IN THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
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NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Families,
Welcome to our penultimate newsletter of the year.
It was wonderful to be able to go to Mass last weekend for the first time in 108 days, with our Parish Church opened up under Red Light conditions. This Sunday we celebrate the third week of advent as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas.
It is great to see a growing number of students coming back to school on their allocated house days. This week, as a special treat coming up to the end of the year, our attending children had a great time on the waterslide which was set up on the hill between our two fields. Add to this a pizza lunch and it really did feel like a decent replacement for our missed end of year outings!
End of Year Celebrations at OLSOS
I would like to reiterate the information previously shared with our plans to mark the end of our school year this year, bearing in mind we are under such heavy heavy health and safety restrictions due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
We are creating an end-of-year video celebration which will be posted on a private youtube link on Monday 13th December for all families at OLSOS to enjoy. This video will feature our prizegiving with class awards, overall awards and senior trophies, as well as announcing our 2022 house captain school leaders. Keep an eye on your inbox on Monday evening as the link will be sent to you via email.
We are also creating a Year 6 Leavers video which will be posted on a private youtube link on Tuesday 14th December. This video will include a liturgy and blessing of our Year 6 leavers candles, our Year 6 leavers will be acknowledged as well as those families who are leaving us after many years of association at the end of this year. The link to this video will also be sent to families of our graduates via email.
NB: PRIVACY NOTIFICATION FINAL CALL These videos will be shared widely amongst our community. If you do not wish your child’s photo and name to appear in this video should they receive a prize or acknowledgment in this clip please email [email protected].
- Year 6 graduates on-site will receive their pre-blessed leaver’s candles on either Friday 10th December or Tuesday 14th December according to the house attendance schedule.
- Year 6 graduates who are continuing their learning from home will be invited to a ‘drive through’ graduation between 11 am and 12.30 pm on Tuesday 14th December. As they drive through our bus bay, fellow Year 5 and 6’s in attendance that day, and our senior school teachers will cheer our graduates on as they are given their leavers candle and their classroom items to take home for the end of the year.
- Those families in Years 1 to 5 who are continuing their learning from home will have had the opportunity to ‘click and collect’ their children’s personal stationery and any school books today. Any still here can be collected on Monday or Tuesday next week.
Please put these important dates in your diary.
2021 Staff Farewells
At the end of this year we bid farewell to several much loved staff members.
Jane Cole has worked as an academic support staff member for over 12 years at OLSOS, supporting the learning needs of a number of students as they grew through the school. Jane is off on new adventures as she moves to a rural life-style block south of Auckland.
We bid farewell to Andrea Begunk after 9 years as a classroom teacher with us. Andrea has won a team leader position at Sancta Maria Primary in 2022. We will still see Andrea as she retains her Kahui Ako Across School Teacher role and will therefore be working on site with us each Thursday next year.
We also bid farewell to Michelle Barnett after 5 years teaching at OLSOS. Michelle is off to pursue roles in the administration sector in 2022.
Cecilia Clifford leaves us after 4 years. She first began as an academic support staff member and then two years ago joined our administration team.
Lastly we also bid farewell to Jinny McNae after 18 months as our music tutor. We wish her luck as she begins teacher training in 2022.
All of these staff members have contributed enormously to our school. We thank them sincerely for their service and wish them all of God’s blessings as they embark on new adventures.
COLA Update
We have confirmation that our Covered Outdoor Learning Area will be completed over the 2021/2022 summer holidays. This is very exciting news for our school community after a very long wait due to covid. Once this is installed we will be able to progress the next part of our plan which is to put turf under it with updated basketball/netball hoops. This will be completed during the year in 2022. Thank you all for your patience while we waited for the COLA to go ahead.
2022 Classroom Teachers
2022 will begin with the following classroom teachers. Unlike our usual practice of posting 2022 classes at school at this time of year, due to covid restrictions on-site, you will have received notification in a letter of your child’s class for next year today, alongside your child’s report.
| Junior Team | ||
| Mrs Lesley Benjamin | Room 10 | New Entrant/ Year 1 |
| Miss Alice Shin | Room 9 | Year 1 |
| Miss Brooke Curtain | Room 7 | Year 2 |
| Miss Lee Marten | Room 8 | Year 2 |
| Middle Team | ||
| Miss Laura Bentley | Room 17 | Year 3 |
| Mrs Robyn Fromont | Room 16 | Year 3 |
| Mrs Denise Bailey | Room 13 | Year 3 / 4 |
| Mrs Tracey Elder | Room 14 | Year 4 |
| Mrs Maria Kelly | Room 15 | Year 4 |
| Senior Team | ||
| Mrs Rebecca Sentch | Room 18 | Year 5 / 6 |
| Mrs Helen Burger | Room 19 | Year 5 / 6 |
| Mrs Heather Collins | Room 21 | Year 5 / 6 |
| Mrs Zahira Salejee | Room 22 | Year 5 / 6 |
| Mrs Ruth Holt | Room 23 | Year 5 / 6 |
Ngā mihi nui and cǐ zhì jìng lǐ,
Louise Campbell
Principal
NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Joy is our overarching concept focus for 2021 and JOY is the focus of the third week of Advent. How beautiful. The pink candle of Advent, reminds us of the pink of the sky before sunrise, the promise, the hope and the JOY that a new day can bring. Advent invites us to stop and reflect on the promise, the hope and the JOY of Christmas. The JOY of knowing Jesus’ birth is imminent, today, now, this Christmas, in our hearts. This year has been a year of disruption and disharmony, fear and worry. In this third week of Advent, we pray that our focus will shift to the JOY of Jesus in our lives. We have all been blessed with so many things, the challenge is to stop and recognise them, then give thanks for them all. A wise man once said,’ Cheer up… and tell your face.’ Pope Francis invites us to reflect on how we share the JOY of being a Christian with others. A simple smile is a great start.
