Newsletter 11 · 2020. 11. 30. · Players were Briar Booth, Sophie McEntee, Ellamae MacCarthy, Issy Welling, Mishell Zisakis, Lucy Spice, Katija Zivkovich, Lilly-Marie Houry, Georgie

Newsletter No. 11 | November 2020

Newsletter 11

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

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Dates & Events to Note:

Options Day

Wednesday 2nd December

Junior Certificate Ceremony

Friday 4th Dec @ 8:35am

Year 7-10 Certificate Ceremony

Friday 4th Dec @ 1:00pm

Big Day Out

Monday 7th December

Gift Giving (10:30am)

Tuesday 8th December

Schoolwide Prize Giving (9:00am)

Wednesday 9th December

Thursday 10th December

Win Stringer’s Farewell (8:35am)

Water Fight (2:00pm)

Teacher Only Day

Friday 11th December

Dear ParentsIn classic form, we have a jam-packed newsletter to share as we near the end of the academic year. While our senior students have been demonstrating hard graft in their final revision and sitting of examinations throughout this term, the rest of our students have been busy both inside and outside of the classroom.

This is a lovely time of year when we reflect on our school year. 2020 has been tough for many, but it has been a great year forSpringbank School and our students. We finish the academic year with so much to celebrate.

On Saturday night, we celebrated our senior students at our Senior Dinner. This Friday we celebrate the rest of our students at our Junior Certificate Assembly and our Year 7 - 10 Certificate Assembly. Next Tuesday our final school assembly will celebrate our House champions and our final Students of the Week and Academic Excellence award winners. We will celebrate Christmas by high fiving Santa Claus whilst donating to Hospice, at our Christmas Gift Giving Ceremony. Next Wednesday our schoolwide prizegiving will celebrate students of exceptional character, our high achievers, and our graduates. We will celebrate Ms Stringer’s 18 years at Springbank School, as she retires from several decades of teaching. Then for our final celebration, at 2:00pm on the last day of term, we will drench each other in the name of good fun at our annual water fight.

If you are able to make it along to any of our assemblies and schoolwide prizegiving, it would be great to see you there.

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

http://www.facebook.com/springbankschool





Fireworks Extravaganza



Wow, what an outstanding event the Fireworks Extravaganza was!

2020 celebrated 10 years of the Fireworks Extravaganza that has been organised and run by

the Friends of Springbank committee. This event is our big fundraiser for the year. All

money raised comes back to our students via funding for trips, events, competition entry

fees, and more. Final tallies are being totalled but it looks like we raised easily over $20,000!

The Fireworks Extravaganza requires a lot of organisation in the lead-up to the event.

Without the wonderful support of our parents, teachers, and students, the event wouldn’t be

as successful as it is. We give a huge thanks to everyone who has supported the event, from

organising the raffle draw, cooking food, shifting tables, collecting rubbish, setting up the

fences, and welcoming the public at the gate. Every bit of help and support is greatly

appreciated. The coming together of the Springbank community makes this event special.

We estimate close to 3000 people came to enjoy the evening with us and watch the

spectacular fireworks show. Our very own Principal Mike Warren and his older brother Ben

have been the head pyrotechnics for the last four years, and every year we say, “It’s the best

fireworks show yet!” Many people may not appreciate the hours put into creating the show,

finding suitable songs, lining up the fireworks to time perfectly with the music, then wiring

up hundreds of fireworks. We are very lucky to have such talented people within our school.

The decision to postpone the event by one week was a good one, as the weather on Saturday

14th November was perfect and the atmosphere and spirit of the spectators was fantastic.

After what has been a rather crazy and unsettling year with lockdowns and many events

around the country being cancelled, we were thrilled to be able to host the Fireworks

Extravaganza. A final big thank you to our valued sponsors of the 2020 event and Three’s A

Crowd (band) for the awesome entertainment.

The Friends of Springbank Committee have now wrapped up for the year. Our meetings will

resume in February 2021. As a thank you and celebration of a successful year, the

committee will be providing coffee, tea, and a few nibbles to all parents before the school

prizegiving on Wednesday 9th December from 8:15 – 8:45am. So please do come and join us.

We wish you all a very happy, safe, and relaxed summer break.

