Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta
Dear Families
A special welcome to new families and students who have joined Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Community this term. We hope that with God’s Grace, we can contribute positively to your new beginning with arohanui/compassion, manaakitia/respect and ngākau pono/integrity. This will be an exciting term for us all as we journey towards the end of the year, creating special events to reflect on and celebrate our foundation year!
How joyful to see our children praying the rosary at school each day especially during this month of October. This is a beautiful pray of devotion which encourages us to pray to our Mother, Mary knowing that she will take our prayers to her Son, Jesus on our behalf. Your family, might like to pray a decade of the rosary together each night this month … the children will lead you!
We pray … Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the our of our death. Amen.
Community Meeting
Thank you to our families who were able to join with us at the community meeting last evening, hosted by the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team. It was a great turnout and we were thrilled with your participation and contributions – these are invaluable to the direction of our school. Responses to focus questions will be collated and shared with you later this term.
DRS News
Our Lady of Fatima
Our school is very blessed to have the statue of “Our Lady of Fatima” visiting us for the month of the Holy Rosary. We encourage our students and their whanau to come along to sit and pray with Our Lady in the morning before school or during one of our school rosary time every day this month from 12:40pm – 1pm in Taamaua. We also encourage our students to bring their own rosary beads from home as we celebrate this special month. A very special thanks to Mrs Margaret Soo Choon (St Mary’s parishioner) for sharing her personal journey of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima at Monday’s assembly. The presence of Our Mother, Mary is indeed thriving here at Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School.
Communion of Saints
This term we are learning about the Communion of Saints (Te Kotahitanga o te Hunga Tapu). Our younger students in Whenua will be learning about Mary being one of the greatest Saints as the mother of Jesus and the mother of us all. Learning Community Awa will explore the virtues of different Saints and how they are the models for us here on earth. Students from Moana will be delving into the community of all members of the Church – those who are living, those who are with God in heaven and those undergoing purification before entering into the fullness of life with God. There are some fantastic activities that you can do at home to support the children’s learning, by referring to the Family Whanau Book on pages 19, 22 & 31. If you don’t have a Family Whanau Book, they are available for purchase at the office.
Relic of Pope John Paul II
Your are invited to a historical presentation of the relics of Pope John Paul II at St Bernadette’s Church in Mt Wellington. There will be a special Mass for him on Sunday 22nd October and you and your family are welcome to come along and be a part of this special celebration.
School Enrolments for Year 0 – 8
We have been given permission to extend our school enrolment levels to Year 8 in 2018 so we look forward to growing our school and welcoming older students to the Year 7/8 Learning Community. Please ensure you have enrolled all younger siblings who will be joining our school family in 2018 and 2019. This information will help us to be more accurate with our future planning.
ERO Visit
Education Review Office personnel will be spending time with us in Week 4 as part of the New School Assurance Review following on from our completed Readiness Review. The Assurance review allows ERO to see the school in action and to verify the judgements made during the Readiness Review process. We will welcome the ERO Team with a Powhiri as part of our regular Monday Gathering Prayer and Assembly time. Details will be shared closer to the time.
Professional Learning and Development Day
On Thursday 26th October, all teaching staff will be released from their learning communities to enable them to work together in professional learning workshops. We will be focussing in particular on developing shared understandings around the literacy and numeracy learning progressions to support our work with student assessments. Relieving teachers will be working in each of the Learning Communities on this day.
Curriculum Concept
Our Concept learning focus for Term 4 is around Journeys which links well with Religious Education, Social Studies and The Arts. Journeys are a celebration of where we have come from and where we are going. We want our children to understand that every journey requires resilience.
The essential questions that will help us to unpack the big ideas around the concept of Journeys are:
- What is a journey?
- Why go on a journey?
School Aquatics Programme
Swimming lessons are coming up in Week 6. They will be held at Massey Park Pools and are subsidised by WaterSafe Auckland Inc. so for 5 hours of lessons, each student pays only $20 – this is only $4 an hour! This includes transport to and from the pools and five hour long lessons. More information to come next week.
Counties Manukau Sport (CMS)
We are continuing to have CMS deliver physical education sessions with all students – we are covering throwing, catching and movement skills. Students participate in a range of activities and games each Wednesday.
Also, in Weeks 3 & 4, we have CMS Cricket coming in to deliver some cricket coaching sessions with students.
