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.

A special welcome to all our new school whānau – we’re so glad to have you with us. Let’s cross our fingers for some drier weather ahead! The school holidays were a bit wild, with rain and a few nasty bugs doing the rounds – it’s certainly been a challenging few weeks for many families.

Looking ahead, our School Cross Country is coming up at the end of Week 5 (Thursday 15 August) – and it’s shaping up to be a total mud bath! Students are already training on our sealed areas, and I’ve spotted a few of our keen runners putting in extra kilometres after school. For most, the goal will simply be to finish – and to enjoy the celebration afterwards!

Our PTA Quiz Night is also making a much-anticipated return! Check out the flyer below for details. For those new to our school, this is a fabulous adults-only evening and the PTA’s main fundraiser for the year. You can enter as a team or join one to meet new people. Every year the costumes get more creative – so get planning! We’ll share more info as the term goes on.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kathryn Ramel

Principal

School Diary

Week 2: 21st Jul – 25 Jul

  • Weds 23.7  Totara + Kowhai 1 walking/biking to Mahurangi Library, 100 Day party for Junior school, Board Meeting 6:30pm

Week 3: 28 Jul – 1 Aug

  • Tues 29.7 Trees for Survival Planting Day – Kow 1 , Year 4 to Warkworth Museum
  • Weds 30.7 Year 3 to Warkworth Museum
  • Thurs 21.7 Lockdown drill 10:45am
  • Fri 1.8 Mahurangi College Open Day for parents/caregivers only, Inter School Hockey (Yr 5-6), Full School Assembly 2pm (all welcome) class: Pūriri 2

Week 4: 4 Aug – 8 Aug

  • Weds 6.8  Totara + Kowhai 1 walking/biking to Mahurangi Library, Kylie Ryan “The Tough Stuff” parent evening 7pm in the hall

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

Octavia B, James B, Eloïse C, Oscar J, Josh M, Eden S and Navinu W

Our Value for Term 3:

Here at SBS we learn about one of our values for the whole term, to deeply understand it. We learn about how our values can help us make decisions and navigate life to make our life happier, and that of others. Our value this term is Responsibility – Haepapa.

Remembering that actions have consequences and learning to be accountable for what you do is an important life lesson for all of us. By teaching responsibility, children develop important skills like dependability, problem-solving, and decision-making. For younger children, responsibility may be putting away toys, making their bed and helping with simple chores. Older children could take care of pets, keep their room tidy and manage their belongings. The best way to explain how kids can be responsible is to be a great role-model.  Children learn by watching, so show them how you handle your own responsibilities, like keeping your promises and being on time. By teaching responsibility, we can help our children become capable, independent, and trustworthy individuals.

Welcome to Whaea Tanz!

We are delighted to welcome Whaea Tanz to the SBS crew, taking over from Rachel Waterhouse in Kauri 2. Rachel has taken leave for family reasons for the remainder of the year, and we look forward to having her back on board in 2026. Whaea Tanz spent a significant amount of time in Kauri 2 last term, building relationships with with kids, to allow a smooth transition for all. She brings experience with special need support and Te Āo Maori, and is a great addition to our team. Please join us in welcoming her, when you see her around.

School Board of Trustees Elections 2025

The nomination process for our School Board elections has started and nominations are now open. We have 5 spaces for parent representatives on the Snells Beach School Board. We have appointed Schooled Election Pilot as the Returning
Officer for the election, they will be handling the election process and you will see communications directly from them. Everyone who is eligible to vote in the election will receive a nomination pack (either via email or post). The info pack will contain everything you need to nominate yourself or another member of the community. (If you are going to nominate someone else, just make sure they know about it and will accept the nomination!). It will also include information who isn’t able to be a School Board member.

If you need extra forms, or want a copy of the nomination form in Te Reo Māori or another language, just contact the Returning Officer from Election Pilot directly on 0800 VOTENZ (0800 868 369) or election@electionpilot.nz. Don’t leave things to the last minute, because elections close at noon on 6th August. You can email in your nomination, complete it online at www.boardelections.nz or fill it in and drop it off to the school office. You can also send in a candidate statement and
smiling photo with your nomination as well.

A copy of the electoral roll is kept at the school office and is available to be checked during usual school hours. Voting will end at 4pm on 10 September 2025.

The “Tough Stuff” Parents Evening – Weds 6 August 7pm. Strictly adults only. 

