Newsletter – 16 December 2024

 Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Whānau

Everyone here at Cockle Bay School is busy packing up classrooms and tidying up as we prepare to close for the holidays. Please remember that school finishes at 12:30 pm tomorrow (Tuesday). We kindly ask that you collect your children promptly at this time, as staff will not be on site after 12:45 pm.

To all our Year 6 students and families who are leaving us, we bid you a fond farewell and all the best as you move on to Intermediate. It has been a joy to watch you grow into the capable students you are today, and we look forward to hearing about your future successes. Thank you for your many contributions to Cockle Bay School. We hope you take with you countless happy memories and you always remember: “Once a Cockle Bay Kid, always a Cockle Bay Kid!”

To our Cockle Bay parents and families, thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm throughout 2024. I wish you all a restful, healthy, and happy break, and safe holidays. I look forward to seeing you in the new year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year / Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia!

Dorothy Bigwood

 Over the Holidays

Contractors on Site

We have various contractors working on-site throughout the holidays. Therefore, we ask that you ensure any children visiting our school during the break are closely supervised while on site.

Office Opening Hours

The school office will be open from Tuesday, 28 January – Friday, 31 January, from 9:00 am-12:00 noon.

Pool Access Reminder

The school pool is now open to Cockle Bay School pool keyholders. As you make use of the pool, please be mindful of the following conditions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all:

• Water Supervision: Please ensure that children are supervised at all times, when in or near the pool. Safety is our top priority, and vigilant supervision is essential to prevent accidents.
• Exclusive Access: The pool is for the exclusive use of Cockle Bay School keyholders. Please respect this policy to help ensure the facility remains available to our community.
• Gate Security: The pool gate must be kept closed at all times. This is crucial for maintaining secure access and ensuring the safety of all users. Please refer to your pool user agreement for pool management contact details.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these conditions. Enjoy your time at the pool, and thank you for helping us keep the facility safe and accessible for everyone!

School Stationery

School stationery is available from Paper Plus, 71 Picton Street, Howick.

Vandalism and other issues

If you witness any concerning behaviour or vandalism during the break, please call 111 (if the behaviour/vandalism is in progress) or 105 (for non-emergencies). If you are visiting the school and notice any damage, please email Dorothy at principal@cocklebay.school.nz

 Welcome!

A big Cockle Bay welcome to the following teaching staff:

Lucy Ginn

Lucy grew up in East Auckland. She is already known to some of our students through her practicum at Cockle Bay during teacher training. Lucy is an animal lover and former netballer, who is excited to join us next year.

Matthew Cheung

Matthew is also a familiar face here at school through his teaching practicum. He has lived in New Zealand for seven years. Matthew loves sports, especially soccer! He is excited to join our staff in 2025.

Lisa Carroll

We are delighted to welcome Lisa to our teaching team. Lisa is a Cockle Bay parent with a passion for education and has had valuable experience in leadership and teaching young children. 

 Classes / Teams for 2025

Takahē Team

Mrs Rachel Doeg (Team Leader) Room 15 

Miss Nina Woodhall Room 12

Mr Brendan Jones Room 13

Mrs Jo Curwood Room 14

Kākāpō Team

Mrs Vicky Warner (Team Leader) Room 7 

Mrs Emma Forbes Room 8

Mrs Winnie Liesenfeld Room 11

Miss Lucy Ginn Room 16

Mrs Amber May (4 days)  / Mrs Vanessa Childs (1 day) Room 17

Kōtuku Team

Mrs Mellini Pillay (Team Leader) (3 days) / Mrs Katrina Robinson (2 days) Room 6

Mrs Sanober Saher Room 3 

Mrs Sandra Meyer  Room 5

Mr Matthew Cheung Room 9

Mrs Laura Edgar (4 days) / Mrs Lisa Burns (1 day) Room 10

Weka Team

Mrs Jenn Kerr-Bell (Team Leader) Room 1

Mrs Rebecca Barton Room 2

Mrs Bronwynn Bull Room 18

Miss Louise Parker Room 19

Miss Courtney Chellew Room 20

Tūi Team

Mrs Catherine Dennis (Acting Team Leader) Room 25

Miss Madeline Henty Room 21

Mrs Sue Harder (3 days) / Mrs Pauline Whaitiri (2 days) Room 22

Mrs Lisa Carroll Room 23

Mrs Shorelle Adams Room 24

Kea Team

Mrs Kimberley Rivett (Acting Team Leader)

Mrs Hayley Sanileva Room 26

Miss Madi Kinnane Room 27

Mrs Elissa McGregor (4 days) / Mrs Tarah Holmes (1 day) Room 28

Miss Ariana Nathan Room 29

Miss Michaela Wallwork  Room 30

Kiwi Team

Mrs Ivy Narot (Team Leader), Terms 2-4 

 Chrome Books for Sale!

