ACG Sunderland Newsletter - 3 December 2021

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

ACG SUNDERLAND

WINGS NEWSLETTER Vol 17, Term Four, Week Eight, 3 December 2021

Dear Parents and Friends of ACG Sunderland, Here we are, finally, at the end of the 2021 academic year. The school is open, all staff are here at work, and around 70% of the Lower College and 40% of the Primary students are in attendance.

Since August 17, we have continued to navigate and interpret Government directions and policy and how they would affect our school and students against the backdrop of Auckland being locked down for over 100 days.

The framework has also been continuously moving, with the announcement on Wednesday that the juvenile vaccine will be available from January 2022.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire school community for their positive stance to everything we have tried to accomplish over this period. From the full Zoom lessons, online assessments, online examinations for our Seniors, online assemblies, and staff briefings, to online graduations, and even virtual prizegivings too!

In 2020, the Prime Minister said that New Zealand needed to ‘pivot’ to deal with Covid-19, and I believe that is exactly what we have done here at ACG Sunderland.

Please advise any changes in your address, phone or email to

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

We have been thoroughly pragmatic in our approach to reach the end game, which was to generate an atmosphere that replicated our Sunderland values and expectations at home. I can confidently report to the community that we have succeed in that aim over the course of the past two years.

I do hope that some normality will prevail over 2022 and the current Government's policies of not returning to lockdowns will generate some continuity for our young ones.

I wish to also congratulate our graduates of 2021. We have a Senior class who will be entering the next phases of their lives already well versed in being pragmatic and flexible. May these important skills and attributes set them up for every success in 2022 and beyond.

A special congratulations to our Senior Student Leaders, too, as they managed a student body over perhaps one of the most challenging of years. Well done, Ethan Brown and Isha Takyar!

Thank you again for entrusting your child’s education and care in our hands – this is something we do not take lightly.

Have a wonderful Christmas and festive season.

Be Safe Aspire. Succeed. Respect.

Nathan Villars Campus Principal ACG Sunderland

Value for the next week is: Appreciation Recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

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Preschool

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Preschool children hard at work during their indoor and outdoor play

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Preschool

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

It is wonderful to see more children came back to Preschool this week after being at home for such a long time. The children were excited seeing their friends again and they have settled back in quickly into the routine.

This week, we continued with our jolly phonics programme, learning different letter sounds through games, songs, and a variety of activities. There were also activities provided based on the children’s abilities as we prepare them for their formal schooling.

They worked collaboratively and communicated their ideas in counting, sorting and used vocabularies such as ‘adding on’ and ‘adding more.’

Our children on Zoom lessons are doing well, and their friends in Preschool were busy decorating Christmas bags to send some art stuff for them at home. How wonderful to see their smiley faces when we delivered those Christmas bags specially by all the teachers.

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Preschool

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Merry Christmas from ACG Sunderland Preschool 5

Primary

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Students of the Week 1JH - Ali Hotaki for trying his best at school and listening attentively.

1NG - Charlie Whalan for trying his best in everything he does.

1CS - Marco Zhao for always listening to instructions and doing his best.

1NC - Jocelyn Chen for her active participation in the online learning and for showing great improvement in reading, spelling and summarising stories.

2AV - Amelia Cutler for completing her work independently, with confidence and focus.

2SB - Gleb Emelyanov for completing all tasks and activities to a high standard since being back at school this week.

3MH - Mila West for the great efforts and improvement in all learning areas. Keep it up!

3BR - Isabella Duan- for showing enthusiasm in everything she does.

4CF - Scarlet Townshend for excellent effort in her Maths.

5CW - Ryan Kueh for being focused and tuned in to his learning.

5WB - Oscar Wang for excellent consistency on zoom lessons.

6SL - Miumiu Jin for her excellent piece of writing reflecting on 2021.

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Primary

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Visual Arts Class

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Primary

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

1NC Beach Theme Party & Mufti Day

1NC Online Visit to Auckland Museum

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Primary

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

1NC Sharing the Christmas Spirit

Merry Christmas from ACG Sunderland Primary

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College

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Year 9 Design & Technology Laser Light Project

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College

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

College Outdoor Learning

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College

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay

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College

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

By Zack Kobylarz – Year 8

Year 9 Music – Class Performance Not a lot of songs feature marimba, xylophone, guitar and drum kit – but The Rolling Stones “Under My Thumb” is one of them.

