Newsletter: Term 3 Week 5

Term 3 Week 5: Friday 18 August 2023

Important Dates
Out of Zone Ballot Open – Applications Welcome for Year 1- 4
Monday 21 August – Out of Zone Ballot Closes for Year 1- 4
Thursday 24th August – Better Start Literacy Approach: Y2 and Rm 1 Whānau Hui
Thursday 14 September – PTA Movie Night,  5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Hall
Friday 8 September – Yummy Sticker Sheets returned to the office
Tuesday 12 September – Photolife Class & Individual Portraits

IN THIS ISSUE:
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Spotlight on Year 1
Wellbeing at Sunnybrae
Mental Health Education
Better Start Literacy
Pasifika Fono 
Emergency Procedures
PTA Update: Yummy Stickers
Enrolments at Sunnybrae
Out of Zone Ballot Open
Reminders
Community Notices

The PB4L focus for Term 3 Week 6 will be on: 
Cooperation: Everywhere – Taking turns 

We would like to welcome our New Entrants to Sunnybrae.
Ms Melinda Clow opened the doors to Room 1 this term. She and our new students are learning all about what it is to be part of the Sunnybrae family. They even had Sunnybee visit them on their first day. It has been lovely to see our new entrants playing on the playground, enjoying the books in our library and participating in Kapa Haka sessions. The Room 1 roll will continue to grow as the term progresses.

Wellbeing at Sunnybrae
This week we have had a focus on Wellbeing across the school. 
Classes have had different activities they could participate in each day to promote ways they can self-regulate and practice being calm such as deep breathing, doing a body scan, watching glitter slowly spin then settle in a jar. A book display in the library has showcased books about feelings, emotions and relationships. The staff’s wellbeing has also been a focus by having the chance to meet together for breakfast, showing gratitude for acts of kindness they have experienced as well as opportunities to socialise out of school with some fun activities arranged.

Mitey is an evidence-based, school-wide approach to teaching mental health education which is built around the NZ Curriculum and aligned to the Mental Health Education Guidelines.

Mitey targets NZ children from Years 1-8 to help them build the necessary and age-appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding they need to nurture their own emotional wellbeing and those of others.

The Year 5 & 6 team have been exploring elements of the Mitey programme and the use of feathers to identify our strengths, what we need to learn and to help us set goals.
Recently, we have been completing activities linked with the book Mophead by Selina Tusitala Marsh. The book highlights how your difference makes a difference and links to the topics of communication, identity and wellbeing. An activity used was how a mistake on a picture could be turned into something good (interesting, unique, special). It was amazing to see what the students came up with.

BETTER START LITERACY APPROACH:
Year 2 and Room 1 Whānau Hui
Room 1 and our Year 2 classes are now using a newly available, research-based, way of teaching reading and spelling.

It is called the Better Start Literacy Approach. Click here for more information www.betterstartapproach.com.

You are invited to come and hear about this approach and learn about how you can support the reading journey for your child at home.
WHEN: Thursday, 24th August
TIME: 3:20 pm until approximately 4:00 pm
WHERE: The Sunnybrae Staffroom 

The Better Start Literacy Approach was developed by Professors Gail Gillon, Brigid McNeill and their team from the Child Well-being Research Institute and School of Teacher Education at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. The Approach has been piloted and tested with over 1000 tamariki, their teachers and whānau in Christchurch and Auckland communities. The results showed that the Better Start Literacy Approach is very effective in advancing the reading and spelling abilities of 5 – 6-year-old tamariki. The Ministry of Education is supporting the Better Start Literacy Approach, which has been specially designed for our New Zealand educational context. It includes the new Ready to Read Phonics Plus readers for young children that are being distributed to all schools. 

We are very excited to have the opportunity to use the Better Start Literacy Approach in our classroom. We would love to have you come along to learn more about this approach and find out how to use the new reading books with your child at home.

Your child’s teacher will send a message on Seesaw asking you to RSVP.
We look forward to seeing you!

