Newsletter 16 May 2025

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, Hola, Ola, 안녕하세요, Ayubowan, Vanakkam. Greetings to our school families.

We are slowly beginning to move back into our Admin Block over the next few weeks. We can’t wait! We’re celebrating all the small wins—like the safety fences finally being moved out of the drop-off zone. Thank you for your ongoing patience during this process.

It was great to see such a strong turnout at our Junior Literacy Evening this week. The closer the partnership between home and school, the better it is for the child. With so much confusing and conflicting information circulating in the media—especially in the lead-up to the Budget announcement—it’s a real positive to be able to talk face to face and build shared understanding.

We have some exciting events happening next week, including chess, a military helicopter visit, Inter-School Netball, and a police visit today. These are all great reminders that while core learning is important, there’s so much more to school than just that.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kathryn Ramel

Principal

School Diary

Week 4: 19th – 23rd May

• Mon 19.5 Chess Open Day (Year 3 and 4) 12.20-1.00pm, Chess Open Day (Year 5 and 6) 1.45-2.40pm
• Tues 20.5 Airforce Helicopter. 9:30 – 10:30 
• Thurs 22.5 Airforce Helicopter. 9:30 – 10:30 (saving day)
• Fri 23.5 Inter School Netball, Pizza Day Fundraiser – Year 6 Camp, School Disco

Week 5: 26th – 30th May

• Mon 26.5 Mid Term Cohort Entry
• Tues  27.5 Year 5 Road Patrol training (cover for Year 6 on camp)
• Weds 28.5 Board Meeting 6:30pm
• Thurs 29.5 Full School Assembly 2:00pm Nikau 1 presenting, Pizza Day Fundraiser – Year 6 Camp
• Fri 30.5 Teacher Only Day – Kelly Club is available in the hall for Child Care. Please book early.

Week 6: 2nd – 6 June Year 6 Camp all Week

• Mon 2.6 King’s Birthday

Nau Mai, Haere Mai to our new students – we hope you enjoy your time with us!

Cody A

Seasprite Helicopter Visit

We are excited that next week an airforce Seasprite Helicopter landing here at SBS. The Seasprite helicopter is operated by a three-person crew: a pilot, an observer who specialises in warfare and mission command, and a helicopter loadmaster who directs utility operations. The helicopter crew on this flight will include a parent of our school, and one of our former teachers, Sally Usher’s son – we are thankful that they have enabled this to happen.

Here’s some more information on the Seasprites and their uses:

https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/our-equipment/aircraft/sh-2gi-seasprite-helicopter/

The helicopter will land at approximately 9:30am next Tuesday 20.5 (saving day Thursday 22.5), on our school field. Parents and pre schoolers are welcome to stay and watch – please ensure that all pre schoolers are physically held by the hand during landing/take-off, and that you stand behind our school students who will be seated.

The number of students using our buses is now significantly higher than ever before. The sheer volume of students and parents involved has made it increasingly difficult for us to manage individual changes to travel plans.

Our Admin Team is spending much of the afternoon interrupting classes to communicate last-minute changes or confirm plans. This causes confusion—especially for students who often forget any changes they’ve been told—and increases the risk of mistakes. Unfortunately, this system is no longer sustainable.

To address this, we have completely revised our bus organisation to reduce errors and ensure student safety. We’ve also written new Guidelines for Bus Use for students and whānau. Please read these carefully below:

SBS Bus Use Guidelines

• Only regular bus users may catch the bus. We are unable to accommodate one-off trips for playdates, parties, or similar.
• Students may travel on one bus only, to either their home or their regular caregiver. Changes to accommodate after-school events are not possible. The only exception is for shared custody arrangements, where parents live in different directions.
• Each day, our Admin Team will mark absent students off the bus lists.
• If you will be collecting your child (e.g., after Assembly), please notify the office early. Fridays are especially challenging when we’re looking for students expected on the bus, who have already left with parents.
• Emergency changes only (e.g., stuck in traffic and can’t get home): please phone the school office immediately. We will try to reach your child, but cannot guarantee contact after 2:45pm.
• If your plans change suddenly and you’re able to pick your child up, we strongly recommend collecting them from their usual bus stop. This avoids traffic congestion at Dawson Rd and reduces the risk of roll errors.
• For known changes (e.g., your child will not take the bus on a usual day), please email admin@snellsbeach.school.nz or call the office before 12pm.
• If there is any confusion about your child’s travel arrangements and we cannot reach you, your child will be kept safely at school until arrangements are confirmed.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we work to keep every student safe and accounted for.

