Tēnā Koutou, Talofa Lava, Malo e Lelei, Namaste, Ni sa bula, Noaia’e mauri, Fakalofa lahi atu, Kia Orana, Ni Hao, An Nyung Ha Sai Yo, Nay Ho, Hej, Hallo, Sawat Dee, Cześć, Goeie Dag, សួស្តី, Здравствуйте. Greetings to our school families.

Welcome to our new students – we hope you enjoy your time at our school!

Hunter H, Grace O

Key Dates

Week 4: 2 Nov – 6 Nov

  • Tues 3.11 Y.3 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 -2:40pm
  • Weds 4.11 Year 3 Field Trip to Snells Beach- Whitebait Connection 9.00am-1.00pm
  • Thurs 5.11 School Sprint Finals 10.20am line up
  • Thurs 5.11 SBS Athletics (Year 5 – 6) 
  • Thurs 5.11 Y.4 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 – 2:40pm
  • Fri 6.11 SBS Junior Run, Jump and Throw 9.10am (Year 0 – 2) 
  • Fri 6.11 SBS Athletics (Year 3 – 4)
  • Fri 6.11 Mahu College Orientation Day for Year 6s

Week 5:  9 Nov – 13 Nov

  • Tues 10.11 Y.3 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 – 2:40pm                                                                
  • Weds 11.11 Year 3 Field Trip Save Day Whitebait Connection 9.00am-1.00pm
  • Thu 12.11 Y.4 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 -2:40pm
  • Fri 13.11 Full School Assembly – PAC Kiwiana Performance

Week 6: 16 Nov – 20 Nov

  • Mon 16.11 Road Patrol Training with Const. John Walker (9;10am – until finished)
  • Tues 17.11 Y.3 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 -2:40pm
  • Tues 17.11 Inter School Athletics (Yrs 4 – 6 by qualification)
  • Thurs 19.11     Y.4 Swimming at Mahu 12:10 -2:40pm
  • Fri 20.11 Teacher Only Day – details below

KEY DATES – END OF YEAR

  • Fri 20.11 Teacher Only Day
  • Mon 30.11 – Fri 4.12 Year 6 “Not a Camp” Week
  • Fri 11.12 – SBS Prize Giving (whole school) and Awards Ceremony (seniors)
  • Mon 14.12 – Year 6 Graduation
  • Tues 15.12 Last Day!

Athletics Day and School Sprint Finals

Due to our growing size, we have made a few changes to our Athletics Day and School Sprint Finals programme. Parents and supporters are welcome to attend all events, but please take extra care to supervise pre schoolers – we have had a few near misses in previous years. 

Please make sure that your children come to school with hats, drink bottles and sun block on these days. 

Thursday 5 November: students wear house colour mufti sports clothing to school. 

Whole School Sprint Finals 10:30am on the field. This will start with our Year 0’s, and then we will progress through to the Year 6 events. Each event will comprise of as many heats are required based on numbers, followed by a final. Girls heats will run first, followed by boys, and then the finals for both. Please do not request more detailed times – we simply don’t have them. Please also note, students may run in their choice of shoes or bare feet, but NOT spiked athletic shoes.

Year 5 & 6 Athletics 12:30pm on the field. All students will compete in: Long Jump, High Jump, Shot Put and Discus. All students will get a minimum of two turns each at each event, and a maximum of 3. This will depend on timing and numbers. Classes will practice techniques and give students plenty of opportunity, prior to the competition day.

Top competitors in each event will qualify for the Inter School competition.

Friday 6 November:

Year 0 – 2 Athletics. 9:15am – 10:30am. Children compete in some “fun” events, based on the concepts of “Run, Jump, Throw”. Students just wear their school uniform.

Year 3 & 4 Athletics 10:30pm on the field. This will follow the same format as the Year 5 & 6 event as described above. Top Year 4 competitors will qualify for the Inter School competition, but Year 3’s do not. Students wear school uniform to school, and change prior to the event into house colour sports mufti.

Trucks on Dawson Rd and Roadworks

Like you, we are getting very frustrated with the roadworks around the Mahurangi East/Dawson Rd intersection. This is particularly difficult in the afternoons, when everyone is arriving in such a concentrated time. We are doing our best to manage the Health and Safety of our students to and from school, including stationing Mrs Bayer at the end of Dawson Rd in the afternoon to assist kids crossing the road when they can’t access the Mahurangi East crossing. By negotiation, we have agreed that trucks can move in and out of the storage site on Dawson Rd, but extremely slowly. This has been checked and seems to be adhered to. Please respect this, and don’t get frustrated and try to pass – they are trying to keep our kids safe. Quite simply, if we continue to completely restrict all truck movement, the roadworks will take even longer to complete, creating more Health and Safety issues.

