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

Welcome to our final newsletter of Term 1 in 2025. Looking back on this busy term, it is easy to see that there has been lots of fabulous learning opportunities and experiences for our students. They well and truely deserve the rest that is coming up over the next two weeks of the holidays!

This afternoon our students were so respectful at our Palm Sunday liturgy. As a Catholic school, when Holy Week and Easter falls in the school holidays, the celebration of these important parts of our church calendar can feel somewhat disjointed, however, the powerful message of this important time was beautifully conveyed today ahead of these signficant events that will happen over the break. See our DRS section for more information about Mass times over Easter.

Thanks for the many well-wishes ahead of my 10 week sabbatical next term. As mentioned in last fortnight’s newsletter, this sabbatical will begin on the first day of Term 2, Monday 28th April, and will extend for the 9 weeks of Term 2 and the first week of Term 3. For the study component of my sabbatical, I will be investigating current research and practice in supporting children who have experienced trauma. While I am away, the school will be in the capable hands of our fabulous Deputy Principal, Karen Noble-Campbell, who will work in the role of Acting Principal. In order to enable her to undertake this role our team leaders and DRS will be spending portions of time released from classroom duties. I look forward to this time of study and rejuvenation and to coming back and reflecting my learning in our school systems and practices. Please pray for me while I am away and I will see you all once again when I return in late July.

Parish Connect
We were most proud of our student leaders who led the parish Stations of the Cross on Friday evening of last week. This act of leadership and service through ministry supports our students and parishioners in their encounter with Christ.

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, leading up to the celebration of Easter. For those intending on going to Sunday morning Mass, please note that we will gather at Fencible Walk on Picton St, opposite Hancocks Cafe, at 9.15am. Palms will be blessed there and distributed to attendees from both Our Lady Star of the Sea and also from All Saints Anglican Church who are joining us in the blessing and distribution. We will then process up to our Church and begin Mass about 9.30am.

Our Lenten Appeal, ‘We can bring a can’ has supported our St Vincent de Paul Parish Foodbank so strongly this year – many thanks to all who have brought food in – your support is greatly appreciated. See later in this newsletter for more details as to how many families we fed.
With our parish centre undergoing renovations shortly after the celebration of Easter, the parish foodbank will temporarily be off-line. They respectfully request that we pause donations for the time being until the foodbank is back up and running post rennovations.

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

HPPA Cultural Festival Last Wednesday, our fabulous Pacific Group performed at the HPPA Cultural Festival which was held at Sancta Maria College. Our students did us so proud! Their performance was undertaken with great confidence. We thank Jo Grant for lending us her expertise, passion and skill as well as Karen Noble-Campbell for her support in the organisation and preparation of the group. Read later in this newsletter for more details and see more beautiful images of our performers. 

Twilight Market Update Save the date: Friday 17th October!!! The Twilight Market Core Team had their first meeting this week – there were lots of fabulous ideas and great energy amongst the group. As the Core Team convene next term and begin the planning process, our school community will be updated on plans as they unfold – we are so grateful to Vanessa Mori and Michelle Espinosa who have stepped up as Co-Core Team Leads, to Shasta Dang who is undertaking Logistics, to Jenna Morsink who is heading up Communication and to Ranjana Surplis, Samisha Chopra, Narae Hong, Sarah Westerlund, Zoe Faulkner, Bernice Chiam and Laura Shaw who have stepped up as Area Leaders on the Core Team – God has blessed us with these amazing community members. Please keep them in your prayers.

Christian Outreach – support for earthquake victims in Myanmar Our Mufti Day last week raised $441.80 in support of the Mission Sister’s who are on the ground in Myanmar providing relief and support at this time of need. Thank you to one and all for supporting this much needed cause.

Staffing Update
This week we farewell Mrs Gaby Bailey as she heads off on maternity leave. Gaby has done an amazing job working Monday to Wednesday this term in Room 19. She will be greatly missed. We wish her all of God’s love and blessings as she prepares for the arrival of her new baby.
Next term we welcome Mrs Maria Kelly back from maternity leave. Maria will be taking over from Gaby in Room 19, working alongside Linda Priestly, as well as undertaking release across the school. I know you will welcome Maria back with open arms!

Looking Back We are most proud of our Year 5 and 6 students who had the opportunity to share book reviews on Suzy Cato’s ‘Kids Talk About Books’ you tube channel. Check out more information and the link in the News From the Information Centre section later in this newsletter.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and blessed Easter and holiday ahead. Thank you all in advance for your support of Karen Noble- Campbell in her role as Acting Principal in Term 2 and early Term 3. I look forward to seeing you all when I return from my sabbatical.

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 reminds us that, “kindness is not a diplomatic strategy nor a set of rules to ensure social harmony or to obtain other advantages but rather a form of love that opens hearts to acceptance and helps us all to become more humble.The first sign of hope should be the desire for peace in our world. May the Jubilee remind us that those who are peacemakers will be called “children of God” (Mt 5:9).
The Auckland Diocese website has a number of resources available for you to explore and find out more. 

