5th March 2012 Dear Parents/Caregivers, This term the Year 8 children will be studying the Rocky Shore,

and as part of this unit we have planned a visit to the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre at Portobello. During this visit the children will be able to view and learn more about a range of marine plants and animals. They will also have the thorough scientific knowledge of the aquarium staff at their disposal. Our classroom unit will be largely based around the visit to the aquarium and this visit will ensure the children develop a full understanding of the rocky shore. This year we have also extended the focus at the aquarium and will also have the excitement of dissecting a Squid! Room 4 is scheduled to visit the Marine Studies Centre on Thursday 15th March. We will be leaving school at 8.45am on Thursday 15th March, with an expected return time of 3.00pm. The course at the aquarium runs from 9:30 to 12:00, then we will have lunch and depending on weather and available transport we will visit Sandfly Bay. We will have fun on the sand dunes, walk along the beach, and observe the Hooker Sea lions / yellow eyed penguins which live on and around the point. (This part of the trip is dependent on the weather!) For this day, your child will need to bring, a back pack, a hearty packed lunch and two drinks. They can dress in sports mufti. It is often cool and windy on the Portobello peninsula so children need to dress warmly. They also need to wear sturdy shoes with covered toes inside the aquarium (gym shoes). The cost for this trip is $10.00 per student. This includes the charge for the Marine Studies Centre and a small donation towards petrol for the parents/caregivers who provide transport. The $6.00 from the cancelled Year 8 Triathlon will go towards this so the balance due is $4.00 to be paid before the trip. Please complete the slip and return it as soon as possible to give your child permission and to let me know if you can help out with transport and supervision. Yours sincerely, Andrew Sloan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Room 4s Portobello Visit I give permission for to attend the aquarium visit to Portobello and include the sum of $10.00 ($4 if you had already paid for the triathlon). Name Signature I would love to come and can provide a car and help with transport and supervision on this day. Yes / No Contact Phone Number. Number of children I can transport