NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Families,

Welcome to our second newsletter of Term 4. What an eventful couple of weeks it has been!

Our Lady Star of the Sea GALA
For those who helped out or attended our first Gala in three years, we are most grateful – what a special day of community, fun, connection and raising money to support the property development initiatives in our school!
Despite a few showers in the afternoon, our community mobilised in droves – many families contributed by helping to run a stall, many families contributed by joining in the fun and spending up a storm!!!
I was so proud of the young students who entertained the arriving crowds on the stage under the COLA; congratulations to our Year 6 Dance Festival dancers, our Kapa Haka ropu, our Singing Stars choir, to Max on base, Olivia on cello and Linson on keyboard as well as ex student Ariane Cordeiro now at Sancta Maria College who entertained the arriving crowd with her beautiful singing voice.
Once again I wish to thank everyone who gave of their time, energy, and spirit in so many positive ways in preparation on the day before, and on the day of the Gala – God bless you all!
We banked $35,ooo on the day, with a few more expenses and income items to round off. I cannot thank our Gala Core Team enough who have done an amazing job of organising over the past 5 months. Lynne Vorster, Jo Grant, Shasta Dang, Nicole Kelly and Sue Yandell with great help from Anna Burgess in the setup stages have truly exemplified what it means to be a person who lives by our vision: Living, learning and serving with Jesus as our guide. Thanks Team!

GALA Collection Class Winners The lucky recipients of a pizza lunch to the three classes who earned the most points for bringing in items to support the Gala are Room 21 in first place, Room 13 in second place and Room 22 in third place. Congratulations to these classes. Your pizza lunch will be next Friday 18th November.

OLSOS School Athletics On Tuesday this week we managed to hold our school athletics despite the weather conditions not being on our side, especially as the afternoon unfolded. Our Year 3 to 6 children had a great day engaging in sprints, long jump, ball throw and high jump. Our staff rallied with sickness requiring some last minute adjustments. The team worked collaboratively to ensure the event was able to continue to a high standard – Thanks Team! See later in this newsletter for results and photos.

DISCO! As this newsletter arrives in your inbox many will be preparing for the first PTA school disco we have been able to hold this year – how exciting! We thank our PTA for their efforts to get much loved activities such as the disco back up and running after not being able to do so for such a long time due to Covid restrictions.

Looking back We have had the benefit of some great spiritual, learning and leadership opportunities over the last two weeks since our last newsletter. Last Monday, over 40 Year 3 to 6 girls headed to the Papatoetoe Recreation Grounds to participate in a fun filled day of cricket at the Girls Cricket Smash day – our girls did us proud with their positive attitudes and perseverance. See later in this newsletter for more information and photos. Last Tuesday we celebrated the Feast of All Saints with Mass led by Fr Rodney. The Mass was a beautiful celebration of all who work for the glory of God. Members of our school participated in the Auckland Table Tennis Competition; see more details and photos later in this newsletter, and we supported raising awareness of the importance of mental health with Gumboot Day.  This week our senior school have been engaging in Education Outside the Classroom activities across the week. See more details later in this newsletter.

Looking Ahead Next Monday morning our school assembly is hosted by Room 13 and Room 18. Each Monday following this, we will continue to gather as a school for Monday morning prayer under the COLA continuing with praying the rosary together and then becoming an advent shared prayer opportunity as we approach Christmas – all families are welcome to attend each Monday at 8.50am. Next week we look to engage with the Walking Willow Tree initiative to support families in parking and walking into school as well as the Caritas One Day Challenge which all families have already received information about. Our support of Caritas Zimbabwe will be well received. Next Wednesday we look forward to the PTA Sausage Sizzle. Next Friday we have a whole school Environment Day to keep our enviro initiative of litterless lunches at the forefront of our minds. Junior Swimming also begins. All of these events are detailed further later in this newsletter. The following week we send representatives to the HPPA Interschool Athletics and we look to the celebration of Mission Day with our Mission Day Market.

To all families, wishing you a very happy and safe fortnight ahead as we rapidly look towards the end of our school term and academic year in the next 5 weeks.

Be safe and God bless.

Ngā mihi nui and cǐ zhì jìng lǐ,

Louise Campbell
Principal

NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Throughout the month of November, Catholics around the world remember and pray for those who have died, and are now in the arms of Jesus. If you would like to have the name of someone special to you recorded in our school memorial book please complete the form on our school website and send it through to the office.

Each Monday morning for the remainder of  term 4, the school will gather under the COLA to pray. Until we reach the season of Advent, we will continue to pray a decade of the Rosary together. You are very welcome to join us at this time. 

Mea ana te atawhai haere mai i runga i te aroha me te awhi 

Mercy invites us to love and to care

Our student council and liturgy team have organised a Caritas Challenge day. On Tuesday 15 November, the whole school will be involved in a range of challenges to raise awareness of people in need. The focus is the people of Zimbabwe. The work our student leaders are doing promotes two Catholic Social Teaching principles – Participation and Solidarity. More information about the challenges has been shared with you via Seesaw. Funds raised at our annual Mission Day Market later in November will go towards supporting the work of Caritas in Zimbabwe as well. 

