Newsletter 12 September 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.

Thank you to the many people who replied to my email last week about some of the issues we are facing at school that stem from online interactions. Much of the current media focus is on adult/child online interactions and the addictive nature of devices, which is well deserved. However, I believe there is also a growing concern around child-to-child interactions at primary level—something families may not even be aware is happening.

On a personal note, I do feel social media should remain restricted to children over 13. That said, a complete ban on devices is not necessarily the answer. The bigger challenge is finding small, practical changes at home so you can stay aware—in “real time”—of what is going on, and choosing safer options where possible. For example, it might mean allowing your child to chat with cousins or trusted friends while gaming, but doing so within earshot. (I can confirm from my own home that tween boys talk an extraordinary amount of nonsense to each other—it’s definitely made me cook dinner faster some nights for my own sanity!)

Below we’ve listed all the key dates for Term 4, as we’re already receiving queries about these. A reminder also to book in with Kelly Club if you need a Holiday Programme for your child in the upcoming break.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kathryn Ramel

Principal

School Diary

Week 10: 15th Sept – 19th Sept

• Mon 15.9 Team Meetings
• Tues 16.9 Inter School Speech Finals at SBS
• DOC Predator detector dog visit. 11.30am Rimu
• Fri 19.9 Cultural Celebration
• End of Term Assembly 2pm

School Holidays Saturday 20.9 – Sunday 5.10. Have you booked Kelly Club yet if you require a Holiday Programme for your child?

Term 4: Key Dates

• Monday 27 Oct – Labour Day
• Week 2: 27 Oct – 31 Oct. Book Fair all week – great place to pick up some Christmas prezzies
• Friday 14 Nov – MOE Teacher Only Day (& Mahurangi College)
• Friday 5 Dec – SBS Carols in the Courtyard
• Friday 12 Dec – Prize Giving & Awards Ceremony (Yr 6 Graduation Certificates in the afternoon)
• Mon 15 Dec – Year 6 Graduation (evening)
• Tues 16 Dec – Last Day of School! School finishes 12:30pm. Kelly Club running pm. 

SBS Cultural Celebration

PTA Gold Fundraiser

Thanks for your support

Big thankyou to Charlies Gelato for supporting the Junior School’s “Milo’s birthday celebration” party and providing yummy gelato for everyone to share.

Dog visit to Year 0/1

Year 0/1 had a special visit from Ray and his beautiful spaniel, Nina, from the Warkworth and Districts Dog Training Club.
They gave a fantastic demonstration on how dogs use their noses to find things and how they can be trained to locate specific scents. Nina impressed everyone by successfully finding hidden items around the hall. She also enjoyed plenty of pats and treats from all the excited children!

Performing Arts Club

Our Performing Arts students have been having a great time this year dancing, singing and performing skits during our Friday Values Assemblies. This assembly is for students only, however in Term 4 we will be showcasing a highlight of this year’s performances, all will be welcome. Please keep an eye on coming newsletters for a date and time.

Event at Mahurangi College: Parenting in an Online World 101 – Parents Evening

We all want our school and community to be a safe place for our tamariki. But in a rapidly changing digital world, the risks our children face online are growing—more frequently, and more seriously.

That’s why we’ve invited filmmaker, author, and speaker Rob Cope, producer of the powerful documentary Our Kids Online, to deliver a humorous, eye-opening evening talk for our parent community.

His talk will cover:

• Cyberbullying – How bullies can reach our kids 24/7
• Social media – How social media is affecting the mental health in 3 out of 5 children. FOMO, depression, anxiety
• Gaming and the developing brain – An oversupply of dopamine leading to dopamine deficiency, synaptic pruning, and the underdevelopment of social skills and empathy
• Naked Selfies – The pressure to send nudes from intermediate up through high school
• Online predators – The methods they use, how to spot them
• Online porn vs healthy sexuality – How consuming online pornography as a child or teen can create a sexual template where violence, aggression, and dominance are seen as normal and consent can become very blurry.
• AI – Growing concerns around Companion bots, Deepfakes, Voice Cloning, Algorithmic Radicalisation

Solutions

• Filters – Which filters are best and how to install them
• Smartphones – How to lock down a smartphone to make it a safe phone
• Boundaries – How to put good boundaries in place around device use
• 3 golden rules – The 3 golden rules that will keep your kids safe
• Talking to your kids – How to have difficult conversations with your kids
• Challenging our own phone and device usage – Reconnecting as a family.

Here is a promotional video for you to watch   Our Kids Online Parent Evening.

The talk will be held at Mahurangi College on Monday, 6th October from 6pm. Please note: this talk is for adults only and is not suitable for children or teens to attend.

Included in your ticket is a one-year complimentary subscription to Parenting in an Online World 101 valued at $99. Created by Rob and Zareen at Our Kids Online, this practical, no-nonsense course is designed specifically for kiwi families and is already being used in thousands of homes across the country.

Please note: simply buying a ticket does not give you access to the course—you must attend on the night to receive it. So don’t miss out!

Tickets are limited due to venue capacity, so purchase yours now to avoid disappointment. Get your tickets here.

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