Newsletter – 4 December 2024 – Cockle Bay School

Cockle Bay School

School Newsletter

Children and their learning at the heart of all we do.

IN ZONE ENROLMENTS

If you have not completed an enrolment form yet, and your child is turning 5 in term 1 of 2025, please complete the form on the school website or contact the office for an enrolment pack.

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Whānau

It’s all go here this week! While senior schools may be winding down for the year, we’re bursting with activity. Highlights include the Year 4 Willow Park Camp and the Year 1 and 2 visit to the Howick Historical Village.

We also bid farewell to Meng Zhou, our Mandarin learning assistant, who leaves us on Friday to return to China. It has been a pleasure having Meng with us this year, and she will be greatly missed by both staff and students. Safe travels, Meng!

Get ready for Non-Uniform Day this Friday, 6 December! It’s a wonderful opportunity to show your support and help gather prizes for the 2025 Carnival. Also, don’t forget to check the reminder dates below so you and your children don’t miss out on any of our exciting end-of-year activities.

Ngā Mihi

Dorothy Bigwood

Reminder Dates

PTN Non-Uniform Day – Friday 6th December
Celebration Night – Tuesday 10th December
Year 4 / 5 Prizegiving (9:00am-10:00am) – Thursday 12th December
Year 6 Prizegiving (11:00am-1:00pm) – Thursday 12th December
Year 6 Big Day Out – Friday 13th December
Year 0 / 1 Prizegiving (9:00am-10:00am) – Friday 13th December
Year 2 / 3 Prizegiving (11:00am-12:00pm) – Friday 13th December
New class visits – Monday 16th December (for students only)
Year 6 formal – Monday 16th December
Last day – Tuesday 17th December
‘Getting to Know Your Child’ conferences – Wednesday 29th January
First day – Monday 3rd February
Teacher Only Day – Friday 7th February

An invitation to Celebration Night

Come and join us on Tuesday, 10 December, for a fantastic celebration of the school year! Bring your family, pack a picnic, and relax on the school field while our talented students dazzle you with their performances. Food will also be available for purchase from a variety of vendors.

Keep an eye out for more details about costumes and class arrival times from your child/ren’s teacher – it will be an unforgettable event!

Please be aware that parking at the Litten Road shops is not an option for Celebration Night. The carparks are for customer use only, and any vehicles parked there may be towed.

Join us at the Howick Santa Parade!

We’re excited to invite you to the Howick Santa Parade on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 1:30 pm. Come along, join in the festive fun, and watch the Cockle Bay School float participate in the parade. We hope to see you there!

2025 Road Patrol

We have several current parent road patrol supervisors leaving our school as their youngest child moves on from Cockle Bay. As a result, we need new parents who can volunteer one morning or afternoon each week for just 20–30 minutes to supervise our patrollers on Trelawn Place.

If you can help us out starting in Term 1, 2025, please contact Amber May at amberm@cocklebay.school.nz. Our new patrollers are trained and ready to go – we just need you!

P.T.N.

Grab your candyfloss for Celebration Night on Kindo now ($4.50) and pick it up at the PTN table on Celebration Night! Don’t wait until the event—these bags are sure to sell out fast! Only 200 bags available, so get yours before they’re gone!

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 NOT a 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.

Carnival 2025

Auction Prizes

The carnival is the PTN’s largest fundraising event for 2025 and depends on auction prizes being donated. We need your help! Do you own a business or work for a company that can provide a donation of goods or services? Or maybe you can connect us with a potential donor? All donations, large or small, are valued and appreciated! We’d love to hear from you: cbscarnival@cocklebay.school.nz.

Next Generation of Planners

As our children advance to Intermediate, Carnival 2025 will be the final event for several organisers. We have identified and recruited successors for most roles but still require candidates for three key positions. We offer the opportunity to shadow for the March 2025 carnival and take on leadership for the 2027 carnival. Interested individuals should contact us at cbscarnival@cocklebay.school.nz.

Vacant positions are:

1. Carnival Lead: project manager ensuring room leads’ needs are met and handling administrative tasks.

2. Food Lead: managing supplies and food area operations.

3. Co-Sponsorship Lead: ideal for available stay-at-home parents or grandparents with free time during business hours to help secure donations.

Ideally people shadowing these roles will have children at CBS for at least 2025 and 2027.

Carnival Books and Toys Collection

Every Monday and Wednesday, 8am-9am and 2pm-3pm in Room 33 (at the end of the dome). If you can’t make these times, then please drop at the school office. There will be some Sunday collections with times and dates to be announced.

Every CBS student who donates will go into the draw for an awesome prize to be drawn at the ‘Carnival Assembly’.

All good quality childrens and young adults books (all languages welcome) and toys are greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much!

From your Books and Toys Carnival Team

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

Uniform Shop

Next opening date Monday, 9 December – 8:15am-9:00am and 2:30pm-3:15pm.

Year 6 Uniform Collection

2024 Dates for your Diary

Thursday 5 December – Board meeting

Friday 6 December – Non-Uniform Day

Sunday 8 December – Howick Santa Parade

Tuesday 10 December – Celebration Night

Thursday 12 December – Year 4 & 5 Prizegiving

Thursday 12 December – Year 6 Prizegiving

Friday 13 December – Year 0 & 1 Prizegiving

Friday 13 December – Year 2 & 3 Prizegiving

Friday 13 December – Year 6 Big Day Out

Monday 16 December – Year 6 Formal

Tuesday 17 December – Final day (school finishes at 12:30pm)

Quick links to our school website:

School Calendar

2024 Term Dates (website home page)

School events

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)

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

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.