Newsletter Term 2, Week 9

Term 2, Week 9 – Friday 2 July 2021

Principal’s Chat

Kia ora everyone

I begin this newsletter with some sad new, as our school has recently lost a wonderful community member. Our kaumātua Rawiri Wharemate passed away last weekend. Matua Rawiri was a wonderful man and a support for our school, and other schools within our Kahui Ako. Matua Rawiri opened our new building in 2018 and gifted us with the classroom names of Tiaho Mai and Te Ao Marama. He also met some of our families at a school hui and shared his wisdom with our staff, including discussions about our reviewed school values. He was generous with his time and a wonderful guide for our school. I know he will be sadly missed by many. Our school has shared our condolences on behalf of our community, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

This term our school has been following the NZ Police Keeping Ourselves Safe programme. I would like to thank all families for your support in discussing aspects of the programme with your children. The aim of the programme is to teach the students to recognise situations where they may not be safe, and to know that they need to speak to a safe adult for assistance if they find themselves unsure or uncomfortable about a situation. One of the things that did arise from the discussions in classrooms was that a few children appeared surprised to find out that no one is allowed to hit anyone in New Zealand, and that this included parents hitting their children. Regardless of age or family culture, hitting your, or any, child is against the law in New Zealand. If this is a practice in your home, for the well-being of your family, yourself and our nation you need to stop now. A good resource in regard to positive parenting is the Parent Help NZ site, https://www.parenthelp.org.nz/positive-parenting/

We continue to be a busy school right up till the end of term. Thank you to everyone who supported the PTA Quiz night for our parents at the Long Bay Surf Club on 21 June. Thank you also to the supporters for the Year 6 netball tournament and the cluster school cross country event, where our team came third, a great achievement.
Since our last newsletter we also held our school celebration for Matariki, and it was wonderful to see the Kapahaka students perform at assembly and to have so many family members stay to eat lunch with the students. Each team also planted a tree in the Ngahere Ako forest (by the pathway to the field). A special thank you to our staff and parents for organising and supporting this uniquely kiwi celebration.

Next week, on Wednesday 7 July we have the mid-year student learning conferences. Our school will close at 12:30pm on Wednesday 7 July.  So there will be NO lunch orders on 7 July.
We will be offering supervision for parents that cannot make an alternative care arrangement for their child/children. So we can staff adequately we really do need to know if your child needs supervision. Please let your child’s teacher know if your child requires supervision from 12:30 till 3pm. Also please let your child/ren so they know what is happening for them on that afternoon.
Kelly Club will be open as usual at 3pm on that day, and the usual buses will run at 3pm.

I can see that many parents have already made their appointment time, if you haven’t done so please do this as soon as possible. The booking system appointments will close on Tuesday so that teachers know whose interviews they need to prepare for. Booking information is further on in this newsletter. Do bring your child along with you to their interview so they can be involved in the conversation about their learning. Further on in this newsletter is some information about the individual student mid-year progress reports, which came home yesterday

On the last day of school this term, Friday 9 July, we are holding a Gold Coin Mufti Day for the students, so they can come to school in their home clothes. We are also holding a Jesters Pie day. Both of these fundraisers are to raise funds for the term three whole school production. The school production will be held on Wednesday 1 September at the Bruce Mason Centre. All students across the school will be involved, so do leave that evening available. We will be letting our families know more about tickets etc as we get closer to that date.

Coming up next week is our Kaitiaki Kakariki (student enviro group) produce sale on Monday afternoon. The vegetables will be freshly picked from the garden and ready for sale outside the hall to parents coming in to collect their children (so do bring along some coins).

I wish you all a great last week of term, and a wonderful time with your family over the break.

Linda
Linda Barton
Principal

2021 Upcoming Events

2021 Term Dates

Welcome New Students

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

Zana, Maya, Lucy, Mia and Aaron

Mid-Year Learning Conferences – 7 July

On Wednesday 7 July 2021 we are holding our mid-year learning conferences.
Students are encouraged to come along with their parents to speak to their teacher.

School will finish early at 12.30pm on Wednesday 7 July.

The Okura and Torbay buses will run at 3.00pm as per normal that day. 

