Newsletter Term 1 Week 9: Thursday 28 March 2024

Term 1 Week 9: Thursday 28 March 2024

Important Dates 2024
Friday 29 March – Easter Friday, School closed.
Monday 1 April – Easter Monday, School closed.
Tuesday 2 April – Easter Tuesday, School closed.
Sunday 7 April – Shore to Shore fun run.
Friday 12 April – End of Term 1 at 3:00 pm.
Friday 19 April – Flippa Ball registrations close.
Monday 29 April – Start of Term 2.
Monday 29 April – Table Tennis registrations close.

IN THIS ISSUE:
Update from the BOT
Year 3-6 Tryathlon
Year 1-4 Cricket Coaching
Junky Monkeys
Lockdown Drill
New Plantings at Sunnybrae
Garden Group
Donated Uniforms Needed
Sports Update: Flippa Ball and Table Tennis Registration
Community Notices

The PB4L focus for next week will be on:
Cooperation: Everywhere Play safely and keep hands and feet to ourselves

BOT NEWS:
Update from the Sunnybrae Normal School Board of Trustees
Every state and state-integrated school or kura in New Zealand has a board
whose role it is to oversee the governance of the school and to ensure that
everything is done legally and ethically as well as possible in the best interests of its students. The board would like to take this opportunity to provide the school community with regular updates on key developments.
In the last few board meetings of 2023, the board decided that Sunnybrae
Normal School would continue to opt into the donation scheme the government offers. This means that the school receives $150.34 per student from the government for the operation of the school. This also means that the school does not have to ask for donations from parents at the beginning of the school year.
Over the last few meetings in 2023, the board agreed to a strategy to cater to the gifted and talented students within the children’s regular classes for 2024.
This is in accordance with the Ministry’s policy around the ability grouping of students. Classroom teachers will receive further professional development in 2024. This will help challenge and extend those children who are showing special interest in a particular topic. This process ensures that the classroom teacher is aware of where each child is in their learning journey, their special interests and any ways to expand their development.

(left to right) Board Members: Campbell Marsters, Damian Griffiths, Bruce Nichols, Mon Subritzky (Presiding Member), Sabina Darke, James McIntyre , Lorene Hurd (Principal), Catrina Scott (Staff Representative).

Year 3-6 Tryathlon
Last Wednesday we held our annual school Tryahtlon for the Year 3-6 students.
The aim of our Tryathlon was to have all students involved in some capacity. This could have been in the Championship race when students completed all three disciplines on their own, or as part of a team where each person completed at least one leg of the race.
With the centre of our school field full of bikes and the track marked out, excitement levels were high with students eager to get involved. Students displayed enthusiasm, perseverance and great sportsmanship and should be very proud of themselves. There were a lot of exhausted but happy faces at the end of the afternoon.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the fantastic team of teachers and our school community for getting behind this event which gives students a wonderful opportunity to display our Sunnybrae RICE values.

The results are listed below:

Student Recounts
I see the track that I will ride my bike on,
I see of sea colourful bikes all parked up in the right place,
I see the bright green trees standing tall and strong,
I see the shades of blue in the atmosphere.
By Maxim Room 20

Some people brought bikes. Some people brought togs. There were so many people wanting to run so they brought their running shoes. Then we got ready for the Tryathlon. We put sunscreen on because it was so sunny. We had to wait for the Year 5’s and 6’s. We were cheering so loud that the Year 2’s heard us. By Effie Room 13

After we got into teams we decided who was doing what. I couldn’t wait until Wednesday. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep! By Omer Room 13

Cricket Coaching
The year 1 to 4 students have had the fun opportunity to have cricket coaching sessions by Auckland Cricket.
The students enjoyed the opportunity to play mini games and learn hand eye co-ordination skills.

Student Recount
My favourite game is Snowball Tag. I also like the Yes No game. They all are fun so I like cricket. We had teachers. They were boys, one named Max and one Matt. They had uniforms and tennis balls in a bucket. By Barbie Room 13

Junky Monkeys
Across New Zealand and around the world, a generation of children are missing out on opportunities to play. Sitting inside on devices, disconnected from nature, and spending the bulk of their time in adult-structured environments, our kids are exhibiting a lack of resilience and increasingly suffering from anxiety and depression.

Meanwhile, the future of humanity and our planet is under threat from mass consumerism. Our landfills are overflowing with discarded plastic goods, because a ‘throw-away’ culture has us believing it’s better to buy something new than repurpose something old.

Junky Monkeys exists to counter these trends, repurposing junk (a.k.a. Loose parts) into resources for creative play and promoting a cultural shift towards reduce, reuse, recycle and a circular economy. Sunnybrae was fortunate to have the team from Junky Monkeys join our school last week for some much enjoyed creative play.

