Parnell District School Pānui

Wednesday 20 November, 2024

Week 6: 18/11 - 22/11

Wednesday

• School Photos - Class and Individual

Thursday

• School Photos - Team and Siblings

Friday

• Assembly: Enviro
• O.E. and Friday Fizz

Week 7: 25/11 - 29/11

Monday

• Board of Trustees Meeting

Wednesday

• Bake Sale - Tainui

Friday

• Assembly: Room 6 and O.E. Sharing
• Last session of O.E. and Friday Fizz

Week 8 - 02/12 - 06/12 - EOTC Week!

Monday

• EOTC Programme

Tuesday

• Year 4 Camp
• Year 7/8 Camp

Wednesday

• Year 4 Camp
• Year 5/6 Camp
• Year 7/8 Camp

Thursday

• Year 5/6 Camp
• Year 7/8 Camp

Friday

• Year 5/6 Camp
• Year 7/8 Camp

Week 9 - Scholastic Book Fair

Tuesday

• Celebration of Learning, Holy Trinity Cathedral, 2pm

Thursday

• Year 7/8 Picnic

Friday

• Book Character Parade
• Assembly: Tainui, Sports

Week 10 - Scholastic Book Fair

Monday

• Waka Challenge Day

Tuesday

• Parnell Baths

Wednesday - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, 1pm Finish

• Year 8 Leavers Breakfast
• Year 8 Graduation Assembly

Week 1 - First Week of School

Monday

• Auckland Anniversary Day - School Closed

Tuesday

• First Day of School!

Friday

• Assembly - Mr George

Week 2

Tuesday

• Meet the Teacher Picnic

Thursday

• Waitangi Day - School Closed

Friday

• Teacher Only Day - School Closed

Week 3

Wednesday

• Whānau and Friends Meeting

Friday

• Assembly - Student Leaders

2024

Term 4: Monday 14 October - Wednesday 18 December (School closes at 1pm)

2025

Term 1: Tuesday 28 January - Friday 11 April

Term 2: Monday 28 April - Friday 27 June

Term 3: Monday 14 July - Friday 19 September

Term 4: Monday 6 October - Friday 12 December

Kia ora e te whānau,

New Curriculum Update

You may have seen a lot of discussion in the media about the new curriculum starting in 2025, particularly in Maths and English. Our staff have been actively involved in professional development to ensure a smooth transition and will continue their learning journey into 2025. We've worked extra hard to ensure the additional professional learning has had as little impact on our learning programmes as possible. We are excited to share that we have chosen our Maths programme from the four options provided by the Ministry of Education. We are currently resourcing, planning, and preparing our kaiako (teachers) to implement it effectively in the classroom.

E.O.T.C. Week

E.O.T.C. Week is just around the corner, with less than two weeks to go! Our kaiako and tamariki are busily planning their outdoor adventures, whether on-site, off-site, or even overnight. To ensure you don’t miss any important updates, please check your emails regularly and make sure you have our School App installed with alerts turned on. Keep an eye out for essential information over the coming weeks.

Kapa Haka Performance

A huge congratulations to our Kapa Haka group for their stunning performance at the Parnell Rose Festival. We are deeply grateful to Whaea Annette Tiaiti for her dedication and expertise in preparing our tamariki for this event. Their contribution to the festival's opening was outstanding, and we couldn’t be prouder. Be sure to read Mali and Bella’s reflections on their experience below.

Celebration of Learning

We are thrilled to announce that our Celebration of Learning will once again be held at Parnell’s Holy Trinity Cathedral. Mark your calendars for 2pm, as this event is an opportunity to come together as a school community to recognise and celebrate the incredible achievements of our tamariki in 2024. Further details will be shared in the coming weeks, and we look forward to welcoming our whānau to this special occasion.

Bay Suburbs Zone Day

Yesterday, our Year 5 and 6 athletes competed against our neighbouring Bay Suburbs schools at Glover Park. Huge thanks to our Sports Co-ordinator George Hollingworth, who did a fantastic job successfully organising the event.

Ngā mihi nui,

Richard George

Principal

Two of our students, Imtisaal (Year 6) from Room 30 and Isla (Year 7) from Room 26 recently received the 2024 Junior Citizenship Award, sponsored by the Remuera Lions Club. This award is presented annually to pupils who, through their behaviour towards others, display the characteristics of the Junior Citizenship Code. Congratulations Imtisaal and Isla!

We are seeking parent volunteers to accompany our students to the Parnell Baths for an end-of-year day of fun! Each teaching team will visit the pools at a different time, and we require a ratio of 1 adult to 4 children to ensure the safety of all students. As such, we need a significant number of volunteers to make this trip possible. If we do not have enough parent volunteers, we cannot run this event.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

Years 0-3: 9:30am to 10:45am

Years 4-6:10:30am to 12:30pm

Years 7-8: 12:15pm to 2:15pm

If you are available to help with any of these sessions, please complete the online form by click on the "Parnell Baths - Volunteer Form" below as soon as possible. Your support is essential in making this day a success for our tamariki!

