A big thank you to the community for their support for our Mathematics Professional Learning Day (PLD), we know that these four weeks are tough on families regarding child care with the short weeks and interruptions. 

The day allowed us to work with one of the Ministry of Education advisors to unpack the Mathematics and Statistics curricula, which looks very different from previous versions and is a lot clearer in terms of teaching and learning sequences and expectations. 

We are now introducing some key concepts a lot earlier than in the past, which will hopefully help students have a better understanding of these concepts and make better connections across the different strands, for example, decimals and links to money now in Phase One, by the end of Year Three.

A reminder that our next Teacher Only Day is coming up on Friday 13th June, coinciding with Fieldays Friday. This is likely to be our final Kaahui Ako (Community of Learning) Professional Learning Day, as the Government has announced in the recent Budget that Kaahui Ako will be disestablished from the beginning of next year, with funding to be redirected into Learning Support.

While this change has been on the horizon, it raises questions for our local principal cluster about how we continue the valuable work we’ve started—particularly our partnership with Mana Whenua (our local iwi, Ngaati Korokii Kahukura and Ngaati Hauā). This includes our commitment to:

We are proud of the progress made through Kaahui Ako and remain committed to continuing this important mahi (work) in new and sustainable ways.

We are thrilled to welcome John Parsons, New Zealand’s leading Internet Safety and Risk Assessment expert, to Cambridge East School on Tuesday, June 17th. John will work with our students and staff throughout the day, followed by an important parent information evening at 7.00 p.m. in the school hall.

John Parsons is widely regarded for his engaging, practical approach to online safety. He works across the education, health, and law enforcement sectors, helping communities understand and manage the risks associated with digital technology. His sessions empower young people to make safe and respectful choices online while equipping teachers and families with strategies to support them.

Throughout the day, our students will participate in age-appropriate sessions designed to raise awareness of issues like online privacy, cyberbullying, and healthy digital relationships. Staff will also have the opportunity to work directly with John to further enhance our school’s approach to digital well-being and safety.

We strongly encourage all parents and caregivers to attend the evening session. John’s presentation will offer invaluable insights into helping children navigate the online world safely. He shares real-life stories and practical tips for building digital resilience at home, all grounded in empathy and strong family values.

Parent Information Evening
 📅 Tuesday 17th June
 🕡 7.00 pm
 📍 Cambridge East School Hall
 All welcome – no RSVP required.

This is an opportunity not to be missed. John’s message is clear, respectful, and timely, helping all of us support our tamariki in thriving in the digital age. We look forward to seeing you there!

Our next thread of work for our Whaanau Hui group is going over the plans for our school celebrations for Matariki this year. We will be meeting next Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm in the school Staffroom. 

We welcome anyone who wishes to be part of the planning for this event, or who is able to be part of the celebrations on the day. 

Our school celebrations will start at 6.30 am on Thursday, 19th June, with a Hautapu ceremony. 

We will be sending out further information about our Matariki Celebration Day in the near future, please check your emails for further details. 

As we settle into winter, the recent hailstorm and heavy rain have reminded us how quickly the weather can turn. To help ease end-of-day congestion and improve safety during these colder months, we will be trialling a staggered pick-up time from Monday 9th June.

To support smoother traffic flow and free up parking for families, the new system is as follows:

We kindly ask all families to stick to the correct pick-up time. If everyone arrives at 2:50pm, it defeats the purpose of the staggered approach. If you are unable to collect your Phase One child at 2:50pm, don’t worry — our teachers will supervise them until 3:00pm.

We will review how this system is working at the end of the term and appreciate your support as we trial this change to improve the end-of-day experience for everyone.

As many of you will be aware, the New Zealand Government has introduced a nationwide ban on mobile phones and personal digital devices during school hours. This new regulation applies to all state and state-integrated schools, including primary schools like ours.

The goal of this policy is simple but important: to support focused, calm, and engaged learning environments where students can thrive without the distractions of personal devices.

What This Means for Our School

While we understand that many students carry phones for safety reasons, particularly when walking or biking to and from school, it’s essential that these devices do not interfere with learning.