Student Learning Chats on School Facebook Page
We currently share the student Learning Chat videos through our Linc-Ed Community Alert Blog and now would also be very keen to upload the weekly Learning Chat videos to our school’s Facebook page. If you DO NOT WANT your child’s image to be displayed through this social media, then please inform the school office immediately so we can act accordingly.
Remedial Cabling Update
Contractors are underway with Stage 2 of the project and have almost completed the recabling of the top floor of the teaching/learning block. Stage 3 is expected to commence Monday 30th October and is likely to be a duration of 4 weeks . This means that learning communities will be relocated next Friday 27th October afternoon to … Moana will return upstairs to their space, Awa will locate to Maunga space upstairs and Whenua will locate to Taamaua/school hall. sKids Before and After School Care will remain operating from Taamaua/school hall for the rest of the year. If you are available, we would appreciate some extra hands to help with the shifting of furniture from 3:00pm – many thanks!
Summer Uniform Changeover
Students are expected to be in the correct school uniform from Tuesday 24th October. This includes the short sleeved blouse or shirt, open toed black school sandals and the school sunhat. Please name all items of clothing so that they can be returned to the children immediately when found.
Our School uniform is only available for purchase from NZ Uniforms on 28E Lambie Drive, Manukau.
Number 1 Shoes have well priced roman sandals – 2 pairs for $30.00.
All students are required to wear the correct school uniform for summer as listed below.
Girls Uniform
Tartan skort
Blue short sleeved monogrammed shirt (summer)
Black open toed school sandals (summer)
Navy bucket sun-hat monogrammed
Navy woollen monogrammed school jumper
Boys Uniform
Navy shorts
Blue short sleeved monogrammed shirt (summer)
Black open toed school sandals (summer)
Navy bucket sun-hat monogrammed
Navy woollen monogrammed school jumper
Sports Uniform for both Girls and Boys
Navy PE Tee shirt with red strip
Navy PE shorts
Attendance Dues and
Special Character Contribution
Term 4 invoices will be emailed to families on Monday 16th October 2017.
Please note: you will not receive an invoice if you have paid the full 2017 amount for your child’s Attendance Dues and Special Character Contribution.
We are using the emailing system so if you do not receive your invoice by Wednesday please contact the office – phone 296 9039
or email – office@holytrinity.school.nz
Receipts for Term 3 Attendance Dues and Special Character Contribution payments will be printed on Tuesday and can be collected from Reception during school hours.
School Attendance Dues
Sponsorship Scheme
The Attendance Dues Sponsorship Scheme – has been created to assist families who may need financial support with the payment of attendance dues, for students attending Catholic schools in Auckland Diocese, both primary and secondary.
The purpose of the sponsorship scheme is to allow parents or caregivers facing financial hardship another option to seek relief where they may be reluctant to approach their school for help.
The existing financial hardship scheme – operated by your school – is also available to parents or caregivers facing hardship and we do encourage families facing financial difficulties to please contact your school office.
Application forms are available from school and parish offices, or can be down-loaded from the Catholic Schools Office Website: www.catholicschools.org.nz (go to Property and Finance / Finance / Attendance Dues)
If you have any queries or require assistance with the payment of attendance dues under the sponsorship scheme, you are invited to phone in confidence, Carol Krebs (Ph. 360 3069) at the Auckland Diocese office.
Applications to the sponsorship scheme for 2017 attendance dues will be accepted by the Auckland Common Fund Ltd up to November 2017.
Coming Events
Labour Day Holiday
Monday 23rd October – school closed
School Assembly and Prayer
Tuesday 24th October 8:50am – Learning Community Whenua to lead
Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday 24th October 7:00pm
Counties Manukau Sports Coaching continues
Wednesdays for Term 4
NZEI Professional Development Day – school remains open
Thursday 26th October
Relocating of Learning Communities
Friday 27th October 3:00pm
School Assembly and Prayer
Monday 30th October 9:00am – Learning Community Awa to lead
Beginning of Term Mass – All Saints Day
Wednesday 1st November 9:00am in Taamaua
All Souls Day Liturgy
Thursday 2nd November 9:00am in Taamaua
With God’s Blessings
Peta Lindstrom
Principal
Community Events
Blessed Sister Advert..pdf (1)
