In this week's newsletter:

School Life

• Welcome Back to School
• Stationery and Donations
• Meet the Studio: A chance to meet your child's new teachers
• Free Dental Service
• Mobile Phones and Smartwatches
• Sports at Westmere

Extracurricular Activities

• Touch
• Basketball
• Weetbix Tryathlon

Other Opportunities

• Girls Cricket at Grafton United
• St Paul's College Open Day
• sKids - After School Care
• Mataaga Market
  
• Holy Moly Arts and Crafts

School Life

What a lovely start to the school year. It is always exciting and energising to welcome your tamariki back to school. I am sure there will be some exhausted children by the end of tomorrow! 

This week there are a few reminders to help with the transition back to school. 

Stationery and Donations
Stationery packs have been delivered to your child's room. A special newsletter will come home to whānau next week with details of stationery costs, trips and school donations.

Meet the Studio: A chance to meet your child's new teachers
Wednesday 14th February we will hold sessions for whānau to meet studio or classroom teachers. Teachers will introduce themselves and share with you important information about how the studios will work this year.

• NUONI - Whānau Hui 3.30
• Junior School (Studios 2-3) - 6.00 - 6.30
• Middle School (Studios 5-6) - 6.30 - 7.00
• Senior School (Studios 7-8) - 7.00 - 7.30

Free Dental Service
The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDS) is a Te Whatu Ora-operated service, which provides FREE dental care to children across greater Auckland.

To prevent any eligible children from missing out on receiving free dental care, ARDS is cross-checking their own records with school rolls.

For our children’s better oral health and well-being, our school roll will be shared with the service as required if you ticked the permissions box when you enrolled your child.

To find out more information about ARDS, please visit ards.co.nz or call 0800 TALK TEETH
(0800 825 583).

Mobile Phones and Smartwatches
In line with new government policy, mobile phones can no longer be used in schools. Please note the following;

• Mobile phones can be handed to a teacher or a member of the office staff. 
• Please ensure that phones are turned off before they are handed in
• Please label all phones clearly
• Phones will be stored in the teachers' offices, or behind the desk at the office

If children are wearing smartwatches, connectivity should be turned off during the school day. Any communication with children should come through the school office.

Extracurricular Activities

Touch

Most of our teams are now full, however, we do need a few more Year 5 or 6 players, if interested please get in touch as games kick off Tuesday 13th. 

• When: Tuesdays 13th Feb - 26th March (7 weeks)
• Where: Coxs Bay Park 
• Email - sport@westmere.school.nz

Basketball
Most of our teams are now full, however, we do need a few more year 3 & 4 Players & year 5 & 6 players interested please get in touch.

• Middle School
• When: Monday Afternoons - Starts Week 3, Monday 19th
• Where: Ponsonby Primary 
• Times: 20 min games, between 3:30 pm - 6 pm (draw changes each week) 
• Email - sport@westmere.school.nz

• Senior School 
• When: Friday Afternoons - Starts Week 3, Monday 23rd
• Where: Ponsonby Intermediate
• Times: 20 min games, between 3:30 pm - 6 pm (draw changes each week)

Weetbix Tryathlon

• When: Sunday, March 2024, 8am 
• Where: Point England Reserve, Point England.

Distances are approximate and are as follows;

• 6-year-olds 50m swim / 1.5km run
• 7-year-olds 50m swim / 4km cycle / 1.5km run
• 8 – 10 year-olds 75 – 100m swim / 4km cycle / 1.5km run
• 11 – 15 year olds 150 – 200m swim / 8km cycle / 1.5 km run

You can join the school team by following this link, scroll down for Westmere School.

Other Opportunities

Girls Cricket at Grafton United

The Girls Blitz is a 4 week after school programme for girls yrs 5, 6, 7 and 8 to try cricket in a fun, short game format.

It only costs $25 for all 4 sessions which will run for 45 mins from 3.45pm on a Thursday, from 29th Feb to 21st March.

No experience, equipment or uniform is required. Just be ready for fun!

Calling all budding cricketers to come and try the game with Grafton Cricket Club!

St Paul's College Open Day

Skids After School Care at Westmere

Mataaga Market

Holy Moly Arts and Crafts