No 8 8 June 2018

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Families

This weekend we ask for God’s blessings on our students who are making their Confirmation and First Holy Communion, in our Parish Church.

Confirmation is the second Sacrament of Initiation. At Confirmation we receive the Holy Spirit, which helps us to become good Christians.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life. A great gift and food for the journey. Preparing a child to receive the Body and Blood of Christ for the first time is an important step in living up to the promises parents made at the time of the child’s Baptism.

“May you always know the peace of Jesus,

the light of His love, and the joy of His life within you.”

School Uniform
Wearing our school uniform correctly is part of who we are, and shows that we have pride in our school. It has been great to see the majority of our students wearing the winter uniform correctly. Just a reminder that undershirts/singlets are not to be seen above the school shirt neckline. Well done to the students who are keeping their shoes polished themselves without Mum/Dad having to do this!

Parent Reporting
All students in Years 4-6 will receive a mid year report on Friday 15 June. Parents of children in Years 0-3 will be advised if your child has reached a ‘time at school’ milestone and is due to also receive a report.

The reports will be posted on the parent portal which is accessible through the school website. A letter will be sent to parents of all students receiving a report with more information.

Parent conferences will take place on Thursday 21 June from 2-8pm. Parents will be notified when the bookings are open.

Keeping Ourselves Safe Programme
The police programme ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’ will be taught in classes from Week 8 of this term. All the lessons are based around keeping children safe. Constable Green has been in for a staff meeting and worked with the staff. Your child’s teacher will be teaching the programme and Constable Green will be visiting each class.

The Year 0-3 programme has five focus areas:

I am Unique
My Body is my own
Dealing with unwanted behaviour and touch
Adults who help
Nikau and Mokomoko game

The Year 4-6 programme has five focus areas:

Confident Me
Safe or Unsafe
No excuse for abuse
Why should I tell
What I have learnt

Please refer to the police website for more information. Simply google ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’

NZEI Paid Union Meetings

You may be aware of the nationwide crisis in recruiting and retaining teachers.
While there are many more children coming into the school system, there are not enough new teachers being trained. Urgent and significant changes are needed to ensure that the teaching profession can attract the people it needs and to ensure class sizes do not start to increase.
Teachers from our school will be attending a NZEI Te Riu Roa paid union meeting regarding the Kua Tae Te Wā – It’s Time campaign. The campaign aims to free teachers to teach and principals to lead, by getting the additional support and staff that schools need. The meetings will allow our teachers to discuss how the Ministry of Education has responded to changes that the union is seeking.
A large number of our teaching staff are members of NZEI and are legally entitled to attend this meeting. The teachers will attend one paid union meeting at 2pm on Monday 18 June OR Wednesday 27 June. We are going to buddy up classes to help with supervision of the students, so half the staff are able to attend the first meeting and half the staff the other meeting.
If you’re free to pick up your child from school at 1.30pm on these days, this would be greatly appreciated. Please sign your child out at the school office, if you’re able to do this.
We appreciate that this creates some inconvenience for families. However, we encourage you to support the teachers as they strive to achieve the changes which will safeguard quality education for all children and ensure we make teaching an attractive profession for graduates.

Winter Sickness

As per the Ministry of Health website:

‘To stop sickness from spreading, it is important to keep your child at home when they are ill, and not let them go to school.’  Many illnesses are infectious and can be spread throughout our school community.

When not to attend school

• FEVER is a symptom of illness.   Stay home at least 24 hours after fever has settled.   Normal body temperature is around 37.0 degrees celsius.
• Students must stay home when vomiting or experiencing diarrhoea.  Again, you have to be clear of symptoms for 24 hours before coming back to school.
• Rashes can be contagious, especially when a fever is also present.   See your Doctor and do not come to school until the doctor gives the all clear.  

You can prevent spread and protect yourself by:

• Washing and drying your hands well  –  after using the toilet and before eating
• Cover and Cough  –  Cover your mouth when you cough, discard tissue promptly and wash hands
• Drink water  –  8 glasses a day is the recommendation
• Get a good night’s sleep  –  8-10 hours is recommended

PLEASE if your child looks truly sick, keep them at home to stop the bugs spreading.

