Dear Families,

Welcome to our newsletter marking the end of our 8th week in Term 2.

This week we celebrate Matariki. There has been lots of activity in the school, with our Matariki assembly, fun activities, prayer, and today, as a country the first indigenous public holiday in the world.

Mānawa maiea te Mātahi o te tau — Celebrate the rising of the new year 
Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki — Celebrate the rising of Matariki

At our Matariki assembly on Monday the students in Room 17 and 19 shared this information about Matariki: At this time of year, the cluster Matariki, also known as Pleiades or The Seven Sisters reappears above the horizon. When this cluster, Matariki, reappears in the very early morning sky, it signifies the beginning of the New Year and people know it is time to prepare the soil and plant crops.  Other meanings are also signified in the setting and rising of this star cluster. As the star cluster sets, it is a time to remember those who have died during the past year. As the star cluster rises, it is time to consider the rising of the dead who are now joining the stars of the night sky. It is a time to plan for the future, a time to look forward in hopefulness, a time to be with whanau and friends.  The advent of the New Year holds an important place in the Māori calendar and is rich with meaning. 

Parish and School Connection I had the privilege of speaking at each of our Parish Masses last weekend to share and promote the excellent place that is Our Lady Star of the Sea School – our Parish School.  It was lovely to hear from parishioners their connection to the school over many years and for them to hear that our school continues to be a place of strong Catholic character and excellence in growing the whole child; academically, dispositionally, emotionally, socially and spiritually.  Click here to see the readings for Sunday.

In 2023 our school will be celebrating 175 years of existence alongside our Parish. Fr Garin established the parish and school in 1848, making Our Lady Star of the Sea School and Parish one of the oldest in New Zealand. If you are interested in local history and have some time to help source and curate school photos and memorabilia in preparation for the celebrations next year we would love to hear from you as we begin preparations. We are very much looking forward to celebrating such an auspicious milestone.  

Skool Loop App – new to Our Lady Star of the Sea It is great to note that over 150 families have downloaded the new Skool Loop App which brings together our streams of communication. You can log an absence using the absence tile, check our school calendar, receive newsletters and notices as well as book parent interviews or order lunch with a tile that links directly to Dollar For Schools. The success of this communication tool relies on you as parents downloading the app.   Next term you will be able to subscribe to particular groups that your child/ren is involved in, for example, their classroom group, chess, Kapa Haka, sport team etc.

Please note: We will use this app for parents to book the next round of parent teacher conferences early in Term 3, so sign up now!  Follow the instructions below to download the app to your device.

Lewis Eady Music Lessons at OLSOS from Term 3 We are very much looking forward to partnering with Lewis Eady to deliver Music lessons next term. See later in the newsletter for further details related to music lessons on offer at OLSOS from next term.

Looking Back Last fortnight we hosted a chess competition with local schools, had students represent us beautifully at the HPPA Soccer Field Day and the HPPA Chess Competitions as well as celebrated Matariki together as a school at our school assembly on Monday of this week hosted by Room 17 and Room 19.

Looking Ahead The next two weeks are our final two weeks of this term. Next week each of the senior classes have the opportunity to participate in a full day of the EPro8 STEAM programme. This will include practical applications of reading, writing, and hands-on mathematics concepts with a scientific and engineering lens. We will have teams representing us at the HPPA Hockey Field Day and HPPA Rugby Fun Day as well as the offer of a hot drink and cookie for families as they wait for their children on Friday from 2.30pm.  Also Friday 1st July is Pyjama Day where children are invited to wear pyjamas to school and bring a gold coin to support Ronald McDonald House. The following week, on Tuesday 5th July the Playhouse Theatre Company will be presenting The Emperor’s New Clothes a great opportunity for our students in the Arts. Please note, Friday 8th July is the last day of Term 2 following which will be two weeks of school holidays. Term 3 commences on Monday 25th July. 

Wishing you all a safe and happy fortnight ahead.

Be safe and God bless.

Ngā mihi nui and cǐ zhì jìng lǐ,

Louise Campbell
Principal

‘Have confidence in God, be humble, love prayer and be very kind.’

