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Newsletter T1W8
27 March 2026
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I hope everyone’s homes have survived the crazy weather of the past few days without too many issues.
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Parent Teacher Interviews
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The first of our Parent Teacher Interview sessions will be held on Wednesday 1st April. School will close at 1.40pm to allow this to happen. Parents should have booked online already. We look forward to seeing you all around the school next week for what is always an enjoyable evening.
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At the end of this term, we will be saying a sad farewell to Mrs Melissa Vicars, one of our MYP teachers. Mrs. Vicars is moving on to take up a position at an international school in Singapore. She has not been here a long time but has made a fantastic contribution to the school in that time. We wish her and her family all the best for an exciting time as they embark on this overseas adventure.
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There have been lots of swimming sports events over the last few weeks. Well done to all place getters and a huge thanks to those parents who were able to assist with time-keeping.
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Finally, a big thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising and running a very successful camp night on the school field a couple of weeks ago. It was a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and enjoy a fun evening.
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Paul Crowhurst | Principal
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A reminder that school will close at the earlier time of 1.40pm on Wednesday 1st April to allow for our parent teacher interviews.
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The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday 12th May, from 6.30pm in the boardroom. Anyone is welcome to attend and a copy of the agenda is available from the school office from 3pm on the Friday before the meeting.
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Hats are not compulsory during terms 2 and 3, but there is a school beanie which can be worn during these terms. These can be purchased online from our uniform supplier or from the school office - $16. A reminder that we have samples of all uniform items at the school for students to try before you make an order. This includes the new items we now have - the new soft shell school jacket, intermediate polo shirt, shorts and also the school hoodie (y5-8 for outside sports trips only). It would pay to try them on before you order them as some of the items are quite small fitting.
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All lost property will be laid out in front of the office during the last week of term. Anything remaining on the last day will be discarded or repurposed.
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Junior School Information Evening
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On Tuesday, May 5th, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm, we will be holding a Junior School Information Evening in the school’s mini hall for all parents of children about to start school in 2026, those new to our school, or those with children in their first years of school (Years 0–2).
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Our Year 1 and 2 teachers will share school routines, our literacy programme for teaching reading and writing in the early years, and our numeracy programme. This is an opportunity for you to hear what school is like for your 5- to 6-year-old and to ask questions about the learning programmes.
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Note: The presentation will follow a similar format to previous years.
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Why not stay on directly after to hear about the PYP programme! This session will finish at around 7:45 pm.
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Please RSVP via this link
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Primary Years Programme (PYP) Information evening
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You may know that Glendowie School is part of the International Baccalaureate. You may have heard the school talk about the PYP, but do you know what the educational programme strives to achieve?
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On Tuesday, May 5th, from 6:45 – 7:45 pm, we will be holding an information evening on the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in the school’s mini hall.
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Our PYP Coordinators, Ms. Sinclair and Mr. Liu, will explain the teaching and learning programmes from both a junior and senior perspective. They will clarify some of the terminology that your children use in the classroom and unpack the attributes of an "internationally minded" student. They will also explain how a Unit of Inquiry is planned using concepts and a central idea to guide us, and demonstrate how skills—such as research and social skills—are incorporated into our teaching programme.
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Note: The presentation will follow a similar format to previous years.
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We look forward to welcoming the entire parent community of Years 0 - 6.
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Please RSVP via this link
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On Tuesday 17th March, three teams (Year 5 Boys, Year 5 Girls and Year 6 Boys) from Glendowie School participated in the Bay Suburbs Softball Tournament at Madills Farm in Kohimarama.
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A great day was had by all, with the tournament played in great spirit under clear blue skies. The Year 5 girls team, many of whom had never played before this year, made the final in their competition! What a great effort under the expert guidance of their coach, Mrs Maslin.
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'This was our first ever Bay Suburbs tournament. There were some challenging schools out there but we still tried our best! Our coaches were helping us a lot. My favourite part was when I would hit the ball really far and my teammates would cheer me on to keep running. Also, when the ball was hit far and I was ready in the field to catch it in my mitt. We had lots of fun and we can't wait for the next tournament!' - Ellie H & Harvey H, Y5
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WoW Week
WOW! What a week! Walking or Wheels Week has been hugely successful at keeping traffic at bay around our school. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it was thrilling to see so many families supporting a more sustainable way of getting to school. The rain scared a few away (understandably) on Thursday, but even then lots of people made the effort to walk, scooter or bike to school. Thanks so much for all your support with helping students choose to travel sustainably.
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The Road Patrollers noticed a considerable drop in the number of vehicles using Riddell Rd, making it so much safer for our students. Walking, scootering and biking is good for the environment, keeps us fit and healthy and saves on petrol! Wouldn’t it be great if this was a daily occurrence?!!!
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This afternoon some lucky students have had their names pulled out of the box for some of the awesome prizes!
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Here are some photos of the crowds of walkers and wheelers!!!
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Year 1
The Year 1 students have begun 2026 with wonderfully positive dispositions towards school. They arrive each day eager to learn and full of enthusiasm. Throughout the term, the children have been exploring how how we learn helps us take responsibility for our learning in many ways.
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We started the year by unpacking the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud, which explores the importance of kindness and being a positive friend. Each child now has their own bucket in the classroom, and they are learning to take responsibility for filling both their own bucket and the buckets of others through kind words and actions.
