to enrol please click here
WRITING LEGENDS
Writing Legends is one of the sister programs to Reading Eggs, designed for students in Years 1-6, approximately 6-11 years old. Writing Legends is an online writing program designed to transform the way students learn and practise writing skills. This is a school only program. For more information & to enrol please click here
CODE AVENGERS
For ages 5+. Code Avengers lessons are designed to simplify abstract programming concepts and help students apply what they learn through projects, games, and real-world applications. As students progress, they can move on to programming languages, learning important skills for the future. For more information & to enrol please click here
If you've made a payment for a Programme and Discounts program and not heard anything within a couple of weeks, please check your junk folder, or email the relevant program email address. Remember to save the individual program email addresses to your safe sender list too.
NCHENZ Website Highlight - Fire Safety
Having a good understanding of Fire Safety is vital in every persons life.
NCHENZ has been working with Fire and Emergency New Zealand and now homeschoolers have access to “Get Firewise” which is a free programme designed to help kids in years one and two to understand what to do in a fire. Click here to go to the NCHENZ website page with more information about how to access “Get Firewise” and many other resources.
Each month we will feature a member's favourite resource. This is a way for members to share with their community, not an endorsement, NCHENZ recommends you do your own due diligence before purchasing any resource, to ensure it meets your needs.
Members Favourite Resource - GO-HRE
Dedicated to teaching the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, GO-HRE offers on a complimentary basis a non-partisan, non-sectarian, highly interactive curriculum, available in multiple languages.
The Geneva Office for Human Rights Education (GO-HRE) offers Colega teaching materials free of charge to schools and homeschoolers across the globe. The word Colega, meaning “friend” or “colleague,” represents a commitment to empowering children and youth everywhere with knowledge about their fundamental rights.
Each Colega manual is accompanied by a comprehensive Facilitator Toolkit that provides essential resources to support the successful delivery of the Colega curriculum. Inside, you’ll find valuable teaching guidelines, expert tips, a glossary of key terms, full copies of the UN documents, sample assessments for both educators and students, as well as supplemental mini posters and sheet music.
Each of Colega’s 10 two-part primary or secondary lessons follows six consistent steps, making them easy to teach and memorable for students. Each lesson begins with a poem, song, or chant, an explanation of the right being taught, and key learning points or takeaways. The lesson outlines are adaptable and can be changed to incorporate relevant cultural references for your students.
Access to cultural and linguistically accessible resources are important and as such ten 2-page EFL, bilingual Tongan, Samoan and Maori worksheets are currently being worked on.
Do you have a favourite resource you would like to share in the next Monthly Notices; Please send it to monthlyupdates@nchenz.org.nz
Facebook updates.
Don’t have a Facebook, don’t see posts, Don’t worry,
the following are updates from our NCHENZ and Navigating Highschool & Beyond Facebook pages.
Hi everyone,
Here is a downloadable list of learning resources that can support learning across core subjects. I hope it’s helpful for families supporting learning at home.
Irene
Mix & Match #1 – Core Subjects 📚 🧮 🔬 🌍
In the PDF linked below, you'll find a list of free and low-cost online learning resources that can support home learning across core subjects. Some are completely free, while others offer paid content.
Much of the content can be relevant for learners everywhere, with key concepts and skills that apply across different countries and curricula. This collection is for all families supporting children and teens learning at home.
Use the menu bar to explore content and, where available, filter by subject area, year level, or other options.
Your child or teen doesn’t need to match a set level; they can begin with what feels manageable and comfortable for them. You can mix and match resources to support their interests, strengths, needs, and learning pace.
First on the list is Common Sense Media’s newly updated, free K–8 Digital Literacy & Well-being curriculum. 🎉
🔽 View or download "Mix & Match #1 – Core Subjects" to keep, print, or share.
SOUTH ISLAND HOMESCHOOL FORMAL 2026 + MORE!!! Expressions of Interest
After the incredible success of last year’s homeschool formal, we have been dreaming and planning what something even bigger could look like for our South Island homeschool youth community.
We are exploring the possibility of creating a brand new event called NEXUS — a two-day youth conference-style experience for homeschool youth aged 14–18, centred around connection, fun, workshops, inspiration, and finishing with our Winter Wonderland Formal on Saturday night.
Before moving ahead with further planning, we would love to hear from families and youth to see whether there is enough interest in this concept and what people would love to see included.
SAVE THE (possible) DATE(s)
Friday 7th – Saturday 8th August 2026
At this stage we are inviting expressions of interest only. Filling out the form does not commit you to attending; it simply helps us gauge interest, gather ideas, and shape what this event could become.
Even if you are only potentially interested, your feedback would be incredibly valuable to us. We do need all expressions of interest back in the next week though, this is not to say you wont be able to book tickets without doing a form. We just need to be able to make a decision on the format of the event so we can move forward with planning and a rough idea of numbers.
