As I sit at home and write this section of the newsletter, we're still battling winter and the illnesses that come with this time of year. After an amazing Term 1 with our attendance above the Ministry’s target of 80% of our learners above 90% attendance, we have certainly come back to reality in Term 2 (and continuing through to Term 3) with only 68% of our learners achieving regular attendance. 

The impact of winter is not just on our students, with our staff (including myself) being hit hard in recent weeks. Please note that the availability of relievers hasn’t improved, and unfortunately, we are finding ourselves in the position of having to split classes when we don’t have any other options. 

For the first time, in about three rounds (over 9 years), we are heading to a vote for our Parent/Community representatives. We are looking for six people to fill our positions, and I would like to thank the nine people who have put their hand up and answered the call to be involved in the Governance of the School. 

The Board helps set Strategic direction, identify priorities, set budgets and review student attainment data. It is often a thankless job, but one that gives these people a first-hand experience behind the scenes of running a school, which, in New Zealand, has many moving parts. 

We look forward to having people with skills in education, property and HR (Human Resources), who have financial backgrounds, and have the passion to support the school in providing the very best education for all your children. It is a challenging but rewarding position, and again, I thank those willing to take on those responsibilities. 

Rhi Lattin, our Returning Officer, will be sending out further information and voting packs in the near future. Please take the time to read the candidate statements and then vote for those people you believe will do the best job for our school. 

Our new Board will be in place before the September Board of Trustees meeting.

On Wednesday, 20th August, our staff will be heading off to the Middle School for their Paid Union Meeting, which is focusing on pay negotiations happening in the background at the moment. 

I am concerned that the 1% offer falls significantly short of meeting inflation (currently 2.7%), let alone members' expectations, which in my view will lead to further action, potentially including strikes, in the near future. 

While I appreciate that it's tough out there for everyone, I struggle to see how the current 1% offer will be progressed, given the Ministry's clear statement that this is their only offer. 

Returning to the PUM on 20th August, we will ask parents and caregivers to pick up their children at 1:30 pm, allowing our staff to attend the meeting. Our regular afternoon programmes will not be able to run and, as we are waiting for further communication from the union, we are unsure if we will be able to offer any onsite supervision for the afternoon. 

Connecting with our wider community is important to the team here at Cambridge East School (CES) and one way we do this is by visiting our Early Childhood Centres regularly. We value the relationship we have with each of them. Yesterday our Deputy Principal, Rebecca Kilgour, went out to share a new look pamphlet with updated information as well as promoting our New Entrant Information evening on Tuesday, 12 August at 6pm. 

As you may have heard, how you start school in 2026 will include Cohort Entry, where our 5 year olds will begin in weeks 1 and 6 of each term.  

We know that the staggered start will enable our students to;

If you are looking at joining our amazing school we encourage you to touch base to pre enrol so that we can secure your spot.

Our Cambridge East Kapa Haka Group (Roopu Kapa Haka o Keemureti ki te Raawhiti) are busy preparing to share their learning at the Cambridge Combined Schools Kapa Haka Festival being held on Friday, 29 August. 

As part of their preparation, we will hold a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, 27 August at 5.30pm in our school hall. This will give us a final chance to prepare and also provide an opportunity for whaanau to see their children perform, before we take to the stage in front of our community on the Friday.  

All Cambridge East families are invited to attend this performance. 

Our Kaahui Ako are running the next Ngaa Pou - Local Stories workshop here at Cambridge East next Thursday, 14 August. This is an opportunity for any parents/caregivers/whaanau of our school community to attend and learn more about the history of Cambridge gifted to our local schools by Ngaati Korokii Kahukura.

This workshop will focus on the Pou 'Horotiu' and it's themes.

There are two times available 
Afternoon Session: 3:30pm-4:45pm (kai from 3:30pm - start at 3:45pm)
Evening Session: 5:30pm-6:30pm

If you are interested, please complete this form, which also has more information should you be interested in attending.

Tonight is the Dominos Pizza (Cambridge) fundraiser for Cambridge East - so if you need an easy dinner option tonight (maybe after sports training, or because it's been a long week) make this your go to. $1 from every pizza sold today comes to our school

The one that is always a highlight is the Eastside Social Club’s Op Shop Ball. This will be the fourth event and following from a sell out event last year. Get your family and friends together and buy your tickets for what is always a great night out! 

The links and further information can be found in the PTA Notices section of this newsletter

For both these events, if you could like our Posts on the Cambridge East School Facebook page, and then share, that would be greatly appreciated….we need to spread the word! 

Aotearoa New Zealand Maths Week runs from Monday, 11 August to Friday, 15 August 2025. First launched in 1998 by the New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers (NZAMT), it has become a key annual celebration of maths in New Zealand schools.

To celebrate, we would like to invite you all along for a special whaanau Maths session on Monday, 11 August, from 2 pm to 3 pm, where our classrooms will be open for fun maths games with your child(ren).

From 2 pm to 6 pm, we will also have a Maths Home Learning Hub in the hall hosted by our Senior Leadership Team. You’re warmly invited to drop in to:

We’d love to see you there—come along, have fun, and celebrate all things Maths with us!

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, while we are still getting the wet days.

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 3 Upcoming Events
Another busy term has begun and we wish to advise whaanau (families) of the following up coming Term 3 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.

Op Shop Ball
Please check out our facebook page for details (and like & share)
Book your tickets here! https://events.humanitix.com/op-shop-ball-2025?hxchl=mkt-sch

Pizza Fundraiser
A good idea for take away night - Thursday, 7 August

Oxford Pie Orders
Click here to order. Orders close Monday, 25 August

Scholastic Book Orders
Click here to order - online orders only.

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