PTA Disco – next Friday 23 May 6:00pm – 7:30pm

After working closely with his agents, we are delighted to confirm that international superstar, and Mr Morley’s twin brother,  DJ Triple M, will return to deejay our upcoming PTA Disco! Party on!

• gold coin entry
• please, only current SBS students & pre-school siblings wll be admitted. No older siblings or friends.
• parents & caregivers welcome (encouraged for Year 0/1)
• students MUST be picked up from INSIDE the hall at 7:30pm

Fundraising for our Year 6 Camp to Tongariro

Thankyou to our Year 6 parents who are running some awesome fundraising activities to reduce the price for our students to get to Tongariro. The fundraising activities include:

New World Sausage Sizzle.
Prepare to have your mind BLOWN by exquisite BBQ sausages outside of NW in Warkworth from 10am to 1pm. Saturday 17th May

Sausage in Bread for breakfast!
Everyone needs a sausage for breakfast, makes the kids run faster! We will also be having a sausage sizzle at the Warkworth Hockey Turf (behind the netball courts) from 9am to 11am the same morning – Saturday 17th May.

The Amazing Bake Sale.
Tuesday 20th May, prepare to purchase the best of the best home baking from the year 6 parents. This will be outside Harcourts in Warkworth from 9:30am to midday.

Surti Samosas.
$28 for a box of 10 delicious samosas you can choose from four amazing flavours – Vegetable, Butter Chicken, Spiced Chicken and Lamb. Closes on Monday 19th May.
https://fundraising.surti.co.nz/sbs-year-6-tongariro-camp

Snells Beach School Tea Towel
$15 for a once in a lifetime tea towel. All the streets in Snells and Algies. Great present for the grandparents, aunts, uncles, secret Santas, the mother-in-law. Closes on 21st May.
https://fundraisefactory.com/my-fundraiser/Snells-Beach-School%20/Snells-Beach-School-Tea-Towel?fbclid=IwY2xjawKKJfxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHpLAZIrrw3hMNVoohirveZacGlEaw9tmU7ov7pT5aRwFGecnYPNe7ZLjkLOe_aem_zCqzatbdYZJwqJ2uBTH6oQ

THE Raffle to end all Raffles!
For a mere $5 a ticket you can purchase your chance to win some absolutely smashing prizes! Closes Sunday 25th May, prizes drawn Thursday 29th May.

First Prize – The Family Hamper
Champagne Ham with maple & orange glaze (half size 4-5kg) served with 2 chutneys from Homestyle Catering NZ.
A BBQ multi tool from Ahurei Gift Warkworth.
$30 voucher from Crimson Coast Café.
$100 outdoor timber voucher from Pole Yard & Pole Specs in Silverdale.
2 hours of pure relaxation (one hour of full body massage followed by a one hour facial) with Avryl Kinnon Aesthetics from Young & Creative.
A shampoo, treatment, cut and blow wave from Skippers Scissors.
$50 voucher from Four Square Snells Beach.
$100 Matakana Market Kitchen voucher donated by Snells Beach School.
$150 worth of goodies from Matakana Superfoods.
Prize is worth of $950!

Second Prize – The Weekend Getaway
1 night stay at Quails Nest in Mangawhai.
$100 Prezzy card from Snells Beach Liquorland.
Food supplies for your night away from Four Square Snells Beach.
Prize is worth over $400!

Big thanks to all of our raffle sponsors plus New World Warkworth, Harcourts Warkworth and JR Automotive. We couldn’t do it without your support!

Uniform Reminders

Our uniform guidelines are quite simple to make sure that they are easy for parents and students to follow. A reminder:

• no mufti sweatshirts – we have a multitude of second hand ones at the office if you need one.
• black or white socks only. Black, white or navy leggings/tights if you wish in winter.
• if you wish you child to wear an “under top’, these should either be not visible, or black, white or navy. We see little point in these – our fleeces are super warm (our kids wear them in sub zero conditions in Tongariro), and provide all the warmth kids need in winter.
• all long hair (regardless of gender) should be tied back. Primary kids have no sense of “personal space”, and this simply prevents the spread of nits and other nasties that no-one wants.
• shoes can be any sandals with a strap (ie: no jandals however crocs with the back strap on are fine) or sport shoes. Please no gumboots, ballet flats  etc – kids just can’t run or do PE in those.

We will ask students to remove non uniform clothing, unless it is for a day or two, with a note, while uniform is replaced or located.

Keeping in touch – communication is key

Keeping in touch is important. We need to be able to contact whānau quickly and efficiently. If you have changed address or contact details, please let us know asap, either via email admin@snellsbeach.school.nz, or by calling the school office 09 425 6058. 

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