SBS Cross Country & Other Reminders

The Great SBS Cross Country 2024!

All students have been training for our annual Cross Country. It’s a time for our competitive runners to battle it out from the front and for everyone else to set goals, support one another and feel the pride of finishing. Cross Country is a winter event – running through the mud is part of the challenge and the fun! Students will get dirty, and races will go ahead unless the weather is really bad. Parents, whanau and supporters are welcome! This year’s event will be a mud bath – but that’s the challenge and difference of Cross Country as opposed to road and track events, simply keeping on your feet is part of the challenge.  Here’s a run down of things that you need to know for the day:

When: next Wednesday 21 August (save day Fri 23 Aug)

Wear: regular school uniform to & from school (this is so everyone has something clean and dry to wear afterwards).

Shoes: Year 5 & 6 students must run in shoes as they have a road circuit as well. For Year 0 – 4 students, shoes are optional, but be prepared for them to get very muddy! We actually recommend bare feet – shoes come off in the mud, and kids stop to find them and dig them out! If you must wear shoes, we suggest that you put some tape (such as insulation tape) around them, like rugby players commonly do, to keep the laces done up and the shoes on.

Bring: Mufti to run in (if you can, a top in their house colours – Scows: red, Schooners: green, Dories: blue, Cutters: yellow), a drink bottle, big lunch, an old towel (to wipe off after), their school fleece, and we suggest a warm jacket also.

Supporters: are welcome! Please note that the students run along the path by the retaining wall by the field, so if you are sitting on the retaining wall, please stay well back and keep an eye on pre-schoolers.

Parent Help: We would love a few parents to act as marshalls on the road circuit for the Year 5 & 6 students! Please email Mr Morley tmorley@snellsbeach.school.nz if you can help

Start times (please note, these are approximate, starts depends on the previous race)

  • 11.00 – Y.0/1 Girls x1 laps
  • 11.10 – Y.0/1 Boys x1 lap
  • 11.20- Y.2 Girls    x1 lap
  • 11.30-Y2 Boys      x1 lap
  • 11.40 Y.3 Girls     x 2 laps
  • 11.50. Y.3 Boys    x2 laps

Lunch will officially be 12.30-1pm to allow more time for seniors due to increase in course length.

Senior School Cross Country– (Road Course)

Approx Start times

  • 1.10pm Y.4 girls (2 laps of school course)
  • 1.20pm Y.4 boys (2 laps of school course)
  • 1.30pm Y.5 girls (school course & road circuit)
  • 1.45pm Y.5 boys (school course & road circuit)
  • 2.00pm Y.6 girls (school course & road circuit)
  • 2.15pm Y.6 boys (school course & road circuit)

2.30ish Finish

Chicken Pox

A quick heads up to whānau that we are starting to see some cases of Chicken Pox coming through the school. This often presents firstly as temperatures and headaches etc, with the spots appearing later.

Cohort Entry confirmed at SBS for New Entrants starting in 2025

The results of our recent survey showed overwhelming support (98.1%) in favour of starting Cohort Entry with our New Entrant students, starting in 2025. 

Cohort Entry is where students do not start on their birthday, but at set times in a year. New Entrants will start on the first day of each term, and at another fixed date, where the majority of students will have their birthday, near the middle of the term. This will likely fall in Weeks 4 – 7 of a term. Students cannot start prior to their 5th birthday, according to MOE Guidelines. 
A 2022 ERO Review review found that Cohort Entry supported positive transitions, wellbeing, and learning:
No child had to be “the new kid” – they started with a wee peer group. 
The existing class wasn’t continually disrupted as new students were settled in.
It was far easier for teachers to plan for, and track progress of, learning.

Reminder: SBS Pasifika Fono – Weds 21 August 6:30pm

We welcome all our Pasifika whānau to a fono in a few weeks time. The focus of this will be whakawhanungatanga – building relationships with others in our community. With our growing roll, we are constantly welcoming new families, and would like to offer our Pasifika whānau a chance to connect with others, to share stories, language and culture. A light meal will be provided – please rsvp on invitations coming home in students bags today for catering numbers.