Kia Ora, Ni Hao, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Malo e lelei, Kia Orana, and Bula Vinaka Whānau,

Welcome to our second newsletter of 2025. The new year is well and truly underway with exciting and excellent initiatives already coming to fruition across our school programmes as you will see evidenced in this news-filled newsletter.

Parish Connect
We look forward to learning more about the learnings that came from our parish consultation undertaken last year under the guidance of Fr Richard Shortall. The outcomes and ideas around what this means for the future of our parish will be shared at Masses across the month of March.
We ask for your ongoing prayers, not only for our Pope as he is gravely ill, but also for our amazing Parish Priest Fr John as he faces ongoing challenges with his heart. Fr John, our love and prayers are with you.

Please  follow this link to view this Sunday’s readings.

Year 6 Camp What an experience for our amazing Year 6 cohort up at Camp Bentzon on Kawau Island last week. No doubt you have all seen the great photos that were posted on our website landing page daily as the camp activities unfolded. I can attest to the great time had by all and the exhaustion levels of both children and adults as they got off the bus at 5.45pm on Friday evening last week! This camp could not go ahead without the incredible organisational skills of Karen Noble-Campbell who, once again, organised an incredible 5 day experience for our Year 6 leaders, as well as the incredible support and dedication of Denise Bailey and Laura Bentley, our two teachers who went along to co-run the camp. 14 amazing parents gave up a week of their time to also attend and support our young learners. This is no mean feat for these parents and we also thank them from the bottom of our hearts, alongside the Parents Committee who raised funds to pay for the parent helpers to attend. What an incredible community, coming together for the betterment of our students – God is good! See later in this newsletter for more photos and student contributions.

Year 5 EOTC Week While Year 6 were at camp, the Year 5 cohort enjoyed varied Education Outside The Classroom activities, from STEM activities through to orienteering, tent and waterslide activities and a trip to the Stardome – a great week of learning to be had by them too, with thanks to Tracey Elder and Ailsa Thorpe for their organisation of the week for our Year 5s.

Y1 to 4 EOTC Day Not to be outdone by our campers and Year 5s, our Year 1 to 4 cohorts also had an EOTC day last week which included the waterslide and other great activities around the school.

Lunchtime structure trial – Play first then ‘read and feed’ This week, you may have noticed that your children have come home with a greater amount of lunch having been eaten at school. We are hoping this is the case, as we trial a play first, then eat lunchtime model. The initiative is designed to support the wellbeing of our students, many of whom rush through eating (or eat little of their lunch) in order to get out to play as soon as possible. In swapping the playtime and lunch eating around, the children eat after they have played, before heading into class for their afternoon of learning. We anticipate fewer sore tummy episodes as children are not running around on a full stomach so quickly after eating, and children more prepared for an afternoon of learning having actually eaten a decent lunch before they begin learning. We welcome feedback from parents on what changes they see as a result of this trial.

Curriculum Insights: Resources to support the implementation of the new Mathematics Curriculum You will have seen in the media lots of talk lately regarding the new english and maths curriculum areas that have been brought on-line this year. There has been news about schools not receiving the maths resources or tools to support the implementation, however, we are pleased to say that our resources have arrived, are in classes and are being utilised as we look to immerse ourselves in the delivery of the new maths curriculum. Our classes are deploying the Maths No Problem suite of tools to support the delivery of the curriculum. This resource follows the Mastery Approach to teaching maths which stems from high performing nations such as Singapore. This evidence based approach to teaching maths enables children to develop a deep, long term and adaptable understanding of maths. It is an inclusive approach that builds self confidence in learners. The mastery method of teaching maths uses the CPA Approach, (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) which was developed by American psychologist Jerome Brunner. You will see Maths No Problem workbooks and manuals in our classrooms and, increasingly you will hear your child/ren talking about the work they are undertaking through lesson structures that include Explore Tasks, Master Activities and Guided Practice. 

As the year progresses we will share more insights into the new Maths and English Curriculum and further details about resources that are supporting our journey. At our up coming Parent Teacher Interviews there will be opportunities to interact with the resources for parents in our Information Centre and we will provide model lessons for families at a parent information evening later in the year. You will note that the two new curriculum will start to change the language around how we report progress and achievement over time with anticipated assessment supports expected to be available by the end of this year for use in 2026 going forward.
In this year of transition from the old national curriculum and corresponding assessments to these two new curriculum documents in particular, we know that you will be patient as we grow in knowledge and experience in the delivery and reporting processes that are new to us all.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and blessed fortnight ahead, before we share more news in our next newsletter.

Ngā mihi nui, Tōfa soifua, ‘Alu ā, cǐ zhì jìng lǐ, Koe Kia, and Vinaka vaka levu,

Louise Campbell
Principal

                                                                          JUBILEE YEAR OF HOPE

Pope Francis encourages us to deepen our faith through pilgrimage, prayer, the sacrament of Reconciliation, and works of mercy during the Jubilee year. Each of these practices embodies the year’s themes of mercy, healing, and renewal.

“Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future will bring.”