- The Friends of Springbank Committee









Fireworks Extravaganza continues



Fireworks photos: Sean McConnachie (Year 12); spectator photos: Angela Warren









Kerikeri Half Marathon / 5km



The 31st Kerikeri Half Marathon was held on Saturday 21st November, along with the

5km walk/run. We had several students, staff, and parents participate this year, who

put in a huge effort, showing speed and stamina.

Students: Alex Misescu (Year 11), Issy Welling, Youssef Awad, Hunter Blakeman,

Ellamae MacCarthy and Ruben Kistemaker (Year 9), Zoe Wells, Amelia Morris and

Louisa Joyce (Year 8), Clay Blakeman and Isaac Welling (Year 7), Simon Kistemaker

(Year 6), and Jared Morris (Year 5).

Parents: Georgina Joyce, Natalie Morris and Angela & Russell Shaw.

Staff: Anna Wilson, Mike and Angela Warren

It was a beautiful day; perfect conditions and a well-earned cold drink was had at the

finish line. There were 300 competitors signed up for the 5km race and all our

students placed in the top 100. Please see some the of the amazing results below.

Congratulations to Alex Misescu (Year 11) who ran an outstanding time for the Half

Marathon in 1:34:30!

Well done to everyone for a great race.

5km Run / Walk

Issy Welling 3rd female in 31:29 mins

Youssef Awad 5th male in 29:03 mins

Hunter Blakeman 7th male in 31:29 mins

Ellamae MacCarthy 9th female in 35:09 mins

Simon Kistemaker 10th male in 32:47 mins

Clay Blakeman 11th male in 32:52 mins

Ruben Kistemaker 20th male in 34:39 mins

Isaac Welling 30th male in 37:31 mins

Zoe Wells 22nd female in 38:20 mins

Louisa Joyce 26th female in 39:30 mins

Amelia Morris 44th female in 44:27

Jared Morris 86th male in 1:03:49 mins









Sky Tower Challenge



Tracy Schuetze (Prefect) spent her weekend a little differently to the rest of us. Along with working hard on her studies at school, Tracy is a volunteer firefighter and took part in

the annual Sky Tower Challenge in Auckland over the weekend.

As part of the challenge, Tracy went up the Sky Tower in her full firefighting gear and BA cylinder on her back (a total of 20kgs extra weight), climbing an astounding 1103

stairs, which is 51 floors!

The event was scaled down due to Covid-19. Although there were still almost 500 competitors, and Tracy was the youngest female, she reached the top in a very respectable 30

minutes! An absolutely amazing and inspiring achievement!

The event celebrated its 16th year and all money raised from the challenge goes to the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Foundation. An amazing $800,000 was raised.

The next event is in May 2021, and Tracy has her sights set on entering again in the ‘Firefighter of Steel’ category, which would see her carry a steel cylinder to the 60th floor of

the Sky Tower, along with wearing all her firefighting gear. The steel cylinders alone weigh 18 kgs!

We are so proud of Tracy and her huge achievement, and we will be supporting her all the way with her next challenge in 2021.








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


Touch Rugby Tournament

On Friday 30th of October a team of Year 9 & 10 girls travelled to Kaikohe to take part in the regional

Touch Rugby competition. Many of the players had played in the Year 7 & 8 competition in 2019 and

were keen to continue their touch rugby journey. Training began back at the start of Term 3 and the

players made huge strides individually, and as a group.

This was the first time that Springbank has entered a girl’s team in this competition, and it was a great

day for the girls and the school.

Although they did not win any games, they grew better with each game and competed in the best spirit.

In spite of adverse scores and coming up against far more experienced opposition, the girls were

relentlessly positive with each other and determined to do their best at all times.

Players were Briar Booth, Sophie McEntee, Ellamae MacCarthy, Issy Welling, Mishell Zisakis, Lucy Spice,

Katija Zivkovich, Lilly-Marie Houry, Georgie Phillips, and Malindi Reihana-Ruka as team manager.

On Friday 20th of November, 11 students from Year 8 travelled to Lindvart Park in Kaikohe to take part in

the Mixed Touch regional competition. The students had put in plenty of practice since Term 3 and were

ready to show what they could do. Placed in Division 2, they took on teams from Panguru, Kaitaia, and

Kerikeri High School. It was pleasing to watch how the players improved with each game and relied on

each other and their training to overcome teams that at times were more athletic, or players that were

more experienced. After solid victories in their first two games, and a “back to basics” team talk, they

absolutely dominated their final group game against KKHS, finishing top in their pool, thereby earning a

place in the Division 2 final.