Students are still welcome to bring mobile phones to school however, they must be handed into the school office upon arrival and can be collected again at the end of the school day.

Unfortunately, we’ve recently had several instances where phones left in school bags have rung or received notifications during instructional time. These interruptions can disrupt the learning of not just the student, but the entire class. This is exactly what the new guidelines aim to prevent.

How You Can Help

We’re asking for your support in reinforcing this message at home. Please talk to your child about:

If there is an urgent need to contact your child during the school day, please continue to do so through the school office. Likewise, if your child needs to reach you, they are always welcome to come to the office and we will assist them.

We appreciate your understanding and partnership in creating a learning-focused environment for all our tamariki. Together, we can ensure school is a place of connection, concentration, and calm.

We have noticed an increase in our learners arriving at school before 8.30, and whilst we appreciate their enthusiasm for learning, we need to remind whaanau that children must not arrive before 8.30, unless they are going to Journey Kids Before School Care, as we cannot provide teacher supervision before this time.
Conversely, please ensure that your children are at school before the bell for the start of the day at 8.55am. It is essential in setting our learners up for success each day that are at school on time. This minimises disruption to both your child and the others in the class.

As part of our commitment to enhancing digital learning, we encourage more students to participate in our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Having access to a personal device in the classroom allows students to engage more actively in their learning, develop digital skills, and take greater ownership of their education.

To ensure a seamless learning experience, we recommend Chromebooks as the preferred BYOD device. Chromebooks are affordable, easy to use, and integrate well with our school's digital platforms, making them an excellent choice for students.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to create a future-focused learning environment!

 We know that it is tough out there to keep household budgets in order, it’s as challenging to keep the school budget in order in the current climate. If you would like to take advantage of setting up a weekly/fortnightly payment to help cover trips, stationery supplies and unforeseen costs associated with school, please come and see the office crew. They are great in helping set up regular payments to go towards your child/rens accounts.  If you are setting up payments to our school, please note that the legal school name on our bank accounts is Cambridge East School Board of Trustees.

Change of Clothes
A reminder to pack a changes of clothes, particularly for our junior learners, as the weather begins to change and puddles start to appear around the school.

Donations of Tissues and Canned Fruit
With the change of seasons upon us, we are asking our community to donate a box or two of tissues for us to distribute to the classrooms. We are also asking families to bring in a can or two of fruit if they are able to supplement the weetbix at Breakfast Club. Please bring them into the office. Thank you.

Contact Details
If you have moved or any of your contact details have changed, please let the office know either by email office@cambridgeeast.school.nz or by calling 07 827 7651. It is really important that we can contact you about your child.

Term 2 Upcoming Events
As we near the halfway point of the term we wish to advise whaanau (families) of the following up coming Term 2 dates:

Further information will be sent home about all of the events listed above as they occur. Remember to check the calendar on the website for upcoming events and activities.

2025 Term Dates
2025 Term Dates are available on our website under the "Important Dates" button on the home page.

Entertainment Book
Grab your Entertainment Book online at www.entertainmentnz.com and choose Cambridge East School as your fundraiser - 20% of your purchase goes directly to support our school!

Vet Post Fur-raising Programme
We are excited to announce that Cambridge East PTA has joined the Vet Post Fur-raising Programme!

You can now support us simply by purchasing your pet supplies and products online at Vet Post. Every time you shop at Vet Post using our unique link https://vetpost.co.nz/?linkId=lp_299255&sourceId=cambridge-east-pta&tenantId=vetpost , a percentage of the sale will be donated to our group.

It's an easy way to get the best for your pets while supporting our cause. Thank you for your continued support!

Please consider downloading the app for our Student Management System, Edge. Parents and caregivers can use the app to view their child's attendance and school report, pay their school account, and advise us of an absence. Follow this link to view a copy of their information document below to help you set up their App or Parent Portal.

Koru 1  

Koru 3  

Koru 4 

 Room 10 

Room 11 

Room 15 

Auaha M