Newsletter – Wednesday 3 September

Newsletter – Wednesday 3 September

Kia ora, Talofa, Malo e leleli, Kia orana, Fakalofa lahi Atu, Taloha Ni, Ni sa bula, 你好, Namaste, 안녕하세요, Hola, Xin chao, السلام عليكم. 

Welcome

Welcome to Lily Anderson and Jenna Hongkhin who started with us this week.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Harry Owens, Kayson Killeen, Zoe Dunn, Tadgh Woodberry, Connor Whittaker and Hugo Garnett.

Year 5 and 6 HBC Zone Cross Country Day

Good luck to all our Year 5 and 6 tamariki who will represent our school at the Year 5 and 6 HBC Zone Cross Country Day  at Shakespeare Park on Thursday 4 September.

Tū Māia Kapa Haka Festival

A massive congratulations to our Kapa Haka group, who delivered an outstanding performance at the Tū Māia Kapa Haka Festival on Friday 29 August. The festival at Orewa College was a vibrant celebration of culture, with over 600 students from our local community taking to the stage. Our students’ powerful performance was a true highlight, and we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and dedication. 

A very special thank you to Will, Mark, Cerys, and Davina for their incredible hard mahi and dedication in preparing our kapa haka group. Watching them perform at such a high level was truly one of the highlights of my time here as Principal. Their mahi has not only elevated our students’ performance but also filled us all with immense pride.

Policy Change – Cohort Entry

Currently, Silverdale School operates a continuous enrolment policy for new entrants. A student can start on or after their fifth birthday at any time during the year. We would like to change to cohort entry. Cohort entry is when new entrant children start school in groups through the year rather than on their fifth birthday. The Ministry of Education and Education Review Office are encouraging schools to take this approach. In order to change to cohort entry, we are required to consult our community about this proposed change. If adopted, the policy would be in place from the beginning of Term 1, 2026.

How does Cohort Entry work?

New entrants start school in cohorts but only after they have turned five. There are two entry points per term, one on the first day of term, and one at a mid-point during a term (usually the Monday of the 6th week). Children can remain at their ECE until the cohort entry date after their fifth birthday and they will continue to receive funding to attend ECE until they start school.

The benefits of Cohort Entry include:

• Enhanced Social and Emotional Wellbeing: Starting school with a group of peers, potentially including friends from early learning, can help children feel less anxious and more secure, fostering a sense of belonging
• Easier Transition: Cohort entry facilitates a smoother transition from early childhood education to school, as children can settle into routines and expectations together
• Stronger Relationships: Starting school with others can help new entrants establish or maintain friendships, which supports their social and emotional development
• Reduced Anxiety: Children who start school as part of a group often feel less anxious and settle more quickly into school routines
• Improved Planning: Cohort entry allows teachers to plan for groups of children arriving on a specific date, rather than an individual and ad hoc basis, leading to less disruption and better preparation
• Enhanced Learning: Teachers can teach without the constant interruption of new students arriving any time during the year, allowing for more cohesive blocks of learning. 

If you have any questions or comments regarding this change, please contact Cameron Lockie at cameronlockie@silverdaleprimary.school.nz

New School App

Silverdale School has a new app! Our new app will replace our old app. Please follow the instructions below to download the app. Any questions please contact me at school.

Calling for Book Donations

If you have any good condition, clean and tidy books that you would like to donate for the second hand stall at Country Show Day please could you either drop them to the office, school library or email me to collect them if you can’t get them to school.

juliehalliday@silverdaleprimary.school.nz

Collecting from now until 10 October.

All books will be greatly appreciated – many thanks.

Silverdale School Board Elections – Voting is open now

The voting form along with the nominee statements and pictures have now been posted.  

Please keep an eye out in your letterbox in the coming days.  

– How to return your voting paper:

1. If posting your voting paper, post it to:

Returning Officer 
PO BOx 538
Silverdale, 0944

If posted, your vote must be received by the returning officer no later than 5 days after Wednesday 10 September 2025.  Try to post it as early as possible as New Zealand Post has reduced postal delivery days in most areas.

2. If delivering your voting paper, deliver it to:

Returning Officer
Silverdale School
4 Longmore Lane

You must deliver it before 4pm on Wednesday 10 September 2025.

Voting closes on Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 4pm.

3. Voting papers may not be emailed or faxed as attachments.

Ngā mihi,

Rachel Wakelin

Returning Officer

2025 Country Show Day.

Saturday 18 October, 10.00am – 2.00pm

Calling all Yummy Stickers!

Yes, it is that time again. Do you munch away on Yummy crunchy apples, if so start saving those Yummy stickers as they get our school, free sports gear!

 Let’s see if we can replace and get new sports gear for our school this year.

Need a chart, Sticker Collection Sheet come to Room 21 or just collect your stickers on any piece of scrap paper.

Once your paper is full,  bring it back to Room 21.

Thank you to our Newsletter Sponsors

Community Notices

Orewa Tennis Club Open Day:

Love Tennis Day will be happening on Sunday, 7th September, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Orewa Tennis Club.

We’d love to invite your school community to join us for a fun-filled day enjoying tennis and other activities at the Orewa Tennis Club!

Couldrey House in Wenderholm Regional Park has an upcoming exhibition – Edmonds & Couldrey House, opening on 20th September.

We’re running a couple of fun events that we’d love to share with your school community. 

• Children’s Creative Jelly Competition – a chance for kids to get creative in the kitchen!
• Cake Competition – open to all ages, with proceeds going towards fundraising for Couldrey House.