Newsletter Term 2, Week 1

Term 2, Week 1 – Friday 7 May 2021

Principal’s Chat

Kia ora everyone

Firstly a big welcome to our new students, and to Mrs Susie Stringer who has started with our latest new entrant class in Room 1.

Since our last newsletter, our wonderful PTA, with the support of It’s My Party and teachers, ran the Movie Night. This was the first time we have had a family movie night and it was so wonderful to see so many families come along. Thank you!
The PTA committee is smaller than many people realise, and consists of only a few members, so assistance from the community is an essential part of making planned events run smoothly.
This year the PTA is donating $25,000 from the 2020 fundraising to our school, for the benefit of all students. We are initially looking at boosting our science resources. We have purchased 2 hockey goals already for the astroturf, and are looking at getting netball goals for that area as well as more goals for the field. These additional resources are possible due to the fundraising ventures across the year.
The next PTA meeting is next Tuesday 11 May at 7.00pm. The next fundraiser planned is the Glow Playground on 21 May, another first for Long Bay. Please look at the PTA section later in this newsletter for more details.

Friday 21 May is also Pink Shirt Day, which is designed to encourage positive citizenship, to speak up and stop bullying. Students can wear brightly coloured mufti clothes instead of school uniform.

At the end of last term our top swimmers competed in both the North Shore and Cluster Swimming Schools events. Our swimming team did so well in both events, and came first in the Cluster Swimming Schools event– a BIG congratulations for those students, and a thank you to the parent supporters and Nikki Douglas.

During the term break, New Zealand commemorated ANZAC Day. Our school was represented by Ben and Regan, our Kahui Ako student leaders, who attended the dawn service and laid a wreath. A big thank you to Ben, Regan and their families, and to Tash Eagleton of Village Blooms at New World, Long Bay, who donated the commemorative wreath.

Looking forward this term, there are a couple dates in particular for events coming up next week:
Firstly our school is starting the Keeping Ourselves Safe Programme with the New Zealand Police. This programme will run across the school from next week. Senior Constable Wansink is available to talk about the programme at a parent meeting next Monday 10 May at 2.00pm in the school staffroom. All parents are welcome.

The second date that I recommend parents make time for is to attend the Netsafe Parent Evening, which is next week on Wednesday night 12 May, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm in our school hall. Please do come along if you can – the Netsafe presenters will be talking about how to manage and protect your children within the online world. This session is relevant for parents of children at all ages. Please come along!
We will have staff available to supervise children if you cannot arrange other care during the Netsafe evening. If you are wanting your children to be supervised for that hour, please sign your children in to the library from 6.15pm and sign them out at the end of the presentation.
We hope to see you there.

Have a great fortnight

Linda
Linda Barton
Principal

School App and Website

2021 Upcoming Events

2021 Term Dates

Welcome New Students

A warm welcome to the new students who have started at Long Bay Primary since the last newsletter:

Jack, Blas, Emily, Liam, Halle, Imogen, Max, Summer, Freya, Dylan, Logan, Selena, Olivia, Ander, Blake and Ava

NetSafe Parent Evening – Wednesday 12 May

Date: Wednesday 12 May (Term 2, Week 2)

Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm

Location: Long Bay Primary School Hall

Managing Online Safety 1 hour presentation including Q&A

This session would look at: 

• Harmful Digital Communications – what is it? How to recognise it as parents and as a young person?
• What practical steps can one take to reduce, prevent, and respond to online harm?
• Important conversation starters to have with your children about their technology use and how these can help reduce the risk.
• Understanding the digital landscape – latest statistics on young people’s experiences online.
• Supporting families to understand that not all screen time is equal. Distinguishing between active and passive use.
• Community connections – how our interactions between young people, parents, teachers, and other professionals can provide guidance and support.

Join the Walking School Bus

Keen to make school drop off/pick up easier and stress free?  Meet other local parents and get some fresh air and exercise? Have your kids arrive to school energised and ready to start their days learning?

A walking school bus is a group of children who walk together to/from school with parent supervisors along a set route.  Parents take turns and shouldn’t need to walk more than one day a week.  The other four days are free.

Long Bay Primary has two routes running now, if you aren’t near these routes get in touch with claire.scott@at.govt.nz so we can arrange another route for you!

PTA News

 https://shop.tgcl.co.nz/shop/index.html

www.entbook.co.nz/944q291

Important School Reminders

Assemblies

Our full school assemblies are now each fortnight. All family members are welcome at the full school assembly, and the dates for these are in the newsletter and on the website calendar (next full school assembly is Friday 14 May).

As our school has grown so much, we are now handing out the children’s certificates at their team assemblies, rather than at the full school assembly. The team assemblies are at different times during the school day to fit in with each team’s timetable. Teachers are taking photos of the children receiving their certificate and will put these on to Seesaw.
If you are not yet connected to your child’s class Seesaw, do contact the class teacher.

Absence from School

If your child is going to be absent from school, please email admin@longbayprimary.ac.nz or call 09 473 6077, option 2 and advise the Office to avoid your child being marked as truant.

If your child arrives late to school, they MUST call at the Office window for a late pass. This is so we know they are safe.

If you are collecting your child early from school, all parents/caregives need to sign them out at the Office. Children are not allowed to leave school grounds early unless they are signed out. Where possible, please do not arrange to collect a child during break times, as it is extremely difficult to locate them. Morning tea is 11.15am to 11.45am and lunch is 1.15pm and 2.00pm.

School Adventure Playground

Please remember that the playground is out of bounds for all students before school.  Children who are accompanied by their parent may play on the playground after school and on the weekends. Children cannot stay and play on the playground after school unless their parent is with them.

Before and After School Care – Kelly Club

Kelly Club is available at Long Bay Primary from 7.00am until 6.00pm in the afternoon.  Please contact Kelly Club on 027 363 3329 or at longbay@kellyclub.co.nz if you have any enquiries or wish to make a booking.  Kelly Club will be using the hall and Room 4 for Before and After School Care this year.

Community Local Events and Sports