Euphraise Barbier 1867

The Mission Sisters worked in our school from 1904 – 1925. In honour of them and their place in our school history, a new Mission Cross has been created for the Information Centre. This replaces the Mercy Cross which will be built into one of the windows in our Chapel space. Our thanks and gratitude goes to Bob Yandell, who shared his skill and craftsmanship by creating this piece of art for us. It is another taonga for us to enjoy. The cross will be blessed at our school Feast Day Mass Monday 15  August 11:15am. 

The new Religious Education Curriculum for Catholic Schools in Aotearoa new Zealand states that ‘Catholic schools share in the mission of the Church to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world. They provide a Catholic faith environment which supports young people to develop knowledge, skills and values to become active and committed members of the faith community and to contribute richly to national and global society.’

This week our teaching teams spent time unpacking next term’s religious education theme of Being Church. Many thanks to the Board for funding extra release time for this. The aim of the Being Church theme is for our learners to develop an understanding of what it means to be Catholic in the world today in terms of faith, discipleship and sacramental living. 

Year 1 and 2 will explore how  they belong, developing an understanding that they are a part of God’s family and what they do and how they behave towards others is important. They will come to recognise the Church has rituals, symbols and holy things, and learn what to do and say in each situation.

Year 3 and 4 will explore the seven Sacraments; what they are, and how they are part of their faith journey. They will also grow their understanding of what a Sacrament is and what the Sacraments  do.

Year 5 and 6 will explore the 9 principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the links to Jesus’ teaching as well as explore ways to live these teachings by putting their faith into action. 

A busy and exciting term of learning ahead. 

RONALD MCDONALD PYJAMA DAY  – FRIDAY 1 JULY   

 Recall from a staff member’s family who have had a need to use Ronald McDonald House. …

It’s not something you think about until you need it but The Ronald McDonald houses offer an invaluable service for those who need them. When you’re dealing with the huge stress that comes with having a sick child, to not have to worry about a place to stay that is close to the hospital is so incredible. It really is a home away from home when you’re living out of a suitcase – a place to rest, get some sleep, have a hot meal or a quiet moment. A little bit of recharging and some sleep goes a long way when you’re dealing with a sick child. We spent many nights in Ronald McDonald House when our son Harrison was in Starship, they’ll forever be a charity I support and I thank you for yours as I know just how valuable what they do is. 

Many thanks for your continued support to initiatives such as Jammies in June, Pyjama day and donations of food to the parish foodbank. These are simple ways your children can see how to put faith into action and live out the Corporal Works of Mercy. 

Prayer Intention: Gracious God, we pray for the strength and courage to put our faith into action when we see a need around us. 

Detta Fairweather
Deputy Principal / Director of Religious Studies

Latest Board update

Your Board met on the last day of autumn ready to welcome in the winter. Many things were discussed. The following are some of the main points that emerged …

1. Your Board welcomed many teaching staff members who shared with us the issues that are being raised in their latest campaign. You will have seen posters up around the school and on our school Facebook page that share the three main points that are being addressed. The campaign is called Wāwahi Tamariki – Time for Tamariki. This campaign is asking for more support for teachers in terms of staffing to better support learners in their schools. The NZEI is campaigning on behalf of the teachers for more funds to be delivered to schools to… employ more learning support teachers, allow for more opportunities for teachers to be released from class to support planning to deliver engaging classroom programmes and for more overall staffing for schools to ensure support programmes can be carried out. Your Board heard that the teachers are currently being pulled in many directions trying to meet the diverse needs of all the students in their rooms and extra Ministry funding will help put more staff in schools to ease this pressure. Your Board is completely behind the teachers and their campaign and is asking for your support too.
2. Those of you who have been lucky enough to be on the school site will have seen some great property work that has happened since our last report. We are very excited to see our Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) up and being used by the students and staff alike. There will be an official blessing of this sometime in June. There is still a cross decal to be installed to help make the COLA part of the school but the membrane needs to be adequately stretched before that can occur. We have a new concrete pad at the top of the steps going onto the field – this is a good play space that the students are enjoying. The toilets between R16 and 17 have been refurbished and the admin area, inclusive of the staffroom, has had new wall linings. The next jobs still to be completed are… new seating benches positioned around the school and a reseal of the bus bay area where the tarseal is breaking up. All these enhancements are making our school a safe and welcoming space to be in.
3. Your Board had an update on the support and extension programmes that are in place at our school. We were pleased to hear of the many ways our teachers are offering programmes both in class and in small withdrawal groups to support every student to be the best they can be. We were also pleased to hear of the enrichment programmes that are also in place to extend and offer experiences to students to further enrich their school learning journey.
4. In September we will be having our triennial Board Elections. We are seeking new Board members to join our very supportive team. Being on the Board is a very rewarding way to be involved in our school. On average being a Board member requires about 5 hours of your time each term – there is a monthly meeting to attend and generally one committee meeting that occurs between meetings to keep our various workstreams updated. More information will be coming out soon. Please consider offering your services to our school as a Board member. If you wish to know more please approach any of our Board members – Mrs Sharon Yeh, Mrs Alina Hooper, Mr Anil D’Silva, Mr Vaughan Fraser, Ms Linda McQuade and Mr Yohann Cuer – who will only be too happy to talk to you or feel free to pop along to a Board meeting to find out more.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our school. We are lucky to have such a special place for our children to be educated in.