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It is a time for us to stop and reflect on where we are in our walk with God. It helps us to identify areas in our life which are in need of change. As the Ashes are placed on our forehead, in the sign of Christ’s cross, we are encouraged to turn away from sin and turn towards God.  

Ashes are an external sign of our desire to do that. Each student will receive the Ashes during a special  liturgy in the school hall 11:15am Wednesday 5 March. Our parish will be offering Mass with the distribution of Ashes at 6:00am, 9:15am and 7pm. We encourage you all to attend one of these celebrations.

Starting next week there will be two new opportunities in our parish during the weeks of Lent. Every week there will be a 6am Mass so that working people might have the opportunity to attend a weekday Mass during Lent. Also, every Friday night the parish will gather to reflect and pray the Stations of the Cross at 7pm.  

                                       Lenten Challenge 

Our parish Saint Vincent de Paul food bank cupboards are presently bare. Throughout the weeks of  Lent we will be collecting donations for our parish foodbank as part of our  annual Lenten Challenge – ‘We Can Bring a Can.’ This is one of our major Christian Witness outreach activities where we can easily put our faith into action. Through the small action of donating an item of food, our young learners come to know more about two of the corporal works of Mercy – feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty. Please give generously to support the members of our community who are struggling with feeding their families. Thank you.

“We are a Christ centred community
fostering belonging (whanaungatanga)
and outreach
through selfless giving (manaakitanga)
in Mary’s Way”.

Alina Hooper on behalf of Your Board

Introducing our new Board members

Tēnā koutou katoa
Ke Kataronia
Kei Tāmaki Makaurau au e noho ana
He Team Manager au i Manatu Ahu Matua
Ko Jordi Boix-i-Coll au.

Hi all, my name is Jordi Boix-i-Coll proud father of two girls attending Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Ara in room 23 and Jana in room 5.

I have been recently appointed by the Catholic Diocese of Auckland as a Proprietor’s representative for the OLSOS Board of Trustees. It is an immense privilege to serve our school, our whānau and our Diocese.

My background is in neuroscience, after working in laboratories around the world. A few years ago I decided to shift my career and move towards compliance roles. Three years ago, I became a Public Servant working at the Ministry for Primary Industries. It is an immense honour to make a contribution to our great country.

Primary schools are the first step of our children’s education but more than that, a place in where our Tamariki learn values and behaviours that will make them excellent citizens. OLSOS strategic vision aims to guide children and families to confidently live, learn and serve with Jesus as our Guide, with the help and support of all the amazing teachers, management staff and parents that are a part of the OLSOS whānau.

It is a privilege to be part of the Board of Trustees and I am looking forward to meeting you all and to contribute to the future of our Kura and our young generations.

Kia ora. My name is Bernice Chiam. I am privileged to join your Board of Trustees as a Selected Board Member, serving the families at Our Lady Star of the Sea. 

My husband and I are blessed with two beautiful daughters, Shyla and Mila Burr, both attending OLSOS since 2024. I am a full-time working mum, with 15 years’ experience in the water industry. I am passionate about contributing to the growth and success of our school community and believe that my experience and skills will help us continue to make a positive impact on the lives of our students.

I think that primary schools are fundamental in children’s lives.  This is when the love for learning is nurtured, and where good values are cultivated.   Since joining OLSOS, I have enjoyed getting to know the teachers and parents and feel that this is a safe place for my whānau to learn and grow through Christ.

It is with great excitement and a sense of responsibility that I take on this role, and I look forward to working alongside all of you to upholding the standards and values at our school.

News from the Parent Committee

Last Friday, we kicked off Frozen Fridays! Students enjoyed tasty lemonade ice blocks after lunch, and the response has been fantastic.

Exciting news—The Parent Committee is launching its very own website soon! This will be a platform for fundraising, event details, contacting us and online payments, making it easier than ever to support our initiatives. Stay tuned for the launch date!

Our Colour Run is booked for 14 March at 5pm! Fundraising will begin as soon as our website goes live, so get ready for a fun, messy and colourful event. Details to follow next week. If you would like to help out at the Colour Run please fill out this form

Add us to your address book – if you have any questions, need further info or want to check in for any reason please email us on [email protected]

Mark your calendars for 3rd March at 7pm —we’re hosting a Cheese & Wine Evening, and we’d love for you to join us. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other parents and the committee. Hope to see you there!

You will have received a letter from your Board explaining the breakdown of the school fees and a separate email with your statements for fees 2025.  The Term 1 fees are due by 10 March.  If you have started a direct debit or automatic payment then your regular payments will have the full year’s fees paid by 10 December. Please contact us if you would like to commence a payment plan.

From a distance we looked like a bunch of painted, colourful rocks but in reality we were just disorientated children learning how to kayak.  We started with a quick demonstration then we were off.  Lugging the kayaks to the water was a two person job. So there me and Oliver were, waddling like two miniature, agitated penguins until….we hit a rock!  A massive rock!  We were stranded.

