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ECS Update Term 3, Week 2 – Friday 25th July 2025
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Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,
Psalm 105 reminds us to Give praise to the Lord, to proclaim His name and make His works known. To sing praise to Him and to remember and to remember the wonders He has done.
God has done and continues to do so much in our lives and in the life of the school, we have so much to be thankful for.
Over the last two weeks there has been a lot on, Year 1-6 swimming lessons have been a real highlight for many. As a staff we would like to thank you for your support in making these possible. Please do read this email carefully as we look to the many events and activities ahead.
Blessings,
Ngā mihi nui,
ECS Team
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This newsletter contains information on the following:
- Important Dates
- Student Drop off and Collection
- School Board Elections
- Strategic Planning Update
- Book Character Day
- ICAS Assessments
- Library Van Visit
- School Photo Orders
- Cultural Day
- Scholastic Book Orders
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Tuesday 5th August – Book Character Day
Thursday 7th August – Year 3 & 4 Swimming Sports
Wednesday 27th August – Cultural Day
(The School Calendar including 2025 Term dates can be found here)
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Student Drop off and Collection
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We would like to remind you about a few things with regards to dropping off and collecting your children from school. We are very aware that things will occur that make normal processes difficult. When this does occur can we ask that you please let us know so we can support your children.
Drop Off:
We ask that where possible you do not drop your children at school prior to 8:20am. Where this is not possible, we need to be clear that before this time we do not have supervision available for them. Also on wet and cold days they will likely need to wait outside.
We aim to have the Middle School block and a number of Year 1-6 classrooms open at 8:20am, so if your child’s room is not quite open they can wait quietly inside a neighbouring class on a cold or wet morning.
Pick Up:
At the end of the school day we have duty staff on the gate areas until 3:05pm. After this time any Year 1-6 students who are not being supervised by their own parents (or involved in a formal rehearsal / practice) will be asked to wait in the office area to be collected. Our expectation is that all students should be collected by 3:05pm. If you are unable to make it by this time please call the Office.
We are aware that at times children are waiting for their sibling to finish a rehearsal or practice. We understand this, however, we can not provide supervision outside for them when this occurs. At 3:05 they will either need to be with you or will be sent to the office to wait. On a number of occasions they indicate that their parent is already at school waiting in the car, if this is the case they will either need to wait in the car with you or can we ask that you come into the school and supervise them as they wait.
Wet Days:
On wet days can we please ask that where ever possible you collect your children as close to 2:45pm as possible. When they can not wait for you at the gate due to the weather, they will be able to wait either inside the K5 classroom or on the edge of the junior deck close to the Papanui Club carpark. Please come in and collect them from these locations.
Thank you
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Kia ora ECS parents and community,
We want to continue to keep you updated about what the ECS Board is focused on.
We have two BOT meetings each team – dates for these are in the school calendar and they are open meetings.
A range of activities happen between meetings. This is particularly busy right now as we work through an exciting time of roll growth over the next few years. There are a range of school curriculum areas being adjusted and introduced by the government right now, so we are keeping close to this as it happens.
The next round of BOT elections will be held later in Term 3, when two parent representative roles (out of four) will be up for election. We will run the election online again this year. Please prayerfully consider if you would like to be nominated for these elections. You are welcome to contact either the Board Presiding Member or the Principal to talk about what serving on the Board involves.
Nominations are now open for the election of 2 parent representatives to the Emmanuel Christian School Board. Schooled Election Pilot have been appointed as the Returning Officer for this election.
All eligible voters will have received a nomination form by email, or if we do not have your email address it will be sent to you by post. The nomination pack will include a cover letter explaining the nomination process as well as a nomination form. You can use this form to nominate yourself, or you can nominate someone else in the community. (If you are going to nominate someone else, ensure they are aware of your nomination and are willing to accept the nomination). Information on who is not eligible to be a School Board member is provided with the nomination form.
If you need additional nomination forms, or forms in Te Reo Māori of a different language, please contact the Returning Officer directly on 0800 VOTENZ (0800 868 369) or election@electionpilot.nz.
Nominations close at noon on Wednesday 6th August. Nominations can be submitted by email, through the Election Pilot system at www.electionpilot.nz or by returning the completed nomination form to the school office. You may provide a candidate statement and photograph with your nomination.
Voting closes at 4pm on Wednesday 10th September 2025.
You Board can be contacted by email board@emmanuelchristian.school.nz
Warren Rosser – ECS BOT Presiding Member
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Kia ora ECS Parents
Thank you for those of you who have contributed to recent activity as we have considered the last few years and what our strategy for the school should look like from 2026-2028.
