newsletter 12 - springbank school€¦ · newsletter 12 phone: +64 9 4075236 ... gift giving during...

Newsletter 12

Phone: +64 9 4075236 | www.springbank.school.nz

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Dear ParentsHappy New Year, everyone! I hope you have all been enjoying the summer holiday break so far. The weather reports were looking a

bit grim originally for the Christmas period, but the sunny north is staying true to its name! Please find our news and happenings

from the final few weeks of Term 4, 2018. As always, the last term is packed full of activities, events and school wide celebrations.

There have been many fantastic fundraising opportunities for our chosen charity NEST. Thank you to everybody for helping raise

money for such a worthy Northland charity.

Once again, our Fireworks Extravaganza was a huge hit, and it is a real highlight of my year.

We also said goodbye to some of our teachers, as they go forth on new adventures and challenges. Please help me in welcoming our

new staff for 2019 (on page 6).

Keep enjoying the holidays, keep safe, have fun, and see you all back at school on Tuesday 29th January.

Newsletter No.12 | December 2018

Dates to Note for 2019:

• Term 1: 29 January to 14 April

• Term 2: 29 April to 5 July

• Term 3: 22 July to 20 September

• Term 4: 7 October to 5 December

Public and School Holidays

Teacher Only Day: Friday 25th January

Auckland Anniversary: Monday 28th January

Waitangi Day: Wednesday 6th February

Term 1 Long Weekend: Monday 4th March (Week 6)

Term 1 Long Weekend: Friday 29th March (Week 9)

Queen’s Birthday: Monday 3rd June

Labour Day: Monday 28th October

Teacher Only Day: Friday 6th December

http://www.springbank.school.nz/

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Friends of Springbank

2018 marked a special milestone for Friends of Springbank; ten years of valuable contributions towards furthering the educational

experience of Springbank students. A big thank you to all the parents and teachers who have been a part of Friends over the past

decade and helped in so many ways.

Here are the contributions Friends has made in 2018: Senior School ball, Middle School Disco, Robotics Club, Athletics Club, Middle

School Macbeth Trip, EPRO8 Challenge, Rock Quest , Senior Geography Trip, LitQuiz, AIMS Games, Sausages at Cross Country, Catering

for the School Production and Maintenance of the Climbing Wall.

We are also proud to have launched the Barista Training Programme in 2018, which has been well attended. It has led to the creation

of the 'Coffee Squad' and work experience for some students in local cafes.

Looking forward to 2019, we are excited to launch our 'Life Skills for Teens' (& Parents!) Programme and we welcome Financial

Assistance Requests from Parents, Teachers and Students toward initiatives and events that further the educational experience of

Springbank students.

Friends are a small group of parent volunteers and are also looking for new parents to join us. We meet on the last Wednesday of each

month during term time at 2pm in the Staff Room, and we extend a warm welcome for you to come along.

Kind regards,

Erica Wells, Chairperson, Friends of Springbank



“To further the educational

experience of Springbank

students”








Phone: +64 9 4075236 | www.springbank.school.nzPhone: +64 9 4075236 | www.springbank.school.nz


Gift Giving

During our last week of the year, we had our Gift Giving morning, where we donate to our chosen

charity for the year. This year, we are proudly supporting the Northland Emergency Services

Trust (NEST).

NEST provides a vital service to all of Northland, through the help of emergency helicopters. They

offer that lifeline for people who may be seriously injured and need to reach a hospital as soon as

possible.

Some of our own families at Springbank have had to use the services of NEST, so we value this

organisation very highly. One of our parents, Gerhard Pistorius, is a pilot for NEST and he joined

us at the ceremony as a representative. After a few days of counting our donations, we were

informed that Springbank School raised $3,346.10!

Thank you to everyone who donated some dollars. This money means so much to NEST, as it

allows them to continue to provide such an important service to all of Northland.

Amazing, superb, brilliant Gift Giving everyone! So proud of you all.









Farewell to teaching!

Although my son keeps reminding me, “Nine to three, Mum, and all those holidays!”, we all know how demanding and

challenging a job teaching is, requiring tremendous support from our families and often our friends as well. So what

keeps us in the job?

Having great colleagues who are friends as well makes it fun to come to work every day, but of course the biggest work

magnet is always our students. There can’t be many jobs that give the satisfaction I have felt (well, most days…) as I

shared my love of literature and language with literally hundreds of students. Thank you, students, for being willing to

meet me halfway and work with me towards success (and a love of reading).

Thank you Springbank for a wonderful send-off. You may be wondering why I wasn’t crying, but of course I’ll see you

all next year in my continuing role as your librarian. I am moved beyond words by the love and tributes showered on

me. Thank you, thank you all so much.

It’s tremendously exciting to be about to jump into the next adventure of my life, and I am truly thankful to remain as

part of the Springbank family. I close with two pieces of advice:

❑ If you only do what’s important, you’ll never have any fun – unless you consider having fun to be important.

❑ Ma te ngakau aroha koe e arahi; Let a loving heart guide your decisions.

Happy Holidays to you all.

- Jill Hatherly



Room 1 Christmas Performance

Our friends from Room 1 gave an end of year

performance for their families during the last

week of Term 4.

With their teacher, Mrs Hulse, they have been

exploring the world and finding out how

people from different countries celebrate.

The children took turns reading out some lines

from their play and singing some beautiful

Christmas songs.