Religious Education Programme
The Religious Education programme this term delivered rich learning about God, connecting students learning to their own experiences on their hīkoi wairua spiritual journey. Our young learners brought home their Religious Education (RE) workbooks this week as part of our reporting to parents process. Thank you for spending the time to go through their books with them, chatting about what they have done and completing the parent comment section. It means a lot to each one of them.

Lenten Challenge  – update

Our annual outreach programme for Lent has reached its conclusion. The team at the parish foodbank extend a huge thank you to all for your contributions. We were overwhelmed by your generosity which has helped to support over 81 families this year. Bless you. 

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did to me.”
(Matthew 25:40).

Term 2 Christian Witness / Community Outreach programme
Our annual Knitting Club starts again next term. The group will meet every Thursday between 12:15pm and 1pm in the school Chapel. The Knitting Club focus is to pass on the wonderful life skill of knitting as well as to create blankets which will be gifted to children in need. The Middlemore Foundation has a collective of knitters which our school supports. If you are a knitter, or have a knitter in the family, and are able to join us, your help and assistance will be much appreciated. For more information contact Detta [email protected]

Holy Week
Holy Week begins this week coming with Palm Sunday, where we remember Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Palms will be blessed at the Masses over the weekend. Each of us is encouraged to take one of them home and place them behind a family cross. This is a Catholic tradition. Please take home palms for family and friends who are unable to attend Mass this weekend due to isolation or ill health.

The annual Stations walk in Howick continues this year. Joining the procession in Howick is a way of proclaiming your faith in Christ. The procession begins outside our parish Church at 9am. 

At the Easter Vigil next Saturday evening, the Mass will begin in darkness reminding us of Christ’s death and the darkness of the tomb. We enter the church with only the light of the Easter Candle to lead the way. Jesus tells us, ‘I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ The entrance of the Easter candle into the church is a powerful reminder of this. The light of this one candle is then shared with all present and very soon the darkness of the church is overcome. The church is filled with light, light that is strong in faith and hope.  Catherine McAuley reminds us ‘to be a shining lamp, giving light to all around.’ We are called to share this light of faith and hope with all those we meet. 

Below is the timetable for our parish celebrations. Everyone is welcome to attend and we look forward to celebrating with you as one big parish family.

Holy Week Timetable 2025:
Holy Thursday 17 April
 Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 pm

Good Friday 18 April
– Stations of the Cross 9:00 am
 –  Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion 3:00 pm

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
Blessing of Fire & First Mass of Easter – 7:00 pm

Easter Sunday
Mass 9 am
Please note there will be no 5:30pm Mass Easter Sunday

A message  from Father Terry …
At the end of next month we are starting our next Alpha programme. This has been a great blessing for many people in the past, helping them gently reflect on their spiritual lives and their relationship with God. Some of you have been to Alpha before; go tell your friends about it and invite them all to come. Some of you have been thinking about it, but haven’t got around to it. In today’s busy world that is easy. Find out more by going through the QR code.

Alpha starts with a dinner on 27 April. This is your personal invitation. Bring a friend.
God bless you,  Terry.

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

Your board met on the 25th of March.

The Board would like to express our sincere appreciation for the positive and thoughtful feedback received from the Diocese in their recent letter. We are grateful to all those involved in completing the 2024 Annual Report and the Special Character Compliance Report.
The letter highlighted the exceptional work being done at our school, Our Lady Star of the Sea, particularly in fostering a strong Catholic identity, the integration of prayer throughout the school day, and the significant role of service to the community.

Additionally, we have received the Term 1 Annual Plan update, and we are pleased to report that progress is on track. The Board is encouraged by the dedication shown to fulfilling the school’s mission and goals for the year.

The Board was also presented with the student achievement targets for 2025. We are confident that these targets will continue to guide our school in providing a holistic and faith-based education that nurtures both academic and spiritual growth.

As our Principal, Louise Campbell, begins her well-deserved sabbatical, we would like to take this opportunity to wish her the very best. Louise’s leadership has been invaluable to the school, and we look forward to her return.

Finally, on behalf of the Board, we wish all our students, families, and staff a very happy Easter. May this time of reflection and renewal bring peace and joy to all.

Thank you again to everyone for your ongoing support and commitment to the success of our School.

Anil D’Silva on behalf of your Board

Tax receipts for donations for the financial year 01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025 were emailed to payers on Thursday 10 April.  Thank you for your continued support.

News from the Parent Committee

With Term 1 all wrapped up, we want to thank our school community for the support over the past few months. It’s been a busy and exciting start to the year!

Yesterday, Room 7 enjoyed their well-earned pizza lunch after topping the fundraising for the Colour Run – well done!

Frozen Fridays have been a huge hit and we’re pleased to say they’ll be back in Term 4.

