BBS Newsletter 05 November T4W5
Have a fun and safe Bonfire Night 🎇. Reminder that Gumboot Day is on Friday (Gold Coin Donation and Mufti Day)👢
Coming Up
FOTS Pie Day - Thursday 06 November * (Orders Now Closed)
Gumboot Friday - Friday 07 November 🪙 Gold Coin Donation and Mufti Day
Y3-6 Assembly - Friday 07 November - 9.45am - (Y4 Hosting)
Y0-2 Assembly - Friday 07 November - 11am - (Y4 Hosting)
Junior Cross Country - Thursday 13 November - 9am (Year 0-3) - Parents are Welcome
Travelwise Event - Twin Day - Friday 14 November
BOT Meeting - Thursday 20 November - 6.30pm (Staffroom)
Y6 Rainbows End Trip - Monday 24 November
Cluster Athletics - Tuesday 25 November
Y6 Graduation - Tuesday 16 December - School Hall
Contents
Principal News
School Pool - Last Chance to Register for a Key
Attendance at School
Teacher Appreciation Day
Safety around School
School Notices
Outdoor Education Programme 2026 – Police Vets
School Events
Gumboot Friday
Travelwise Twin Day
Korean and Chinese Speech Competition Finals
Year 3 Saving Hope - Heroes for our Four-Legged Friends
Friends of the School/P.T.A
Jingle Jars
Principal News
School Pool - Last Chance to Register for a Key
The Board has put a huge amount of work into doing massive due diligence on ensuring that the school pool can open again during the summer holidays and weekends throughout Term 1.
The health and safety requirements are significant but we have put a huge effort into ensuring that we can open after feedback from the community about the importance of the facility.
To meet all the requirements the cost of the key hire will be $200 per family. 100 keys will be available for hire. We need to sell a minimum number to make the opening viable. We are currently a long way from meeting the threshold as only 17 people have registered for a key.
Please complete the registration form by clicking the link below. Don’t wait - this is the only way that you can secure your key for the summer. If we do not see a rise in the number of registrations we will not be able to meet the costs of running the pool.
Attendance at School
In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of students absent at the beginning of the school year due to Lunar New Year. We understand the importance of Lunar New Year to a section of our community, recognising the date of 17 February 2026 being early in Term 1.
We have tried to make the start date in 2026 as late as possible to give families every opportunity to have a great holiday, but to return to school on the first day (09 February).
The New Zealand Government is very clear on the importance of school attendance and the responsibility of parents to ensure their child is attending school and not absent for holidays. We have also seen an increase in parents using medical reasons to account for absence during this time, as families travel abroad to celebrate Lunar New Year.
We need parents to be aware of the importance of starting school on time. During the first two weeks of school we have a strong induction focus in every class, and the demands of the Curriculum are such that learning starts on the very first day. It will take your child significantly more time to settle into school if they are not part of the first week of school.
The Ministry of Education is clear in their advice to parents:
Attendance: You must ensure your child attends school every day it is open, with sickness being a genuine excuse.
Holidays and activities: Taking time off for family holidays or non-school extracurricular activities is not considered a valid reason for absence.
Thank you for your support.
Teacher Appreciation Day
On Friday we celebrated “Teacher Appreciation Day” with our wonderful teachers. Please never underestimate what it means to our teachers to receive an email or personal thanks at any time of the year.
I know that many of you show your appreciation at the end of the year and teachers feel very appreciated. They also love just a simple ‘thank you’ that costs nothing and acknowledges their hard work.
Safety around School
On Monday we received a call from a former parent of the school who was involved in a near miss involving a child crossing a road around school. The child was not using a marked crossing and did not look left and right.
If your child walks home on their own, please remind them to always use the crossings, even if it means walking a little further.
If you are crossing roads around our school, please be a good role model. It really matters to our children that they see you crossing roads in a safe way.
School Notices
Outdoor Education Programme 2026 - Police Vets
As most of you will be aware the school runs a very extensive Outdoor Education Programme, incorporating a sequential skill development programme, from Years 1-6.
As an added safety precaution, the Board of Trustees has a policy in place requiring all parents who stay overnight at any of our Year 4, 5 or 6 camps to undergo a Police Vet.