We are on-selling Chromebooks that have been used in Years 4-6 classes since February 2022. They are 3 years old. If you would like to purchase a used Chromebook, please complete the purchase via Kindo. These will be ready for collection on Monday 16 December from 12.30 pm.

 Reminder Dates

• Year 6 formal – Monday 16th December 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Last day – Tuesday 17th December – school finishes at 12:30pm
• Year 6 Uniform Collection day – Tuesday 17th December (see flyer)
• ‘Getting to Know Your Child’ conferences – Wednesday 29th January
• First day – Monday 3rd February
• Teacher Only Day – Friday 7th February

SAVE THE DATE !

‘Getting to Know Your Child’ Conferences 

Wednesday 29th January 2025, 9am – 3pm          

           Please note: This is the week PRIOR  to school opening for instruction

You will receive further instructions via email on how to book your conference time

 2025 School Uniform

Following our recent uniform review, we are excited to introduce a new skort to our school uniform for the 2025 school year. This addition combines the practicality of shorts with the appearance of a skirt.

Please note that all uniform items, including the skort, can be worn year-round by all students, offering flexibility, comfort, and affordability for all seasons.

All uniform items are available for purchase at John Russell Schoolwear, located at Moore Street, Howick.

The following items are included in Cockle Bay School’s student uniform policy:

• Navy soft shell jacket with school emblem
• Navy long-sleeved polar fleece (zip front) with school emblem
• Navy shorts/long trousers
• Royal blue short or long-sleeved polo shirt
• White blouse
• Blue and white check dress
• Tartan skirt
• Skort (NEW)
• Navy or white socks, or navy tights
• Black shoes or sandals (black or navy)

 Year 6 Uniform Collection

Quick links to our school website:

School Calendar

Term Dates (website home page)

School events

 New App for Parents – @school App 

We have now moved to using a new app for home/school communication. This app is connected to our student management system and allows parents to log student absences, sign up for teacher conferences, complete permission slips, update personal details for your child/ren, access the school events calendar and website, as well as view current school year reports and access historical reports for your child/ren. 

Trouble shooting:

• You need to access the app for the first time through the email you have been sent and on a computer/desktop or mobile phone
• Then click on the blue link at the bottom of the email and agree to the the terms and conditions BEFORE you follow the prompts to install the app
• The app will open in a new window on your browser
• Follow the instructions to change your password

Please email the office if you have any questions or are having trouble accessing the login. 

 2025 Dates

Wednesday 29 January – ‘Getting to Know Your Child’ conferences

Term One (Monday 3 February – Friday 11 April)

Thursday 6 February – Waitangi Day (Public Holiday)

Friday 7 February – Teacher Only Day

Saturday 29 March – Cockle Bay School Carnival

Term Two (Monday 28 April – Friday 27 June)

Thursday 19 June – Teacher Only Day

Friday 20 June – Matariki (Public Holiday)

Term Three (Monday 14 July – Friday 19 September)

Friday 24 October – Teacher Only Day

Term Four (Monday 6 October – Thursday 18 December)

BOTANY TAEKWONDO

Botany Taekwondo has been training the ITF style of Taekwondo at Cockle Bay School for over 15 years.

Come and have some fun with us get fit and learn a new skill with qualifications that are recognised around the world.

We operate a 2 week free trial. Want to know more? Visit our website at botanytaekwondo.co.nz or just turn up at 6:00pm on Wednesday nights and say “hi”. All ages and abilities are welcome.

 Sailing Have-a-Go Day – 18 December 2024

Howick Sailing Club is currently taking registrations for the Sailing Have-a-Go course:  

Wednesday 18 December 2024 from 10am – 3pm 

Course fees: $80 per person 

On-line payments to Howick Sailing Club(Inc)ASB Bank Account #:  12-3233-0103338-000

Our courses follow Yachting New Zealand’s Learn to Sail curriculum and upon completion each student will receive certification with YNZ. Our courses are fun, safe and fully supervised by qualified and experienced instructors.

More details…Have a Go Sailing