Newsletter 20 March 2025

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Principal’s Message:

Dear families, it has been an amazing week at TPS with our annual culture week celebrations. We are so fortunate to be able to celebrate our diversity and be proud of our culture and heritage. I have included a few fabulous facts to follow in our community that are worth celebrating, and we have plenty of photos for you to enjoy! This week is a highlight for everyone!

Culture Week highlights:

• Cultural Parade
• Strong learners who love to celebrate their culture
• Hearing many different languages spoken
• Connecting with our parents
• Shared Lunch
• Shared afternoon tea with families
• Beautiful performances by the Beijing Opera Society, the Rangitoto Samoan Siva group and the Sakha Jaw Harp Cultural group

3 way Student, Parent and Teacher conferences:

Parents have an opportunity to discuss progress made with their children and their teachers. This is a 15 minute, face to face meeting. This is often when teachers and students will share future goals and areas of strength. Students attend these conferences.

There are 2 days set aside for this Wednesday 2 April and Thursday 3 April 2025. Please note that on Wednesday 2 April, we are seeking the support of our community with an earlier finish of 1:00pm.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates: 

School Board Meeting: Monday 24 March. If you’re interested in finding out how a school operates and want to make a valuable contribution to our school, please consider joining our Board. You can find out more by emailing takapunaboard@tps.school.nz

Teacher-Only Day: This is the first Ministry of Education Curriculum Day and will be on Friday, 11 April (last day of Term 1). The second day for the year is confirmed as Friday 30 May (weekend of King’s Birthday). 

Year 6 Student Leadership Day: 

On Wednesday 19th March, the Student Leaders were gifted with the opportunity to go to G.R.I.P. Student Leadership Conference to learn more about leadership. We took a bus to Albany and were seated in our school group.

There were lots of different schools and about 300 children. We had 3 sessions. For the first session, we talked about The Responsibilities of a Student Leader. Then we had a small break. After that, we did Leadership Through Friendship, and then we had New Ideas To Help Others. Once we finished that, we had our second break. Finally we had a lesson called Achieving Your Ideas Before The End Of The Year. Before we finished we did a Q & A with the G.R.I.P. Leadership Team.

There were lots of great ideas but one of my favourites was; if you have an idea you should complete it in stages. For example, if you wanted to plant 20 trees, then you should plant it in stages, you could plant 5 every term. Then if you run out of time in the second term then you already have 10 trees. G.R.I.P. stands for Generosity, Responsibility, Integrity and People. In conclusion, the G.R.I.P. Student Leadership Conference was fun and a great learning experience.

By Nadia (Kererū E)

School and Community News: 

Shore to Shore: We are excited that families are registering for this wonderful community event. I look forward to seeing you there on Sunday 6 April. We’re doing incredibly well with our registrations. 

Property updates:

6D and 6E upgrades:

Over the next couple of weeks, our hardworking contractors will complete the final stages of the 6D and 6E modernisation. The refurbishment has included installing new flooring, wall linings, updated lighting and the addition of some all-important storage. Extra windows provide greater visibility and open the space to provide increased flexibility and light. We look forward to making use of these rooms in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us by finding alternative parking while Killarney Street carpark has been closed.

Spotlight!

Harper’s Wonderful Rhyming Description of ANZAC Ted

Our learners have been working on describing ANZAC Ted’s appearance and behaviour, so that readers can clearly picture him and understand his importance in the story, ANZAC Ted written by Belinda Landsberry.

Harper has done an incredible job by writing a rhyming description, just like author Belinda Landsberry. Harper’s carefully chosen words and rhythm bring ANZAC Ted to life, showing his worn yet treasured appearance and his brave and comforting role in the story.

Well done Harper, your writing truly captures the heart of ANZAC Ted!

Regards, Devika & the TPS team  

APPLICATIONS CLOSE TOMORROW!

School Gates:

Please check that the school gates CLOSE behind you when entering/exiting the school grounds.

SCHOOL DONATIONS – an investment in our students

Our mission at Takapuna Primary School is to deliver a great quality learning environment that supports a quality education. To support this, we are seeking your help.

Your school donations make a very real difference to us as a state-funded public school. Our basic costs are met by the Ministry of Education, but it’s the money we receive from our school community that really allows us to provide opportunities, equipment and teaching beyond what is funded by the government. As an example, we would like to undertake further enhancements including sun shades, and also to enable wet weather use. This funding is therefore so important in providing a high-quality learning environment (both in and out of the classroom).

The school donation for 2025 is $250 per student, or $400 for families with two or more students. We can arrange weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments via internet banking if this helps spread the cost. Importantly, donations are tax deductible so approximately one third of every donation can be claimed back as a tax credit. That means for a $250 donation you receive $83 back in your wallet. Your actual donation cost is $167.

