BBS Newsletter 25 March T1W7

Teresa Burn — March 24th, 2026

Our students enjoying one of their Junior Outdoor Education Day activities 😃

Coming Up

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Click here to view the latest Sports Newsletter

BOT Meeting - Thursday 26 March - 6.30pm (School Staffroom)

Full School Assembly - Friday 27 March - 9.45am (School Hall) - Y2 Hosting

Cluster Swimming Sports - Tuesday 31 March

Travelwise Event - Tuesday 31 March - Safety Around Our School (Easter Bonnet Theme) 👒

Pie Day - Wednesday 01 April - Kindo Orders Close on Monday 30 March at 2.30pm 🥟

Ice Block Sale - Wednesday 01 April - 3pm (Junior Playground) 🍧

Term 1 Ends - Wednesday 01 April - 3pm

Teacher Only Day - Thursday 02 April (School Closed)

Term 2 Starts - Monday 20 April

Principal Update

First off, a massive shout-out to our Year 6 teachers, staff and parent helpers who made the camp this week such a success. From all accounts, the students had an incredible time pushing their boundaries and making memories. We look forward to sharing a photo gallery with you very soon! Even if your child is not in Year 6, it is lovely to share the photos with your child and show them what they have to look forward to.

Navigating New Curriculum Standards

We are working hard behind the scenes on our plan for reporting against the New Curriculum standards. You may have seen the SMART tool mentioned in the Media recently; while this tool represents a positive step forward, there are a few logistical hurdles we are navigating:

Compatibility: We are currently auditing our Chromebooks to ensure they can support the new software.
Timelines: At present, results from the SMART tool take six weeks to return to us. This means the data won't be available in time for this upcoming reporting cycle.

Rest assured, our student management partner, Hero, is also working hard to develop reporting templates that align with these new assessments. We will share a clear timeline for these changes with you next term.

Reminder - Teacher Only Day - Thursday 02 April

Just a friendly heads-up that school will be closed for a Teacher Only Day next Thursday. Our staff will be using this time for Professional Development to ensure we are ready for the New Curriculum shifts ahead.

School Notices

Travelwise Event

Browns Bay School is celebrating our first Travelwise event for 2026. This will take place on Tuesday 31 March. On this day, we encourage tamariki to walk or wheel to school to highlight the importance of staying active and keeping safe around our school.

As we lead up to Easter, our theme is “Wear an Easter Bonnet” — any hat decorated in a creative way you choose! School Uniform should still be worn on this day.

Our focus for this Travelwise event is promoting safety for both drivers and pedestrians:

Slow down: Please follow the speed limits in school zones. Did you know it’s 40km/h around schools?
Watch for children: Be alert for tamariki walking to school, stepping out from behind parked cars, or riding bikes and scooters.
Follow traffic control: Stop for school buses with flashing red lights and follow all instructions from our school patrol team. Remember the call: “Sign out, check, clear, cross now.” You should only cross when you hear “cross now.”
Use designated areas: Pedestrians should always use Zebra Crossings — Around our school we have two - one on Browns Bay Road and the other on Masterton Road.

Whether it’s walking together, scootering, biking, or trying a Park & Walk, every active journey counts — and staying safe while doing so is essential.