Newsletter Term 4 Week 10: Thursday 14 December 2023

Term 4 Week 10: Thursday 14 December 2023

Important Dates 2024
Thursday 1 February – Start of Term 1
Tuesday 6 February – Waitangi Day, School closed
Friday 15 March – Family Fun Fest

IN THIS ISSUE:
Spotlight on Sunnybrae
ESOL Graduates
Hero
Sports Update: Basketball Success
Crossing Duty Helpers Needed for 2024
PTA Update: Family Fun Fest 2024 Planning
Community Notices

Principals Address

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Whānau,

As we approach the end of another remarkable school year, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and commitment to our school. This year has presented us with challenges, but together, we have not only faced them head-on but emerged stronger and more resilient.

First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your incredible support during the repairs following the unexpected flood that affected our school. Your understanding, patience, and collaborative spirit were instrumental in ensuring a smooth recovery process. It truly takes a village, and we are fortunate to have such a caring and involved community.

Additionally, I want to acknowledge and appreciate your continued support throughout the whole-school power upgrade and the installation of heating/cooling systems in every classroom. Your cooperation and understanding as we worked to enhance the learning environment for our students did not go unnoticed. Your commitment to providing the best possible educational experience for our children is inspiring.

It has been a year filled with achievements, growth, and community spirit, and I am immensely grateful to each and every one of you who contributed to our school’s success. Thank you for volunteering your time, attending events, and offering words of encouragement; your involvement has made a significant impact.

As we approach the summer break, I hope you take the time to relax and enjoy precious moments with family and friends. Cherish the well-deserved break, and may it be filled with laughter, joy, and rejuvenation.

Thank you once again for your dedication, support, and partnership in making our school a wonderful place for learning and growth. Wishing you all a fantastic summer, and I look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready for another exciting school year ahead.

Kind regards,

Lorene Hurd

Spotlight on Sunnybrae
Year 1 and 2
Room 1 tamariki started school either at the beginning of or during Term 3. We’ve had an energy-filled classroom where a lot of great learning has taken place. Highlights of the two terms most of us have been at school are:

Learning to read & spell with BSLA, children love “doing magic” with words and often choose these activities as a before-school free-play activity. It’s been fantastic to see the literacy progress that children are making.
After lunch, several times a week, we keenly await our Year 3 and 4 buddies so we can read to them.
We love counting to 100 (and beyond!) on a Friday.

Room 1 tamariki has grown in independence and responsibility. They are kind and caring and are welcoming when our newest Sunnybrae tamariki start in the room next to us. Ms Melinda Clow

What an absolutely amazing start to school the gorgeous students in Room 2 have made. They have learnt about our Sunnybrae R.I.C.E values of Respect, Independence, Co-operation and Excellence and use these values everyday in the classroom. Being so kind and caring towards each other, it is lovely to see the friendships that they are creating. They have all been excited about starting school and are so enthusiastic about new learning. It has been wonderful to see the fabulous progress that they are making. Mrs Wendy Frazer

What a year we have had in Room 3. The tamariki have had the best time engaging in all that Sunnybrae has to offer, and our Matariki and different art projects were definitely a class highlight. We have both enjoyed teaching and seeing the children grow and develop through the year. It has been a lot of fun getting to know everyone and welcome new children throughout the year. All the best for 2024! Mrs Claire Everett and Mrs Brooke Dorset

Room 4 has had an amazing year. All the students have grown in confidence, made progress with their school learning journey and developed friendships. We have had a lot of wonderful experiences this year with swimming lessons, the firefighters and the fire engine coming to school, the disco, celebrating 100 days at school, Book Week and the book character parade, Huff and Puff and most recently, the visit by Zooventures. We have focussed on our school values of Respect, Independence, Cooperation and Excellence and got a lot of flower gems along the way. Mrs Catherine Young and Mrs Monique Jansen

In Room 5, we had lots of fun and laughter whilst learning and making new friends. We welcomed a total of 19 students into our learning space. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching Room 5 this year. Their personalities have shone, and their independence has grown over the years. I am so incredibly proud of all students in Room 5, who make our class a fun learning environment. Ms Brittney Hight

Sunny weather, happy children, a lot of different activities for the students of Room 8. So much fantastic, fabulous fun at the Year 1 and 2 Fun Day. What could be more rewarding than having an action-packed day filled with fun activities after a year of dedicated learning! Here are some photos from our Fun Day on Wednesday, which brought big smiles to the faces of our beautiful tamariki all day long! Miss Liz Kwon

Year 3 and 4 Reflection
The Year 3 and 4 team have been talking about the highlights of the year. The students recalled some of the exciting things that they experienced during 2023. Here are just a few! Caring for Ourselves and Others: This included learning about how to be a great learner, setting goals, establishing our class expectations and focusing on Mental Health Education. Marine World: We loved learning all about marine life and had great fun exploring the box of artefacts from the Auckland Museum.
A definite highlight was having a dance instructor come and teach us some exciting dances. We learned all about different types of dance, movement techniques, and drama. The study of different materials was also exciting, and we became scientists, testing and finding out about the different properties of materials. We learned why different materials are used for different purposes. During a focus on our local area, it was fascinating to look back in time, learn how the land was used, and see the changes that have occurred around Sunnybrae. This also linked in with the children finding out about and writing their own pepeha.
The students also recalled other memories from the year: the school disco, book week and the character parade and read-a-thon, the family-fun-fest, athletics day, the cross country, swimming lessons, Pink Shirt Day, Wig Wednesday and the dance performance. We all agree that it has been a fun-filled, busy year!