If your child received the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation this year, their certificate is ready for you to collect from the parish office. Please contact Linda on 534 8710 or [email protected]
Wishing you all the blessings of Advent
Detta Fairweather
Director of Religious Studies
The NZ Catholic Staff have provided us, free of charge, a digital link to the latest issue of NZ Catholic. This issue has been produced by NZ Catholic’s staff, from our homes.
https://indd.adobe.com/view/ec3d8d91-1f86-4c52-948e-16a861c4ab70
Some headlines for this issue: Masses celebrated under traffic light system. SVdP toy shop in Wellington. Replica planned for damaged bishop’s chair. Redefining obedience to stop spiritual abuse.
NEWS FROM THE BOARD
Kia ora OLSOS Whanau,
I would like to extend love and blessings to all the families moving on to other schools at the end of the school year on behalf of the Board and to all the families who remain you have all navigated a difficult year of interruption’s, due to the pandemic and have coped incredibly well.
My own whanau will be completing their schooling journey with Star however we will remain a part of the Parish Community and I will continue to serve on the Board.
We have learnt that when you become a part of Star you never seem to go too far away.
On the property front we would like to share some Essential Property Maintenance Programme Updates:
Several projects have been submitted and we are awaiting for approval for these to go ahead.
- Boundary fencing replacement
- Bathroom upgrade to the middle boy’s toilet
- Replace and extend concrete landing onto our school field
- Replace wall linings in the admin block with Autex
- Replace outdoor seating in our quadrangle area
Our outdoor Stations of the Cross have been installed. The blessing will now be held in 2022 as due to the pandemic interruptions this has not gone ahead as planned.
The Board has approved a Teacher Only Day in Term 1 2022. This Teacher Only Day will be on Friday 25th February.
The Board has also approved and endorsed the decision to donate the Gala items donated and received to families in need.
Lastly, we want to thank the Staff for upholding the learning, nurturing and development of all our children and their dedication to support families during this time.
From your Board
Nga mihi nui mo te Kirihimete – Wishing you a very happy Christmas!
Chontelle Bidois
Parent Representative
NEWS FROM THE PTA
STATIONERY 2022
Don’t wait, order back to school stationery now!
We’ve teamed up with OfficeMax to make getting school ready faster! Our back to school stationery lists are already loaded and ready to go on the OfficeMax MySchool website.
We encourage you to order early to ensure your child has all their stationery requirements ready to go in plenty of time for the start of Term 1. Don’t wait until mid-January, order now and avoid the back to school rush.
Laybuy* is also available, so you can pay in 6 weekly, interest-free payments – and still get your order right away.
It’s easy …
Shop online at myschool.co.nz. – select your child’s class and follow the instructions on the easy-to-use website
or
Go direct https://www.myschool.co.nz/Starofthesea
If you prefer you can call the OfficeMax MySchool team on 0800 724 440 Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5pm.
OfficeMax makes it easy to get back to school ready with these great benefits
- Free delivery on orders over $46*
- Pay now or in easy instalments – internet banking, credit cards, debit cards or pay in 6 weekly, interest-free payments with Laybuy*
- School Rewards – when you shop on myschool.co.nz we earn rewards* that can be used to purchase extra resources for school
- Price match promise – shop with confidence, if you find a lower price OfficeMax will match it*
- Save valuable holiday time – avoid queues and busy shopping malls by shopping online from the safety and comfort of your home
* Terms & Conditions apply, see myschool.co.nz for details.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the school office (09) 5380195 if you have any queries about OfficeMax MySchool. We look forward to your child having a successful start to the new school year!
UNIFORMS 2022
Online ordering of uniforms for next year can be made any time but no later than Friday 21st January. Please download the form, complete your order including student names, and email to [email protected]. Payment details are on the bottom of the order form.
https://www.starofthesea.school.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Uniform-Order-Form-for-online-1.pdf
When these orders have been paid for and filled, families will be contacted with ‘click and collect’ times to pick items up from school during the week of 24th January 2022. For those who need to try uniform items for size, the shop will be open by appointment only on Thursday 27th January. If you wish to make an appointment please email the school office at [email protected].
NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION CENTRE
LIBRARY BOOKS RETURN – Urgent
There are a large number of library books still outstanding. Could these please be returned urgently to the pink bin which is outside the office.
Thank you.
KEY DATES
TERM DATES
| Term 1 Starts | |
| Term 1 Finishes | |
| Term 2 Starts | |
| Term 2 Finishes | |
| Term 3 Starts | |
| Term 3 Finishes | |
| Term 4 Starts | |
| Term 4 Finishes |
COMMUNITY NOTICES
SCHOOL LUNCHES AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOL
KELLY SPORTS HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES – DECEMBER 2021 and JANUARY 2022
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