With curiosity and wonder, we will be exploring The Arts to find out how we can use art forms to express ourselves!

Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder (NZ Curriculum).

The term ahead looks pretty colourful as we discover our creative selves through the various mediums of the arts. Students will explore art education which will challenge, affirm, and celebrate unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture.

The arts are a vital part of our curriculum and contribute to wellbeing by providing opportunities to express and interrupt feelings, beliefs and ideas. Learning in, through and about the arts stimulates creative action, which for many students can be challenging. We will encourage them to take risks and engage their imagination, sense and feelings.

The learning area comprises four disciplines: dance, drama, music – sound arts, and visual arts. Within each, students develop literacies as they build on skills, knowledge, attitudes, and understandings. Through arts practices and the use of traditional and new technologies, students will generate artistic ideas refined through cycles of action and reflection.

Each discipline is structured around four interrelated strands:

• Understanding the Arts in Context
• Developing Practical Knowledge in the arts
• Developing Ideas in the arts
• Communicating and Interpreting in the arts.

Over the break, teachers have been busy creating learning opportunities that spark curiosity and wonder and engage learners in an exploration of movement, sound, and images to understand how the arts transform peoples creative ideas that communicate layered meaning.

We cant wait to share our artistic talents with you....you may be surprised to see How We Express Ourselves!

Learner Conferences Reminder

A reminder that next week we encourage you to come along to the Learner Conferences. This is an opportunity for your child to celebrate their learning, show you their growth, and gain insight into how your child learns.

Learner conferences will take place on:

• Wednesday 4 August (2:00-5:00 pm)
• Thursday 5 August (3:30-6:00 pm)

To book a conference time, please click here.

IMPORTANT:

On Wednesday 4 August, the school will close at 1:30 pm.

We request that you collect your child/ren from school. If you require childcare from 1:30 pm, please contact Kelly Club to make a booking https://www.kellyclub.co.nz/stanley-bay.

Kapa Haka

Recently a few parents have asked about kapa haka and what it looks like at SBS.

At SBS, all students participate in kapa haka. It is an integral part of our Tikanga and celebrates diversity and inclusion. The New Zealand Curriculum is driven by principles that embody what is important in school curriculum - nationally and locally. Two of these principles apply to the teaching of kapa haka;

• Te Tiriti o Waitangi - acknowledge the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa.
• Cultural diversity - reflects New Zealand’s cultural diversity and values the histories and traditions of all its people.

Every Thursday, all students participate in kapa haka. The Y0/2 are taught by Emma Gauntlett (Y0/2 Team Leader), and Matua Gary leads the Y3/6 students.

Kapa haka is part of many school events, including the mihi whakatau at the start of each term, farewell, powhiri and most recently at the Bayswater Matariki Festival. If you missed our performance at Matariki, I encourage you to come along to the North Shore Kapa Haka Festival in November, and you will see that our kapa haka is vigorous, which in turn brings mana to our school.

Property Update

Resurfacing the courts

Over the break, the netball and basketball courts have been resurfaced, and they are looking pretty amazing! We cant wait to start using them.

The work on the Russell St court is underway and is expected to take another week to complete. During this time, access to the school will be via the gate closest to the office. The inconvenience will be worth it!

Outdoor Learning Space

Thanks to a team of awesome parents, the outdoor learning area by the office have been filled with soil and are ready for planting. Our Eco Warriors are standing by with their trowels to put the finishing touches on this space.

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Finally, a reminder that on Friday, 9.10 am, you are invited to come along to our mihi whakatau to welcome new students to our whanau. We look forward to seeing you there. 

Nga mihi 

Lucy Naylor 
Tumuaki / Principal