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Newsletter #13 | Term 3 Week 3
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From our Principal - Marie Todd
Kia ora koutou, 欢迎, 환영합니다, ようこそ
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We are certainly in the thick of winter on these cold, crisp mornings!
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Huge kudos to our children in Karaka who are working towards earning their Independent Passport. This initiative encourages our youngest students to confidently walk into school on their own while developing the everyday skills and responsibilities that help them become capable, resilient learners. I know how hard it can be to let go of our most precious people. As parents, our instinct is to protect and support them. However, one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the confidence to do things for themselves. By allowing them to begin their school day independently, you are sending a powerful message: "I believe in you. You can do this." We look forward to celebrating our Independence Passport recipients at future whole school assemblies.
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Thank you to our parents and whānau for your ongoing support of regular school attendance. This term, 83% of our students attended school regularly, remaining above the Ministry of Education's target of 80% of students attending more than 90% of the time. We are also delighted that 94% of our students are arriving at school on time, an improvement from last term.
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Winter illnesses have been the main reason for student absences this term, and we appreciate families making thoughtful decisions about when children are well enough to attend school while also recognising the importance of regular attendance. Every day at school matters, helping children build routines, maintain friendships, and make the most of their learning opportunities.
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Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback on the proposed Year 7–8 technology programme. Overall, there was strong support for the initiative, with many recognising the value of students developing practical life skills, experiencing a broader range of learning opportunities, and becoming familiar with a secondary school environment before making the transition to high school. A number of questions were also raised, particularly around why Selwyn College was identified as the proposed partner rather than other local schools. We can confirm that Glendowie College was approached, however, they were unable to accommodate our school. Parents also sought clarification about how the programme would complement our existing curriculum, the impact on current school resources, any financial implications, and the arrangements for supervision, travel, and student safety.
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Please be assured that we have carefully considered all aspects of the programme, from health and safety and organisation through to ensuring it complements the learning already taking place at Churchill Park School. We are continuing to work through the finer details and will be in a better position to share these with our community once all of the pieces are in place.
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We are excited to be offering this opportunity to our Year 7–8 students from next year and remain committed to ensuring that every decision we make keeps the best interests of our students at the centre.
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School donations make a significant difference to what we are able to provide for our students. They help fund additional resources, learning opportunities, and programmes that go beyond what is funded through our operational grant. Every contribution is invested back into our school and directly benefits our children. Already, 66% of our families have invested in our school through their annual donation. Thank you for your generosity and ongoing support, it is genuinely appreciated and makes a real difference. Imagine what we could achieve if we reached 80%, or even 90%, of families contributing. If you have been meaning to pay your school donation and are in a position to do so, we would be incredibly grateful for your support. Every additional donation helps us continue to provide the resources, opportunities and experiences that enrich learning for all of our students. We also recognise that circumstances are different for every family, and for some, making a school donation may not be possible at this time. We completely understand and appreciate the many other ways our whānau contribute to our school community through volunteering, supporting events, and partnering with us in their children's learning. Every family plays an important role in making Churchill Park School the special place it is.
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SchoolDocs Policy Reviews
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As part of our ongoing commitment to good governance and continuous improvement, a number of our SchoolDocs policies are scheduled for community review this term. We encourage you to take a few moments to read these policies and share your feedback, as your perspectives help ensure our policies reflect the needs and values of our school community.
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The policies currently under review are:
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School Community Engagement Policy
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Student Uniform/Student Dress Expectations
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Concerns and Complaints Policy
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You can access these policies on the SchoolDocs website. Username: churchillpark Password: churchillpark
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A copy of our Concerns and Complaints Process is included with this newsletter for your reference. If a concern arises, we encourage you to follow this process by raising the matter with the person closest to the situation first. Most concerns can be resolved quickly and respectfully at this level. If a matter cannot be resolved, it may be escalated to the Principal. The Board's role is governance rather than day-to-day management and becomes involved only if a concern remains unresolved after the Principal has had the opportunity to address it, or if the concern relates directly to the Principal. When investigating an issue, we may speak with your child and other involved students. These conversations are conducted in a respectful, age-appropriate way that prioritises student wellbeing while helping us gain a balanced understanding of the situation. To protect the privacy of all children and families, we are unable to discuss actions taken or outcomes relating to other students. Please be assured that every concern is considered carefully and managed in accordance with our policies and professional responsibilities.
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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 – Friday 11 December
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Public Holidays (that fall during term time)
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Labour Day – Monday 26 October
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2027 Term Dates
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Term 1: Tuesday 2 February - Friday 9 April
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Term 2: Tuesday 27 April - Friday 2 July
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Term 3: Monday 19 July - Friday 24 September
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Term 4: Monday 11 October - Wednesday 15 December
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Public Holidays (that fall during term time)
Waitangi Day – Monday 8 February
Good Friday – Friday 26 March
Easter Monday – Monday 29 March
Easter Tuesday – Tuesday 30 March
ANZAC Day (Mondayised) - Monday 26 April
King’s Birthday – Monday 7 June
Matariki – Friday 25 June
Labour Day – Monday 25 October
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Materials Needed Please
As part of the William Pike Challenge, Year 7 & 8 students each need to complete 20 hours of community service. To help students earn their community service hours, the Rangitoto Whānau are running three Community Service Days later this term. Students will have the opportunity to:
* Cook and bake for people in need
* Take part in beach and park clean-ups in our local community
* Create toys to donate to the SPCA
To support our toy-making project, we are currently collecting materials. If you have any of the following items at home, we would greatly appreciate you dropping them off to Room 3:
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- Clean flannelette sheets and pillow cases
- Clean pillow cases, sheets, and duvet covers
- Wool (any quantity or colour)
- Stuffing
- Bells
- Cardboard tubes e.g. paper towel or wrapping paper tubes
- Fabric and fabric scraps
- Fleece material
- String
- Rubber mat with holes e.g. a door mat
- Clean empty water bottles
- Newspaper
- Egg cartons
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Thank you in advance from the Rangitoto whānau.
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Recycle Fair - Donations needed PLEASE
On Friday 21st August, we will be holding our biennial recycle fair to raise money to support our two sponsored World Vision students, Fahim and Hiya, from Bangladesh.
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We are actively seeking quality books, games, puzzles and toys to support this worthy cause. We will also have a bake sale and would appreciate baking on the day.
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Gymnastics
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Congratulations to all our gymnasts who competed on Monday. Mia came first overall in the Y6 girls, an amazing achievement! Olly RH came third in the Y6 boys, well done Olly! The Y5 boys team got bronze, the Y4 girls team got bronze, along with the Y6 boys team who also got bronze. Ka pai team!
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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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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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