LBP Newsletter – Term 1, Week 3

Term 1, Week 3 – Friday 16 February 2024

Principal’s Chat

Kia ora Parents/Caregivers

I think I was about 14 when I participated in one of my most memorable experiences involving a spade. Mr and Mrs London (my parents neighbours) had a very large silver dollar gum with an extensive root system. This became apparent when Mum and Dad’s sewer line became blocked and I investigated with my spade. It turns out making that one last digging action with your spade just hard enough to pierce the ceramic pipe and having all of the blocked water above the hole pour out of the hole at high speed is not great.

A good 20 minutes under the hose later I was allowed in the house for a proper shower.

Our working bee next weekend should be much less dramatic and considerably cleaner. We have two large piles of rocks to move to form the path, some boxing to keep it contained and a bit of trimming and grass cutting. The beauty of this event is twofold. We get the benefit of a path that will allow more students to travel to and from school and reduce the traffic pressure on Ralph Eagles Place. We will also provide you with an opportunity to meet other people in the school, work together on a communal project and help us out. If you intend to come please complete this form to let us know who is coming and to plan our tasks. We plan to start at 9:00am and be done by about 11:00am.

We have the piles of gravel in the field.

We have a path already prepared.

We just need you!

Luckily the silver dollar is long gone, all that remains is a decaying stump. 

While the Family Friday event starts tonight at 5:30pm (all welcome, no spades needed) the opportunity to provide a second fun event in close proximity was too good an opportunity to pass up. Why not come to both if you can? The weather forecast is great and a hose will not be needed after either event.

Rob Hutton
Tumuaki/Principal 

2024 Term Dates and What’s On

Welcome New Students

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

Micah, Franco, Leo and Marina

School Attendance

For the first 3 weeks of the year we have had 85% of our students regularly attending school (they have been here 90% or more). This is a great start to the year and we would like to maintain this level all the way to Christmas if possible. When you submit an absence report for your children please give a reason. This will allow us to send accurate information to the Ministry of Education. It also avoids us asking you for the reason they will not be at school.

Rob Hutton
Tumuaki/Principal 

Important School Reminders – Please Read

Absences

If your child/children are going to be absent from school, then you must let the Office and class teacher know.

Absences can be reported by calling the school on 09 473 6077, select option 1. Emailing the class teacher and admin@longbayprimary.ac.nz or through the school website ‘Report an Absence’.

All absences from school must have a reason so your child/children can be coded accordingly on their student record. Thank you for your co-operation.

Contact Details

If your personal contact or emergency contact details need updating, please email admin@longbayprimary.ac.nz It is very important that we have correct details on our student records.

Access via Ashley Reserve Walkway

For any students who would like easy access to the Ashley Reserve carpark please make your way along the walkway we have created. We hope this will assist to alleviate the traffic issues in Ralph Eagles Place so please encourage your children to use this walkway as an alternative to the drop-off/pick up zone. The gate is also open in the morning for students to arrive to school this way. 

Ashley Reserve Path Working Bee

Calling all enthusiastic people with a wheelbarrow, a hammer and are keen to help us with a small project. Please put a circle around Saturday 24 February 2024 at 9.00am. We are going to enhance the path between the school and Ashley Reserve to make it more of an all weather access opportunity while we wait for a more permanent solution to be found. Please click here to RSVP for this event.

Wheels Day – Friday 23 February

On Friday 23 February we will be holding our next Wheels Day (while the weather is still good). Students are welcome to bring some sort of wheels to school to use at Morning Tea and Lunchtime. There will be dedicated areas set aside for bikes (adventurous riders on a challenging grass track and the others on the bottom fields), scooters and other small wheels will be welcome on the courts. Helmets are compulsory for all participants. Please ensure helmets are named as it will make it much easier to reunite the owner with their helmet.

Small wheels will be stored under the shade sails in front of the hall in the morning and collected for the trip home at the end of the day. Bikes will be stored on the field.

Kapa Haka

Our Kapa Haka group will resume on Monday 19 February. This group is open to all students in the school and will be held in the Hall from 2:15pm.

Choir Group

The Long Bay Primary Choir is back in 2024. All students who are interested in participating are welcome to attend the first rehearsal in Room 4 on Tuesday 20 February after lunch. This group is for all Year 4 to 6 students only. No experience necessary.

Sports Buzz – Term 1, Week 3

Year 4-Year 6 School Swimming Sports
Have you registered for Year 4-6 students for Swimming Sports? Please click here to register your child. This is separate from both swimming lessons and Waterwise. It is a one day compulsory event for our Year 4-6 students.

Netball
All netball information for the school can be found by clicking on this link 

PTA News

Kelly Club – Term 1

Please email Kelly Club at longbay@kellyclub.co.nz to register and/or make a booking for before and after school care.

Community Notices and Events