Back to School Newsletter
Tauranga Primary School
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa - Warm greetings to you all.Happy New Year to all our TPS families.
This newsletter contains back to school notices regarding:
- School Office opening hours
- Stationery
- School Uniform
- 2021 Term Dates
- 2021 Staff
TPS has opted into the school donations scheme again for 2021, therefore parents will not be asked for a school donation or activity fee. The only start up cost for all TPS students is stationery. For students in years 4, 5 and 6 there is an additional cost for camps in 2021, these will be included in your school account once finalised.
- Year 4 camp is 4th March
- Year 5 camp is 31st March - 1st April
- Year 6 camp is 1st - 3rd December
The 4th of February is the first day back at school for 2021.
The first day back will be filled with excitement and maybe some anxiety as well. Please reassure your child that everything will be fine, and that they do have the skills and strategies to cope with this next step in their schooling. Talk through any concerns that they may have, and help them work on strategies to manage their concerns. For example, if finding friends at break times is a worry, then setting up a meeting point with their friends for break times could help, or organise a play date prior to school starting to rekindle or start new friendships. If the concern is about moving to the "big side", then bring them into school to play prior to school starting so they can get familiar with the playgrounds and have a peek through the windows at their new class.
Most importantly, it will be your approach to their concerns that will influence how they will respond - speak positively about school, their teacher, and their ability to cope and manage this new year of school. You can also email their teacher and share your child's concerns, so that they are ready to help smooth the transition into the new year as well. Teacher email addresses are on our school website.
In the second week, on Wednesday 10th of February (9-10am), we will host a powhiri to welcome new families and staff to our TPS community. All families are welcome to attend, a separate notice will be shared about this event closer to the time. If you are able to whaikōrero (speak) on behalf of the manuhiri (visitors) please let me know, we would be very grateful for your participation and can help you prepare if needed. You can email me at: principal@tauranga.school.nz
On Thursday 18th February, in association with our Friends of the School (FOTS) team, we will host a family picnic 5:00 - 7:00pm. The picnic is an opportunity to meet our school community, share our plans for the school year ahead and for you to meet the teachers in your child's teaching team. The FOTS provide free rides for the children, and families bring along a picnic style dinner to eat on the fields on the senior site. Mark this date in your diary.
Enjoy the last few weeks of the school holidays, I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on the 4th of February.
Classes will be open from 8.30am, with the formal school day starting on the first bell at 8.50am.
- Year 1 and 2 - "pick up and go" option is at 2.50pm
- The full school is released at 3pm.
- Teachers are on duty until 3.10pm after school.
Kindest Regards
Fiona Hawes
Principal
TPS school office opening hours:
The school office will be open the 2nd and 3rd of February from 9.30am - 2.30pm.
If you need to contact us outside these hours, please email office@tauranga.school.nz or leave a message on the school answer phone.
Normal office hours (8:00am - 3.30pm) resume on the first day of school - 4th February 2021
2021 Stationery Prices
We have spent considerable time pricing our stationery lists across all school suppliers, and have sourced the best prices for high quality stationery to start the school year.
The stationery prices for 2021 are:
Year 1 - new students starting at TPS 2021 - $40.00 (includes whiteboard and bookbag)
Year 1 - returning new entrant students from 2020 - $32.00
Year 2 - $35.00
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Year 3 - $50.00 (includes new whiteboard)
Year 4 - $45.00
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Year 5 - $45.00 (includes new whiteboard)
Year 6 - $40.00
We aim to make this process extremely simple, you are able to pay online via school shop (where you can pay for sports, pizza days and discos etc throughout the year) or directly into the school account (12-3440-0009600-51) using child's full name as a reference.
Once paid, your child's stationery will be in their class, no need for covering or pick up.
The stationery fee covers ALL stationery needs for the entire school year.
School Uniform
Summer uniform details:
Items that can be purchased via the school office (see above for office opening hours)
Polo shirt - navy with school logo
Navy shorts or skort.
Polar fleece - royal blue with school logo.
TPS sunhat - navy with school logo (the logo hat is not compulsory, children can wear plain navy hats)
Please note that the check culottes are no longer TPS uniform.
The culottes were removed from our uniform options at the end of 2018, and phased out over the 2019 and 2020 school years.
Items to be purchased independent of school supply:
Sunhat:
Plain navy (or school logo navy hat) for Terms 1 and 4 – there are three sunsmart styled options:
Aussie brim, drill flap legionnaire or bucket. No logos or basketball caps please. If children do not have a sun hat they will not be permitted to play outside of shaded areas in break times.
Footwear
Summer: sneakers or sandals. For safety reasons, no jandals permitted please.
Any hair ties or other accessories must be plain royal blue, navy, black, hair coloured or white. All hair shoulder length or longer is to be tied up, this helps prevent the spread of headlice.
Jewellery: watches and plain (silver/gold) ear studs are acceptable. Taonga (treasure) of cultural or religious importance can be worn.
Optional school jacket (with TPS logo) can be worn.
The expectation is that all children will arrive at school with sunblock applied. There is sunblock available in all classes for use during the day.
Term 1 is a 'swimming term'. Please send your child to school with togs and towel daily. For our new entrant students, they will need to be able to get changed in and out of their togs independently. It may be worth while practising prior to school starting.
LASTLY - please name everything clearly, it is impossible to return uniform that is not named or the name has faded beyond recognition. Every year we have huge amounts of lost property that we are unable to return to their owners as they are either unnamed or naming is illegible.
2021 Term Dates:
2021 Teaching Staff
Teachers can be contacted via email - the full list of teachers and contact emails can be found on our website:
2021 Classroom Teachers:
Junior Team: Years 1 and 2
- R12 Mrs Pam Wilkins – Team Leader (Year 1 and 2 class)
- R11 Mr Luka Jugum - Year 2
- R13 Mrs Emma Hyett - Year 2
- R19 Mrs Michaela Murray - Year 1
- R15 Mrs Jana Smith - Year 1
- R17 Mrs Fiona Brown - Year 1
Miss Robyn Caley (Assistant Principal) will also be working part-time in the junior school.
Middle Team: Years 3 and 4
Middle Hub 4:
- Mr Jason Morgan – Team Leader
- Mrs Arlette Goodhue
- Mrs Liz Catley / Mr Alex Mustard
- Whaea Jen West
- Mrs Kelly Savage
Mrs Sandra Thurlow will be working part time in the Middle Team as an additional teacher Monday to Thursday.
Senior Team: Years 5 and 6
Senior Hub 1:
- Mrs Jo Howard - Team Leader
- Mr Paul Mahler
- Miss Kirsty Thorne
- Whaea Kat Gilbert-Tunney
- Mr Dave Medley
- Mr Nick Adams / Whaea Kylie Rae Bidois
Tauranga Primary School
Email: office@tauranga.school.nz
Website: www.tauranga.school.nz/
Location: 31 Fifth Avenue, Tauranga, New Zealand
Phone: (07) 578 6222
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tauranga-Primary-School-354969627938863/