Your children have made a great start to 2025. It is lovely to walk around the school seeing them settled so well into their classrooms, showing resilience in their learning, making new friendships, and welcoming the new children who have started with us this year.
Over the summer break we completed some renovations to our year 4-6 classrooms, which now all have new carpet and autex walls, improving the learning environments for our senior students. We are also in the process of the fencing replacement along Isobel and Greenhithe Road, which is scheduled to be completed near the end of February.
Pride Values at Greenhithe School
Our PRIDE values: Perseverance, Resilience, Initiative, Diligence and Excellence are important learning opportunities. The children discuss the use of the values in their classes, learn what they mean, how they can demonstrate them and why they are important. Our school vision of ‘capable, confident, balanced’ support this journey of moral development throughout your child’s years at our school.
The children can earn house points for using our values around the school, both in and out of the classroom. These house points are added up and contribute to our house cup. Each fortnight the house with the most points flies their flag outside the school office, and the winning house for the term gets some extra lunch play and a chance to wear their house colours for the day.
Michelle Butler, Vicki Matheson and I, as the senior leadership team, have special certificates that we give out when we see or hear about wonderful use of the values in our school. These are displayed in the office and the children get a mention in the newsletter.
The following children have been awarded certificates: Eva Coetzee, Oliver Pretty, Carter Guest, Nathan Xu, Nick Zhao, Ash Hurst, Declan Barnes.
Uniform
Our students wear their school uniform with PRIDE. The children must wear the school polo shirts. The lower half garments must be plain navy blue in colour. Jeans/denim/black leggings are not considered appropriate. We encourage the children to wear sensible footwear (trainers, sandals) but not jandals. It is always a good idea to name all clothing and footwear to minimuse lost property! A Greenhithe School hat is compulsory in term 1. The uniform shop is open on site each Tuesday afternoon: 2:45-3:15pm.
Absences
If your child is away sick or will be absent for the day, please send an email to: [email protected] as this information goes directly to the office. Alternately you can fill out the absence form under the ‘Contact us’ tab on our school website. Please do not email teachers on the day of an absence or via seesaw as sometimes these are not read in time for the roll. We appreciate your effort in this.
Phones At Greenhithe School
If your child brings a phone to school it must be handed in to their teacher. The phones are then stored securely in the office and the phones returned at the end of the day. No phones are permitted in the classrooms or during break times at school. This has been in place for some time at our school. This meets the criteria set out by the Ministry of Education.
School drop offs
It is essential to provide a safe environment for all students arriving and leaving school! Our crossings are patrolled to ensure this happens. Please DO NOT STOP ON ANY YELLOW LINES around the school on either Isobel Rd or Greenhithe Rd. This not only impares the vision of our patrollers and can blockthe entrance to our staff car park, but is also illigal. Please help keep our community safe by using the drop off area on Sunnyview Rd in the mornings.
Whanau Afternoon
On Friday 28th February we have our Whanau afternoon (1:50-2:50-pm). This is an open afternoon for you to visit the classrooms in action, perhaps support or even participate in the classroom activities. You are welcome to go directly to your child’s classroom at 1:50pm, once the afternoon role and routines have been completed. The PTA is kindly handing out ice blocks at the end of the day!
School Donations and Activity Contributions
Thank you to those who have already paid their school contribution, it is most appreciated, and helps us plan great opportunities for our students.
Our 2025 contribution requests remain unchanged from last year and are as follows:
School Donation – $55 per term or $220 for the whole school year. The amount for 3rd or subsequent children will remain at $37.50 per term or $150 for the whole school year.
Classroom Activity Contributions – $40 per term or $160 for the whole school year.
Kindo is our preferred method for all your school payments. If you are a new family to Greenhithe School or you were unable to set an account up last year, please find all the information you need on our school website.
Ngā mihi
Kelly Knowles
Acting Principal
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