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We then explored Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, which helped us discuss risk-taking, resilience, and the importance of never giving up and continuing to try, even when things feel challenging.
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Across the term, the children also spent time learning and practising a wide range of new skills, including sack racing, skipping, dancing, and participating in art classes. These experiences supported their physical coordination, creativity, confidence, and willingness to try new things.
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The children combined the messages from our learning and these new skills to showcase their achievements in our Year 1 assembly on the theme ‘Who We Are.’ In preparation, they spent many weeks rehearsing, learning songs, poems, and dances, and practising their performances. The assembly provided a wonderful opportunity for the students to share not only their understanding of kindness and resilience, but also the new skills they had developed throughout the term.
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It was fantastic to see the children grow in confidence as they performed proudly in front of an audience, supporting one another and celebrating their learning together.
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Y7 Camp
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Our Trip To Camp MERC 2026
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We had a camp at Long Bay MERC. It was really fun, the MERC staff were very kind to us, and we had awesome food. We did a variety of activities, including boogie boarding, Giant’s Ladders, and other fun activities. One of the highlights was the last day treasure hunt, where we went around and did activities for tokens and answered questions.
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Year Seven Camp at MERC was the best thing that happened so far this year! Unfortunately, the weather was windy and cold but we still managed to enjoy it.
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There were many activities, and everyone had a favourite one. There were climbing activities like the Giant’s Ladder, abseiling, and bouldering wall. Even though the water was freezing, we enjoyed the boogie boarding and swim relays. Dinner and the Disco Night was a big highlight!
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It was an unforgettable experience.
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In the sixth week of term 1, Year 7 students went to camp (Camp MERC) in Long Bay. When we arrived, we could see many helpful instructors and many places to do activities.
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At camp, we ate chicken teriyaki for dinner! It was much more tasty than other chicken teriyaki! Also, we ate hamburgers, tacos and hotdogs! All of them were delicious!
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My favorite activity was boogie boarding because we got to catch waves and we could go super fast. If we catch an enormous wave, we can go faster. That was extremely exciting. Also, it was very thrilling.
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My second favorite activity was archery. Before we shoot, we have to pick up a bow, put the fletching that has a different color toward the sky. If we do all of them, we have to say “ Safety check”. The instructor will come and fix our posture or say “Ok”.If we hear the OK sign we can shoot. I shot well so I came second place in our group. - Jaewon A, Y7
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This year, in the sixth week of term one year 7 students went to Camp MERC at Long Bay. There were many helpful instructors at MERC to support us during our activities. The activities were so much fun, from raft building to the Giant's Ladder. The food was so good, we had burgers, hot dogs, tacos and even teriyaki chicken!
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My favorite activity was boogie boarding in the ocean because we could surf the waves up to five meters into shore and go quite fast. Everyone who did it loved it.
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My second favourite activity was rock climbing because it was a bit challenging to find the right foot and handholds, as it got harder the higher you went. It was over five meters up in the air! - Jackson B, Y7
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Parents' Association
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A massive thank you to everyone who came to CAMP NIGHT 2026! As always, we love seeing families coming together out of school hours to play, swim and mingle. A special thank you to everyone who signed up to the roster, we can't pull these events off without you all. We're always looking to improve our events so if you have any feedback please email us at glendowieprimarypa@gmail.com
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Next Uniform Shop Opening: 8:30-9am, 1st May. See the flyer attached for all the 2026 opening dates.
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Next PA meeting: Thursday 23rd April, 7pm - Staffroom
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2026 Event dates: Please note, the Parent's Social Evening which was originally set for May the 2nd is TBC at this stage, we'll announce the new date ASAP.
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- Movie Night - Friday 12th June
- Disco - Friday 14th August
- Runathon - date TBC
- Parent's Social Evening - date TBC
- Expert Speaker - date TBC
- Colour Run - 4th December
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Upcoming Events
- Wednesday 1st April - School Closes at 1:40pm
- Wednesday 1st April - Parent Teacher Interviews
- Thursday 2nd April - Be Yourself Day
- Thursday 2nd April - Last Day of Term 1
- Monday 20th April - First Day of Term 2
- Thursday 23rd April - Montessori Cultural Fair, 9am
- Thursday 23rd April - Montessori Cultural Fair Assembly, 1.30pm
- Thursday 23rd April - Parents' Association Meeting, 7pm - Staffroom
- Monday 27th April - Observance ANZAC Day - School Closed
- Friday 1st May - Second Hand Uniform Shop, 8.30am
- Tuesday 5th May - Y7 Boys Eastern Zone Football
- Tuesday 5th May - Y5 Assembly, 1.30pm - School Hall
- Tuesday 5th May - Junior School Information Evening, 5.30pm - Mini Hall
- Tuesday 5th May -PYP School Information Evening, 6.45pm - Mini Hall
- Thursday 7th May - Y7/8 Girls Boys Eastern Zone Football
- Friday 8th May - Y8 Boys Eastern Zone Football
- Tuesday 12th May -Bay Suburbs Football
- Tuesday 12th May - Board Meeting, 6.30pm - Boardroom
- Friday 15th May - Second Hand Uniform Shop, 8.30am
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Community Notices
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