In just two lessons 9B were able to put together all those different instruments and parts to provide an most excellent performance.

It’s great to hear practical music again!

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College

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Merry Christmas from ACG Sunderland College

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Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

"Good Riddance 2021" - contd Amelia’s Thoughts on 2021 Editor of the Students Voice I feel like there is a lot I could say about 2021: I could say that I hated it with every cell in my body, because it ripped me away from everything and everyone I knew; I could say that it made me stronger, that it shaped who I am today; I could say that there is nothing to hate about something so ever-changing, so unpredictable, because things could go for the better as quickly as they could for the worse. But I won’t say any of those things because you’ve heard them all before. A million times. Unprecedented.

Unpredictable. Rollercoaster-ride. The words that sum up this year. But I’ve never heard anyone describe it as fleeting, evanescent, eye-opening. Zig Ziglar once said “I opened two gifts this morning, they were my eyes.” After 2021 I truly believe that it takes something as shocking, as traumatizing as 2021 to genuinely open your eyes, to see what is happening around you, to understand that you have today and today only – and that should be enough.

Before 2020, I had my whole life planned out, every slight detail perfectly calculated so that I could live a life as close to perfect as possible. I knew there would be situations that would throw my plan off the rails, but never in my wildest dreams did I believe something so drastic, so devastating would happen. I have one vivid memory I would like to share; it takes place when I was around 10. As some of you may know, Disney was remaking many of their original cartoons, turning them into live action movies, the movie I am talking about is Beauty and the Beast. And the particular scene; the one of the plague doctor. I remember being gripped by fear that somehow I might lose a loved one to a disease, something I have no control over – that I would have to sit and watch as someone close to me died in front of my eyes, and I would be unable to help, unable to do anything. At the time, ‘COVID’ wasn’t a word any of us knew, just like ‘Zoom’ and ‘lockdown.’ My mother reassured me that nothing like the Plague of the mid-1300s would ever happen again. We had vaccines, advanced technology and knowledge of what caused diseases. I’m sure many of us would have thought the same thing. But still, my (no longer) irrational fear of a global pandemic stayed with me. And now, here we are, amid a global pandemic. All of my worst fears becoming realities.

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Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

I guess what I’m trying to say is that something you have feared your whole life could happen tomorrow, in the blink of an eye. Which is why we do not have time to be negative, to mope, or to complain. The time you have on this Earth is finite, and although it feels like forever, it’s shorter than you think. In 40 years’ time, you won’t say to yourself “I wish I had stressed more, I wish I had complained about this or that,” if anything, you will be sorry that you wasted time on something that brought you no joy, or value.

If 2021 taught me anything, it taught me to always look for the positive in any situation, and to act as though today is your last day on this planet: because it very well could be. Afterall, life is merely a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode. And I know it sounds depressing, but it’s true. A lifetime feels like forever, but a day is still much too short. So be grateful for every opportunity, be thankful for your family, your friends, the food on the table every night, the roof over your head, and the fact that your body and mind are able. Be grateful and you will be happier.

To conclude, 2021 was not fun, it was far from it, but it was a learning experience. If you take it day by day and surround yourself with love and laughter, you’ll forget all of the sad, awful moments. In the end, you don’t remember days, you remember moments and I want to die remembering all of the beautiful ones I experienced. I hope they surround me and keep me warm, it would be nice if you could see your life flash before your eyes when you’re not about to die, because then you could see all that you have to be grateful for.

That is what I took away from 2021, and even though I would love to do it all over again without COVID, I can’t, and I really don’t mind that much. The thing is, it’s impossible to wrap this experience up in a neat little box with a bow. Because this wasn’t neat, or organized, or simple. This was messy, and scary, and complicated, and as much as we want to, we can’t always change things, so we understand them better. I would love for there to be an answer to 2021, like a perfect math question that you can understand once it’s been explained to you, but this doesn’t have an answer. It doesn’t even have a plotline; because we are living through history, we are making our own stories. This experience isn’t like a book, it may not have a moral, and it may not have a perfect hero, but let’s hope it has a happy-ever-after.

