Week 6, Term 3, 2023

Kia Ora, Talofa Lava and warm greetings,

We hope this newsletter finds you well. Spring is just around the corner, and we are so pleased that our grounds are finally drying out. The sun makes a big difference at school!

This week has been another great one for Cobham students. Following on from last week's CAIMs sports tournament, where we had a number of top three placings, other students have performed admirably in recent days.

Bandquest

On Monday night, two Cobham bands, Phoenix 5 and Synchronicity, performed with distinction at BandQuest. It was a pleasure to watch both performances, which were the culmination of endless music lessons and time spent rehearsing. Congratulations to Synchronicity for winning BandQuest, beating 15 other bands. Wonnie was adjudged the best bassist, a title that he won by some distance from his peers. A big thank you to Mr. John and Susan Pageot for their work preparing the two groups and allowing individuals to showcase their skills and talents in front of an audience.

Cantamaths Teams

We extend our congratulations to our Cantamaths teams for their outstanding representation of Cobham Intermediate at Wednesday night's event. Our Year 7 team won the Year 7 event by a significant margin. As a long-standing Cantamath attendee, I have not seen a team win by such a margin in a long time. Congratulations to our Year 7 - Sam Li, Jamie Sun, James Yu and Evan Choi.

Our Year 8 team, the defending champions from 2022, did really well to finish with 95 points, alongside three other teams in second position. After time was taken into account, they ended up placing fourth. The competitive spirit of the event requires both skill and a touch of luck, and our students excelled.

A big thank you to Melody McCombe for her outstanding work preparing the students for the event.

Good luck to those competing in the Tournament of Minds event this weekend out at Lincoln.

Ilam Road Drop-off Protocol

The Ilam Road drop-off area has garnered some media attention. As many of you are familiar with this location, we want to inform you about the City Council's actions regarding parking regulations. While last week featured an informative approach, this week they are actively enforcing parking rules in the area. The enforcement team have been in the area snapping cars completing illegal manoeuvres and then sending out infringement notices.

To ensure a smooth experience for all, we kindly ask that you:

• Refrain from dropping off on yellow lines.

• Avoid parking behind parked cars on the west side of Ilam Road.

• Be mindful not to obstruct driveways when dropping off or collecting.

• Opt to drop and collect students a reasonable distance from the Ilam Road crossing to alleviate congestion.

Changes to Ilam Road

For your convenience, we have attached two communication pamphlets from the Christchurch City Council outlining upcoming work on Ilam Road. Starting in early September, Fulton Hogan will initiate the connection and construction of a cycle path along Ilam Road. During this phase, please note that Ilam Road will operate as a one-way street flowing northward from Memorial Avenue to Aorangi Road. We urge you to review the Council's communications to establish a suitable drop-off and collection plan for your child. We will update once we have further information.

AIMs Games

Early on Saturday, 2 September, a group of individual competitors will depart for Tauranga, followed by the teams, who will leave on the morning of Sunday, 3 September. This event holds a special place on the school calendar for students and I am proud that we are only one of two intermediates that send teams from the South Island. Unlike other schools, our students travel as a team and stay as a team, giving them a unique experience. I anticipate that the students will wholeheartedly embrace the AIMs experience. While they will return exhausted, it will be a memorable experience. Thank you to those parents who are attending as parent helpers. I also want to thank families for supporting the event. Best of luck to those representing our school!

Burnside High School

The Burnside testing date for next year’s Year 9 students has been changed to Thursday 7 September. This will impact a small number of students who will be at AIMs Games, however, they do have a catch up date scheduled for those who can’t make 7 September.

If you live in the Burnside High School zone and have not yet completed the enrolment process for your child for 2024, please do so as soon as possible.

Enrolments for 2024

Cobham enrolments for 2024 close next Thursday, 31 August. A ballot will take place on Friday, 1st September for all out of zone enrolments.

Term Dates and Upcoming Events:

Please remember to mark your calendars with the following important dates:

• Teacher Only day Term 4 - Monday 20 November.

• Last day of school for Year 8 students, Wednesday, 13 December at 2:50 pm, followed by the Year 8 Prizegiving.

• Year 8 Prizegiving - 7:00 pm, Wednesday 13 December, Christ’s College Assembly Hall

• Last day of school for the Year 7 students, Thursday 14 December at 12:20 pm.

This link has the term dates for 2024. School starts for Year 8 students on Wednesday, 31 January with classes as normal and Year 7 students will start with interviews on Wednesday, 31 January.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our school community. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a safe and efficient drop-off experience on Ilam Road. For any enquiries or concerns, feel free to reach out to us.

Ngā mihi nui

Eddie Norgate