In the final, they came up against a well drilled and talented team from Taipa. Although our team

finished second best, they were unbowed and full of respect for their opponents. Straight after the game,

when asked if they would like to come back and play again next year, the answer was a resounding,

“YES!” It was a great day out where our students showed the best of themselves, and learned that,

through teamwork and preparation, they could handle the pressure and go beyond what they thought

possible just a few months previously when they came together as a team.

Players: Sophie Hunia, Oscar Murray, Olivia Scott, Samraat Gill, Bella Booth, Leonardo Fisher, Cerys

Crombie, Oscar Wells, India Clarke, Ema Hollister, Amelia Malcom Solly.

- Adam Horgan










Teacher Updates

Gwyneth Hulse – Room 1 Teacher on Fridays and Art & Design Technology, Senior School

Hi, I'm Gwyneth. You may recognise me from Room 1, where I teach Art on a Friday. I'll be doing the same in 2021, but I'm also

excited to be teaching Art and Design Technology in the Senior School.

I originally completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specialising in Graphic Design, and then went on to get my teaching diploma.

Since then I have taught a range of subjects at both secondary and primary levels. Over the last few years I have had the

opportunity to grow a small woodworking studio and use my design skills in a three-dimensional context, and I look forward

to being able to utilise this practical knowledge when teaching technology.

We are pleased and thrilled to introduce our new teachers to Springbank School for 2021.

Kortne Snedden – Year Four & Five Teacher

Hi, I’m Kortne Snedden. I originally studied a Bachelor of Education specialising in Steiner, which I graduated from in 2015.

Since then I have gained a level 5 Certificate in Mathematics and a Diploma in Art and Creativity and have been a High School

Mathematics and Visual Arts Teacher for the last four years.

I am an amateur glass blower and artist, with basic archery skills and ability to teach the basics. In 2012 I represented New

Zealand in Sydney, Australia at the Oceania Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Tournament where I won Gold for the under 72kg

Junior Female category.

I enjoy engaging students in learning that is exciting, because I think it is crucial to develop lifelong learners who have a love of

learning. My background includes instructing students in both traditional and alternative environments. Relationships are at

the forefront of my philosophy. I strive to spark passion for the subjects I teach, by showing how fun, rewarding, and essential

they are. I am really looking forward to being a part of your amazing school.










Springbank School Clothing

Over the school year, the Friends of Springbank committee approve various funding requests for our students and work towards the big Fireworks Extravaganza. A side

project they have also been working on, is deciding on some Springbank School logoed clothing. They have chosen 4 tops and 2 hats for families to purchase for their

children. These clothing items are not a uniform and they are not compulsory. However, they can be added in nicely to your child’s everyday school wardrobe, if you wish.

The clothing samples, as photographed in the document, are now available outside the school office to view. Order forms are also available, should you wish to purchase any

items for your children.

Any orders will need to be submitted by the end of Tuesday 8th December. Purchased items will be ready for collection in the first week of Term One, 2021. When

considering sizes, please bear in mind how much your children may grow over the summer break.

The Friends of Springbank Committee is really excited to be able to offer some clothing items for our students and we hope you like them as much as we do.

If you have any questions, please contact Angela Warren ([email protected])






mailto:[email protected]





After School Care Program

Michelle Chapman, our Middle School Deputy Principal, is looking to start an afterschool OSCAR programme for our Springbank families with children from Years 1-8.

The program would run Monday to Friday from 3:00pm – 5:30pm at Springbank School and have a theme-based approach to some fun and educational activities.

There would be two tutors to start with, and Ms Chapman will need a minimum of 10 children to make this enterprise feasible. This will be an independently run venture,

endorsed by Springbank School. The OSCAR programme will start Term 1, 2021.

A Sample Programme:

Week 1 theme: The Sea

Monday:

• 3:00pm – 3:30pm afternoon tea and supervised play in the playground with a sea-related scavenger hunt.

• 3:30pm – 4:30pm shared reading of a sea themed story in the library and sea art activity like a sand sculpture competition in the sandpit, or a sea creature painting.

• 4:30 – 5:00pm – individualised homework help (Mathletics, junior readers, science workbooks)

• 5:00 – 5:30pm – video on Sea Cleaners and their bid to reduce plastic in our oceans, and craft activity using recycled materials.