SBS Christmas Carols

We are really frustrated to announce that unfortunately, we won’t be able to hold a Christmas Carols event this year. This is due to the Lockdowns, but has nothing to do with Covid gathering restrictions. Our Year 6 Camp had to be moved twice due to the two Lockdowns. We have now rebooked an amazing week for them in Week 8 (30th Nov – 4 Dec). Unfortunately, as Year 6’s, they run most of the Carols event, either as School Leaders, presenters, dancers or in the choir, and they simply won’t be here. The following week has a number of big events such as our school picnic at Scandretts (which is extremely tidal, and the date can’t be shifted), Junior trips to Goat Island, and our Prize Giving. To have the Carols earlier meant mid November which doesn’t work around Athletics Days etc. So, we apologise, and look forward to planning next year’s event instead.

Miss Jolliffe and the Leg

Miss Jolliffe oversees our school Library as well as teaching in Kauri 2. She particularly loves good picture books, and sharing them with the kids and staff. Now, she may have time to write her own, “Miss Jolliffe and the Leg”. Miss Jolliffe tripped while working in the Library at lunchtime last week and has sustained two fractures in her leg. This means she will not be returning for a few weeks, while it heals, and a further potential injury to her knee is checked. We wish her all the very best in her recovery, and are extremely thankful to have such a strong pool of relievers to call upon to run the class in her absence. We miss you Sarah!

Mahurangi College New Principal

After an extensive search culminating in 43 expressions of Interest and 17 outstanding applications, the Mahurangi BOT are delighted and very excited to announce that the board has unanimously appointed Tony Giles, the current Associate Principal of Rangitoto College, to the role of Principal of Mahurangi College. For more information, see the Mahurangi College Facebook page, or the Mahurangi Matters.

Mahurangi College Orientation Day – new time

The Mahurangi College Orientation Day for Year 6 students is next week, 6 November. Detailed information has come out via classes, but please be aware that we are hoping for all Year 6 students and parent drivers to meet in Totara Block by 8:15am, as we are concerned about the traffic and time to get through the lights in Warkworth. 

Health & Safety – Staff Car Park & Foster Cres

We regularly request this of parents, and it is time for a reminder. Please do not park in the Staff Car Park. Yes, we know that there can be spare car parks available there, however the simple fact is that the only way to exit the car park is to drive directly through the line of children and parents walking out of the school. Put simply, this is a recipe for disaster. Occasionally we are forced to chain this off, but this is a hassle for all involved. Please do your bit to care for our kids. 

We have noticed a huge increase in parents using Foster Cres as a pick up point also. Please don’t park in the turn around area at the end of the street, or cars are forced to back across the footpath where children walk. Please also note that the concrete area straight off the end of Foster Cres is a private driveway, not public road. Please respect this.

We know that it’s difficult out there with the roadworks. We suggest asking your children to walk a little further from the chaos and meet you either by the fire station, or the library. There is plenty of safe parking, and you won’t get caught in the queues. Given the number of students walking that way, we consider this a safe option.

Middle School Swimming

Our Year 3 and 4 students have started busing off to Mahurangi College this week, for their series of swim lessons. We see increased water confidence as an essential skill for our kids, and the BOT were quick to prioritise these lessons as something that would be funded through the MOE Student Donation Scheme, meaning all students attend for free. Better still, we noticed a few of our Mahurangi College ex-students among the tutors! Proud to see them out there leading.

Free Parenting Course

www.nextchapterparenting.co.nz is offering a free parenting course to parents who might be having a struggle in managing their children, or just need some tips and advice. This course does work and has the potential to be very helpful. All it requires is for parents to look, read, watch and hopefully gain out of the process. The course is offered on the website and is set out in video, and in written format. Based on filial therapy principles, it is child centred and most definitely works for those that put in the time. Have a look! and happy parenting:)
Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact nextchapterparenting@gmail.com

Bayleys Sponsorship

We are delighted to have the Bayleys team of Anthony Shaw, Fin Higgins and Phoebe Williamson support our school. Refer a property to them for sale, and upon an unconditional sale, our school receives $500. Today, they are visiting our school to donate $5000! In our school our size, this is a significant amount, for which we are thankful. See the flyer below, (or pdf link for better resolution) for more details. And a huge thank you to the parents in our school community (we know who you are) who have done this!

Bayleys Sponsorship Ad 2020