It is vital that we have parent support at our camps, both during the day and overnight. Without this support these programmes will not be able to take place.
If there is any possibility that you might be considering staying overnight at any Year 4, 5 or 6 camp in 2026, could you please contact the school office and we will send the relevant documentation to you. These vets must be submitted as soon as possible as the process can take several weeks.
(If you have previously been vetted by the school, you will be notified if your vet is no longer valid).
Year 6 Camp - Carey Park
Monday 23 March – Wednesday 25 March
Year 5 Camp – Peter Snell Youth Village
Thursday 23 April - Friday 24 April (Classes to be determined)
Tuesday 28 April - Wednesday 29 April (Classes to be determined)
Year 4 Camp – MERC – Long Bay
Monday 4 May - Tuesday 5 May (Classes to be determined)
Wednesday 6th May - Thursday 7 May (Classes to be determined).
School Events
Gumboot Friday
It’s a national fundraising and awareness day in Aotearoa New Zealand, organised by the charity, I Am Hope, to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. On the day, children might wear gumboots or colourful wellies to school as part of the event and show their support. Wearing gumboots shows we care. If someone you know is having a rough time, it’s okay to ask for help. We’re here for each other.
Travelwise Twin Day
Next week, we will celebrate our Travelwise Event – Twin Day on Friday 14 November! Don’t forget to grab a friend (or a group) and plan your matching outfits and hairstyles. Remember, only students who come to school using sustainable transport—walking, biking, scootering, bus, or park and walk—can wear mufti. No gold coin is required. We can’t wait to see all the “twins” (and triplets, and more) around the school as we celebrate being Travelwise!
Korean and Chinese Speech Competition Finals
Our school competition winners have presented their speeches at the Interschool competitions over the last two weeks.
Elynn’s speech was a fascinating explanation of the Island of Dokdo - a small island which both Japan and Korea claim ownership of. Elynn presented her speech very effectively, with a lot of interest from the audience.
Celine’s speech was titled ‘China and NZ - both are a part of me’. She said that Mandarin and Chinese are her roots, but English and NZ culture are her wings. When she started school she wondered why she was still learning Chinese, but when she visited her family in China, she was able to have proper conversations with her grandparents and realised how important it is to have two strong languages. She presented her speech very confidently and connected extremely well with the audience. We are very proud to say that Celine was the overall winner of the Mandarin competition! The judges were very impressed with the content of her speech, the delivery, the messages, and her overall manner.
We are so proud of Elynn, Celine and May, our Mandarin runner-up who attended the competitions in the audience. All three students were an outstanding credit to our school, demonstrating genuine interest in the other presentations and a strong commitment to personal excellence. They approached the event with a remarkable attitude, eager to learn from the experience and motivated to present again next year.
Year 3 Saving Hope – Heroes for our Four-Legged Friends
As part of our Inquiry, “Heroes in Our Community,” the Year 3s were lucky to have a visit on Monday from Saving Hope Dog Rescue — a group of real-life heroes who dedicate their time to rescuing, caring for, and rehoming abandoned and mistreated dogs and puppies across New Zealand. Students learned about the incredible work these volunteers do to give every dog a second chance at life and even got to meet some very special furry friends!
Now it’s our turn to help. The Year 3 students are running a donation drive this term to support Saving Hope’s rescue efforts. They are always in need of items such as:
Dog and puppy food (wet and dry)
Toys, leads, collars and harnesses
Puppy pads, crates and food bowls
Animal or children’s play pens – perfect for keeping puppies safe and contained while they play and grow
Please note: blankets, towels, and bedding are NOT required at present.
All donations can go directly to the Year 3 classes - Rooms 14,15,16 and 17.
Saving Hope is also looking for foster families — even short-term carers who can provide a safe, loving home while dogs wait for adoption.
Together, our school community can show kindness, compassion and what it truly means to be a hero for others — both people and animals alike.
(See our lead 😜photo at top and Photo Gallery below for more photos).
Friends of the School/P.T.A
Jingle Jars
Community Notices
Start and finish the school day the fun way with sKids ‘Rise Then Shine’ and ‘Stay and Play’ programmes.
Create memories and friendships beyond the classroom — book now!
Gallery