Year 5 and 6 Fun Day
The Year 5/6 Funday was a huge hit with our tamariki as they had a blast with their friends and teachers all day long. With the weather on our side, students splashed around in the pool until their heart’s content. Year 6 then went off to ride the giant water slide as per Sunnybrae traditions! Speeding down the slope, there were enough giggles, squeals and cheers that would last till Christmas. Soapy and grassy, Mr Gordon, Miss Horgan, Mr Vella, Miss Fleming, Mrs Brownlee and Mrs McIntyre enjoyed their share of fun, too. Our students also enjoyed various sports, such as Softball, Cricket, Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee. The day wrapped up with teachers and students playing Rainbow Tag, which was the highlight of the Term 2 school camp. For others, indoor activities were just as entertaining, with diorama-making and a Christmas movie. Santa made an early visit to Sunnybrae and wished everyone a Meri Kirihimete.

Year 6 Farewell & Prizegiving
On Tuesday, 12th December, the Year 5/6 team celebrated and said farewell to our Year 6 Leavers. There was a change of format this year, with the addition of Year 6 cups being awarded in the evening. This was a special occasion for all, and the teachers are immensely proud of not only the award and nominee recipients but also the performances and presence of Year 5 students. Thank you to the whānau who joined us to celebrate our wonderful tamariki.

Congratulations to our overall cup winners for 2023: Outstanding Contribution to the Arts: Iris, Kapa Haka Award: Felicity & Na’a, Outstanding Citizenship Award: Punarvika & David, Sportsperson of the Year: Latiyana & Yireh, Outstanding Academic Achievement: Ivy & Krismund, Best All-Round Achievement: Kate & Yireh

CONGRATULATIONS:
ESOL Graduates Term 3 & 4
Jiyu C, Kurumi S, William W, Paige T, Keleni A, Valeti M, Benson H, Naksh P, Martia G, Suzy S. Congratulations to all these students, who receive a certificate of graduation.

Get on Board with Hero
Sunnybrae’s goal is to use the Hero platform for our communication from Term 1 in 2024. We are, therefore, asking that our school whānau go through the process of signing up to Hero this year so that we can test it out and iron out any issues early.

We are excited about the features that Hero has to offer our families. These include the ability for parents and caregivers to:

read and comment on school notices sent to your child’s class or groups
respond to school notices such as surveys and trip permission requests
view school term dates
view a school calendar of events
notify the school if your child is absent or late
navigate to other school-related web pages
customise your account by adding a profile image
select how you wish to receive notifications

Click here for help signing up to Hero

SPORTS UPDATE:
Basketball Success

The Sensations, coached by Mei Ling Kuan. Yun Yi, Latiyana, Punarvika, Felicity, Hayley, Emily, Carly, Ivy and Jessie played the Birkenhead Primary Suns. The girls played a fabulous game and won 10 – 4. This was a great finish to the year in a brand new competition.

A huge congratulations to both Elliot and Deacon who won Most Improved Players for their Harbour Basketball teams at prize giving on Monday evening. It is great to see our students doing so well with their chosen sports both in school and representing clubs as well. Ka pai.

Crossing Duty Helpers Needed in 2024
We would like to thank all of the parents who helped us before or after school with the crossing on Sunnybrae Road in 2023. We are looking for volunteers to help us in 2024, starting on the first day of school.
We need helpers for the following slots:
Tuesday Morning 8:30-8:55am
Tuesday Afternoon 3:00-3:15pm
Wednesday Afternoon 3:00-3:15pm
Thursday Morning 8:30-8:55am
Friday Morning 8:30-8:55am
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Shuiqing Gong, Mei Ling Kuan, Tina Pirie, Wendy Li and Sin Hooi Lee for supporting the school in this way.
If you are able to help by doing the crossing duty on one of these days, please let Katrina Bambury know at office@sunnybrae.school.nz or call 09 443 5058 before 12 December 2023.

PTA UPDATE:
Family Fun Fest 2024
We are preparing for a Family Fun Festival to be held on March 15th 2024, or March 22nd 2024 depending on the weather. The PTA members are actively looking to our parents, whānau and the wider community for volunteers to help with planning, cooking or managing a Food Stall showcasing our community’s diverse cuisine. The school will reimburse any costs associated with running the stall.
Click here to register

This event has become one of the major events on our school calendar. In addition to bringing funds into the school for projects such as the Covered Turf and Basketball hoops, it also serves to bring our school community together to celebrate our cultural diversity. We can’t do it without a truly combined effort from everyone.

Kind regards
Lorene Hurd, Principal
SUNNYBRAE NORMAL SCHOOL

REMINDER:
Please note that all children are to be collected from school by 3.00pm. If you are unable to collect before this time, you may be interested in booking your child into the YMCA after-school club held in the School Hall.