LBP Newsletter – Term 1, Week 9

Term 1, Week 9 – Friday 4 April 2025

Principal’s Chat

Kia ora Parents/Caregivers

As a child we had the run of our local neighbourhood. The hills of Mairangi Bay were undeveloped and the local kids all played spotlight, go-home, stay-home and made grass tunnels at all times of the day and night. Don’t get me started on the great skateboard tracks we made as well. Between that and the Lego collection I can never remember being bored.

The Year 5 camp last week was a similar experience for our students. They spent their time exploring the environment, playing in the stream looking for eels and making boats, walking to a waterfall, getting out and about and being busy with their friends. There was not a screen in sight.

I returned on Wednesday and went to hear Rob Cope present about how to keep our kids safe online. There was plenty of information shared about what your children could be exposed to online at home and the actions that can be taken to try to prevent this. Top tip – filter all of the internet coming into your home, the benefits will be incredible in preventing harmful exposure.

The most useful advice came around parenting – avoid your children having social media accounts at all cost, keep them off screens as much as possible (like Steve Jobs did when he refused to give his own children access to the devices Apple was making) and let them be ‘bored’. The boredom will not last if you get involved by doing something with them. Indoors, outdoors it doesn’t matter. Being involved in their lives and doing things together is the best thing you can do.

To be fair there were no screens when my brother and I were growing up. TV consisted of two channels that played shows when someone else decided and there was a single TV in the house. It also helped that both of my parents were teachers and when we were on holiday so were they.

I challenge you these holidays to switch off your house for a day, decide on a range of activities to do together and see how many you can get done. The results may surprise you. I will do the same and let you know how I got on next term.

Rob Hutton
Tumuaki/Principal

Welcome New Students

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

Arina and Jasper

2025 Term Dates – What’s On

Term 2 Key Dates

This document gives you all of the Key Dates for Term 2 2025.

Changes to School Communication

From the start of Term 2 we will stop using Seesaw and start using HERO to communicate with you. This will include the delivery of the newsletter, student learning, messages and important announcements. We will share further information about this change next week.

During the school holidays please follow these instructions to download your child’s Seesaw Journal. The information that it currently contains may not be available to you after 1 May 2025.

Enrolments

Do you have a child turning 5 later this year?

Sports Buzz – Term 1, Week 9

Netball
Due to changes we are now short a couple of netball players. We are looking for a Year 6 netball player who would like to play on Saturdays at Pinehurst school and a Year 3 netballer too. Please contact nikkid@longbayprimary.ac.nz

Rippa Rugby
We need more players in all age groups and would love to see some more girls signing up. Please register through Kindo as soon as possible if interested.

PTA News

TICKETS FOR THE LIGHT UP THE PLAYGROUND CARNIVAL WILL BE AVAILABLE ON KINDO FROM MONDAY 7 APRIL IN THE AFTERNOON.

Save The Date! PTA Quiz Night – Saturday 26 July

Kelly Club

Community Events and Notices