What an amazing community we have at Stanley Bay School. The children here are vibrant and engage with both their peers and adults so positively, and display our school vision of being confident learners. The parents are supportive and the teachers go above and beyond as seen in the trips they take their classes on, the extra support or programmes that they organise, and so much more.

On camp I had the pleasure of joining the Year 5 and 6 students on the tramp from the Hunua Falls to the camp. They walked at quite a pace and there was not one complaint the whole way, despite it being steep both up and down.

A highlight was the river crossings. The first river was shallow and we carefully crossed trying not to get our shoes wet. Then we came across the last river which was wide and deep, where we were informed we needed to wade across. Mrs Pelham literally walked straight in, boots and all. This role modeling showed me one of the reasons the children never complained and followed suit. This was also supported by the parents who also followed suit, being great role models also. Thank you to these parents who took time away from their jobs and gave up their time so that we could run the camp. I want to thank these parents and the many other parents who also give up their precious time to be able to support our children so that they can go on trips, sports days, organise fundraisers, help with learning in the classroom and so much more.

I also want to thank the teachers who gave up their personal time so that the camp could run with such success: Mrs Pelham, Rita Harvey, Ben Offner and Jill Cahill. I look forward to the camp-sharing evening tomorrow night to hear more.

Sharing of learning tomorrow:

We look forward to seeing whānau come to school tomorrow to see inside their children’s classrooms for them to share what they have been learning. Here is the organisation:

9am to 9.40am: Helen Stedman (Room 2), Isabel Robinson (Room 1), Genevieve Thomas (Room 12) and Lisa Gillgren (Room 11)

9.45 to 10.30am: Emma Gauntlett (Room 4) and Rachel McDonnell (Room 6)

2pm : Gail Moynagh (Room 8) and Ben Offner (Room 7).

Next week:

On Tuesday we have ex-Football Fern: Katie Duncan, coming to talk with the school about her time at the Olympics and as a representative of New Zealand. You are welcome to come listen. It is on Tuesday, 27th June at 10.15am in the hall.

Wednesday and Thursday: There has been a great response to signing up to see their child's teacher next week for learner conferences. If you have not already booked, please do so by following the link below:

https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code

Event code: x26ej

The WhatsApp class groups will start next week. Look out for messages.

Next term:

The first day of next term we have our whakatau to welcome our new students who started half-way through this term, all students who are starting next term, and our new kaiako: Carina Lee (Room 4) and Julie Lattimer who will be starting a new entrance class on the first day of term. This will also be our assembly for the week, as we celebrate Matariki the first week back. There will be activities running the whole week across the kura.

We also invite everyone to come early to school on Thursday, 20th July at 8am for some Weetbix and/or a hot chocolate. Myself and Scott will read a story and there will be a couple of activities for people to do together to remember our loved ones, or learn about the Matariki Stars.

Second week of term 3: Book week is in Week 2: 24 - 20 July. We are asking for any volunteers who could set up the Friday before, and help out before school or after school with the selling of books. The money will go towards more readers. If you can help, please email the office.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the following students' writing who got a Principal’s sticker:

Lulah S (Rm 6) writing:

If there was no kelp, sea otters would have no food. They would have no babies. Sea otters need kelp and other sea animals need kelp to stay alive. Sea urchins have their babies in kelp. If Sea Urchins eat all the kelp before it grows, other sea animals would starve if there was no kelp.

Ngā mihi nui,

Emma Tolmie

GradDipTchg (Prim). BA. PGDipEd. MEdLd.

Tumuaki / Principal