Pasifika Fono
Thank you to the families who attended the Pasifika Fono.
It was lovely to gather together and spend time sharing ideas and suggestions to support our Pasifika students at Sunnybrae. For those who were unable to attend this event, we are planning to meet again in Term 4 so we hope you can join us then for this social gathering. 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES:
Lockdown Drill 
As part of the ongoing training and review of our Emergency Procedures, Sunnybrae held a Lockdown Drill on Wednesday 16 August at 10:45 am.
Prior to the drill, teachers reviewed with their students what they should do if they hear the ‘lockdown’ announcement. The lockdown announcement was made, and students remained in their classrooms quietly. The Principal and Deputy Principals checked each classroom had completed their procedures, and the ‘all clear’ announcement was made. Following the lockdown, teachers reviewed the drill with their class and noted their feedback.

MYKINDO PROMO:
Celebrate the Father Figure in your life!
Whether it’s a Dad, Uncle, Grandad or Poppa in your life, make them feel extra special this Father’s Day with our ezlunch giveaway.  Every lunch order gets you a chance to win one of THREE $50 ‘Bunnings’ vouchers.

Order ezlunch for delivery from Monday 21 August – Friday 1 September 2023 to be in the draw to WIN! Three vouchers, three winners!

The winners will be drawn on Friday 1 September and notified by email/phone.
Go to www.mykindo.co.nz to start ordering.

PTA UPDATE:
Yummy Stickers
The PTA would appreciate your Yummy stickers from Yummy branded apples. Simply collect the Yummy cut-out labels from bags (each cut-out label is worth 10 stickers) and individual Yummy apple stickers for Sunnybrae to claim our share of the $200,000 free Sport sports gear prize pool. Yummy apples are available from New World, PAK’nSAVE and participating Four Square stores. The more you collect, the more sports gear we get so get going and start collecting your Yummy cut-out labels and stickers now!  Once you have a full sheet of stickers please hand it into the Office before Friday 8 September. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A SHEET

Out of Zone Ballot – Years 1 to 4 – Now Open.
We are excited to announce there will be a ballot for out-of-zone enrolments at Sunnybrae Normal School. The deadline for applications for places in Years 1-4 is 21 August 2023. The ballot will be held on 28 September 2023.

REMINDER:
Year 7 Enrolment
Takapuna Normal Intermediate School Enrolment for 2024 closes on 30 August 2023. Please ensure you complete your online enrolment form as soon as possible or by this date. Click here to enrol www.tnis.school.nz.

Drop off and Pick up
We are asking that all parents/caregivers be considerate of our many neighbours by ensuring that you leave their driveways clear when you are dropping off or picking up your child/children. Please use common sense by obeying the road rules, and do not stop or park on yellow lines or use the berms to park your car. The crossing monitors are there to ensure safe crossing of Sunnybrae Road, so please follow their instructions.

Kind regards
Lorene Hurd, Principal
SUNNYBRAE NORMAL SCHOOL

REMINDER:
Please note that all children are to be collected from school by 3.00pm. If you are unable to collect before this time, you may be interested in booking your child into the YMCA after-school club held in the School Hall.  

CLICK HERE TO BOOK 

COMMUNITY NOTICES:

Book in one full paying adult cut or colour plus 2 children’s cuts and go in draw to win either A Stationery Pack for 2 children or 1 School Uniform
for the 2024 school year. You get to choose what option you’d like. 
Book online hairidentity.co.nz or phone 09 443 5077

Hair Identity, 41 Sunnybrae Road, Hillcrest 
Open from 1 September – 30 November.  Drawn 1 December 2023.
T&C’s apply – see instore for details. This prize is for primary/intermediate aged children. 

Brain Play teaches science & technology classes to Kiwi kids aged 5 – 13, right across the country! We offer holiday programmes, online classes, in-person after-school classes, in-school classes, and free events for communities. Our topics include 3D printing, coding, animation, STEM experiments, LEGO & more. Free trials are also available for new students. This term we are in Stanmore Bay, Huapai, Parnell and Hobsonville (as well as online)! Check out our website to learn more about what’s on at Brain Play & book in today – https://www.brainplay.co.nz/.