Supervision in the Library is available from 12.30pm to 2.55pm, please notify your child/children’s class teacher if your child/children require superivsion in the Library and they will add them to the list. Please do not contact the Office to do this.

Kelly Club will be open from 3.00pm.

To make an appointment please visit  https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/ and follow the prompts.

You will need to enter in our school code hstq8 then follow the options. Confirmation of your appointment(s) will be sent immediately to your email address.

Appointment bookings are OPEN NOW and bookings will CLOSE on Tuesday 6 July at 3.30pm.

Due to the mid-year learning conferences there will be NO lunch orders delivered to school on Wednesday 7 July.

Information on The Mid-Year Individual Student Reports

On Thursday, unless they are new to our school, your child will have brought home their mid-year progress report. 
The initial goal set at the beginning of the year for reading, writing and mathematics is noted, as well as your child’s progress against this goal and their next learning steps.  Above the comment is a table that shows the achievement continuum for that subject.  The tick indicates the level your child is working at in comparison to the expected achievement level in each of these areas of the curriculum. 
Student achievement levels are ascertained by teaching staff who make a careful overall teacher judgment.  As no single source of information can accurately summarise a child’s achievement or progress, overall teacher judgements involve consideration of all the achievement data relating to each child (formal assessments and the child’s application in class) and then making a judgment based on this range of evidence. 
An outline of additional curriculum learning areas, and a general comment relating to self-management and working alongside others, is also provided.

It is important to note that students do have differing rates of progress and may need longer at particular stages, or they may make accelerated progress. 

We acknowledge the role parents play as their child’s first teachers and as supporters of learning at school.  When reading the report, we encourage families to focus upon the improvements indicated within the report and how your child may be assisted in their learning.  Do remember to continue to encourage your child to read, write and enjoy mathematics in a range of contexts at home. This is particularly important over any school holiday times.

We look forward to seeing parents and students at our mid-year progress interviews next Wednesday. Please book a time if you have not done so already and bring your child along with you.

Tree Planting

As part of the Matariki celebration every team planted a tree donated by Mrs Barton in Ngahere Ako (our learning forest).

Sports Buzz – Term 2, Week 9

Northern Bays Cluster Cross Country

A selected group of students competed at the recent Northern Bays Cluster Cross Country. We did really well and Long Bay Primary placed 3rd out of 11 schools – an awesome effort from our runners!

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 arrived at 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 4 days are free.

Kaitiaki Kakariki (Team Green) Produce for Sale

Road Safety Guidelines

PTA News

Thank you to everyone who attended the PTA Quiz Night on 21 June.

PTA Vacancies – Chairperson and Communications Liaison

Sadly, our wonderful PTA Chairperson, Jo Clark, is standing down after a few years of wonderful leadership.
If you are community minded and love working with a team to organise fundraising projects, please consider putting your hand up for this role.
Jo is happy to support a new PTA Chairperson. If you are interested in this role please contact longbayprimarypta@gmail.com

We are also looking for a regular volunteer to assist the PTA in a communications capacity. If you are interested in the role, please email longbayprimarypta@gmail.com

Important School Reminders – Please Read 

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 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.

Lateness

A concerning amount of children are arriving late to school. The Office now hands out approximately 30-40 late passes every morning! Please ensure your child is at school, settled and ready for their learning before 8.55am. 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.

Borrowed School Uniform

The Office has loaned out a huge amount of school uniform to students and this is not being returned to school. If your child/children has borrowed school uniform, please wash and return it to the Office as soon as possible. We are getting low in supply and will not be able to loan out any school uniform in future unless it is returned.

Lost Property

Please regularly check the Lost Property box inside the hall foyer for any missing items of clothing, lunchboxes, hats and drink bottles. Any named items are returned to the students, but there is a large amount of items not named and the box is overflowing. At the end of term, this box is emptied and remaining items delivered to charity.

Kelly Club – Job Vacancy

Community Local Events and Sports

Extraordinary Kids – Do you feel your child is falling behind academically?

Let us help your child to get back on track and improve their confidence and skills?

Located in Torbay, Extraordinary Kids provides extra help with Maths, Reading, Writing and spelling on the Northshore for students 6 to 16 years old. Phone 09 475 6296 or 022 341 1716.

For more information email office@extraordinarykids.co.nz or visit www.ExtraordinaryKids.co.nz