Blessings on you all

Your Board

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP SUPPORT REGARDING ICT USAGE …

There has never been a greater need for us as a school community to take a proactive approach (in partnership together) with the promotion of digital citizenship.  Digital citizenship is a constantly evolving concept.

A digital citizen is someone who;

• is a confident and capable user of ICT

• embraces and protects their digital footprint

• uses technologies to participate in educational and cultural activities

• uses and develops critical thinking skills cybersmartly

• is literate in the language, symbols, and texts of digital technologies

• is aware of ICT challenges and can manage them effectively

• uses ICT to relate to others in positive, meaningful ways which demonstrate honesty and integrity, and ethical behaviour in their use of ICT

• respects the concepts of privacy and freedom of speech in a digital world

• contributes and actively promotes the values of digital citizenship

As a school, we assist students to learn how to undertake sufficient research to get a well-rounded view of a topic and compare different opinions. Developing digital literacy skills involves encouraging students to think for themselves and explore many different points of view.  These citizenship and literacy skills are just as important online as in any other setting where ideas are formulated, shared, discussed, and refined.  As parents, it’s important to discuss with your child/children the wide range of information that’s available online and how anyone can publish anything at all.   People can pretend to be whoever they want and many things can be copied, altered, stored, or redistributed in any format.  People can and do post things online which are untrue or extremely biased; they may have an underlying agenda or simply enjoy the ability to express their own opinions to a global audience.

With the increased use of digital technologies and borderless spaces online, we need to be able to nurture and teach our young people to become discerning, responsible digital citizens able to confidently conduct themselves when connecting to people, resources, and information in real-world contexts here in Aotearoa and in the wider global community.

If you would like further support, resources, or a chat from an E-learning perspective please feel free to contact Heather Collins (Senior Team Leader) at [email protected].nz

MUSIC CLASSES (DURING SCHOOL TIME)

Learn music at school from Term 3 with Lewis Eady!

Enrol for weekly music lessons at school with friendly, qualified, and motivated tutors: Yook Hui (Violin) and Ellen (Piano/Keyboard).

Fees (based on a 10-week term): $175 group lessons, $400 individual lesson

ENROL ONLINE TODAY FOR A TERM 3 START: https://bit.ly/LEMSMusicLessons

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or our team at [email protected].

• Emily Jeong – piano/keyboard
• Yook Hui Ong – violin

You can also read their bios on our website at https://www.lewiseady.co.nz/tutors

We are looking forward to an exciting start to next term.

Week 1 is Book Week!

There will be lots of fun activities, competitions, the Scholastic Book Fair, two fantastic NZ authors to speak to our children and of course an amazing costume parade, which is always a highlight.

Mark this week in your diary 25 – 29th July.

Costume parade Wednesday 27th July 9am in the Hall.

Children can come dressed as their favourite book character. Parents and families are invited to attend and join in the fun!

BIZZYBODZ HOLIDAY PROGRAMME. https://www.bizzybodz.co.nz/

KELLY SPORTS HOLIDAY PROGRAMME

https://kellysports.co.nz/

SHREK THE MUSICAL

Pform. https://www.pform.nz/

BASKETBALL SCHOOL HOLIDAY CAMP

Youth Basketball NZ has organized the Term 2 School Holiday Camp for our basketball fans and players, we will have lots of amazing activities and we’ve invited an NBA coach to our Camp this time.

For further information about Youth Basketball NZ   https://www.ybnz.org/