Student Recounts
I sat on the mat and listened, so that I knew what to do. I spied a wheel and a suitcase. I made a home with a kitchen. I was the daughter and the other people were Dad and we played a family game. It was so fun. By Joey Room 14

Junky Monkey was an amazing experience. Andrew and I made a boat with I don’t know what and a chair without legs. Then we tied it up with some rope. We had to drag it up the hill which was hard work. Ready, steady, go!! I felt the wind in my hair, then CRASH. The boat fell apart. By Ishani Room 14

Yesterday we played with the junk. We slid down the hill with the snow ski and played with the hula hoop and I made a swing. I threw the paint lid frisbee to Ms Scott. It was very fun. By Ian Room 14

BOOM! CRASH! THUD! It was a sunny but a wet day. Which was perfect for Junky Monkey. We were reusing heaps of unwanted things. Which was actually perfect! People were creating heaps of sleds, swings, slides, racetracks and houses. Everybody was creating with their imaginations like we were told.
Our idea was to build a triple sled with three surfboards, one rope and six seats. But even with 5 people it still didn’t work. So instead we did something else. We still did sleds, except one person at a time. Which was still awesome and terrific! Many, many people wanted turns.
BUT THEN… CJ HAD AN EVEN COOLER IDEA! He was going to stand up on the board down the hill. Cool! I thought to myself then I had a go! But fell into the splits. Which was absolutely not cool. Once everyone had a go, me and my friends all slid down the board. Which was so fun!
“5 more minutes!” The Junky Monkey helpers yell! Oh no! We all quickly tried to slide down and.. someone had the best idea! To do a long slide! We all tried to go down the slide. But it was so slow. Suddenly the whistle blew. Which meant we had to freeze. After that, we had to tidy up. I hope we see you again Junky Monkey! By Melania Room 20

Banana Plant Donation
This week we were lucky enough to have an ex Sunnybrae student, whose family lived in a house at the end of the back field as they grew up, come back into school to donate and plant some baby banana plants for the school.
As Doug began digging the first hole a group of children came to see what was happening and were intrigued and full of questions “how long until they fruit?” “How tall will they grow?” “How deep do you need to dig the hole?” Doug was so happy to answer all of the questions and have some fabulous helpers to dig in the plants and water them in.
A huge thank you to Doug for your contributions to our school and the children that helped plant, we all look forward to watching these grow and enjoy their fruits in approx 18 months time.

Garden Group
We have been working hard so far this term prepping our garden ready to plant. We have removed old plants, done a lot of weeding and over the weekend I added some fresh soil and we are excited to get some new seedlings in the ground.
Garden group is always a hive of activity where we meet once a week and it is lovely chatting with the children about their own gardens, favourite fruits and vegetables and things they hope to grow in the garden this year as we work.
If you are wondering how you can support our Garden Group we would love any donation of seed packets for vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage and any lovely flower seeds that will help bring the bees into our garden. We are also extremely grateful to receive Mitre 10 and Kings Plant Barn Vouchers that we can use for supplies or purchasing more kitset raised garden beds as we require them.
If you are good with your hands and have the supplies to build a raised, free standing garden bed please get in touch with Claire Everett via email ceverett@sunnybrae.school.nz as we would love to create a few more garden beds around the school this year. If you have any questions about our Garden Group please feel free to email me.

Second-Hand Uniforms Needed
If you have any spare uniforms that your child may have grown out of, please consider donating these back to the school for our Donated Uniform Store. Clean items can be dropped off at the office.

SPORTS UPDATE:
Term 2 Sport Registrations Are Open
Flippa Ball is played on Sunday afternoon between 2pm and 7pm at the Millenium Centre in Albany. Term 2 games run from Sunday 5th May – Sunday 23rd June (No games 26th May, 9th June due to Pool Closure and Kings Birthday). Fees will be approx $80 per player.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Table Tennis is played at the North Harbour Table Tennis Centre (behind the YMCA) on a Wednesday evening from 5-7pm. The season will run from Wednesday 8 May until Wednesday 3 July. Ress will be approx $45 per player.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Contact Rachel Olliver for further information: rolliver@sunnybrae.school.nz

Happy Easter from Sunnybrae
Thanks Mrs Clow from Room 15 for organising a fun easter egg hunt for the students.
The juniors had a great time searching for imitation eggs hidden around the school with help from the older students.

Kind regards
Lorene Hurd, Principal
SUNNYBRAE NORMAL SCHOOL

REMINDER:
Please note that all children are to be collected from school by 3.00 pm. 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.