Prayer Intention. E te Atua, help us join together to work for the good of all people. May no one be overlooked or left at the margins. In Mercy’s name. Amen.

NEWS FROM THE P.T.A.

We hope to see many of you at the Disco tonight from 6.00 pm

Coming up

HOT DOG LUNCHES

Wednesday 16th November
Wednesday 30th November.

Nicole Kelly.
PTA Chairperson.

NEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM

On Tuesday of next week all students in our school will be taking part in a Caritas One Day Challenge to raise awareness of the challenges people in Zimbabwe face on a daily basis.

The Junior Team will be taking part in a Move It – Walk for Water Challenge – they will go on a hikoi (walk) to get water. This will take them on a considerable journey around our school in search of a water source. Once that water is found each group will be given a small amount to be shared amongst the group. This challenge will raise awareness of how precious water is to people and the need to protect and conserve it.

The Middle Team will be taking part in a Move It – Run to Understand Challenge. The team will gather in teams of 4 and each team will take it in turns to run/walk/jog around the field for one block of the day. They will be given one bucket of water to share evenly amongst the group. Shade will be provided to sit under for when students are not running. This challenge will raise awareness of how tough people have life and the need to persevere and push through when things get harder.

The Senior Team will be taking part in a Sweat It – To Create Items Challenge. They will be divided up into groups and challenged to make items that will be sold to raise funds at our Mission Day market. They will have to work under strict conditions such as no talking, no movement and a requirement to complete so many items within the given time frame. This challenge will help raise awareness of what it is like to work in a sweatshop environment where conditions are tough and restrictions are placed on people.

All of these challenges help our students connect with the Catholic Social Teachings of participation and solidarity promoted by Caritas and teach our students that we are challenged to share what we have with others to create a just and fair world.

NEWS FROM OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Girls Cricket Smash

A large group of Year 3-6 girls had an amazing day at Girls Cricket Smash hosted by Papatoetoe Cricket Club on the 31st of October. This was a great “Have a Go” day. The girls loved learning new skills and enjoying the art of participating in a good cricket game. So much fun was had and so much improvement was made throughout the day. We hope some of these ladies are now enthused to give cricket a go and potentially become a White Fern.

Y3-6 Athletics Results 2022

7 Year old Boys overall
1st Carter Lye
2nd Jacob Faulkner
3rd Noah Orange

7 Year old Girls overall
1st    Kara Chaytor
 2nd  Amber Vakadranu
3rd  Celine Zhang
8 Year old Boys overall
1st Luke Yu
2nd Isaiah Arthur
3rd Callum Lee
8 Year old Girls overall
1st  Holly Li
2nd   Mya Hillerby
3rd=  Rach Chin, Isla Robb, Samantha Sundram
9 Year old Boys overall
1st Charlie Bongiovanni
2nd Tyler Jina
3rd Jack Hunter

9 Year old Girls overall
1st Isobella Evans
2nd Tamia Tavita Falesiu
3rd Siena Lee
10 Year old Boys overall
1st  Luke McLaughlin
2nd Caleb Hooper
3rd Matthew Bastian
10 Year old Girls overall
1st Amaya Wickramasinghe
2nd Annelise Nugraha
3rd Paige Ieremia
11 Year old Boys overall
1st Varun Koripa
2nd Isaias Chan-Mow
3rd Rix Li

