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Newsletter #2 | Term 1 Week 3
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From our Principal - Marie Todd
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Kia Ora Whānau, and welcome to week 3.
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Thank you for helping your child to arrive at school before the bell goes. This supports a successful day of learning and allows children to transition calmly into the day, organise their belongings, connect with friends, and prepare themselves for learning. These simple morning routines build confidence, independence, and a strong sense of belonging. Arriving after the bell can be unsettling for children and disruptive to the flow of the class, often meaning missing important instructions and the opportunity to start the day well. We encourage families to support consistent morning habits so students can arrive settled, ready, and engaged from the very beginning of the school day.
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We know how important regular school attendance is for students to achieve their educational potential. The government's target is 80% of students will be regularly attending school by 2030. Regular attendance is students attending 90% of the time (no more than 5 days per term and 20 days absent in the school year). Currently, 73% of CPS students attend school regularly - 90% or more (Term 4, 2025).
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Our target is to increase our attendance rate to 80%. Genuine sickness is unavoidable, and we recognise the need for children to stay at home if they are unwell. Parents are encouraged to make any appointments outside of school hours.
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Did you know family holidays during term time are the second largest reason for student absence at Churchill Park School? Families are strongly encouraged to plan holidays during the scheduled school breaks to minimise disruption to learning. If time away during the term is unavoidable, parents are asked to notify the school in writing in advance of the dates of absence.
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Under the Ministry of Education attendance guidelines, this time is recorded as an unjustified absence, even when the school has been informed. Teachers are not expected to provide individual programmes or set work for students while they are away, and in return, students will be supported to reconnect with classroom learning. v We appreciate your partnership in helping maintain continuity, routines, and engagement for your child.
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To support the safety of everyone at school, all visitors must report to the school office during the school day. This includes parents and caregivers who may be dropping off lunches, sports gear, or other items. Signing in ensures we know who is on site at all times, which is an important part of our health and safety procedures.
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It is a pleasure to be able to offer our community the use of our school grounds outside of school hours, on weekends, and during holidays. Many schools are no longer able to do this due to issues such as vandalism or misuse, so we value being able to keep our gates open for everyone to enjoy the space. Unfortunately, we have noticed an increase in the number of dog ‘number twos’ being left on the school field. This is both unpleasant and a health concern for our students, who use these areas for learning, sport, and play. We ask that dogs be kept under control at all times and that owners clean up after their pets. Our ability to continue sharing these grounds relies on everyone treating the space with care and respect. Signs will also be placed around the school as a reminder to keep this a safe and enjoyable environment for all.
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When I carry out duty at the bottom of our easement road and on Kinsale Ave, I notice how courteous most of our parent community are when dropping off and collecting children. Thank you for taking the extra time to model safe practices to our students. Interestingly, it’s not quite the same when I am not on duty. “Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching”. Do not drop off or collect your child from the Kinsale turning bay or from the middle of the road. Stopping brings traffic to a standstill, creates unnecessary congestion, and places students, pedestrians, and other drivers at risk. Broken yellow lines clearly indicate that there is no stopping or parking permitted. It is clearly visible from wherever I stand who is placing our children at risk, let’s do better, team.
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On the same note, please use the footpaths around our staff carpark; do not cut through the carpark. We have had a recent near miss in the carpark which was 100% avoidable.
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Understanding the English Curriculum
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As we continue to engage with and implement the refreshed English curriculum, we value sharing our learning journey with you so our community can see the key focus areas and how these develop across the years. The graphic below provides an overview of how the English curriculum is structured across Years 0-8. It illustrates the deliberate progression of knowledge and skills as students move from building strong foundations in language to using language to support learning and then to analysing and creating meaning through increasingly complex texts. This phased approach reflects a national focus on explicit teaching, strong literacy foundations, and ensuring that learning builds coherently over time so students become confident, capable communicators across all areas of the curriculum.
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International Students and Whānau
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We are fortunate to have a number of international students and whānau as part of our Churchill Park School community this year. As around 20 students and their families prepare to leave us next week, we look back on the past four weeks they will have spent with us and acknowledge what a special time it has been. It has been a privilege to host during their school holidays and to share a little slice of New Zealand school life. Thank you for the way students have embraced classroom learning and formed new friendships so naturally. To our teachers, as always, thank you for the care and inclusion you show, and to our students who so warmly welcome our visitors and help them feel a true sense of belonging. We wish you safe travels and every success as you return home.
