Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta
Greetings to you all
As we reflect on the past year, it feels as if it has passed by like a blink of any eye. As it draws to a close, we can all look back and take pride in what has been achieved together as a school community, where we continue to live out our school vision- “Learn, Love and Serve – Ka Ako, Ka Aroha, Ka Manaaki- in the name of the Father, and of the the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
Our school is becoming well known in the area as a successful, developing school, where there is a strong sense of unity and community, where the children are well cared for and receive an excellent Catholic education. Of particular note, is the continued growth in our children’s faith and their love for God which is reflected in word and action as they reach out to one another and into the wider community.
Developing and maintaining a high performing school is a challenging task and does not happen by chance, but as a result of the wonderful leadership of our Principal, Miss Peta Lindstrom, our committed Leadership team, and a hard working teaching and support staff. The time and effort you all put into your work with the children and the life of the school as a whole, is acknowledged and much appreciated. You make a great team!
Staffing
A special THANK YOU to Mrs Michelle Clissold, Mrs Katie Williams and Mrs Joy Treasurer who finish their part time teaching positions with us at the close of the year. The contribution they have made to the school and the children’s education, has been much appreciated. We wish these staff members well in their future endeavours.
The Board is pleased to say that we are fully staffed to commence the 2019 school year.
Parish Priests
We have been blessed to have had Fr Peter Murphy and Fr James Mulligan from St Mary’s Parish Papakura and Fr Brian Prendeville, Fr Kerry Prendeville and Fr Percy Kimble, from St Anne’s Parish Manurewa, working in partnership, providing wonderful support in the development of our school’s Catholic Special Character and bringing the faith to our children. THANK YOU!.
Sadly, we bid farewell to Fr Percy who is moving to Hawkes Bay to continue his mission there. We have enjoyed having you as part of our team Fr Percy and wish you well in your new position.
Board of Trustees
My sincere thanks go to my fellow Trustees on the Board for their continued dedication and commitment to the development of our school. The time and effort put into the many and varied tasks that have been entrusted to our care is acknowledged and much appreciated.
At this time, we say farewell to David Kenyon, one of our parent elected Board members who is moving to Australia, with his wife Karishma and son, Seth. David has been a committed member of our Foundation Board who is going to be missed. We acknowledge the valued contribution David has made in this establishment phase of our school. We also thank Karishma, who has been a valued member of our foundation PTFA. We wish them well as they move on to this next exciting part of their family’s journey.
Board of Trustees Election Year: in June 2019, the national election of Boards of Trustees will take place. Parents/caregivers, you might like to consider standing for the Board – a wonderful way of becoming involved in your children’s education. There will be more information about these elections in the new year.
PTFA
This year has seen the establishment of the school’s first PTFA, led by our Chairperson Juliet Nawisielski. While our numbers are small at present, the team have worked hard to begin raising funds for school activities and projects. Fund-raising towards the new adventure playground will be a big focus for 2019. The PTFA also have an important role to play in helping to develop the school community and being part of the face of the school. Maybe there are other parents/caregivers who would like to be involved with the PTFA- some “food for thought” over the summer holiday. The first Annual General Meeting of our PTFA will be in Term 1 of the new school year.
Strategic Plan
One of the major tasks of our Board of Trustees is the on-going review and development of our school’s Strategic Plan, which sets our direction moving forward. As part of this process, we invite our parents and caregivers to share with us their ideas for the development of the school- THANK YOU to all those who have responded to our surveys and involved themselves in our community gatherings this year, sharing your thoughts and ideas for our school.
Some of the suggestions from the community this year have included:
- An outdoor school grotto/chapel- established prayer space
- Continue to develop Linc-Ed for our line communication with parents about their children’s progress and achievement and school happenings
- More culturally diverse activities
- Establishment of a PTFA and other community groups
- An adventure playground
- Playing fields available for the children
While many of these ideas have been put into our Strategic Plan for the next 2 years, some of which you will already see happening, others which are bigger projects may take more time. We look forward to having our school fields ready for use at the beginning of the new school year. An adventure playground is on the horizon for 2019 and we are in the process of getting quotes and looking at where we can access monetary grants to help fund this project. Watch this space!
We look forward to your continued input and involvement into the development of our school as we move forward.
Again, I take this opportunity to thank Peta, our principal, all the staff, priests, parents and caregivers, my fellow Board of Trustee members and especially the children, for a wonderful and successful year in further establishing Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School. We are a TEAM and remember, Together Everyone Achieves More. Together we are one and it is as one we move forward.
As we prepare for Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Lord, it is time to spend with loved ones and give thanks for the many blessings God gives us.
May you all have a blessed and holy Christmas and safe New Year.
Blessings
Philip Cortesi
Chairperson
Board of Trustees