Other weekly activities would include a variety of drama, music, languages, PE, topics of interest, art, environmental studies, geography, history and enterprise.

The cost per afternoon will be $25.00 per student, discounted to $22.00 for more than one child in the family.

An email should have already reached you to ask for your expression of interest. Once sufficient interest has been established, an enrolment form will be sent out to confirm

your commitment.

Please email; [email protected] with:

• Your name

• The names and ages of your children

• Which days your child would most likely attend the Oscar programme either on a regular or casual attendance basis

• Your contact details











BLAKE Inspire 2020

From Monday 5th to Friday 9th of October 2020, I attended the BLAKE Inspire environmental

leadership program with 60 like-minded students from all over Aotearoa. We had come together in the

Waikato to work with scientists, environmental experts, and a diverse range of leaders to help us

develop strong leadership skills, whilst we also learnt about topical environmental issues and how we

can take action to tackle them.

During the week, we had to create action plans that we would take home to start making positive

environmental changes within our schools and local communities. I, together with the two other Far

North delegates, decided we would work together to try to create a rāhui (which is a temporary marine

reserve / no take zone) in Northland so our depleted fish stocks would get the chance to regenerate and

replenish.

We had to present our action plans to a variety of judges from BLAKE, the Ministry for the Environment,

and Westpac staff, and there were 4 awards to be won: 3x $2,000 scholarships from Westpac, and the

Sir Peter Blake Award, which is awarded to students who mirror his spirit and philosophies. Amazingly,

we won this award! We will now receive help and support from BLAKE to help us make our rāhui dream

a reality.

Overall, this was such an incredible week for me and one I will not forget, as it was such a great eye-

opener for future opportunities. I also got to experience lots of new, crazy, fun activities, together with

the new life-long friends that I have made from all over Aotearoa.

- Malindi Reihana-Ruka (Prefect)










Year 5 & 6 – Pottery Art

Mrs Filer and her Year 5 & 6 students have been perfecting their pottery skills over

Term Four. The students learnt how to use the coil pot technique. This is where the

potter takes a pliable material (such as their clay) and rolls it until it forms a coil or

long cylinder. Coils are then placed on top of each other one by one, to create different

shapes. The students then moved onto the process of learning how to apply the glaze

and creating their final masterpieces. There is some beautiful work and great

keepsakes for many years.










“Our Kerikeri” Christmas Tree

“Our Kerikeri” (community organisation) launched a fun Christmas tree

competition this year. They encouraged all businesses in Waipapa and the

Kerikeri township to decorate pallet Christmas trees that were built by the

Kerikeri Men’s Shed. Springbank School is involved, and we are thrilled with

our beautiful tree! Children from Headstart and Rooms 1 and 2 helped

create some magical stars to decorate it, and now it is voting time! From the

1st – 22nd December, you can vote for our tree to be crowned with the

“People’s Choice Award”! Simply scan the QR code and follow the

instructions or add your name to the list by the tree …or follow this link!

Library News

Summer holidays! You’ve had a swim, eaten lunch under the pohutukawas, played a bit

of beach volleyball…. and now, what better than relaxing with a great book?! Well

everybody, the giant summer bookfest is on again; hurray!

Springbank students and families will be able to borrow up to 10 books to keep for the

whole holidays, so you will never have to complain that there’s nothing to do. Of course

there are Ts & Cs – in order to have this reading opportunity, borrowers need to be

returning to Springbank next year, to have parents willing to pay for any loss or

damage, and to have any overdue books resolved before the summer books can go out.

I am mindful of the classic New Zealand “summer slump”; after a month and a half of

neglecting reading, reading ages slip backwards by an average of six months. So in

order to get back to school with a head start, the simple and pleasant solution for all

students, yes, even seniors, is to read for 15 or 20 minutes each day. It’s simple, just 10

minutes as a gentle wake-up in the morning, and 10 minutes at bedtime. This will

guarantee a good start back at school in 2021, as well as improving empathy, increasing

knowledge, broadening vocabulary, developing writing skills, and generally building a

brilliant person! Who wouldn’t want that?

Have a joyful holiday! Merry Christmas!

– Jill Hatherly






https://www.kerikeriourtown.co.nz/vote





Young Farmer of the Year

FMG Junior Young Farmer and AgriKids is a nationwide organisation, whereby children all over New Zealand can compete in agricultural-based challenges.