Thank you to everyone for supporting our wonderful school.

Ngā mihi nui

Sue Kubala
Acting Principal

DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES (DRS) REPORT

Congratulations to the children and families receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and 1st Holy Communion this weekend. The following children will be Confirmed by Bishop Pat on Friday night then receive 1st Holy Communion at masses over the weekend. Thanks to Linda Lehrke and her team for helping to prepare the children.

What it means to be a Catholic
Last week Father Terry met with a group of parents who are interested in finding out more about what it means to be Catholic. Father Terry’s group will be meeting in the Parish Centre, Parkhill Road, on Wednesday afternoons at 1:30pm.  Anyone interested is welcome to join.

Jammies in June
Our parish will be collecting new pyjamas for children under the age of 15 for KidzFirst.  Donations of pyjamas can be either dropped in the foyer of the church or here at the school office. Thank you for your support.

Manaakitia te katoa

Share your gifts with others

Prayer Intention: 

Spirit of God, help us to respond generously to the needs of others in thoughts, words and deeds.

Detta Fairweather
DRS

 BOT REPORT

Nau mai, haere mai.

It is hard to believe that we are into week five of term two already. Your Board of Trustees met for the first time this term last Tuesday evening and continued with its regular programme of reviewing our children’s progress and our progress towards meeting our charter and annual plan goals, learner achievement, special character and finance and property matters.

Your Board was excited to be able to review our draft special character review forwarded by the Catholic Schools Office. Our school community can be very proud about the outcome of the review. Thank you to everyone who has put so much work into developing our special character over the last three years, particularly Carmel Platt and Detta Fairweather, and to our children who are capable witnesses of our special character in action. The Catholic Schools Office is currently finalising the review. We will post the final review document on our website so you can all read the findings as soon as we receive the final document.

Your Board was very pleased to give the go ahead to the creation of a loose parts shed for our lower court near the sandpit (subject to Diocesan approval). The loose parts shed concept has grown out of the concept that children can learn through play. If we give children a collection of (what we might call junk) children will seize the moment and create their own rich learning opportunities using the “junk” as props. These learning opportunities stimulate and develop children’s interpersonal skills, communication skills, creativity and oral language skills as they use their imaginations to transform the “junk” into objects beyond your Board’s own imagining. Additionally, your children’s play time will be a lot more fun! If you are interested in finding out more about the concept of loose parts play, please take the opportunity to have a look at the following videos about loose parts uploaded at:

https://outdoorclassroomday.com/2017/03/28/loose-parts-in-play/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pot8EhKUdl

Finally, your Board approved the audited annual financial statements for your school for 2017 which showed a small surplus. We are very happy that our school has been able to deliver significant improvements to our children’s learning environment and achievement, such as refurnishing the senior classrooms and draining the field, while remaining in surplus. Your Board would like to thank our senior management team, our executive officer Sue Yandell, and our PTA whose generous contributions to our school funds have helped to make this possible.

Our next Board meeting will be held in the staffroom at 6:30p.m. on Tuesday 26 June 2018. You are all very welcome to attend. I will report on our meeting in my next Board report.

Atua e manaaki.

Stephen McKenzie

Chair on behalf of your Board of Trustees.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK 2018-19 

Could all Entertainment Books please be returned to the school by this coming Monday 11 June.

If you wish to purchase a book or digital version ($70 price –  donation to school $14) please complete the form below and return to the office or go onto the Entertainment Book information at the end of this newsletter to purchase online.

Thank you for your continued support

NEWS FROM INFORMATION CENTRE

Book Week 18th – 22nd June

GRANDPARENTS

Throughout the week children will be involved in lots of fun literacy activities in their classes celebrating these wonderful people and significant other loved ones.

Here is our schedule of wider school events for Book Week this year.

