Newsletter Term 3 Week 5

Term 3 Week 5

2022

In This Issue

1. Staff Update
2. PB4L – Positive Behaviour for Learning
3. Mathematics at Sunnybrae
4. Seesaw Message Update
5. PTA Spell-a-thon 2022 Fundraiser
6. School Disco – Parent Helpers Needed
7. Cross Country
8. Board of Trustees
9. Absences
10. Sunnybrae Normal School – Office Admin – Receptionist Position
11. Yummy Sticker Sheets Due Back
12. Out of Zone Ballot for Term 4 Applications Welcome
13. Sushi Friday
14. Community Engagement Focus Group
15. Emergency Procedures Drill
16. YMCA

Community Notices

1. Staff Update – Deputy Principal – Karen Rodger

To the Sunnybrae Community,

We regret to inform you that Miss Karen Rodger has resigned as Deputy Principal and will leave Sunnybrae Normal School at the end of Term 3 Week 5. 

We acknowledge and are grateful for the contributions Karen has made to Sunnybrae Normal School over the past 24.5 years in her many roles as a Teacher, Team Leader, Assistant Principal and then Deputy Principal. At all times, Karen has supported a learning environment where our children have had the opportunity to find their strengths, achieve their best and further their enjoyment of learning.

One of her greatest achievements is the talented and conscientious teaching team she and the senior leadership team have led who are well placed to continue great work in her absence. The Board and staff thank Karen for her focus on creating an inclusive school where we all live our values and maximise our potential, ensuring academic excellence in a friendly, nurturing learning environment which will remain at the heart of the school’s philosophy. Unfailingly, her absolute focus has been the Hauora of the Sunnybrae whanau and community.

The Board will ensure a rigorous selection process to secure a talented leader who can not only build on Karen’s legacy but will continue to guide the school through the next stage of its development. 

Please take this opportunity to join us in thanking Karen for her significant contribution to the school. We wish her all the best as she pursues new career opportunities. 

Karen will be greatly missed but know that we will look back on her time with us with absolute fondness.

Kind regards

Lorene Hurd, Principal

James McIntyre, Presiding Member Board of Trustees

Dora Yang, Board of Trustees

Sabina Darke, Board of Trustees

Damian Griffiths, Board of Trustees

Anna Blair, Board of Trustees

2. PB4L – Positive Behaviour for Learning

The PB4L focus for Week 5 will be on using respect everywhere. Our lessons will focus on:

• Being in the right place at the right time
• Being responsible

3.  Mathematics at Sunnybrae 

4. Seesaw Message Update

Seesaw has updated the announcement / messaging part of the App. Teachers are now able to send two types of messages. A message can be sent to you in which you can not reply to, such as a PTA message or whole school message. Teachers can also send an individual or group message to certain parents eg. choir or sports group. Parents can reply back to these messages by using the 3 dots. You can still start a conversation with a teacher by going to messages and then using the ‘Create New Conversation’ tab.

5. PTA Spell-a-thon 2022 Fundraiser

Spell-a-thon testing will take place on Monday 22 August. Please help support your child/ren by:

• Continuing to encourage your child/ren to learn their spelling words as part of their home learning programme in preparation for testing on Monday 22 August.
• Sending your child/ren to school with their sponsorship form on Monday. 

Thank you to our student council members with the support of the classroom teachers who have helped each Friday to ensure that students who have been busy getting 6 or more sponsors have been given a little prize.

Kind regards

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

6. School Disco – Parent Helpers Needed

We would love some parent helpers to lend a hand alongside our PTA members at our upcoming disco on Friday 2nd September.  If you would like to help, please email Claire at ceverett@sunnybrae.school.nz and indicate if you would be able to help at the Year 1 – 3 Disco from 5:15 – 6:45 pm or help at the Year 4 – 6 Disco from 6:45 – 8:30 pm or help clean up after from 8:30 – 9:00 pm. You will be helping with tasks such as selling glow items, food and cooking sausages during the Disco. Tickets via Kindo for the Glow in Dark Disco are available from the following link.