Mila Room 21

Finally the time had come for us to go kayaking.  We started by listening to our life jackets click before bolting towards our kayaks.  We carefully lugged them into the water.  Suddenly we were stranded out at sea, constantly paddling over and over until Erin, our instructor, told us to stop.  Erin wanted us to kayak backwards which was hard for me, but quite quickly I learnt how to do it.  Fifteen minutes later we spotted our first sting ray.  Not long after, I spotted a baby sitting ray which quickly vanished into the distance. 

Zac Room 21

I couldn’t wait to do night fishing.  From afar, I could see blurry movements at the dock – probably the men getting ready for night fishing.  With the wind blowing in my hair and my jumper tied around my waist and dancing in the breeze, I marched across the dock, a grin plastered across my face.  After the instructions on how to fish were given and my hook was ready, I threw my fishing line far away from me.  The water moved carefully and slowly and made smooth little ripples.  I waited patiently for a fish.  Suddenly I felt a light tug!  I reeled in my fishing line hoping to see……coral?  A nasty fish had stolen my bait and in return have given me coral!  I trudged over to the man with the bait, lugging my empty fishing line behind me.  But the man was not there – he had left to fetch more bait.  I gave a heavy sigh and said “Alright, I’ll  try again without any  bait”.  I once again threw my line in and suddenly….TUG!  I reeled in the line as fast as I could and at last…a FISH!  When we left the dock that day, I had a silly smile on my face.  I was proud to say I had succeeded!

Kandra Room 21

As I nervously put my blindfold on, I could feel the cool, tickle plants brushing against my legs.  Now I know what it feels like to be blind.  Desperately, I tried to feel where the rope was.  “Where is it?” I exclaimed.  Luckily my friend Kandra, gave me very specific instructions on where to step and where the rope was hanging.  Oh, it was so terrifying!  For this activity you needed to listen to instructions really carefully otherwise you will probably crash your head into a tree, and you don’t want that!  Eventually me and Kandra came upon a bulky log.  I had to go under it blindfolded.  Even though I bumped my head a few times, it was actually really fun.  

Ola Room 21

Room 8

During our morning prayer, Room 8 often shares special moments where we sit face-to-face with our friends and pray for each other. It is a heartwarming experience as we feel the warmth of community and support surrounding us.

Together, we create a powerful bond of friendship and faith, and we are thankful for the opportunity to share this meaningful time.

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Tuesday After School Art Class

Drawing, Oil pastel, Sketching, Painting…

Classroom – Room 3

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Year 5 EOTC week

In Week 3, our Year 5 students engaged in a fantastic week of hands-on learning, problem-solving, and outdoor experiences.

The week began with a collaborative problem-solving challenge on Monday, where students designed, built, tested, and refined their solutions. Tuesday was all about wheels—students brought their scooters, bikes, and skateboards to school and had a great time exploring the school grounds with their friends.

On Wednesday, teamwork was put to the test as students worked together to assemble tents. Thanks to the wonderful parent helpers, all tents were successfully set up and stayed standing!

Thursday was an exciting day at the Stardome, where students experienced an engaging classroom session and a planetarium show to deepen their understanding of our solar system. Afterwards, they took on the challenge of climbing Maungakiekie, where they were rewarded with spectacular views of our city. A huge thank you to the parents who joined us and made this day possible.

The week concluded with an orienteering session on Friday, led by Katherine Granich and her team from Sancta Maria College. Students thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and were happily exhausted by the end!

It was a fantastic week of outdoor learning, where students developed their collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience skills. 

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We congratulate Mason Tsao who has been selected for the Auckland U12 basketball team. We wish Mason all the best for the tournament in Wellington coming up in April.

We have an enthusiastic group of students working in the Information Centre this year.

Here’s what books and libraries mean to our librarians:

“When I enter the library I feel magic in the air.”
“A book is a window to happiness and an empowerment to the mind.”
“Books can change your personality, your passion and your life.”
“Books are like a daydream.”
“My life changed with a BOOK!”

MOTH PODS ARE BACK! Howick is on a mission to eliminate Moth pods and we need your help. The Star of the Sea Environmental Team have entered a competition to see how many moth pod plants and pods we can remove from our local gardens.  This plant grows prolifically at this time of year and it strangles and kills our native plants.  One pod contains 100’s of seeds, if left they can spread for many kilometres.   

What to do if you find moth pods: 

• Safely remove the pods and plants if you can wearing protective gloves and eyewear. 
• Arrange your pods in rows of ten and photograph for evidence and easy counting 
• Send your photo to Miss Marten [email protected] or Miss Bentley [email protected]. Don’t forget to tell us how many moth pods and plants are in your photo.
• Dispose of the pods and plants by placing in a plastic bag and tying a knot in the top and putting in your general waste bin 

There are great prizes up for grabs and we are helping to keep the pesky plant out of our community. 

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Manager, Pleroma Christian Supplies: 

We seek a dedicated and enthusiastic Manager to oversee the daily operations of Pleroma Christian Supplies. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the store, leading a team of dedicated staff, and fostering a welcoming environment for our customers, online, by phone and face-to-face. If you have a passion for Christian resourcing and a strong desire to serve the community, this is a fantastic opportunity for you. Apply online at Pleroma – Seek or directly to The Trust Board Chair, Chris Duthie-Jung, [email protected].nz 

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