Weekly notices
Start of the year notices and reminders
Nau mai hoki mai ki ngā whānau o Clevedon
Ngā mihi o te tau hou - happy new year! We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer so far.
We are looking forward to having all our tamariki and whānau back in school on Thursday, 29 January, and we extend a special warm welcome to any new whānau who will be joining us for the first time this year. We look forward to working alongside you.
Below you will find some information for the first couple of weeks in preparation for the term ahead. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us once the office reopens on Tuesday.
Enjoy your last few days and see you all soon.
Ngā mihi
Edeh Sullivan
Principal
School office opening hours this week
Our office will be open on the following days and times:
Tuesday, 27 January from 9am-3:30pm
Wednesday, 28 January from 8:30-3:00pm
Normal hours of operation (8:30-3:30) begin on the first day of school - 29 January
Open afternoon - Tuesday
On Tuesday, 27 January our teachers will be at school working and setting up their classrooms. You are welcome to pop in casually with your child between the hours of 1:30pm-3:00pm to meet their teacher. You do not have to do this, but some children find it helpful with their transition. You will have had a letter from the class teacher by then, letting you know which class they will be in.
Second hand uniform shop
Our lovely volunteers will have the shop open during the open afternoon on Tuesday, 27 January from 1:30-3pm.
During the term, it will be open every second Friday (odd weeks) - see the school calendar. The uniform shop will be open on Friday of week 1 from 8:30-9am.
Please donate any old items as it will help other families tremendously.
You can purchase items for $5 or swap for items in a similar condition.
Uniform 2026
Kindly visit our school website for information on uniforms, including where to purchase.
Stationery for 2026
Please click here for information on stationery for 2026. Please visit Kindo to pay for your child’s stationery. The stationery will be delivered to the classrooms from the first day of school after they have been paid for.
Kindly note some additional items that are required:
BYOD iPads for year 4-8 pupils
This letter was sent to all parents of current year 3-7 pupils regarding iPad requirements for next year’s year 4-8 pupils. In case you missed it, please click here. Please do read the section at the bottom around managing iPads at home - it is important to set up as you mean to go on.
Letter from your child’s new teacher
Your child’s new teacher will email them (using your email address) to introduce themselves and to let your child know which room they are in. Please note that our class lists are not finalised until you get this letter from your child’s teacher. The letters are due to come out to you by Friday. If you have not received an email by Thursday, please contact our school office to find out which class your child will be in.
First day of school - Thursday 29 January
Please arrive at school between 8:30am-8:40am
Make your way to your child’s room, where the teacher will be ready to greet you
Your child needs to have:
summer uniform
a good packed lunch and a large water bottle
a hat (named)
sunscreen (applied in the morning and some in their bag to re-apply during the day)
additional stationery as per the stationery list (see the stationery letter for details)
The school gates open at 2:50pm - please ensure you know where to pick your child up from
Our year 1-3 children will be with their teacher until someone comes to the class to pick them up
Our school buses will operate as per normal
Mihi whakatau for new whānau on the first day
We welcome all our new families to join us for a mihi whakatau (welcoming ceremony) at 10:30am on the first day of school. Please gather outside the hall, where you will be called/welcomed in with our new students. After the mihi whakatau, new whānau are welcome to the staffroom to share some kai and meet the staff.
Please note that children will be looked after by class teachers and brought to the hall for the mihi whakatau.
School App
Our school app is our main mechanism for getting comms out to you. Please check that you are still signed into the app if you have used it before, and if not, ensure you are set up before school starts. For assistance, contact the school office.
This message, and others for the next couple of weeks will be emailed to you (in case our new families do not have the app set up) and also sent out on the app. If you did not get an app notification, please check that you are still logged in and your app notifications are on and enabled on your phone. From week 3, only the app will be used.
How we communicate with you
If you are new to us you may not know our mechanisms for communicating with you. Some will require a bit of setup and getting used to on your part, but will hopefully soon become normal.
School App - most of our notices and letters are shared via the @school App. You will need to download the App and talk to our office to sort out your login and password. This is a pretty crucial tool to get set up sooner, rather than later. It also has other helpful features that you can navigate.
Weekly Notices - these are sent out on Fridays and have important notices about the week ahead. These are on our website and sent to you each week via the App.
ClassDojo - Teachers will be in touch to connect you to this App. ClassDojo replaces Seesaw. Its main purpose will be a closed ‘social media’ format for teachers to give you a window into the classroom. We will roll this out in the first week or two. Contact your child’s teacher for help with ClassDojo. Please note that this app is free for you - but when you log in, there are options to pay for other features - there is no need to do so. The free, basic version is absolutely fine.
Website - our website has quite a lot of information you may find useful.
School Facebook page - You can follow us on Facebook by searching for our school. This is purely a social media platform used to celebrate our children and events - and not usually used to inform. It is not a place for questions or queries.
Text messages - We will use this if we need to get urgent information out to you or if there is an emergency. You may sometimes get a text if we haven’t heard from you regarding a child’s absence.
The above is a list of the mechanisms we use. You, of course, are always welcome to call into the office, email or make an appointment to meet with relevant personnel.
Buses
If your child catches the school bus, please let the office know which days they will be on the bus. You can do this by filling in this form and returning it to the office.
Waste free weekdays
We would like to encourage all our families to ensure lunch boxes are waste free. This will help us greatly at school and help reduce waste. Teachers may share some lunchbox ideas with you on ClassDojo over the next few weeks.
Term dates and teacher only days
School structure and staffing
Please see below for this year’s school structure and the teaching team staff.