To make your donation payments please go to the ‘Hero’ app and click on the ‘Finance’ tab. Alternatively, any payments can also be made directly into the school bank account 12 3026 0792484 00 – if doing so, please ensure you include your child’s name and ‘donation’ as reference on the payment.

We do understand these are uncertain times and managing financial priorities can be difficult for some families. 

Any queries regarding payments can be directed to our accounts team: accounts@tps.school.nz

If you would like to know more about how the School Board operates and/or would be interested in understanding how else you can help, please contact: takapunaboard@tps.school.nz 

Thanks so much for helping to support our growing and vibrant community.

Kindest regards

Takapuna Primary School Board 

Takapuna School Board:

We are always on the lookout for people who can support the school Board, either by joining on an ongoing basis and/or supporting specialist pieces of work or projects. If you would like to know more about getting involved, please email: takapunaboard@tps.school.nz

https://www.tps.school.nz/bot/

Takapuna Community Anzac Service 2025

As part of the Anzac Day commemorations, there will be a Takapuna Community Anzac Service on Friday 25th April.

This year Anzac Day is on the last day of the school holidays. Takapuna Primary School will be represented by a group of students and teachers and we invite anyone interested to join us for this important occasion.

The parade assembles at 8:45 am on the corner of Sanders Ave and Lake Road. From there, the parade marches to the War Memorial. Once everyone has gathered at the Memorial there will be a short service followed by the laying of wreaths.

Children would be expected to wear their school uniform. As this event is on a public holiday participation is entirely optional. Parents would be required to stay for the duration of the event but do not need to walk with the parade.

If you have any queries or if your child would like to attend please email Sarah Ochtman-Corfe (saraho@tps.school.nz)

History of Takapuna Primary School: (since 1879)

Feel free to pop in to the office and take a look at some pictures of the past on our History Wall.

Can you help?

Does anyone in our Community work in or own a furniture supply company, or do you have a sofa or two in excellent condition?

We would like to replace the sofa seating in our office/reception area, our current ones are looking a little shabby.

Ideally we would like something in plain blue. There are space limitations, due to the area being a thoroughfare.

If you have a suggestion, please contact George at office@tps.school.nz

TPS SPORTS

Harcourts Cooper & Co Shore to Shore – Registrations are

OPEN NOW

We are third on the table for registrations- well done TPS!

Date – Sunday 6th April                Entries close on March 31st

Registrations are open for Shore to Shore Fun Run & Walk 2025.

Register Here Click on ‘Register’  then click on “School Registration’ then look for Takapuna Primary School and follow the process.

All registered runners who complete the ‘fun run/walk’ get to enjoy a free sausage/ice block at the TPS tent at Milford Reserve.

Any queries please contact Valerie at sports@tps.school.nz

Sign up NOW, before 11 April!

MATHS CORNER

IMPORTANT DATES

Friday 21 March                  2025 Ballot CLOSES (year 0/1 & 2 only)

Wednesday 2 April              3-way Conferences

Thursday 3 April                  3-way Conferences

Thursday 10 April                End of Term 1 (3:00pm) pizza/wheels/non-uniform day

Friday 11 April                     Teacher Only Day (NO school)

——————————-

Monday 28 April                 Term 2 begins

Friday 30 May                      Teacher Only Day (NO school)

Click here for School Calendar

2025 Term Dates

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Takapuna Primary School is offering an exciting new extra curricular activity to our Mandarin speaking students.

We have the chance to work with a language school called Bamboo Chinese School, a renown company who operates on the North Shore. They run lessons in Mandarin to support children who would like to maintain their Mandarin language skills, in speaking, reading and writing.

Currently they are asking for expressions of interest to see if this is something our community would like. If you are interested in these lessons, please use the Wii chat code below to find out more information, or pick up a brochure from our school office.

Do you use plastic bags or cling wraps in your kids or your own lunch box?

We are a small business created by a group of year 13 Takapuna Grammar students under the Young Enterprise Scheme.

We are selling sustainable and eco-friendly beeswax wraps used for preserving/wrapping food that don’t cause harm to our planet. We have worked hard to design and manufacture an eco-friendly and fun alternative for single use plastics with gorgeous designs we believe you and your kids will love. 

We will be selling online through our social media, as well as in store at local markets around the North Shore area. Help support our mission to make a positive impact on the environment, we look forward to seeing you!

If your interested in our products and want to keep up with updates and where we will be over the next several months, check out our social media or feel free to flick us an email:

Form for our market research: naturewrapssurveylink

Email: naturewraps.yes@gmail.com

Instagram: naturewraps.yes

Facebook: naturewraps.yes