By Amelia Lee - Year 9

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Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Anya’s Thoughts on 2021 I know there are many different views of the placement of 2021 on the spectrum of the best year to the worst year ever. I’m here to tell you about my 2021, and why it sucked.

To be completely honest, the first half or so of 2021 wasn’t that bad. Life seemed to go on as usual and I was even starting to think that COVID wasn’t a problem for us anymore.

Vaccines were coming out; we couldn’t possibly go into another lockdown, could we? The mini lockdowns didn’t faze me, it never seemed like anything too serious. No, the real problem started on the 17th of August, when we found that fateful Delta case in Auckland.

I remember it being a Tuesday and during period 7 – English, Mr Villars came into the room telling us that we should bring our books home as there was a case in the community, and if it was Delta, it might be a while before we get back to school.

Thinking back to that day, we were talking about the possibility of only seeing each other again the next year, but I doubt any of us thought this was a realistic idea. As it was a Tuesday, I also had after-school chess, but just like I didn’t realise that it was the last ‘normal’ school day of 2021, I didn’t realise that this would be the last proper chess club of 2021. As I am writing this, it has been 91 days since our last day of ‘normal’ school, and as each day passes, I am slowly coming to the realisation that there are many people I won’t see until at least next year.

Chess is a hobby of mine and I know that I have talked about how online chess works before in at least one article, so I don’t think I have to repeat myself on that. What I will touch on though, are the effects playing almost exclusively online chess has had on me. For one, I’ve barely touched a real chess board in 13 weeks, and I haven’t played a single game that has lasted more than an hour. For comparison, when I’m at my club or a normal tournament with longer time controls, my average time is probably around two and a half hours and my longest was over five hours for a single game. The more I play casual tournaments and games, the more worried I become that I’ll forget what it’s like to play seriously. But I’m sure that, just like when lockdown ended last year, as soon as I sit down and start writing down the first moves on my sheet of paper, I’ll go back to my original, unworried, mindset. I suppose it hasn’t been all bad. Now that we’re stuck at home all day, I’m able to follow some of the biggest tournaments in the world and I have a lot more time to play.

All this, along with the fact that many plans to travel have been cancelled, and my fear of the future and living with COVID has made 2021 a pretty bad year for me, but we have to keep looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, even when the tunnel seems to drag on and on and on.

By Anya Thurner - Year 9 17

Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Isheeta’s Thoughts on 2021 It’s no secret that this year has been a difficult year for everyone. Altogether, we spent around 4 months in lockdown, while the rest of our time at school was relatively normal. I wanted to get the Sunderland perspective on 2021 so I asked around and interviewed staff members, including our principal and careers advisor, to see what they thought of this year.

The teachers here at ACG Sunderland have worked so hard throughout the year – as they normally would – throw COVID-19 into the mix and things get a bit more difficult. Teachers were forced to alter their teaching plans to make it easier for them to teach, and for students to adapt to online learning. More practical subjects such as the sciences and PE had some drastic changes. Students were unable to play sports together, or perform experiments for their coursework; leaving the teachers with slideshows, word documents, and videos to work with. Resources like Microsoft Teams and Blackboard were utilised to the best of their abilities to ensure the learning continued at home.

When asked how well they think students adapted and performed during lockdown, the common answer was that the entire school transitioned very well and remained engaged in their learning. Of course, not everything was perfect. There were glitches, technical difficulties and at-home distractions trying to disrupt everything. That being said, I think teachers being able to show off their homes, pets, and kids to their classes was an upside to online learning. Some teachers did find that lockdown brought on creative thinking for students as they found new ways to present work and work in groups. According to our wonderful careers’ advisor, lot of universities are bringing online work into their courses. So, while the situation may not have been ideal, it sure was a way to usher in a new way of thinking.

My view on 2021? I think that while my first year at ACG Sunderland was interrupted by lockdown quite a lot, it was actually an enjoyable experience for me. Within a month at the school, I felt welcome and had friends around me who I trusted. As a student transitioning from a New Zealand Curriculum to Cambridge and into a school that started college in Year 7, I was a little worried about how my performance would look. These worries were soon washed away by the support I got from my teachers and peers.

