Newsletter 12 June 2026

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, Greetings to our school families.

I had an amazing week away with our Year 6 students at camp last week. Everywhere we went, we received incredibly positive feedback about our children. People consistently commented on their manners, resilience, and the way they supported and encouraged one another.

At times, it can feel like there is a lot of negative messaging about “kids these days”. While nobody is perfect, I think our tamariki are doing just fine. The positives I see every day far outweigh any negatives, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. They represented our school community exceptionally well.

This was the 18th time I have attended this camp with SBS students. I can’t quite believe how quickly the years have flown by. I certainly don’t feel any more grown up than when I first started—although my knees may have a different opinion!

Looking ahead, I have been fortunate enough to be granted a Study Sabbatical and will be on leave for all of Term 3. I am looking forward to the opportunity to recharge the batteries, spend time with family, and immerse myself in some further study and professional learning.

In my absence, Mr Morley and Mr Port will be sharing the Acting Principal role. It is reassuring to know that our stable and supportive staff are more than capable of keeping the ship sailing smoothly, even in a time of significant change across education.

Please take a moment to check the school diary below, as there are several important events coming up, including our Camp Assembly, Parent Interviews, and SBS Matariki Celebration. Our Matariki Day is always a wonderful time for our SBS whānau, and we encourage you to come along and join in where you can. More details will be available in coming weeks.

Ngā mihi nui,

Kathryn Ramel

Principal

School Diary

Week 9 Mon 15 June – Fri 19 June:

Mon 15/6 Dental van arriving at SBS – here until end of term, PTA Meeting 7pm in the staffroom
Tues 16/6 Kiwi Science Exam selected Year 5 and 6 students.
Fri 19/6 Year 5 Skateboard lessons (Rescheduled due to rain last week)

Week 10 Mon 22 June – Fri 26 June:

Mon 22/6 Kiwi Maths Exam, selected Year 5 and 6 students.
Tues 23/6 Mahu College Production (Seussical) – Year 6 only. 9.15-12.15pm
Fri 26/6 Camp Assembly (Year 6 presenting) 9.15am
Fri 26/6 Whole School Assembly 2:00pm Class: Kowhai 2, End of Term Values Certificates

Week 11 Mon 29 June – Fri 3 July:

Tues 30/6 Kiwi English Exam, selected Year 5 and 6 students.
Weds 1/7 Year 5 & 6 classes in the hall 2pm. Author James Russell (Dragon Brothers Book Series) here to present
Wed 1/7 Parent Interviews 2:30pm to 8pm
Thurs 2/7 Parent Interviews 3:20pm to 5pm
Fri 3/7 Last Day of Term 2, SBS Matariki Celebration

Welcome to our New Students – we hope you enjoy your time at our school!

Kole A, Gia O, Isaac R, Chloe V and Oliver V

New to the School? Want to meet some other parents? Come along and join our fun PTA

Our PTA are definitely NOT the Parents To Avoid. Joining the PTA is a great way to get to know some of the other parents, have a laugh and create some cool memories for our kids. There’s lots coming up in the near future – a disco, Quiz Night, sport days. Being a member of the PTA isn’t a big time commitment – just help out when you can. Or bring your new ideas to the table. Keen? Drop down to the school staffroom next Monday 15 June at 7pm, email the PTA at pta@snellsbeach.school.nz or register your interest via this form https://forms.gle/wqUqJNwyBayPFmH28

Parent/Teacher Interviews and Mid Year Reporting

This year your child’s Mid Year Reports will look a little different, due to new Ministry of Education requirements. We will be changing our processes a little also, to ensure that you understand the information that is being shared with you:

paper copies of reports will be handed out in person at your parent interview, and teachers will talk these through with you
digital copies will be sent to all parents following the interviews, on Friday 3rd July

If you need to update your email address with us please email the office team on admin@snellsbeach.school.nz, so we can arrange this.

We have our Mid Year Parent Interviews in the last week of school:

Wednesday 1 July 2:30pm – 8:00pm or Thursday 2 July 3:20pm – 5:00pm

Once again, bookings will be through our Skool Loop App.

Students in Rimu 2 (Miss Jolliffe) – Interviews with Miss Jolliffe will take place on Thursday 25 June from 9:20am to 5:00pm and will be booked via the Skool Loop app.
Students in Rimu 1 (Mrs Mistry) – Please talk directly with Miss Mistry to set a time to meet. As most students have only been at school briefly, an interview may not be necessary.

Booking through the app is super simple – simply open the app and click onto the interviews or bookings button, choose the teacher required followed by the date and time.

Families with more than one student at SBS: Please leave a 10 min slot between interviews, to allow you to move between classes, and not miss any of your interview time. We strongly recommend you book through the app to get preference of booking times.

Prefer not to use the app? Please contact Marissa Bale by email on mbale@snellsbeach.school.nz or pop into the office to set a time. Please specify your preferred time. Bookings via the app will be given preference.

Year 6 Camp Tongariro

Our Year 6 students had a fantastic camp last week, and were really lucky with the weather given what was happening in other parts of the country. They were able to experience White Water Rafting on the Tongariro River, and caving in the Okupata Caves. We went up Whakapapa’s Sky Waka gondola, to check out the fairly extreme winter conditions at the top cafe and enjoyed sledding and throwing snowballs in Happy Valley. For the first time ever, we had to cancel the Taranaki Falls walk due to safety concerns, heavy rain and icy winds are not a good combination. We all enjoyed an extra warm soak in the Tokaanu Pools instead.

Huge thanks to the “parent survivors” who bravely gave everything a go too, while also cooking up a storm and protecting us from massive possums.

We would love you to join us for our Year 6 Camp Assembly at 9:15am on Friday 26 June in the hall. Our campers will be sharing their favourite memories, performing the camp song, and showcasing the camp movie. All are welcome! welcome!

Dogs at School

Just a reminder that dogs shouldn’t be in the SBS grounds around pick up and drop off times. We have a number of students who are scared of dogs and this can be quite stressful for them, making the start or end of the day difficult. Please tie your furry family members to a tree in the pathway between the office and the staff carpark – this is out of bounds for students, and keeps everyone happy.

Mahurangi College Open Day – Friday 7th August 9:30am – 11:30am

This is an open invitation for all families considering Mahurangi College, whether they have decided to enrol or are still exploring their options. Our Open Day is for parents and caregivers. Students will have the opportunity to visit the school during our Orientation Day on Friday 6 November, 9am – 1pm (they will attend this as a group from SBS).

Families who would like to discuss their child’s specific learning or pastoral needs can request an enrolment interview at our Open Day or through the online enrolment process. An enrolment interview is not intended for every student, only for ones that have specific pastoral or diverse learning needs.

The closing date for all 2027 enrolments (in-zone and out-of-zone) is Wednesday 2 September 2026.

Trees for Survival Planting Report

Lunch ordering at Snells Beach School

Here at Snells Beach School we have lunch-ordering through Ezlunch available every day. Follow the link below to sign up for ezlunch and check out the menu. Sushi is available and needs to be ordered the night before whilst sandwiches/baking/other lunchbox items from New World can be ordered up to 8am of the same day. Please note, the lunch order is delivered right before our 1pm lunchtime so students still need to bring morning tea with them. Please contact the school office if you have any questions.