It was a really enjoyable afternoon.

Thank you, Room 1.









Options Day

The Options Day is one of the anticipated days of the school year. It might be in the last week of school, but students are getting ready and deciding what they want to do from

the first day of Term 1.

This year was no different, with the students (along with teachers and parents) being able to have a day of laughter, relaxation and all-round fun!

Activity options included; horse riding, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, sea biscuiting and sailing.

It would be safe to say it was another successful day, as students returned to school with the biggest smiles on their faces and a lot of stories to share.

Thank you to all of our parents for your support in coming along and transporting for these days. We hope you have as much fun as the students and staff do.











Welcoming new teachers for 2019



Science – Kelly Bunce

I am very excited to be joining the Springbank family next year. I am originally

from England but moved to New Zealand in 2001 to be with my partner, Perry.

We are both looking forward to our move to the Winterless North and the many

opportunities this will present.

I am a specialist Science teacher, but originally trained as a Marine Engineer and

have visited many places around the world. Sharing my experiences with

students, inspiring them, and encouraging them to be the best that they can be -

that's pretty much me!

I have a love of teaching and learning that goes beyond the four walls of the

classroom and reaches out into the real world. I ask you - the students of

Springbank - are ready to join this adventure?

Don't answer that question just yet - take the summer to think about it and I look

forward to meeting you all in the New Year.

- Kelly Bunce

English – Jocelyn Nasmyth

I’m Jocelyn Nasmyth, a South Islander who

has taught further and further north as the

years have passed.

I gained a degree in English Literature

from Canterbury University in Christchurch

and followed that with a year at Secondary

Teachers’ College at Ilam in Christchurch.

From the mid-80s I taught at Westlake

Girls’ High School, on the North Shore. I

enjoyed many diverse opportunities there,

including teaching Chinese, Journalism,

English, Head of the English Department,

and was a Dean much of that time.

In December 2015, I moved north to the Bay of Islands, and spent two terms of 2016

relieving at Springbank while Andrea Druery was on maternity leave.

In 2017, I relieved for the then English HOD at Kerikeri High School.

So it is with great anticipation, that I return to Springbank for 2019.

As a teacher, I aim to be positive and affirming, to have an open mind to textual and

student interpretations. I believe I learn as much as I teach. I have high expectations

in the classroom. I intend to be a role model of consistency, hard work and

enthusiasm for my job to inspire similar traits in my students.

I hope you all read many exciting books this summer. I look forward to hearing about

them in the New Year.

- Jocelyn Nasmyth









Kerikeri Village – Follow Up Visit

On Wednesday 21 November, Year 9 students made a follow-up

visit to the Kerikeri Retirement Village to deliver their mini-

biographies to the residents.

We shared a delicious afternoon tea (baking prepared by the

students) and spent some time chatting to the Village folk, who

were filled with praise for Springbank students’ friendliness and

manners.

Karen Hawtin from the Village staff commented, “What a wonderful

experience for everyone! Some sat for another hour reading each

other’s reports and saying what polite, lovely students they were!”

Students and residents alike had a great afternoon, and we are all

looking forward to next time.











Ready, Set, Let’s Get Wet!

It isn’t the end of the school year at Springbank until the annual water

fight is complete.

The weather looked a little bit uncertain first thing in the morning but

pulled through to be a brilliant sunny afternoon; the perfect conditions

for an awesome water fight.

This year, some of our youngest friends from Preschool joined in (if

only quietly on the side) but it was great to see them all come down and

watch from the balcony above the turf.

This last event of the year is always a favourite for both students and

staff, and the spirit in which our students and teachers take part

showcases the care and inclusiveness that our seniors show to our

youngest students, whilst everyone has such a great time.

It is one of our most favourite traditions and an epic way to celebrate

the end of another school year.

Thanks to Tawnya Badger for braving the soak zone to take photos.











Headstart Wrap Up

As we reflect on the year that's been, we have so many things to be thankful for.

We are thankful for our amazing resources. During the last week of term, we were able to bake and

decorate gingerbread cookies for our whānau. We each had a go at measuring ingredients, mixing, rolling

dough and cutting out Christmas shapes. Our creative flair was unleashed on the cookies, with colourful

icing.

We are thankful for the financial generosity of our whanau, as we gifted monetary donations to the

Northland Emergency Services Trust, as part of our annual Gift Gifting.

We are thankful for our community. As part of our Big Day Out, we went to the movies to watch 'The

Grinch’. We were reminded that Christmas isn't all about the stuff, but about being together with those we

love. After our movie, we jumped over to All-In-Rhythm. We LOVED this space and were able to burn off the

delicious lunch treats we consumed.

AND to celebrate our last official term day together, we joined in with the school-wide water fight! We had

the time of our lives.

Tēnā rawa atu koe - Thank you SO much to all our whānau for your passionate support and commitment to

our centre. We couldn't function without you.

From Team Headstart - We hope your homes are filled with love, laughter and family, these holidays.











Preschool – Christmas Carnival

Our Christmas carnival was the most amazing day filled with fun, laughter and family. It is wonderful to see

so many families come along and share this time with us.

Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the year. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to go places

and do things that require parent help.

We have been involved with a lot of the happenings of Springbank School and look forward to that growing

in the New Year. From all of us at Preschool, happy holidays and keep safe.








newsletter 12 - springbank school€¦ · newsletter 12 phone: +64 9 4075236 ... gift giving during...

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