You can read more details and complete the Expressions of Interest form here:
NEXUS Expressions of Interest Form : https://forms.gle/dru14T2fKBaHDh1L9
We are really excited about the possibility of creating something special for our homeschool youth community and would love your input as we begin dreaming and planning.
Please feel free to share this with other homeschool families and group pages that may be interested.
Click here to check out a highlights video from one of our previous formals! https://youtu.be/pQEWs1hUvyE
If you have any questions please feel free to email, we have this posted in a number of different places to ensure as many youth know about the event and we cant guarantee we will catch all comments on the posts. youth@mahimatatoa.org.nz
In response to the above post, was the following comments
I just read about the awesome idea for a homeschool formal in the South Island. Does anyone know if there is something similar in the North Island? I live in Northland and have a 15 year old daughter. I would love her to have the experience of attending a formal.....it is one of my fondest memories from my high school years.
Many regions have balls. Ours (in the Manawatu) is on 3rd October. A highlight of the year for many, It is run by Manawatu Home Educators, but this is one of our activities open to non-members
There was a group about one in Auckland, if you search Auckland homeschool ball it should come up.
My 17 year old and I have been organising the Nelson/Tasman homeschool ball for a few years. This is her 'project' to learn about event planning, budgeting, more formal communication, etc. Happy to share details if you'd like to organise one in your region
Waikato has a Homeschool Ball annually too. At Narrows Park just outside Hamilton. You could possibly reach out to them for info on how they run it along with your other leads. Find a team of 2 or 3 other parents and make it happen!!! 😁🤩
Last year Excite church in Kerikeri put on a youth ball which a lot of our homeschool teens went to.
There is an annual homeschool ball in Auckland.
There is a homeschool ball in Wellington on 12th September this year.
Navigating Highschool & Beyond Facebook
Question: How do you keep the fun in your homeschool as you educate your highschool aged kids? I need ideas!
Answers:
For us it's the extra curriculars & social highlights each week that make the more boring stuff less painful. We also try to weave in academics arpund their interests & goals as much as we can. We typically do 4 - 5 subjects, and everything else is interest driven & extra curricular. History is compulsory until year 11, then they can drop it if they wish. Maths & Science in some form are compulsory until their year 12 year, but this may not necessarily be year 12 equiv maths. English is compulsory right through to year 13 in some form. Then they have another 1 - 2 core subjects of their own choosing. Currently, my teen's year 11 "curriculum" is... English, Numeracy/Maths, Health Science, Psychology (their choice)
Extra Curricular: Art (classes 2 hours per week), Dance (classes 5 hours per week), Duke of Ed Service (2 hours per week)I involve them in the planning for a term at a time. Aside from an expectation from me to get to a certain level in English and math, the rest has been very led by what they want to learn, register for etc. Academic stuff they have chosen to do include psychology, church history, biology, logic and reasoning, classical studies, coding, debating... Other things they've opted into: speech and drama (including lessons, shows, competitions), Parkinson Online Classes, Duke of Edinburgh Award, soccer, rock climbing, kayaking, spear fishing, tramping, leading on youth camps, attending youth camps, first aid course (Peak Safety 2 day outdoor course- highly recommend!), bonsai growing, medieval reenactment, long bow archery, making stuff, cooking.... I also try and have an activity at some stage during the year that we all like doing during the term. I need the fun stuff too!
They are not doing all these things all the time. We tend to do 2 or at most 3 extra curricula outside the home things as we are rural and have a 30 minute drive each way to get to stuff. Because they have alot of agency over what and how they learn, it feels way more 'fun' for them.
I've just heard from people in the know (Nikki Roys) that Cambridge is slowly moving towards online exams. Both paper and online exams will likely be available for a while, eventually phasing out paper.
To be fair, this will make the exams more accessible to teens who have a hard time writing by hand alot. But may make them a bit trickier for teens who find screen work difficult/over- stimulating.
Something to think about if you are considering Cambridge:)
In New Zealand, the traditional academic path typically leads through NCEA or Cambridge exams, often seen as the gold standard of secondary education. Many homeschoolers feel pressured to follow suit, fearing that anything less might limit their children’s future. Yet, for a growing number of New Zealand families, the GED offers a refreshing alternative. It’s a simple, internationally recognised school-leaving certificate that does the job without dictating how you educate at home. Learn more at
About NCHENZ
The National Council of Home Educators NZ (NCHENZ) has been an Incorporated Society since 1998, dedicated to supporting and advancing home education across Aotearoa NZ at a national level.
We are the only nationwide homeschooling body in NZ representing all home educators, and we hold a strong commitment to neutrality. As per our Constitution, we do not endorse or promote any particular political, religious, educational, parenting, or socio-economic philosophy or methodology. Our focus is on creating an inclusive environment where all members, regardless of their cultural background or beliefs, feel welcomed and respected.
We have had zero membership fees for many years to ensure that the organisation is accessible to the entire homeschooling community, regardless of personal circumstances.
Email us on info@nchenz.org.nz