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Upcoming Events
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NB - Updates and changes can occur as necessary
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2026 Term Dates
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Term 1: Monday 2 February - Thursday 2 April
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Term 2: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
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Term 3: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September
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Term 4: Monday 12 October – Tuesday 15 December
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Public Holidays (that fall during term time)
Waitangi Day - Friday 6 February
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ANZAC Day (Mondayised) - Monday 27 April
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King’s Birthday – Monday 1 June
Labour Day – Monday 26 October
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We have moved to a new Student Management System called Hero
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This will become our ‘one stop shop’ for all communications, notifications, absences, student reporting… and more.
If you haven't already, please ensure you download the Hero app today!
The password parameters are: password must have a minimum length of 14 characters, contain upper and lower case characters, at least one number and at least one special character.
We thank you for your patience during this transition period.
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The groups below are run by our wonderful music teacher, Anna McLeod. Please direct any enquiries to Anna - annam@churchillpark.school.nz
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Thursdays 1.40pm - 2.10pm
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Wednesdays 2.15pm - 2.50pm
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For a full list of Clubs, Lessons and Activities at CPS in 2026, please click here.
Please note - not all activities have started yet. Please liaise with the teacher involved for more information.
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ARDs
The Auckland Regional Dental Service (ARDs) is a Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora-operated service, which
provides FREE dental care to children across the greater Auckland areas.
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In order to prevent any eligible children missing out on receiving free dental care, ARDs is cross-checking their own records with school rolls. For our children’s better oral health and wellbeing, our school roll will be shared with the service as required. To find out more information about ARDs, please visit ards.co.nz or call 0800 TALK TEETH.
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Thank you from ZippeTee
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Thank you to all those who donated a shirt to the ZippaTee Holiday Shirt Drive. Your generosity is doing more than providing clothing — it’s delivering comfort, dignity, and a little extra joy for families with little ones facing serious illness.
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For a child going through treatment, even small things can make a big difference. A ZippaTee shirt can make medical visits easier, help them feel more like themselves, and remind them that people they’ve never met are rooting for them.
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Together, we collected 152 shirts and we are deeply grateful for your kindness and for being part of a community that shows up with heart.
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With appreciation,
ZippaTee
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School Payments
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The School Donation remains at $525. Most parents will be entitled to claim a tax rebate - if you are a top tax rate payer a 33% reduction is available.
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Please make school payments through your mykindo account. There are several methods to add funds to your account. Add regular topups if you'd like, then allocate to payments when you're ready, or just pay as you go. mykindo is also where you can order school lunches. Set up your kindo account.
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NB: The school no longer has an EFTPOS terminal. All payments are to be made via kindo or DC, please. DC with your child's name to: 12-3027-0387931-000
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Has your child grown out of their CPS uniform?
Please do remember donating it to the second hand uniform shop. But PLEASE ensure zips work, buttons are present, not too much paint/ vivid on shirts and blouses.
HUGE thanks in advance and for your donations.
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School Lunches
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Order school lunches through kindo to be delivered to Churchill Park School on Monday to Thursday. Check out your kindo account for suppliers and menus.
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Independent Notices and Information:
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Although accepted for publication in this section, Churchill Park School does not necessarily endorse, nor accept responsibility for any of the information contained herein:
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Talk to Nat Baker (Sports Teacher) for more information about signing up for Junior Hockey!
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Dear Parents and Students,
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We are pleased to invite you to join our Chess Program for Term 1, following the strong success of the program in Term 4.
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Due to the excellent participation, enthusiasm, and progress shown by students last term, we are excited to continue and further develop chess skills in Term 1. The program is designed to help students improve concentration, logical thinking, problem-solving, and confidence — all while enjoying the game of chess.
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Program highlights include:
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Structured lessons for beginners and intermediate players
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Tactics, strategy, and game-play practice
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Chess puzzles and fun challenges
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Opportunities to participate in friendly games and tournaments
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We warmly welcome both new students and those continuing from Term 4 to be part of the program.
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Program Details:
Term1: 09th February- 30th March
Venue: STA Room
Time: 3:15pm to 4:15pm
Fee: $180 per student for the term
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Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another successful and enjoyable term of chess.
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