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Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Getting through lockdown was no easy feat. I’m a very social learner and I’m at my best when I’m around other people. We went from face-to-face to online learning within a matter of hours which I was very impressed with, compared to my experience at my former school. After around a month and a half, lockdown fatigue started to set in, and it was becoming harder for me to focus, but teachers found ways to keep classes engaging and I was able to keep in contact with my friends and classmates. There were many things keeping me down during our three months in lockdown, but it taught me to look for the silver lining in everything.

While I do have some trouble being optimistic, lockdown and being at ACG Sunderland has helped me progress from that stage and grow into a better person.

After speaking with the principal, it seems our plan for next year will remain the same as it was for our last two weeks of the year. Social distancing, mask use, and regular sanitising will be a common sight when we are in the Red Traffic Light, and possibly even Amber. Green will be our closest to normal, while the delta variant continues to spread through the community.

So, with this year now over and a new year fast approaching, it’s time to say good riddance to 2021 and hope for a better 2022.

Thank you to all the staff who agreed to be interviewed for this article!

By Isheeta Lal - Year 9

Maggie’s Thoughts on 2021 2021 was an eventful year, no doubt. The constant threat of lockdowns happening was extremely hard to deal with, and finally the fears came true as a lockdown was set into place. This lockdown ended up lasting three months which was enjoyable for some, and not so enjoyable for others.

2021 for me was pretty enjoyable, which was unexpected. I found the lockdown challenging with online classes and keeping track of everything, this admittedly was my only problem; it was unorganised and a mess keeping everything digital. The increased hours of screen time did not make it any easier too.

Straying from the online classes and lockdown, the school activities such as athletics day and swimming sports were enjoyable, when I returned to school I almost forgot how to function with the lack of social interaction.

Overall, 2021 was a rollercoaster, and despite there being good parts; I’m glad its ending soon!

By Maggie Chen - Year 8 19

Students Voice

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Jessie’s Thoughts on 2021 We all know that it’s been a rough year, so I don’t need to sugar-coat that. But having said that, there were also certain aspects that I did enjoy, from Battle of the Bands to just simply hanging out with my friends. Yes, the circumstances weren’t ideal, but I know for a fact that we all made the best of it. With that established, we can now look forward to the coming year of 2022 while reminiscing the memories we made in 2021.

By Jessie Wu - Year 9

Savera’s Thoughts on 2021 As I reflect on 2021 and the various ways it has affected my life, it is hard to look past the difficulties it has presented but equally exciting to look forward to 2022, a year of hope and fresh starts, (hopefully). I have loved all the support I have gotten from my parents and my teachers to improve and do better, and I feel that I have achieved a lot this year and I am looking forward to more opportunities in the near future to achieve greater things.

Once again, COVID has made everything challenging, and we haven’t been able to attend school for a long period of time. I think being at school in person is more productive and enjoyable than at home. Some people missed school and wanted to go back, whereas some people prefer to stay at home. Personally, I missed school, and I am thrilled to be back!

We had the longest lockdown this year, which we just managed to get out of right before the end of this academic year. I am glad we all are having less screen-time, and we are able to see our friends and teachers in person. I will miss doing Zoom lessons though, as we could wake up late, however, I am glad we are progressing forward with this whole COVID situation.

This year I had set myself some goals to achieve. Some examples of the goals I set were; improving at sports, academics and staying healthy in lockdown. I also tried my best to stay positive during this tough period of time, and sometimes it is hard, but we just need to have patience.

I hope 2022 will be more promising and we can have more freedom going out. On December 15th, Aucklanders will be able to leave the city and enjoy their summer break.

This means we can spend some quality time with our friends and family, which I am looking forward to. Bye to 2021, welcome 2022.

By Savera Sidhu - Year 8 20

Notices

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

ACG Sunderland is opening its new Preschool early in 2022.

There will be three main rooms that we are looking to name.

Infant Room Junior Room Senior Room We are running a competition and giving the students the opportunity to name these rooms similar to how the onsite Wings Café was named The theme is AVIATION You can email your room name choices along with your name and class for one or all three rooms to linda.storey@acgedu.com. Entries close Friday 17 December

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Term 4 Service Norwest Care Trust - Foodbank

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

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Notices

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Senior Tutorials

Tutorials are offered to students as a means to give extra support and guidance. The key to tutorials is be prepared.