7.  Cross Country

 On Friday 2 September the Year 4 to 6 students will take part in our Annual Cross Country. The event will begin at 1:30 pm and this year parents will be able to attend. We will need some parent helpers around the course, including outside the school. 

If you are able to help support us in this way please email: mwaters@sunnybrae.school.nz

8. Board of Trustees

Please join me in thanking Brandon Watts, Steve Simpson and Nick Brown for their years of service on the Sunnybrae Board of Trustees. We had a fun night welcoming two new board members, Sabina Darke and Damian Griffiths. If you are interested in working with the board, please contact James McIntyre, Presiding Member (jmcintyre@sunnybrae.school.nz) or myself, Lorene Hurd, Principal (lhurd@sunnybrae.school.nz).

9. Absences

If your child is going to be absent Parents/Caregivers need to ring / message the office ideally before 9:00 am. If they are going to be away on subsequent days, parents still need to let the office know the date of return and if the absence is medical-related or not. Please see the Sunnybrae website link to report an absence.

10. Sunnybrae Normal School

Office Admin – Receptionist

Would you like to have time off during school holidays, work with awesome colleagues and interact with lovely families from diverse cultures? If so, this is all possible within our stimulating environment on the North Shore in Auckland.

We can offer you:

• Work-life balance
• Supportive team members and management
• Newly renovated office spaces
• Cute kids
• Professional Development Opportunities

We are looking for:

Essentially, someone who is out of the box, a team member with a positive attitude that exudes personal warmth, a great sense of humour and the ability to show initiative and work autonomously.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in office work.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• High level of computer literacy (Google Drive, Word, Excel, +++).
• Ability to multitask and thrive in an invigorating school environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• First Aid certificate, or willingness to get First Aid training.

This position is 8:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Friday for term time only (40 weeks).

Salary will be determined based on previous experience.

Key responsibilities:

• Interact with students, families, staff and the wider community.
• Reception: manage day-to-day reception duties.
• Support the Senior Leadership Team and the Office Manager via completing

administrative tasks associated with operating an efficient school office.

The successful applicant must be eligible to work in New Zealand and undergo Police Vetting processes under the Vulnerable Children’s Act.

Please send your cover letter, CV and 3 referees to Spring Shih, Office Manager at

jobs@sunnybrae.school.nz .

11. Yummy Sticker Sheets Due Back

All Yummy Sticker sheets are due back to Sunnybrae on Friday 16 September.  Please hand these into the office to help fund new sports equipment for the school.

12. Out of Zone Ballot for Term 4

Applications Welcome

We are very excited to announce there will be a ballot for out-of-zone enrolments at Sunnybrae Normal School starting in Term 4, 2022. The deadline for applications for places in Years 1 to 6 is Thursday 1 September 2022. The ballot will be held on Monday 5 September.

13. Sushi Friday

14. Community Engagement Focus Group

We are excited to be holding another focus group evening for our German and Middle Eastern families. It will be held on Thursday 25 August 7:00 – 8:00 pm in the staffroom. We invite our school community from these cultural groups to come along and join us.

15. Emergency Procedures Drill

On Friday 19 August Sunnybrae Normal School ran an Earthquake Drill at our school. All students were prepared for the drill by their classroom teacher. An announcement was made indicating an earthquake. Once the announcement was made staff and students dropped to the ground to Drop, Cover, and Hold. This required people to stay in the building and to get under the nearest table or strong structure and get into a turtle position (on knees, rolled into a ball, hands over head). Due to wet conditions, students and staff remained indoors and completed a class debrief about the drill.

16. YMCA

Kind regards

Lorene Hurd

Principal

Sunnybrae Normal School

Community Notices

Brain Play

Brain Play teaches after-school science & technology classes to Kiwi kids aged 5 – 13. Find us in 9 venues across Auckland and online. Topics this term include 3D printing, electronics, coding, animation, STEM experiments & more. Free trials available for new students. We also run regular events across Auckland, including free events! Make sure to follow us on social media and check the Events page on the website so you don’t miss out. Check out our after-school timetable on our website and use the form to get in touch – https://www.brainplay.co.nz/.