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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Celebrating Our Progress and Looking Ahead
Kia ora Howick Primary School Whānau,
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As we approach the end of the year, I want to take a moment to celebrate the outstanding progress our school has made in 2024. Across the core areas of reading, writing, and mathematics, our students have shown significant learning acceleration since the midyear point.
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Longitudinally, our data tells a powerful story of success, particularly for students who have been with Howick Primary School for the past two years. Currently, an impressive 88% of our students are at or above the expected level for their year in reading, 75% in writing, and 85% in mathematics. These results are a testament to the great teaching and learning programmes we have in place and reflect the dedication and hard work of our staff, students, and whānau.
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While these achievements are worth celebrating, we remain committed to continuous improvement and strive to leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of excellence. Looking ahead to 2025, we will place a particular focus on further developing writing.
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This term, we introduced The Writer’s Toolbox platform, along with professional support for all teachers. Already, we have observed a noticeable increase in student motivation and eagerness to write. This innovative tool is available to all students in Years 3-6 throughout the week and has quickly become a valuable resource in our classrooms.
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I want to extend my thanks to the Howick Primary School Board for their approval of a $10,000 investment into this platform. This is one of the many ways our Board continues to support both students and teachers, ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to achieve their best.
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As a school, we are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together this year and are excited to build on this progress in 2025. Thank you for your ongoing support, which makes our success possible.
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Farewell to Dawn Young
As we approach the end of the school year, we want to take a moment to honour and celebrate Dawn Young, who has been a valued member of Howick Primary School for over 20 years.
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Dawn began her journey with us as a teacher aide in the Montessori class. Her passion for education led her to pursue further studies and become a teacher graduating with a Bachelor of Education specialising in Montessori. After a brief time away from our school, Dawn returned to Howick Primary School, where she has spent many years as an educator in the Montessori learning stream.
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Her dedication to Montessori education has made a significant impact on the lives of her students and families. Dawn’s commitment to nurturing and inspiring young learners, combined with her deep belief in the Montessori philosophy, has left a lasting legacy in our community.
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As Dawn moves on to the next chapter in her life, we extend our deepest gratitude for her many years of service and wish her all the very best for the future. Dawn’s contributions will always be a cherished part of Howick Primary School’s history.
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Farewell to Departing Staff and Welcome to New Teachers in 2025
As we approach the end of the year, we would like to acknowledge and farewell several valued members of our team who are leaving Howick Primary School.
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From the Tui Team, we farewell Yuka Hay, Min Kim, Cara Davidson, and Abby Santoso, who will be departing at the end of 2025.
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From the Kea Team, we say goodbye to Team Leader Amanda Good and classroom teachers Toni Clarke and Saoirse Dwyer, who are leaving at the end of this year.
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Additionally, we bid farewell to:
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- Nicole Cork from the office, and
- Learning Support Coordinator Rohini Sunkerlall,
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all these staff members for their dedication and significant contributions to our school. We wish them all the best as they embark on the next steps of their journeys, both in Auckland and beyond.
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Looking ahead, we are delighted to welcome new staff who will be joining our school in 2025:
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- From the Tui Team (Year 5/6): Janet Rothery, Trinity Zhao, Vera Xu,
- From the Tui Team (Year 3/4): Kiran Solanki, and Cassidy Dennis.
- From the Kea Team: Shevone Kumar and Sonya Moke.
- We are also pleased to announce that Cathy Gray will be our Learning Support Coordinator.
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We are excited to have these talented individuals join our school community and look forward to the skills and fresh perspectives they will bring to Howick Primary School.
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Thank You to the PTA for an Amazing Disco!
A huge thank you to our wonderful PTA for organising an incredible disco! It was fantastic to see the community come together and enjoy such a fun-filled event.
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A special shout-out to Natalie and her amazing team for all the hard work they put into making the evening a success, including organising the disco and the raffles. Your efforts created a memorable night for everyone.
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We are thrilled to share that the event raised over $4000, which will be reinvested into our school and students. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this event — your participation and generosity make a real difference!
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Thank You from Howick Primary PTA!
As 2024 comes to a close, we want to extend a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has supported the Howick Primary PTA this year. Whether you’ve baked, volunteered, attended events, or simply cheered us on, your contributions have made a world of difference to our school community.
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Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to announce a fresh start! You’ll find us on the official Howick Primary Facebook page, where we’ll continue to keep you updated on community news, events, and ways to get involved.
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Note: The PTA page will be disappearing at the end of term, so make sure to follow the official Howick Primary School to stay in the loop!
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Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a fantastic start to the New Year. See you in 2025!
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2025 Class Placements
As we prepare for the 2025 school year, we would like to update families about class placements.
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Due to changes in staffing and our experience over the past two years with high numbers of new enrolments early in the year, we have decided to finalise and communicate class placements early in 2025. This approach ensures we can maintain optimal numbers in each class, allowing us to better personalise learning for every student.
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By taking this proactive approach, we aim to create a more stable and smoother start to the school year for students, staff, and families.
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Class placement information will be sent to families during the week of the 28th of January.
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We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to provide the best possible learning environment for all students.
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Important Update: New Uniform Supplier for 2025
We are pleased to announce a change to our school uniform supplier. Starting in 2025, we will be moving from NZ Uniforms to a new provider.
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The primary reason for this change is to provide improved accessibility for our families. Our new provider will set up a store on the school grounds, which will be open two days each week.
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This convenient location will make it much easier for you to purchase uniforms when needed. Additionally, the new provider will also offer an online store, giving families the flexibility to shop at any time.
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We believe this change will better meet the needs of our community, and we look forward to working with them in the years ahead.
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We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank NZ Uniforms for their support and service over the past 12 years. Their partnership has been greatly appreciated in ensuring our students have access to quality uniforms.
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More details about the store’s opening times, including specific hours before the school year begins, will be shared early in the new year via email and on the school website.
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2025 Key Dates
Year 6 Camp Parent Meeting Wednesday January 29 @ 6:30pm in the school hall
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Meet the Teacher - Friday February 7- ALL DAY
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First day of Term One - Monday February 10
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Year 6 Camp - Tuesday February 11 - Thursday February 13
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Assembly will be every second Friday.
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Last day of Term - Friday April 11
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Keep Your Pet Healthy and Fundraise for our School
We've teamed up with the crew at My Rover to help our fundraising efforts through the Pets Of The School (POTS).
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Sign your dog or cat up for regular flea and worm treatments at the same price you pay elsewhere and up to $5 from every box goes directly to our school every month.
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Prices start at $26.99/m (or just $6.22/w), with all the profits sent directly back to our school.
For more information or to sign your pets up, head to:
Schools.BixxyBox.com
And sign your pet up today!
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Kelly Club is Coming to Howick
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Upcoming Events
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A reminder that upcoming school-wide events can be found on our calendar. Events specific to your child's class will be communicated through the class weekly newsletter.
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Newsletter proudly Sponsored By
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