We recieved a number of responses to the survey that was sent at the end of last term. The recurring themes which emerge in your feedback reminded us of that it’s important to consider the diverse needs of our students, that it’s important to provide leadership oportunities in both our junior and senior school, and that as we plan for growth we must make sure our culture and communication with parents remain strong.
The Board is now taking time to do further work on the detail of our strategic plan for the next three years. This will be focused around two key areas:
1) Akonga – the learner and their learning
2) Whanaungatanga – Community
We expect to be able to share more detail about our strategic plan later int he term, and elcome ongoing feedback from the community.
Finally, a reminder about the School Board elections which are happening this term. We have two possitions to be elected. We welcome nominations from across the school so please prayerfully consider if this could be you.
Warren Rosser
Emmanuel School Board Presiding Member
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Book Character Day – Tuesday 5th August
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We have a book character day planned for Tuesday 5th August. On this day we would encourage all students to come dressed as a favourite book character.
Along with this character day we have a number of other activities planned for the week to encourage and celebrate reading.
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As we have in the past we will be offering the opportunity for students to sit the ICAS assessments in English, Science and Mathematics. Thse are available for students in Years 3-10 and are designed as a chance for students to enter a competition style assessment. These are computer based assessments and the students will be supervised at school to complete these.
Please be aware these are not part of our regular school assessment programme and do have a cost associated with them. The 2025 cost is $22.50 per subject for each student.
To register for these assessment you can place an order at: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/KSW584
If you need to enter a code it is KSW584
We will hold the assessment on these dates, while we will try it is possible that there will be no catch up times available if students are away.
English: Tuesday 12 August
Science: Tuesday 19th August
Mathematics: Monday 25th August
Orders must be placed by 28th July 2025
More information can be found at: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas/
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Only 13 more sleeps!
The Christchurch City Library van is coming back to school! If your child does not have a library card, now is the time to start thinking about it. You may go into one of the branch libraries and do it yourself, or – easier still – get an application form from the school office or the school library. That way you do not have to organise your own ID. The school does it for you!
Even if you live in Rangiora, Kaiapoi or Rolleston, you are entitled to this service for free until your child turns 19. This gives children access to 21 local libraries around the city, as well as many amazing online resources, which include e- and audio- books and books in many international languages.
With a library card, your child may borrow books from the library van on the day. More info closer to the time.
Mrs D
Librarian
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By now you will have received a code from PhotoLife to order your child/children’s school photos. Please check your spam folder if you haven’t seen the email from Photolife. Some codes have been sent to one parent’s email address and not the other so please also check your spouse’s emails for this.
Just a reminder that free delivery back to the school will expire on 27 July 2025.
You are more than welcome to contact the Office if you have not yet received your code.
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On Wednesday of Week 7 (27th August), we will be celebrating Cultural Day — a wonderful opportunity to recognise and celebrate the rich diversity within our school community.
The day will begin with a parade in the morning, and we encourage students to come dressed in traditional clothing or something that reflects their cultural identity. If your child prefers not to dress up, they are welcome to wear their regular school uniform. Students with special or delicate traditional clothing may change back into their school uniform after the parade if they wish.
In the afternoon, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., there will be cultural stalls set up for students and teachers to visit. These stalls might include things like food, crafts, traditional clothing, games, or cultural displays—a wonderful way to share and celebrate the many cultures in our school. Family and whānau are warmly invited to join us from around 2:30 p.m., leading up to pick-up time, to enjoy the stalls and celebrate with us.
To make this day a success, we need your support. If you are able to help—whether by contributing ideas, materials, or helping to run a stall—please fill out the form below and return it to your child’s classroom teacher or drop it off at the school office by Monday 4 August.
We will hold a planning meeting for all volunteers on Wednesday 6 August at 2:50 p.m. in the former K3 classroom, where we’ll discuss plans together.
If you have any questions about Cultural Day, please feel free to contact us.
Ngā mihi nui,
Bronwyn Van Mechgelen & Christine Ng (Liu)
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Closing date : Friday 1 August 2025, 6pm
If you didn’t receive a brochure we have some at the Office and they are also available online on LOOP.
If you would like to order any of the books, this can be done online on LOOP. For your first time you will need to register in order to make a Book Club LOOP login.
We cannot take orders/payment via the Office so please order online.
Instructions are on the back of the brochure.
Once orders close, they will be sent to school and will come home with your child. On all orders the school earns 15% in scholastic rewards which benefits our school library.
Emmanuel Christian School does not endorse all material that is available for purchase from Scholastic Book Club. Please use your discernment when selecting reading material for your child.
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