A presentation we recommend EVERY parent attends..…
On Weds 6 August at 7pm in our school hall, Kylie Ryan from “The Tough Stuff” will be presenting an evening that we recommend parents of ALL students attend. Kylie will provide you with some practical ideas around handling those “tough” questions all kids ask, as well as some pointers for keeping your child safe. This is not just a session for parents of our senior students (although that would be a good idea before Pubertal Health sessions in class later this term), – how you answer their questions when they are young sets the precedent for how comfortable they will be asking you questions when they are older. And you DO want to be an available source of information for them, rather than their friends or online sources. Kylie will give you a wealth of information, which you can then consider through your own family, cultural or religious beliefs and share, when the time is right, in a way that you are most comfortable with.
Kylie Ryan, the founder of The Tough Stuff has over 20 years clinical and training experience in mental health and sexual health – with specific expertise in prevention of suicide, sexual violence, and drug and alcohol related harm. She has developed over 20 primary prevention programmes across the spectrum of mental health and sexual health issues, and trained over 30000 young people and 15000 professionals. She is currently the Wellbeing Educator at The University of Auckland working on the prevention of such issues for over 35000 students, and training staff University wide.

Kelly Club Red Nose Day Fundraiser

Next Friday 25 July, Kelly Club will be holding a Red Nose Day Fundraiser here at lunchtime. $1 Cupcakes, $2 sausage sizzle. There is also a raffle available before and after school in the hall with some great prizes, $2 a ticket or 3 for $5. All proceeds go to support Cure Kids through Red Nose Day. 

Rimu Block Pet Study

Year 1s are studying pets as their topic this term, and today they had a visit from Ted’s bunnies, Fudge and Ninja. There were lots of excited kids…..and we’re pretty sure that the bunnies found the day pretty memorable too.

Mahurangi College Open Day Friday 1 August – for parents and caregivers only

Next Friday, 1 August, Mahurangi College is holding it’s annual Open Day, for parents and whānau. This is NOT for students – all tamariki attending Mahurangi College will go to a student Open Day in Term 4, with other Year 6 students from all over our area. A reminder, the closing date for enrolments is Friday 29 August. 

Sandplay sessions at Snells Beach School

PTA Quiz Night – Save the Date

Throughout the long winter days, it helps to have something to look forward to…

The hall is booked and prep is underway. Anyone that would like to get involved, sponsor or donate get in touch on Pta@snellsbeach.school.nz

 

Community Notices

Drama Classes

Toukon Ryu Karate

Classes take place every Tuesday night 6.30 – 7.30PM in the school hall.
My name is Paul Hart and I am the Founder and Chief Instructor of Toukon Ryu Karate New Zealand; affiliated to JKF (Gojukai Japanese Karate Federation). I have been involved with Martial Arts for over 35 years. I have studied Goju Ryu Karate for the past 26 years and I have been teaching a variety of students from the age of 5 through to students in their 80s!
I’m very excited to be bringing karate to the local community.
Karate is the ideal sport/activity for kids and adults alike. In today’s world it is vital that we equip ourselves, and especially our children, with self defence skills. Karate helps promotes self-confidence, balance, fitness, co-ordination, discipline, courtesy, health and wellness, responsibility, and will power. Children may start training in Toukon Ryu Karate as young as 5 years of age.
I hope to see all the students again from last year, but also all Beginners are welcome to come along and have a go. Uniforms are called a ” Gi ” pronounced ” Gee ” – parents will need to purchase one which they can do through Paul if they wish.
All other information regarding joining etc will be supplied at the class or feel free to txt Sensei Paul on 021 297 2431
FB toukon ryu karate
I look forward to seeing you
Local businesses to support

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. 

  • Following our school Facebook page or Instagram

“Snells Beach School”, which operate as a digital newsletters. This is a great way to get quick updates and reminders. We post reminders and notices on Facebook – Instagram is more quick updates and snapshots of school life

  • Downloading our School App

Simply download the “Skool Loop” app from either App Store or Play Store & select “Snells Beach School” from the drop down box to receive instant notifications & reminders. This is an effective way to get immediate notices – they will pop up direct to your phone. Mahurangi College use the same app which is useful – just use the drop down box to change schools.

  • Subscribing to our school email database

Please email us admin@snellsbeach.school.nz to be added to the list. If you do not receive this newsletter via email on Friday afternoon, you are NOT in our database. All new families should have been added – please check. You can unsubscribe at any time.

  • School Newsletters

We do not usually print newsletters– just the first one each term while people update their contact details if needed. They are emailed out or linked to our school Facebook page. School newsletters come out once a fortnight – teachers may send home additional class or team messages at other times.

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