Dear Families,

Welcome to our first newsletter of this term as we reach the end of the second week that we have been able to open under heavy Covid 19 restrictions. This term, while we have been locked down we have shared information with you all through our standard ‘events’ message that has gone out to you each Friday night. This week it feels great to get back into a ‘normal’ process such as the preparation of this newsletter!

The students that have come back to class part time in their house groups have embraced the opportunity to engage with their peers and teachers whilst remaining in their smaller class bubbles, enjoying staggered breaks around the school so class bubbles don’t mix. Our teachers have continued to think in an agile way so that they are providing learning opportunities for those still working from home as well as those who are at school. You will understand that this has required yet another shift in thinking and approach for our teachers. They are to be commended for their ongoing commitment to providing the very best access to learning for all over these challenging times.

We heard from the Government earlier this week that Auckland is due to transition into the new Covid Traffic Light Management Plan next Friday, entering this new framework at RED level. We are yet to hear whether this will necessitate a further alteration to primary school operations. We will keep you posted as soon as we know, should this be the case.

Advent

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King, which draws the church calendar to an end for the year. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of our four-week preparation for Christmas in our Church calendar. We are all feeling the effects of being separated from the opportunity to gather at Mass due to ongoing Covid restrictions, however, there are numerous online Mass offerings that families can join to celebrate the beginning of advent, including zoom Masses from our own Parish Church.

The liturgical colour at this time of year is purple which is considered a serious colour signaling this is a time of waiting, a chance to remind ourselves of the importance of our faith and the need to reflect Jesus to those around us as we prepare ourselves to celebrate His birth.

End of Year Celebrations at OLSOS

In last week’s ‘events’ I described the way we are going 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. I reiterate the plan here for families who may have missed the communication last week.

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 include a liturgy and blessing of our Year 6 leavers candles, our prizegiving featuring class awards, overall awards and trophies, 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, as well as announcing our 2022 house captain school leaders.

NB: PRIVACY NOTIFICATION This video 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].nz immediately. We will use a school crest as an image in the video presentation instead.

• 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 the opportunity to ‘click and collect’ their children’s personal stationery and any school books we still have here on-site on Friday 10th December. We will communicate time frames for families to collect items in time windows by surname closer to the time. Items will be bagged and labeled by surname ready to collect from outside the admin block.

Please put these important dates in your diary.

School Leavers Years 1 to 5

As we are currently planning for 2022 class placements it would help us greatly to know now if you are moving out of our school community next year. Please email the school to let us know at [email protected]

Ngā mihi nui and cǐ zhì jìng lǐ,

Louise Campbell
Principal

Advent Prayer and Action | An invitation –

Advent is a Season of Hope. As we move out of a period of stay-at-home orders, with Covid-19 a reality in our communities and a sense of uncertainty we are hopeful that all shall be well. In this season when we prepare with hope for the coming of Emmanuel – God with us all are invited to join a circle of prayer. Prayer for ourselves, our communities, the world. Each morning from the first Sunday of Advent 28 November – Christmas Eve  at 8.30am on the diocesan Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/aucklandcatholic   advent prayer will be offered. Representatives from schools and parishes across the diocese will lead us in prayer.  Ariane Cordeiro, winner of our annual school proclaiming the word competitions will ‘star’ during this time.  At 10.30 am [ 1 – 24 December] each morning  an Advent Calendar will be uploaded.  Not a digital chocolate but it will open up an Advent Action.  A simple way to connect with the Gospel and live the hope of Advent.

NZ Catholic is providing, free of charge, a digital link to the latest issue.  Some headlines from the latest issue: NZ bishops issue guidelines for parishes under traffic light framework. Many reasons for Mass absences. Events support beneficiaries. Departing director looks back at her years at Caritas.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/da517399-e74a-4f9c-8c03-9c9cd286da00

School Fees and Contributions 2022

More detailed information and explanation of the 2022 fees, including ways to pay, will be sent out in early February 2022.

In 2022 the Proprietor has increased the Attendance Dues by $16 per year.  Many of our capital works projects – such as our newly installed Covered Outdoor Learning Area, and a portion of our school hall – are funded by us via the Proprietor and we now have to recommence building this reserve to ensure we have enough funds to maintain and replace the cover in future years.  $10 per year per student will be put aside for this purpose.  Rather than increasing Attendance Dues and Contributions by $26 to accommodate these increased costs, your Board has increased the overall cost for 2022 by only $10 per year to a total of $1008.00 and the school will absorb the additional amount. Your Board decided to do this in acknowledgement of the tough year we have had and in an effort to support our families.

Once again, welcome back and it’s great that you’re here. 

Vaughan 

Board Chair

LIBRARY BOOKS RETURN

Library Books are now due back at school.   Could these please be returned to the pink bin which is outside the office.

Thank You

SCHOOL LUNCHES AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING SCHOOL