Looking ahead, Term 2 brings a Glow in the Dark Disco, a Hotdog Lunch and a Quiz Night.
Hotdog orders and Quiz night tickets will open next term via our website: www.olsos-pta.co.nz.

If you haven’t joined the communication tree yet, you can sign up here to be kept in the loop.

We are looking for a parent to help maintain our website. This mainly involves updating content and assisting with the order page info. The site is Wix-based. If you can help, please get in touch at [email protected].

Wishing all our families a safe and blessed Easter break.

Our next meeting is 5th May at 7pm in the staff room. Everyone is welcome!

Room 8 has been learning about the Stations of the Cross during the season of Lent. We took time to visit the stations around our school, reflecting on Jesus’ journey and the sacrifices He made. As we moved from station to station, we listened, learnt and thought about how we can show kindness and love in our own lives.

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In Room 20, We have been writing from the perspective of a person at Palm Sunday. Can you guess what perspective we are writing from? 

I have stuck by Jesus for too long, under his command since the day we met. Then one day, everything changed…

The disciples, including me, followed Jesus’ donkey across the path of praising people and waving palm leaves. Voices bounced off all corners and sides of the crowd. All of a sudden a voice caught my attention, a voice that I knew was a hating one. 

“Who does that young man think he is?!” the voice demanded. I slipped out of sight and followed the sound to find the owners of the insults. 

Religious leaders gathered at the high priest’s place for a plot to arrest and kill Jesus. I stepped inside and made myself visible. “What will I get if I betray Jesus?” I questioned. Thirty silver coins fell into my hands. “Deal.” I replied.
Cara

Oh yes! I have travelled to Jerusalem before. The travel is tiring and cold but it is worth it. Jerusalem is as bustling as ever. I hear people saying “The King of the Jews is here! Move aside!” Then I saw him. A man riding on a donkey. He didn’t look rich, powerful or special in any way. People are asking questions. “Who is he?” said a voice and then people started to lay down palm leaves and their coats.
Xavier

I was so excited. I was standing in the giant crowd waiting for Jesus to walk on the path. I could hear people cheering with so much excitement. All of a sudden, the crowd got quieter. I had no clue what was going to happen. It was like my heart was beating 1000 miles an hour. In the distance I saw something coming towards us. The crowd started shouting “Hosanna King of the Jews.” I quickly got a palm and yelled “Hosanna! The King of the Jews!” It was the king, Jesus. I was so excited to see him in real life.
Briella

HPPA Cultural Festival

How amazing are our Pasifika group! They worked hard to learn fabulous dances choreographed by our ex fono group leader, Jo Grant. The children learned the dance in their own time and committed themselves to weekly and weekend practises. Some even pulled their family in to learn the dance alongside them!

We were incredibly proud to see them perform in the HPPA Cultural Festival on the 2nd of April. Every student gave their best and the smiles, while on stage, said it all.

Thanks must go to Jo for all her hard work putting the dances together and working with the students each week to perfect each dance. 

Thanks to the families that supported us on the night – we were certainly treated to an evening of cultural diversity.

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We wish to congratulate Mason, who participated in the Baseball Tournament in Wellington over the weekend, representing the Auckland team.
The team performed exceptionally well, securing a 3–0 series win! The team will now represent New Zealand at the 2025 Little League Asia Pacific Qualifying Tournament in Korea in June. What an amazing opportunity!

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A few weeks ago, the Information Centre was turned into a filming studio when a group of our senior students filmed book reviews for Suzy Cato’s Youtube channel Kids Talk about Books.

What a fantastic opportunity and it was so much fun!

In preparation, each child was given a recently published book by a NZ author to read and put thought into aspects such as their favourite characters and illustrations, interesting parts of the storyline and who they think might enjoy reading the book and why.

Claudia Gunn from Little Wild Music did a fantastic job of filming and editing the reviews. We are thrilled with the videos and couldn’t be prouder of our students.
Congratulations to Pippa, Roseanne, Zeke, Shyla, Cara and Harper!

Keep hunting for those pesky mothpods over the holidays! For every mothpod you remove and photograph your child will earn 1 house point.  We have also entered a competition with other local schools, there are great prizes up for grabs so please help us out if you can.  

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Tuesday After School Art Class

Drawing, Oil pastel, Sketching, Painting…

Classroom – Room 3

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Cathedral Parish Secretary Vacancy

The Cathedral Parish of St Patricks & St Josephs is currently seeking a highly capable and motivated Parish Secretary for 36 hours per week, Tuesday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm and half a day on Sundays.

They are seeking a talented person able to ensure the effective and efficient day to day running of the Cathedral office and to support the Dean of the Cathedral.

This is a varied and busy role, and responsibilities include: Reception; Secretarial services; Office administration, Accounts (MYOB); Cathedral, Wedding & hall bookings; Parish newsletter, Rosters, website/social media management and music ministry administration.

Applicants for this position must have NZ residency or a valid NZ work permit.

To view the full advert, position description and how to apply, please visit the Diocesan website www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz Diocesan Services, Staff Vacancies.