The aim of the competitions is to promote the fun side of agriculture while children develop valuable skills and make lifelong friendships. Team members don’t need to come off

a farm, they just need to have a love of the land and be keen to learn and get their hands a bit dirty!

The competitions are back for 2021. The closest event we have to us is down in Pukekohe, near Auckland. The regional finals for both the FMG Junior Young Farmer and

AgriKids are on Saturday 20th February. The teams for both competitions are set up as follows:

AgriKids FMG Jr Young Farmer of the Year

- Compete in teams of three - Compete in teams of two

- Free entry - $10 per team entry fee

- Plenty of prizes up for grabs - Plenty of prizes up for grabs

- 8-13 Year olds (Primary School) - 13-18 year olds (High School)

I am sharing the information with you all to gain interest as to

whether any students would be interested in forming a team and

heading south to compete in the event.

Saturday 20th February falls at the end of Week 3 of Term One, which

is quite early into the beginning of our school year. I would need

parent help to move forward. The additional factors of travel, a

possible night of accommodation, and food would also need to be

factored into the final decision.

For more detailed information, visit their website at:

https://www.youngfarmers.co.nz/home-3/

If any students are eager to enter a team, or any parents are willing

to help with supervision & fundraising, please send me an email,

and we can meet up to discuss further.

Thanks,

Angela Warren

[email protected]






https://www.youngfarmers.co.nz/home-3/





Headstart Report



This month we have been busy learning about reptiles. We have talked

about their body parts and then made our own salt dough replicas to

show our understanding. The best part was painting them to camouflage

into their bright tropical habitats. Our learning about reptiles progressed

as we researched the question “Are reptiles dangerous?” A highlight of the

term has been a trip to Kiwi North in Whangarei to support our reptile

study.

We have also welcomed friends and whanau to our classroom to share

their knowledge with us on different languages and cultures. This term is

just whizzing by, and we are looking forward to all the fun activities

around school as we head into the final couple of weeks for the 2020

school year.









Preschool Update



We have been super busy at Preschool this month. Our famous scarecrows made an appearance along the fenceline of Preschool just in time for the fireworks event. We have

been enjoying lots of water play as the weather warms up. Some of our children have been on adventures around the wider community visiting the local gymnastics club and

Kiwi North in Whangarei. We have played, shared stories, and even got to paint some of the teachers. We are looking forward to summer holiday break soon too, but not

before the big jolly man comes for an early visit at our Christmas Carnival on 18th December. We can’t wait!










Community Notices

Little Dippers

We look forward to having your children in at Little Dippers with us. Give them

that head start to Summer Water Confidence.

Enrol now for 4 lessons till Christmas:

$48 instead of $68

“Always have an adult watching your child in and around water”

Phone: 09 407-5335

Mobile: 021-501-813

Website: littledippers.co.nz

Email: [email protected]

Address: 84 Kapiro Road, Kerikeri








I wish you all a safe and relaxing summer holiday break. Please look out for our final newsletter, which will be issued on Monday 21st December.

Regards,

Mike WarrenPrincipal




Thoughts for the Week 2020:

Term 4, Week 4:

“What can I do to build trust with others?”

- Courtesy of Year 8

Term 4, Week 5:

“Kids of all ages need PDF:

Playtime

Downtime

Family time.”

- Courtesy of Year 7

Term 4, Week 6:

“The time to relax is when you don’t havetime for it.”

- Courtesy of Year 5 & 6

Term 4, Week 7:

“Integrity is not something you show others.It is how you behave behind their back.”

- Courtesy of Room 2

Helicopter Ride

In 2018 and 2019 our Chosen Charity was The Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST). At our end of year Gift Giving

Ceremony, students were encouraged to donate some money to this vital Northland service. Donations could be placed

inside a NEST envelope, which had an entry form for the chance to win a flight on the NEST helicopter. Taisei Epley, Lilly

Hulse, and Gaby Morrison were the lucky winners. Setting up a time and day to take their flight took some organisation,

and then all the Covid-19 drama hit this year. However, finally they were able to enjoy their special flight on Sunday 22nd

November. Everyone had a great time, and it was well worth the wait!






Documents

Newsletter 11 · 2020. 11. 30. · Players were Briar Booth, Sophie McEntee, Ellamae MacCarthy, Issy Welling, Mishell Zisakis, Lucy Spice, Katija Zivkovich, Lilly-Marie Houry, Georgie