Please note that late last year, we made a change to the structure of our Year 7/8 team, moving from three small classes to two regular sized classes. On the last day of the school year, one of our valued teachers, Bex Wilson, was diagnosed with cancer. Bex has since had her surgery and is currently recovering and is due back by around 9 February (TBC). At this stage it is unclear what further procedures might be needed throughout the year. Bex remains a highly valued member of our staff and will continue to be an integral part of the Kōwhai team, working across both classes as a co-teacher with Mrs Dhaliwal and Mrs Connolly, and running targeted groups. Having the students in two set classes ensures consistency and continuity whilst having the benefit of an additional teacher running groups. We are fully supportive of Bex as she focuses on her recovery and look forward to welcoming her back in a full-time capacity when she is well enough to do so.
We welcome two new teachers to our team. Mrs Larissa Wiseman who is joining the Kauri team, taking over from Mrs McGinty who moved to Waiuku, and Miss Stephanie Rudd who will be in the Tōtara team, taking over from Mrs Baptist who is now our Learning Support Coordinator.
Who do I see if I have a query or concern about my child
As parents you know your children best and you are their biggest advocates. As such, if you have any questions or concerns, please do get in touch. We strongly believe that the stronger our partnership is with you, the better we can cater for all our children. If you have a query:
Email your child’s teacher in the first instance - request a suitable meeting time or for them to call you if you prefer
If, after working with the teacher, you have more queries or need further clarification, please contact the right team leader or Mrs Park, our deputy principal.
Year 0-3 - Mrs Jodie Boyle or Mrs Sarah Park
Year 4-6 - Mr Chris Morgan
Year 6-8 - Mrs Stacey Connolly
Deputy principal - Mrs Sarah Park
You are also always welcome to call our office and they will be able to direct you to the right person.
If your child has additional needs, your go to contact is Mrs Jodie Boyle who is also our Special Educational Needs Coordinator.
Please note that, as our teachers are busy with children during the day, they cannot take phone calls. They will however call you when they are able to, if you email them with this request. We can also set up Zoom meetings if you are not able to make it to school. All staff email addresses can be found on our website.
As we wrap up our final day of 2025, we want to wish all our tamariki and whānau a wonderful holiday break. Thank you for an incredible year of learning, laughter, and community. Travel safely, enjoy the sunshine, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in 2026 refreshed and ready for another fantastic year.
Meri Kirihimete & Ngā mihi o te tau hou!
End of term notices and readiness for 2026
Seesaw - saving your child’s work
Next year we will be moving to ClassDojo from Seesaw to share your child’s learning with you. Before we make this move, you will have an opportunity to save your child’s work from Seesaw. Here are instructions for students/families to download any data you wish to keep before our Seesaw dashboard is shut down on the 31st December 2025.
Swim House Holiday Summer Lessons 2026
Give Your Child Water Confidence This Summer!
This January, Swim House is bringing quality swimming lessons to Clevedon Primary School Pool perfect for parents who want their child to feel safe, confident and happy in the water.
Small classes = More learning
Patient and dedicated instructors
Real water-safety skills, not just swimming
A fun and supportive environment
January 2026 Blocks
• Week 1: Mon 12 Jan – Fri 16 Jan
• Week 2: Mon 19 Jan – Fri 23 Jan
30-minute lessons | 5-day blocks | Ages 3+
Clevedon School Pool
Bookings: info@swimhouse.co.nz
Legacy tiles
You may have noticed the legacy walls outside of our school hall. You are invited to purchase a tile inscribed with your child's or family's name to be included on our Legacy Wall. This fundraiser supports the school and creates a lasting history of your child’s years with us. If you are interested in doing so, please click on this link and fill in the form.
Summer Reading Challenge!
Fill your summer with amazing stories and track your reading with fun stickers along the way. Visit your local library to collect your reading reward, collect stamps for completed activities and enter the draw to win exciting prizes. Sign up from Saturday 6 December at any Auckland Council library. More information here.
School leavers - school Google accounts
We will be closing access to all school leavers' Google accounts on the morning of Friday 19th December. If there is anything you want to keep from your emails or Google Drive, make sure you have saved it or forwarded it to a personal account before this.
Class placements and the first day of school
School starts for students on Thursday, January 29.
A few days before the first day, your child’s new teacher will email them (using your email address) to introduce themselves and to let your child know which room they are in. Please note that our class lists are not finalised until you get this letter from your child’s teacher.
On day one, please make your way to your child’s new class from 8:30am onwards.
We will have a pōwhiri for all our new families at 10:30am on the first day.
Stationery is available for purchase on Kindo now. Once stationery is purchased, it will be delivered to your child’s class ready for day one. There is no need to cover the books.
Office opening hours
Our office will be open on the following days and times:
Tuesday, 27 January from 9am-3:30pm
Wednesday, 28 January from 8:30-3:00pm
Normal hours of operation (8:30-3:30) begin on the first day of school - 29 January
Open afternoon in January
On Tuesday, 27 January our teachers will be at school working and setting up their classrooms. You are welcome to pop in casually with your child between the hours of 1:30pm-3:00pm to meet their teacher. You do not have to do this, but some children find it helpful with their transition. You will have had a letter from the class teacher by then, letting you know which class they will be in.
Stationery for 2026
Please click here for information on stationery for 2026. Unlike previous years, this is already live on Kindo for you to action. The stationery will be delivered to the classrooms from the first day of school after they have been paid for.
BYOD iPads for year 4-8 pupils
This letter was sent to all parents of current year 3-7 pupils regarding iPad requirements for next year’s year 4-8 pupils. In case you missed it, please click here. Please do read the section at the bottom around managing iPads at home - it is important to set up as you mean to go on.
Term dates 2026
Open afternoon - Tuesday, 27 January (details above)