11 Year old Girls overall
1st  Carla Lin
2nd= Lilly Evans, Ruby Burnnand

Individual Events results

60m 100m High Jump Long Jump Softball Throw
7 Year old girls Kara Chaytor

Mia Ling

Celine Zhang

Kara Chaytor

Celine Zhang

Isabella Whiting-Jeon

Amber Vakadranu

Kara Chaytor

Kara Chaytor

Amber Vakadran

Ola Ou

Kara Chaytor

Isabella Whiting-Jeon

Briella Roberts

7 Year old boys Carter Lye

Jacob Faulkner

Noah Orange

Carter Lye

Jacob Faulkner

Oliver Chen

Carter Lye Carter Lye

Jacob Faulkner

Kiaan Dang

Noah Orange

Carter Lye

Tyler Jansen

8 Year old girls Holly Li

Rach Chun

Maria Sandoval

Holly Li

Rach Chun

Mya Hillerby

Holly Li

Mya Hillerby

Olivia Rhee

Isla Robb

Emma Zshornack

Samantha Sundram

Samantha Sundram

Bella Cullen

Isla Robb

8 Year old boys Luke Yu

Isaiah Arthur

Callum Lee

Luke Yu

Isaiah Arthur

Callum Lee

Luke Yu

Thomas McLaughlin

Isaiah Arthur

Callum Lee

Thomas McLaughlin

Alex Burgess

Luke Yu

Zac Grant

Luke Stewart

9 Year old girls Tamia Tavita-Falesiu

Siena Lee

Isobella Evans

Tamia Tavita-Falesiu

Isobella Evans

Siena Lee

Isobella Evans

Stella Wakefield

Cherrie Che

Isobella Evans

Tamia Tavita-Falesiu

Rosalie Naylor

Isobella Evans

Isabella Dellabarca

Flora Wang

9 Year old boys Charlie Bongiovanni

Tyler Jina

Jack Hunter

Charlie Bongiovanni

Jack Hunter

Tyler Jina

Jett McGrail

James Baker

Tyler Jina

Charlie Bongiovanni

Kaisyn Dang

Xavier Grant

Jack Hunter

Jett McGrail

10 Year old girls Annelise Nugraha

Amaya Wickramasinghe

Paige Ieremia

Annelise Nugraha

Amaya Wickramasinghe

Sofija Brownhill

1st= Annelise Nugraha/ Amaya Wickramasinghe

Rachael Geor

Amay Wickramasinghe

Sohphia Fowlie

Elise Ting

Paige Ieremia

Amaya Wickramasinghe

Maia Smith

10 year old boys Luke McLaughlin

Matthew Bastian

Caleb Hooper

Luke McLaughlin

Matthew Bastian

Francis Zhang

Caleb Hooper

Charlie Faulkner

Luke McLaughlin

Luke McLaughlin

Caleb Hooper

Matthew Bastian

Tyler Dreaver

Luke McLaughlin

Keeton Norton-Tomkies

11 Year old girls Carla Lin

Chloe Kendrick-Jones

Shannon Fernando

Carla Lin

Chloe Kendrick-Jones

Millie Al Khalaf

Millie Al Khalaf

Selina Liu

Lilly Evans

Ruby Burnnand

Millie Berry

Lilly Evans

Ahlizah-Jae Mu

Charlize Lin

Hayley Davids

11 Year old boys Varun Koripa

Isaias Chan-Mow

Nathan Lo

Varun Koripa

Isaias Chan-Mow

Aiden Vorster

Varun Koripa

Rix Li

Isaac Howse

Varun Koripa

Isaias Chan-Mow

Logan Jablonski

Varun Koripa

Isaias Chan-Mow

Aiden Vorster

Auckland Table Tennis Competition

12 Year 5 and 6 boys took on a new challenge for Our Lady Star of the Sea by entering in the Auckland Table Tennis Competition on the 3rd of November. 240 students entered this competition and the level of skill was right up there. We were especially proud of Xian Omambac, William Chen and Tyler Dreaver who made it through to the knockout rounds. The behaviour of all boys was exemplary and it was fantastic to see the love of table tennis emerging as the day wore on.

Education Outside The Classroom

This week the senior students flipped their learning and went awol with EOTC. There have been a range of alternative activities including…

  • Round-robin Tapu Ae class competitions
  • Athletics Day
  • Passion Projects – coding, construction, cooking, bracelets, papier mache and art
  • Collaborative games at Pakuranga Indoor Arena – netball and soccer
  • 2023 House Captain speech-offs

The EOTC opportunity is extremely valuable in terms of adding depth to our student’s dispositional skills and broadening all relationships across the cohort.  The students have been encouraged to get to know themselves on a deeper level whilst reflecting on transferring their EOTC skills back into the classroom.

NEWS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT TEAM

News flash!! New incentive!! Next week is Environmental Week at Our Lady Star of the Sea School. Rubbish free lunches are going well but there is still room for improvement.  The Environmental team has come up with a new idea to reduce our rubbish.  Next week (week 5) each child who has a rubbish free lunch for 4 days in a row (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) will receive a ticket to have an afternoon playing on the water slide on the field.  The Senior and Middle team will receive their reward on Friday 18th November in the afternoon and the Junior team on Monday 21st November (due to the swimming timetable). In addition to going rubbish free each class will be taking part in an Environmentally friendly initiative of their choosing.  Remember in 2023 Star of the Sea is going rubbish free…are you ready?

We are getting new pets at school! Thanks to Mr Baird for building our worm bath.  Our new composters will be moving in for the start of the new school year.

We are now collecting clean foil chip packets at school.  These will be passed on to a group who make them into blankets that are given to homeless people.  Please support this great initiative by sending your clean foil packets into school. We will take any size, snack or family.  There is a white box outside the information centre specifically for these packets.

KEY DATES

TERM DATES

Term 1 Starts Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Term 1 Finishes Thursday, 6 April 2023
Term 2 Starts Monday, 24 April 2023
Term 2 Finishes Friday, 30 June 2023
Term 3 Starts Monday, 17 July 2023
Term 3 Finishes Friday, 22 September 2023
Term 4 Starts Monday, 9 October 2023
Term 4 Finishes Friday, 15 December 2023
TEACHER ONLY DAY Monday, 13 November 2023

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