Monday:

8:30 – 9:00am Scholastic Book Fair

Lunchtime guest reader

1:20pm Shared story over the loud speaker after lunch

2:30 – 3:00pm Scholastic Book Fair

Tuesday:

8:30 – 9:00am Scholastic Book Fair

Lunchtime guest reader: Matt Green, Police officer

Afternoon: Junior school author visit Heather Haylock (Granny McFlitter the champion knitter)

2018 Finalist Picture Book of the Year NZ Children Book Awards

2:30 -3:00pm Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday:

8:30 – 9:00am Scholastic Book Fair

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Favourite book character parade

•     Grandparents and significant other loved ones are invited to attend

9:30 – 10:00am Grandparents and significant other loved ones are welcome to have a cup of tea and visit the Book Fair with their grandchild/grandchildren

Lunchtime guest reader: Karon Hazlehurst Senior Librarian, Highland Park library

1:00 – 1:45pm Middle school author visit David Riley

1:45 – 2:30pm Senior School author visit David Riley

David Riley is an Auckland teacher and author who is passionate about encouraging children to read. His book series include topics such as sports history, reading legends and Pasifika heroes and his presentation will be a motivational one focusing on why reading is important.

David will share stories of people whose lives have been changed by reading, one being Kiwi NBA player Steven Adams. He will also show the students how reading is a part of the All Blacks and Warriors lives as well.

Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend his presentation.

Find out more about David Riley from his website https://readingwarrior.com/

2:30 -3:00pm Scholastic Book Fair

Thursday

8:30 – 9:00am Scholastic Book Fair

Lunchtime guest reader

1:20pm Shared story over the loud speaker after lunch

2:30 – 8:00pm Scholastic Book Fair is open in the afternoon and evening during conferences.

Friday

Lunchtime guest reader

1:20pm Shared story over the loud speaker after lunch

Photo wall – Grandparents: sharing stories

We’d love to build a photo wall of children reading with their grandparents. If children could bring in a special photo like this from next week onwards (a copy, which can be stapled to the wall etc), we can start building this wonderful display.

Information Centre is open every Friday morning 8:30am

A reminder that the Information Centre is now open every Friday morning before school. Make the most of this opportunity to pop in, browse through the books and borrow from our Parent Choice Collection.

NZ Writers Quiz 2018

We are pleased to announce the following students will be representing our school at this event on Wednesday 27thJune at Baverstock Oaks School.

They are required to read and have a thorough knowledge of 16 books written by New Zealand authors.

Congratulations and good luck to:

Lucy Street, Joy Gao, Raoul Mascarenhas, Simon Smith, Jordan Yang, Wesley Lau, Preston Tee, Joshua Rhee.

NEWS FROM OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Mangrove Trip – Room 23 and 19

The Mud
Walking in the mud with heavy gumboots, getting mud everywhere – even in your mouth. Falling over with Keani in sucking mud,  several times under the bridge. Squashing mangroves under your feet, breaking branches by mistake. Washing gumboots makes you tired, eating sandwiches to recover. Sitting on the seaside eating lunch having fun and finding crabs.

 by Dominic Franso

Splosh !!!!     
Splish! Splosh!  Oh no my new gumboots are stuck. I was trying to wriggle my way out, but I was sinking into the mud, descending lower and lower. I used all of my strength to pull myself out but I couldn’t, so I stepped out of my gumboots. But my gumboots kept on sinking down into the mud without my feet. I finally dug out my gumboots, but then I realized I had sunk even lower. I was raging with anger at myself. Eventually  I pushed myself out of the sloshy mud. I was covered from head to toe and totally drenched with mud. My group went home early to clean ourselves up. Who knew that this day would end up like this.

by Maia Tay-Morrison

SCHOOL FEES

School Fees Term 2.  Statements have been emailed  and payment is due 20.06.2018.     If you have not commenced payments for the year, please contact Sue Yandell in confidence to discuss your account.

