Tēnā koutou Parents / Caregivers / Sunnynook Families

We are delighted to welcome our staff, families and tamariki back to school.

I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to the families and children who are new to our school community. We know it is an exciting but sometimes anxious time for our new students, however with the support of our staff and their friends, I can assure you that they will quickly find their way and enjoy their new journey at Sunnynook. We also welcome our new staff member for 2023, Emma Morrison, who will be working in our ESOL team.    

It is certainly not the start of the year that we would have hoped for our families, but it has been heartening to see the kindness, help and community spirit that is prevalent in Sunnynook and which embodies our school values. It has also been very uplifting for myself and our staff to see the enthusiasm and smiling faces of our students back in class.  

Please read our newsletters, Hero posts, and check our website for information and activities that are happening around the school. Our fortnightly newsletters will begin next Thursday 16th February.

We are fortunate to have a very active PTA committee who are always looking for willing committee members. There will be regular updates regarding events and fundraisers that are held throughout the year.  

I hope that you had the opportunity to mark our recent public holiday on Waitangi Day. The day was first officially commemorated in 1934, and has been a public holiday since 1974. Waitangi is considered the ‘birthplace of our nation’ where our founding document was signed on 6 February 1840. Waitangi, which means ‘weeping waters’ in English, was chosen for the signing of the documents. Whatever way we choose to observe Te Rā o Waitangi, it is an occasion that sets us apart from the world and reminds us of our connection to Aotearoa and each other.  

2023 is also the year of the Rabbit in the Lunar calendar. The Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. 2023 is also predicted to be a year of hope, and I hope this is a promising sign for the year ahead for us all.

Ngā mihi 

Virginia

We would like to thank Ijaz and his team at Paper Plus in Sunnynook for their continuous support. Paper Plus are suppliers of our stationery items - please see our website for the stationery lists for 2023.

UPCOMING PTA EVENTS:
Wednesday 15 February: Jesters Pie Day
Saturday 18 February - Sunday 19 February: PTA Camp Out

2023 TERM DATES

Monday 6 February - Waitangi Day (Public Holiday)

Monday 24 April - Teacher Only Day

Tuesday 25 April - Anzac Day (Public Holiday)

Wednesday 26 April - Classes begin for Term 2

Monday 5 June - King's Birthday (Public Holiday)

Monday 23 October - Labour Day (Public Holiday)

If any of your details have changed, please let the office know via email. This is particularly important for new phone numbers and emails in order for us to contact you in an emergency.

School Hours
Our school day is structured as follows:

Late - Students who arrive after 8:50 am need to report to the office via the student entrance for their late pass before going to class.

Absences - If your child is going to be absent from school, please inform the school office every day that your child is going to be absent by either phoning 410 6534 option 1, via the Hero app or via our website. If possible, please inform the school office before 9:00 am.

The Sunnynook Primary PTA is holding the annual Camp Out from 18th-19th February. Please see the Camp Out invitation for further information on the event and how to purchase tickets. We look forward to seeing you there!  

In 2023 our main form of communication with you - our school community, will be via Hero. On the Hero app, the little bell icon at the top right of your screen shows whether you have any new notifications.  At times if the post is a longer one you may need to click ‘read more’ to view the whole message. We would appreciate it if you could also use Hero to report absences.

Any parents/caregivers who haven't yet signed up for the Hero App can do so by clicking on this link.

Our school is a SunSmart school and hat-wearing is compulsory for Term 1 and Term 4.  A reminder to place your hat orders as soon as possible. You can place your orders with Argyle Uniforms here or purchase one from the school office for $13.60.

Playball is a sport and movement program for children between the ages of five and nine. All of the programs are taught in a fun-filled, energetic and positive environment.

Playball programs are age specific, with each of our programs taking into account the difference in the cognitive, emotional, social and motor development of the children in each age group.

Our Playball North Harbour coaches are dedicated to providing the best learning environment for children by using physical activity as a vehicle.

Some examples of sports we focus on in schools are; Hockey, Football, Tennis, Basketball and many more! We also bring in competition and more team elements to our 5-8 year old program to prepare the children for sport in the future. Each week will be different, to build on the skills and movements learnt in previous lessons.

 

Classes at Sunnynook Primary School will be held on:

Mondays from 3:00-4:00 starting NEXT WEEK February 13th.

The cost for the term will be $88.

 

If you would like your child to take part this term, please click the following link to complete the sign-up process: https://www.playballkids.com/parent-zone/basket_bookings.php?classid=52296

Classes will be held at the covered netball courts.  If a class is postponed, parents will be notified ahead of class time. 
Please let me know your child's classroom.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Coach Reuben on 0277674060or reuben@playball.co.nz