Newsletter – 9 April 2025 – Cockle Bay School

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents

FAREWELL

It is with excitement (and some reluctance to let go) that we bid farewell to Phebe Rossiter, our Deputy Principal for the senior school, as she steps up to the role of Principal at Pigeon Mountain Primary.

Renowned for her ability to make maths make sense, as well as her meticulous organisation of EOTC trips and camps, Phebe’s energy and expertise have enriched so many aspects of school life. Pigeon Mountain Primary is gaining a leader who tackles every challenge with enthusiasm, and I have no doubt that she will continue to inspire and innovate.

On a personal note, Phebe’s can-do attitude and unwavering support have meant a great deal to me.

Congratulations, Phebe! Everyone at Cockle Bay wishes you all the best for this exciting new venture.

We’ll be farewelling Phebe at our end of term assembly this Friday at 2:15pm – all welcome!

STAFF THANK YOU

As we wrap up an incredibly full term, I would like to thank our dedicated staff for their efforts and commitment to our students.

From organising and leading two fantastic camps and day trips, to helping make Carnival such a successful event, your energy and enthusiasm has been appreciated. On top of all that, staff have also been engaging in professional learning and development in curriculum changes, ensuring Cockle Bay continues to offer the highest quality teaching and learning.

Thank you. Your hard work is appreciated.

MATHS MORNING

Thank you to all parents who joined us for a meeting this morning, either in person or online. There was a large turnout. The meeting covered our vision for mathematics, a review of the school data for 2024, and an overview of classroom programmes, including the textbooks selected and their integration into learning.

PARENT CONFERENCES

These are scheduled for Week 2, Thursday 8 May (afternoon and evening), more details to follow.

BOOK WEEK

We’re excited to celebrate Book Week from 12th to 16th May! Now’s the perfect time to start brainstorming with your child about the book character they’d love to come to school dressed as. The parade will be on Friday 16th (Week 2) in the morning.

We encourage creativity – there’s no need to spend money, just have fun and get inventive. We can’t wait to see all the fantastic costumes!

SCHOOL POOL

A reminder that the school pool will be closing for the season this Friday, 11th April. Pool tags will be disabled after this date, so please return your tag to the school office.

Thanks for being part of a great summer of swimming!

UNIFORM

When you are shopping for winter school shoes, please select plain black shoes without additional colours, writing, or branding in a contrasting colour. For safety reasons, we ask that students not wear Crocs to school. Please think about footwear that provides proper foot support during the school day.

All uniform items, including the skort, can be worn year-round by all students, offering flexibility, comfort, and affordability for all seasons. All uniform items are available for purchase at John Russell Schoolwear, located at Moore Street, Howick.

The following items are included in Cockle Bay School’s student uniform policy:

Navy soft shell jacket with school emblem
Navy long-sleeved polar fleece (zip front) with school emblem
Navy shorts/long trousers
Royal blue short or long-sleeved polo shirt
White blouse
Blue and white check dress
Tartan skirt
Skort
Navy or white socks, or navy tights
Black shoes or sandals (black or navy

OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Our school facilities are here for the community to enjoy, but we kindly ask that children are actively supervised at all times, as our caretakers and contractors will be working on-site.

Let’s work together to keep everyone safe while enjoying the space – thank you for your support.

If you notice any suspicious behaviour or vandalism, please contact the police.

HAPPY EASTER AND HOLIDAYS

We appreciate the hard work of our students, staff, and families this term. Enjoy a well-deserved break, and we look forward to seeing you back for Term 2!

Ngā mihi

Dorothy Bigwood

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)

We teach children how we expect them to behave. Cockle Bay School has high expectations of student behaviour and encourages respectful relationships.

Each week, we hold a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) Monday morning assembly where we introduce and reinforce the behaviour focus of the week. Teachers then follow up in classrooms with explicit teaching and discussions about these behaviours, ensuring that students understand and can apply them in their daily school life. Students who have been ‘caught’ applying the lessons of the previous week receive a PB4L certificate.

Our school’s Mahi Pai Initiative rewards students for demonstrating positive behaviour through the 4 Cs:

Collaboration – Working well with others.
Caring – Showing kindness and empathy.
Continuous Improvement – Striving to do better.
Celebration – Encouraging and acknowledging others.

HOW IT WORKS

Earning Mahi Pais: Staff give a ‘mahi pai’ to students showing the 4 Cs.
Submitting Mahi Pais: Students tick the 4c they were recognised for and place it in their year level’s box.
Weekly Draws: Every Monday at PB4L assembly, a winner from each year level gets a small reward.
Termly Competition: The year level with the most tokens wins a fun reward.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Ask your child about their Mahi Pais.
Talk about the 4 Cs at home.
Celebrate their achievements!

This initiative builds a positive school culture and encourages students to be their best—one Mahi Pai at a time!

Annual Shoe and Coat Collection

It’s that time of year again – you pull out your child’s winter gear only to discover… nothing fits!

If you’ve got coats and shoes (including sporty ones!) in great condition that no longer fit your whānau, we’d love for you to donate them to our PTN Coat and Shoe Drive. For the past six years, we’ve been sharing the warmth by passing these items on to a local school, and we’re excited to continue this tradition.

So as you’re clearing out those wardrobes over the holidays, please set aside any clean, gently used coats and shoes — kids’ or adults’ sizes welcome, especially sports shoes!

Collection Dates:
Before and after school on:
Thursday 1st May
Friday 2nd May
Tuesday 6th May
Drop-off location: Room 33 (at the end of the Dome)
Or drop off any time from the start of Term 2 at the school office.

ANZAC Poppies

ANZAC Poppies are available from the office now – a gold coin donation please.

Enrolment

If your child is turning five in 2025, and you have not yet completed an enrolment form, please do so now. Knowing student numbers is crucial for effective school planning and the allocation of resources (classrooms, teachers, and other essentials).

Forms can be collected from the school office or downloaded from the school website.

School eTAP App for Parents – @school App

We have now moved to using a new app for home/school communication. This app is connected to our student management system and allows parents to log student absences, sign up for teacher conferences, complete permission slips, update personal details for your child/ren, access the school events calendar and website, as well as view current school year reports and access historical reports for your child/ren.

Trouble shooting:

You need to access the app for the first time through the email you have been sent and on a computer/desktop or mobile phone
Then click on the blue link at the bottom of the email and agree to the the terms and conditions BEFORE you follow the prompts to install the app
The app will open in a new window on your browser
Follow the instructions to change your password

Please email the office if you have any questions or are having trouble accessing the login.

Link to School Calendar

2025 Dates

Term One (Monday 3 February – Friday 11 April)

Saturday 29 March – Cockle Bay School Carnival

Term Two (Monday 28 April – Friday 27 June)

Friday 30 May – Teacher Only Day (school closed)

Monday 2 June – King’s Birthday (Public Holiday)

Thursday 19 June – Teacher Only Day (school closed)

Friday 20 June – Matariki (Public Holiday)

Term Three (Monday 14 July – Friday 19 September)

Friday 24 October – Teacher Only Day (school closed)