Message from Sancta Maria College

SPORTS RESULTS  –  INTERSCHOOL

NETBALL

J2 Star of the Sea 10 vs Pakuranga Heights 11

SOCCER

Star of the Sea 0  vs  Pigeon Mountain 1

REMINDERS

Friendly Reminders Term 2

Please be courteous to all when you are dropping your child off or picking them up after school.  We have been disappointed to hear that not everyone is showing respect to other parents. We all need to be good role models and at our school we do this through our shared values of Service, Respect, Courage, Resilience and Justice

If your child is absent from school for any reason you must either complete an online report an absence form or phone the office and leave a message or use the school website ‘Absence’ line. Please leave a specific reason for the absence i.e. if the child is sick please specify the sickness e.g. cold, vomiting etc. If the child is absent from school due to sickness for more than three days, a medical certificate is required. For any holiday or overseas travel please email our Acting Principal Mrs Sue Kubala at [email protected]

Car parking
Please be considerate when street parking near the school. We have received complaints from neighbours regarding parking across driveways.

Lunches
When ordering online please make sure your child’s order has the correct room number as  a few lunches have gone to incorrect rooms.

Lost Property
The lost property cupboard is by Room 1 entrance. You are welcome to check this at any time as it is open all day.

Uniform shop
Open every Thursday 8.30 – 9.00 a.m. and 2.30-3 p.m. (during school term)

Bizzybodz
Before and Afterschool care – 021837977 for bookings

New Lunch Menu Update – Tuckshop
For our updated Lunch Menu for the tuck shop. Please see ‘LUNCHES’ under the Parent Information tab on website.  There will no longer be SUSHI due to lack of orders.

HELPING HANDS

Helping Hands has been part of Our Lady Star of the Sea’s culture for quite some time.  It is where our school community comes together to help those in stressful situations i.e. a parent or grand parent being very ill, a family bereavement or a new born baby to the family.

We would like those in need to know we care!  If you would like to be a part of this wonderful group of caring people who are called upon once or twice a year to either make a meal, bake a cake, transport children to/from school or utilise your gardening skills please fill out the form (click the word ‘form’) and return to the office.   Please add your contact number.

As we all know – “we are in this together”.

If we can assist your family or if you hear of any family in our school community please let the office know.

Thank you

Helping Hands Team

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

Support Our Lady Star of the Sea School and you’ll be rewarded!

We are raising funds for our School and you can help. Order the NEW 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Book or Entertainment Digital Membership and you will receive hundreds of valuable offers for everything you love to do, and you will also be supporting our School.

SUPPORT US NOW BY CLICKING HERE

COMMUNITY NOTICES

HCYT JULY SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME:  UNDERWATER ADVENTURES

10 days of art, craft and drama activities around the theme.  The cost is $25 per child per day.  The programme runs at 29 Granger Road in Howick from 9am till 3pm, but children can be dropped off any time from 8am at no extra cost.  Please email [email protected] or phone 537 4943 to make a booking.

Keep your budding Chef entertained these holidays!

Do you have an eager Chef at your school?  International Culinary Studio provides the perfect programme to develop your child’s culinary skills from the comfort of their own kitchen.

Our Junior Chef at Home programme provides children, aged 8-16, with an insight into the culinary world, developing many of the cooking, baking and technical skills they will need if they decide to turn their passion into a career.

Your student will move through this self-paced programme in around 20 hours, and enjoy regular online interaction with our Chef Instructors.

No need for Fancy Equipment or Expensive Ingredients
Learn about Health, Safety, & Hygiene in the Kitchen
Receive Feedback from our Chef Instructors
Interactive Recipes and Videos
Choose from Cooking or Baking or do both
Enter the Mystery Basket challenge and you could win a prize!

Enrol your Junior Chef today!

International Culinary Studio is offering your students a chance to enrol this school holiday at a discounted rate of $20 per student per course. The school with the most enrolments will receive a culinary hamper worth $500, which will be donated to their school for fundraising, a raffle or whatever purpose they choose.*

See the full details of the Junior Chef Programme on our website HERE

For more information, request for info packs or posters for your school, please email Tracy Kruger on tracy@internationalculinarystu dio.com

*Terms & Conditions Apply

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