Next Friday, 29 November, is our final O.E. session for 2024. It's time to celebrate! YOU ARE INVITED to come along and see what we've been up to for the past two terms.

9am: We'll start with performances from some O.E. groups during our assembly.

9:40am - 10:30 am: Explore and see the different O.E. activities in action.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Everyone was nervously excited, but there was also a warm feeling of Aroha as we helped each other get ready before we walked down to the Rose Gardens.

The crowd was in tune with us because they were all engaged, enthusiastic and proud of us performing. Clapping, cheering and smiling broadly made us perform to our full potential.

We want to thank all the wonderful parent helpers, teachers (especially Miss Sade) and whānau who came to support us at the performance. Special thanks to Miss Tiaiti for teaching us Kapa Haka skills and Tikanga, which has helped us value Māori culture. Miss Tiaiti, you are an inspiration!

It was a wonderful experience to perform and represent Parnell District School! We were very proud of ourselves!!!

Mali and Bella - Kapa Haka Kaia

Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 November

We’ll capture class and individual photos on Wednesday and team and sibling photos on Thursday. Please ensure your child is wearing the following:

• Years 0-6 Navy polo shirt
  
• Years 7-8: White polo shirt
  
• Their best smiles!

Once again, we are hosting the Scholastic Book Fair at our school.

It will be open every day before and after school in Week 9, which is the 9th to the 13th of December.

We are looking for help from parents/caregivers to run the event. Please click on the button link below if you can volunteer your time.

Look out for more information about the book fair in the coming weeks.

We are on the lookout for wool insulation from My Food Bag boxes or similar food delivery services. We need a range of medium-sized boxes please.

If anyone is giving away or getting rid of these items, please bring them to the office or Room 17.

Many thanks,

Sue Lyons

STEAM Teacher

Camp Payment Reminder

Camp payment details for our camps are:

Year 4: $50 deposit (balance $135)

Year 5-6: (balance $275)

Years 7-8: $75 deposit (balance $325)

The balance of the camp cost is due NOW. If you need to discuss payment, please get in touch with adrienneb@parnell.school.nz as soon as possible

Send a Child to Camp

In an ideal world, EVERY child who wants to go on school camp CAN go on school camp, but for some of our whānau, the cost can be a barrier.

If you would like to help another child to camp and are in a position to do so, please donate to our school bank account.

12-3075-0126269-00 (Reference – Camp donation)

Amazing News

This year, three children have read more than 100 books, and 59 children have read more than 50 books. What an amazing achievement! It shows reading is alive in Parnell District School. Thank you to the staff and families for encouraging their children to read.

Summer Reading Adventure Programme

These holidays, we are running an initiative for our tamariki to take books home for the entire Christmas/Summer holiday period. It is a known fact that children need to continue their literacy skills over the long break, and borrowing books from our library and Auckland Libraries is a good way to help. Children will require parental consent to participate. A letter outlining the programme will be sent home tomorrow. You can download a copy of the letter by clicking on the link below.

Book Returns

The library recalls its books at this time of year, so they are all accounted for in our annual stocktake and ready for 2025. Please encourage your children to return all their library books by Friday, November 28.

Thank Yous

A big thank you to parents and caregivers who encourage their children to read. You are giving your child a gift again and again!

A big thank you to Sam Soh and Wendy Cracroft, who have been helping in the library this year with book covers, new stickers, and shelf organisation, among other tasks. I am very grateful for your help.

Happy Reading

Kath Twomey

Librarian

Children should not be on school grounds unaccompanied by an adult before 8:30am. There is no active supervision at this time as staff are preparing for the day and often hold meetings before school.

All children must leave the school grounds by 3:15pm. A bell rings to remind children of the time. Children may go home, change out of their school uniform and return to play but they will be unsupervised.

From 3:15pm, our after-school care programme C4 uses the Senior Playground and turf area. We ask that no other children use these areas after this time on school days so that the staff at C4 can supervise the children in their care safely.

Reminder: Term 4 is a "Summer" term, which means children must always wear a hat outside. Hats must be:

• navy blue
• bucket-style (a brim all the way around)

Hats are available at the school office NOW

Second-hand: $5

New: $15

Uniform Donations - Second-hand

You can now sign your children up for the Weethbix Tryathlon. The Eastern Auckland triathlon is 30 March 2025.

Simply click on this link and be sure to sign up under Parnell School so we can keep in touch in preparation for the day.

https://raceroster.com/events/2025/93895/central-east-auckland-weet-bix-kids-tryathlon