LBP Newsletter – Term 1, Week 2

Term 1, Week 2 – Friday 10 February 2023

Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle

With Gabrielle predicted to make landfall in Auckland early next week we are preparing for a potential communication from the Ministry of Education which may require schools to close once again.

At this point, we anticipate being open next week unless we are directed otherwise by the Ministry of Education. If we are directed to close we will communicate this information with you as soon as possible.

 Please visit https://getready.govt.nz/en/ for information and advice.

Principal’s Chat

Kia ora Parents/Caregivers

At our first teacher only day on Thursday 26 January I talked to the staff about goals for the year. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata – It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. I talked about the importance of the idea of community in 2023. After a couple of years of disruption it was time to focus on the people that make up our school. Students, staff and parents. 

48 hours later it was the very community I had talked about that came to our aid. One Facebook message and we had a cross section of parents moving resources, cleaning furniture, removing sodden carpet (half of which had been down only six days) and asking what more they could do to help. Without our volunteer army there is no chance we would have opened last week, or be in the position we are now – skirting boards off, some walls exposed and drying the building out.

All of the people we have encountered on the flood restoration journey thus far have had a single focus – getting the school back operating as seamlessly as possible. We continue to receive offers of time and goods to help the school and families that have been impacted to recover. These are exactly the values that we work hard every day at Long Bay Primary to instill in your children. With great role models both at home and school they will go far.

I am already looking forward to the start of 2024. Surely after a pandemic, then a flood we will enjoy a normal beginning of the school year. Time will tell.

Rob Hutton
Tumuaki/Principal

2023 Term Dates and What’s On

Welcome New Students

A warm welcome to our new students who have started at Long Bay Primary since our last Newsletter:

Kaedon, Vasariah, Mateo, Emilia, Kent, Rostik, Karlu, Juan, Connor, William, Ellie, Janu, Willow, Ryan, Kyle, Josiah, Zoey, Dias, Emily, Eric, Mia G, Sibella, Irene, Victor G, Maddison, Jordan, Mia U, Lily Rose, Kaitlyn, Ethan, Matthew, Nina, Sophia, Hazel, Lawrence, Mila, Kaycen, Lily, Lily B, Caleb, Lennox, Anna, Yoona, Victor S

On Wednesday 8 February we held a Mihi Whakatau for all new families and staff at Long Bay Primary. Thank you to everyone involved and it was great to see so many attend. 

Meet the Teacher Conferences – Wednesday 15 February

Meet the Teacher Conferences are being held in the classrooms on Wednesday 15 February, commencing at 1.00pm and ending at 7.00pm. This is a good opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher so students are encouraged to attend. To book your Conference please go to:

https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code

Long Bay Primary Paid Union Meeting – Thursday 2 March

On Thursday 2 March the NZEI are holding a paid union meeting to discuss the teachers collective agreement that has been offered by the Ministry of Education. As a result we will be closing at 12.30pm on that day. We will offer supervision for any students who need to remain at school until 3.00pm with non union staff members. Room 11, 12, 20 and 22 will attend swimming as usual on the day. These students will be ready to go home at 2.55pm as usual. Buses will run at the normal times.

If you would like your child to be supervised at school on the day please complete this form.

Enrolments for Siblings

Please email enrolments@longbayprimary.ac.nz if any current students have a sibling turning 5 this year. We can then add them to the projected roll for future planning.

Access Via Ashley Reserve Walkway

For any students who would like easy access to the Ashley Reserve carpark please meet the duty teacher at the playground sandpit when the 2.55pm bell goes and be escorted through our new track. We hope this will assist to alleviate the traffic issues in Ralph Eagles Place. The gate is also open in the morning for students to arrive to school this way. The route is currently not pram friendly however, we hope to develop this further as part of the Masterplan process with the Ministry of Education over the next few months.

Okura and Torbay Bus Students

We have made a change to the way we collect and use bus student information which will allow us to more accurately track students and communicate with parents. Bus delay information will be shared with families via Seesaw.

As part of this process please complete this form if your child uses either the Torbay or Okura bus. Filling in the form will give us a comprehensive spreadsheet of information and provide easy access to this when needed.

Click here to access the form.

Sports Buzz – Term 1, Week 2

Basketball – Years 1-6 is played at the Leisure Centre in Browns Bay. Games are played from approx 3.30-7.30pm. Registrations need to made in the Long Bay Shop/Kindo online. This is a game that girls often excel at and we would love to be able to enter a ‘Girls’ team if possible. Please register by Monday 13 February as trials will be held for Years 3-6 on Tuesday 14 February. Years 1/2 play on Thursdays Years 3/4 play on Tuesdays Year 5/6 play on Fridays.

Flippaball – Years 2-6 is played at the Millenium Pool and the Owen Glen Aquatic Centre in Mairangi Bay on Sunday afternoon/evenings. It is important that students are comfortable in and around water, but don’t have to be excellent swimmers to compete.

For any sports enquiries, please email Mrs Douglas at nikkid@longbayprimary.ac.nz

Wrapper Free School

Bricks4Kidz

Community Notices and Events

This year our kind sponsor ‘Canoe and Kayak’  have given us an opportunity for kids to enter a special competition to win a  “ Bioluminescent Kyaking Tour “  on the Okura estuary to Karepiro Bay and Long Bay for 4 people! To enter, kids simply colour in the tui bird design below, bring it along to the Forest Festival and decorate the Okura Hall with their picture.