Examples of what you could get help with and what you should bring but not limited to • • • • •

Review past exam questions Specific questions related to the course Practice essays Questions on your coursework Teacher is reviewing a specific area you are not confident in.

The key is being specific, remember staff like it when you are proactive. The tutorial is the opportunity to look closely at the requirements of a piece of work with the guidance of a staff member.

ACG Sunderland Students Invoices As mentioned in January, we moved to a new finance system at the start of the year. The implementation has gone smoothly and we’d like to thank parents who have amended their reference when making payment by bank transfer to the Communication Ref No. A small number of parents have not recognised the noreply-jde@inspirededu.com address that the invoices have been sent from, or have found that the emails have gone direct to junk. If you can please check these points if information is not coming through and, as always, please contact Mandy Allen at mandy.allen@acgedu.com or 09 838 7070 if you have any accounts questions.

No Cheque payments from 22 June 2021 ACG Sunderland will not be accepting or issuing cheques from Tuesday 22 June 2021. Payments need to be made online or over the counter with Eftpos or Credit Cards (2% surcharge).

Please note that both the café and reception cannot provide any cash-out services.

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Notices

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

UBIQ has taken the decision to not proceed with second-hand buyback purchasing for the 2022 academic year.

This is not a decision they have taken lightly as they feel it is a valuable service to provide to the students, and families attending ACG. However, in light of recent and ongoing outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 in the community and subsequent alert level changes, they strongly feel the need for ongoing caution and care. Even more so given the size of the campus we are based on, and recent cases that created exposure events on campus.

For this reason, UBIQ are uncomfortable putting their staff, ACG students and their families in a position of risk.

UBIQ sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this will cause and look forward to a safer 2022.

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Notices

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

ACG Sunderland Ball Committee are fundraising – please support them!

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Ground Crew Lenco School Wear Shop 40 Patiki Road Avondale Auckland Tel 09 838 6164

2021 Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm Saturday from 9.00am to 1.00pm 2022 Open 10 January to 12 February Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 5.30pm Saturday from 9.00am – 3.00pm From 12 February Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm Saturday from 9.00am to 1.00pm Closed Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday and Public Holidays As a reminder all school uniform continues to be available for purchase online on our Lenco website https://lenco.space/schoolwear/school-wear-acgsunderland/

Kids at School Care Kids at School Care operates in G02, Monday to Friday, from 7.00am to 8.20am and 3.10pm to 5.45pm. They also run a Holiday Programme.

Contact Beth Rivero for enrolment and fees information by email beth.rivero@gmail.com or Phone: 022 394 5743.

Staff Emails Email format for staff is: Firstname.Surname@acgedu.com

Lunch Orders – From Libelle You can order your child's yummy and healthy lunches at www.lunchorders.co.nz. Cut off time for ordering same day is at 8.30am. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Lunch Orders team via email on lunchorders@libelle.co.nz or flick a message on the Lunch Orders FB Messenger. Happy Lunch Ordering!

No cash-out service available.

ACG Sunderland 09 838 7070 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson, Auckland

Sunderland Second-Hand Uniform Shop The shop is open. Please ask at reception for access.

We are taking good quality uniform items for the second-hand shop. Blazers must be dry cleaned.

Lost Property All lost property can be found by the Second-Hand Uniform Shop.

For your best interest, please name all clothing, lunch boxes and drink bottles, as we will return all named items to the student’s homeroom teacher.

School Contact Details School Office: Phone: 838 7070 Address: 6 Waipareira Ave, Henderson Waitakere 0610 Email:

sunderland@acgedu.com

Attendance:

sunderlandattendance@acgedu.com

Web:

www.acgedu.com

2021 Term Dates Term 4:

11 October to 7 December

2022 Term Dates Term 1: Term 2: Term 3: Term 4:

26 Jan to 14 April 2 May to 1 July 25 July to 23 September 10 October to 6 December

Traffic- Safety Please note that numbered car parks are for staff.

Please do not park in the carparks.

Contacting School Bus Drivers

Please do not ring or text the drivers after 7.15am as they will not be checking their cell phones while they are driving. Thank you for your support.

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