Term 1, Week 1 Newsletter

Term 1 Week 1: Friday 2 February 2024

Important Dates 2024
Friday 2 February – Swimming Lessons Start

Monday 5 February – School Open

Tuesday 6 February – Waitangi Day, School closed

Wednesday 28 February – Parent Teacher Conferences 1:20 – 7:00pm – School Closes at 12:30pm

Thursday 29 February – Parent Teacher Conferences 3:20 – 7:00pm

Friday 15 March – Family Fun Fest

Wednesday 27 March Whānau Hui 5:00 pm Staffroom

IN THIS ISSUE:
Principals Welcome
Hero
Back to School Check List
Crossing Duty Helpers Needed for 2024
Travelwise – Keeping safe getting to and from school
PTA Update: Family Fun Fest 2024 Planning
Parking at Drop Off and Pick Up
Community Notices

Principals Welcome

Kia ora Whānau,

I hope this message finds you rejuvenated after a restful break. I want to extend a warm ‘welcome back’ to our returning families and a special greeting to those joining us for the first time.

I trust your holidays were filled with joy, laughter and precious moments spent with loved ones. The summer break allowed our students to explore and embrace new adventures. 

Our dedicated staff have been working hard over the break, gearing up for a successful year ahead. 

Communication between home and school is paramount for the success of our students, and we encourage open dialogue throughout the year. We value your partnership in your child’s education journey and look forward to working together. 

Please take note of the upcoming events and important dates outlined in the weekly newsletters. We encourage your active participation in school activities, whether it be attending parent-teacher meetings, joining the PTA (Parent Teacher Association), cheering at Sporting Events or volunteering your time and skills.

If you have any questions or concerns or simply wish to connect, our doors are always open. Feel free to reach out, as we are here to support you and your child.

Here’s to a fantastic year of growth, learning and achievement.

Kind Regards
Lorene Hurd, Principal

Get on Board with Hero
Sunnybrae’s goal is to use the Hero platform for our communication from Term 1 in 2024. We are, therefore, asking that our school whānau go through the process of signing up to Hero. 

We are excited about the features that Hero has to offer our families. These include the ability for parents and caregivers to:

• read and comment on school notices sent to your child’s class or groups
• respond to school notices such as surveys and trip permission requests
• view school term dates
• view a school calendar of events
• notify the school if your child is absent or late
• navigate to other school-related web pages
• customise your account by adding a profile image
• select how you wish to receive notifications

Click here for help signing up to Hero

School Swimming Lessons
During Term 1, all classes will participate in a series of 8 swimming lessons.
Taking part in swimming lessons is compulsory as it is part of the New Zealand Curriculum and a valuable life skill. We would also like to highlight the significant amount of money that the lessons cost the school. The school pays for every student in the class to have their 8 swimming lessons with specialist swimming instructors. If a child misses a lesson, the cost of the lesson is non-refundable. 
These swimming instructors are skilled at catering to all children’s learning needs. At the end of the children’s 8 swimming lessons, they will receive a certificate that acknowledges the skills they have acquired over this time. 

Please ensure that children bring their togs, goggles (if required) and a towel on a daily basis as the pool will also be open at lunchtimes for children to have a swim if they wish. 

Class Swimming Days
Friday February 2nd – Wed 14th February: Room 20, Room 19, Room 18, Room 17, Room 16, Room 13, Room 14, Room 1, Room 4, Room 5,  

Thursday 15th February – Monday 26th February: Room 15, Room 12, Room 8, Room 10, Room 11

Checklist for School

• Pack a fruit or vegetable snack in a separate container for brain break. 
• Pack a healthy morning tea. Your child will be hungry after swimming so pack extra food.
• Pack a healthy lunch. Please include eating utensils if required – ie spoon/fork chopsticks. 
• Due to allergies please do not include:
  whole eggs or egg sandwiches, nuts and nut spreads, e.g. peanut butter, muesli bars containing nuts
• Bring a drink bottle with water only (no juice). 
• Hats on in Term 1
• Pack your swimming togs and towel every day
• Name every item of clothing including hats and shoes, lunchboxes and drink bottles.

Crossing Duty Helpers Needed in 2024
Thank you to the families that have offered to help with crossing duty. We appreciate your commitment to keeping our students safe. We still need helpers for the following slots:
Wednesday Afternoon 3:00 – 3:15 pm
Thursday Morning 8:30 – 8:55 am
Friday Morning 8:30 – 8:55 am
If you are able to help by doing the crossing duty on one of these days, please let Katrina Bambury know at office@sunnybrae.school.nz or call 09 443 5058.

TRAVELWISE TEAM UPDATE:
Getting To and From School Safely
As you know, rubbish trucks visit our school and neighbouring areas daily to collect trash and recycling. While these routine pickups are necessary, they can also pose safety risks to children walking to and from school, which we must be mindful of.

 Drivers may not see a small child who walks behind or too close to these large vehicles with limited visibility. To help keep our students safe, I strongly encourage you to go over a few key tips with your children: 

• Walk on the walkways only, not on the road. If there is no walkway, walk as far from the road/traffic as possible.
• Cross streets at pedestrian crossings or intersections.  Look both ways before crossing.
• When a vehicle is backing up, such as a rubbish truck, stay far back until it has completed the manoeuvre. Never walk behind it.
• If possible, wear bright or reflective clothing so you are visible.
• Remove headphones so you can hear traffic and vehicles around you.
• Obey traffic signs/signals.
• Walk, don’t run. Rushing can lead to accidents.

Please discuss these safety tips with your child and remind them to be alert and aware when walking, especially around large trucks or vehicles.

PTA UPDATE:
Family Fun Fest 2024
We are in planning mode for the Sunnybrae Family Fun Fest coming up on the 15th of March. This is our major fundraising event for the year. As a school, we rely on community fundraising to help provide great opportunities and facilities for our children. This year, we are fundraising for a new playground – how exciting!

To support the organisation of the Family Fun Fest, we would like to find a parent class representative for each classroom. The parent class representative’s first role would be to coordinate the organisation of an activity/stall at the Family Fun Fest – with the support of the PTA. The PTA has already created the activity, but we are open to new ideas. The parent class representative would help to get other parent helpers from the class to support the running of the stall on the day. Many hands make light work. Please, please help us. 

Please email Jane Sharpe if you are able to help, and feel welcome to come in for a chat or call if you would like to discuss it further. Email: jsharpe@sunnybrae.school.nz

Parking at Drop off and Pick up
We ask 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. Parking outside the shops is limited, and parking tickets could be issued if you overstay the allocated time.

Sunnybrae Road ‘Stop Drop and Go’

In the morning and after school, please use the Stop, Drop and Go method. It helps with traffic flow and allows easy, quick access for all parents and caregivers. Please do not park your car in the Sunnybrae Bus Bay then leave your car and go to the classroom or office. Instead, Stop, Drop and Go. Thank you.

Kind regards
Lorene Hurd, Principal
SUNNYBRAE NORMAL SCHOOL

REMINDER:
Please note that all children are to be collected from school by 3.00 pm. 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 FOR YMCA 

COMMUNITY NOTICES: