School Newsletter 24th September 2021

Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei,  Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta

Dear Families

This week we celebrate New Zealand’s National Catholic Schools Day – Tūrangawaewae – A Place to Stand. Although we cannot be together to celebrate as a physical school community, we can be together through prayer and our sense of commitment to “following faithfully the way of Jesus Christ, telling courageously the truth of Jesus Christ and living joyfully the life of Jesus Christ” (Ecclesia in Oceania).

How blessed we are at Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School, to have the opportunity every day to be a place and people of faith, to share the sense of belonging through hospitality and inclusion, to show acts of love through our thoughts, words and interactions and to be place of unity where all can stand – ‘Tūrangawaewae’!

Archbishop Paul Martin SM, Co-adjutor Archbishop of Wellington has shared these words with us …

‘Our Catholic schools as places of belonging, allow us to celebrate and grow in what we have in common, what binds us together. As Christian people it is our baptism in Christ. It is also the call of the Gospel and the Church to live in the way that Jesus taught us.

The challenge for us is to ensure that our young people have every opportunity possible to fall in love with Jesus Christ and his Gospel. When we belong we are united by what we have in common, and for us it is the life of the God dwelling in us. If our young people are going to be connected, to desire this as a place they want to stand in, then they will need to be convicted in their commitment to Christ. Our challenge is to see that our schools are places where our young people have every opportunity to experience God both personally and in the community.’

Together, let us make Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School the place where our children, whānau and staff do indeed have every opportunity to experience and ‘fall in love’ with God both personally and in the community!

Happy Catholic Schools Day everyone!

From our School Board …

This past term we have continued to face all the challenges that have come our way as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a school community we have had five weeks of Level 4 lockdown, and now a time of continued restrictions with Level 3. It is a challenging and stressful time. We are doing well!

On behalf of the Board, again, a BIG THANK YOU for the wonderful way you are continuing to support our school and your children’s learning, as well as working your way around the protocols that are in place to ensure the well- being of all. It is great to see your continued involvement in your children’s learning, working alongside them and sharing that learning on the school’s digital site- the sharing of prayers, songs, reading, home created activities, cooking etc.  Great work whānau!!

Going onto the school site every Monday morning for Liturgy and Assembly, then seeing all the great work being done at home and seeing photos and videos of children and their parents is the highlight of my lockdown week! The photos and video clips are especially awesome!

I cannot thank our school principal Miss Lindstrom, the leadership team and indeed all the staff enough, for the commitment they continue to make in doing the very best for our children’s learning and educational well- being. The staff also appreciate the encouragement and thanks that they receive from our whānau.

During this lockdown time, the Board has been continuing to do its work around school governance and making sure we are fulfilling all the government COVID requirements. The Ministry of Education are also regularly providing detailed guidance to schools regarding their day to day operation. The Board is having all its usual meetings via Zoom, but look forward to the time when we can meet face to face off the screen again!

Please continue to pray that the next Alert Level review, scheduled for Monday 4 October, the beginning of the school holidays, will see us moving down to Level 2. If this happens and continues, we will see the new term begin with some sense of normality. We long for the day we can have all our school whānau back on site with us.

A Prayer for this Week:

Loving God

We pray for your love and compassion as we go through this challenging time…
We pray for wisdom for those who carry the load of making the decisions with widespread consequences…
We pray for those who are suffering with sickness and all who are caring for them…
We ask for protection of the elderly and vulnerable so they do not succumb to the risks of the virus…
We pray for our own whānau that we keep well and approach each day in faith and peace, trusting in the truth of your goodness towards us.

We make these prayers in your name O Lord- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
AMEN

Ngā mihi mahana ka manaakitia koutou te Atua

Philip Cortesi
Presider of the Board

School Holidays

Please note that the October school holidays commence on Saturday 2nd October through to Sunday 17th October. School will be closed during this time and there will be no online learning as our teachers, learning assistants and staff along with you, our families will be enjoying a well deserved break!

School will commence again for Term 4 on Monday 18th October.

Online Reporting in HERO

In this coming week, teachers/kaitiaki will be publishing learning posts for each child for achievement in Religious Education and in our Science Concept learning, Curiosity.  These comments will be published on HERO for families to read and to respond to. Please click on the students’ respective learning community page to access this online reporting.

Diocesan Events for this Week

Here’s the link to this week’s events.

https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/home-2020-new-design/the-church-and-covid-level-4-2/

Parish Newsletters for this Week

Please find attached the link to St Mary’s Parish, Papakura weekly newsletter – St-Marys-Papakura-Newsletter-26th-Sunday-In-Ordinary-Time (1)

And also please find attached the link to St Anne’s Parish, Manurewa weekly newsletter – St Anne’s Bulletin #34 – Sunday 26th September

Alert Level 3 Information

Last Monday afternoon, the Government announced that the Auckland region would be moving to Alert Level 3.

At Alert Level 3, you legally must stay within your household bubble unless for essential personal movement including going to work and going to school. Schools are only open at Alert Level 3 for those few children where there is no appropriate caregiver at home.

Therefore Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School has been open from Wednesday 22nd September for a small number of children who need to attend. There are also only a minimum number of staff at school.

While we know how difficult it is trying to work from home as well as support your child’s learning, please keep your child at home if there is an appropriate carer available.

All our usual safety precautions for Alert Level 3 will be in place which include following all the recommendations from the public health experts.

This means we will:

• regularly clean and disinfect high touch surfaces
• encourage everyone to frequently wash their hands and cover their coughs and sneezes
• keep everyone physically distanced from others as much as possible (1 metre inside and two metres outside)
• keep school bubbles to no more than 10 students. These bubbles will not mix with other bubbles
• encourage the wearing of masks for children over 12 years of age
• encourage the wearing of masks for those younger children who wish to do this

Our contact tracing systems are in place, which includes our attendance register and visitor register and QR code specific to Holy Trinity school.

We are limiting staff onsite with the majority of our team working from home. We continue to support all children who remain learning from home, through our distance/home learning programme. Please refer to our HTCPS Home Learning google site by clicking HERE. Kaitiaki/teachers are also meeting with students for teaching/instruction and social time online either by “zoom or google meet”

Thank you for the wonderful support you continue to share with our school community. Keep safe and well and we look forward to when we can open our school again for all of our children and whānau.

Helpful Information from the Ministry of Education

Tips for parents from Dr Hinemoa Elder and Nathan Wallis!

From the MoE … We have heard that many parents and whānau are feeling anxious about their children’s behaviour and routine changes through alert level changes and extended alert level restrictions.

Thank you for sharing these concerns – in response, we asked Dr Hinemoa Elder (child adolescent psychiatrist) and Nathan Wallis (neuroscience educator) for some tips and advice.

In the video we’ve made, (←click on this link) they describe what parents can do if they have concerns. If parents are still concerned their tamariki aren’t coping, it’s important to reach out and talk with a health professional. There’s lot of support, information and help available.

Helpful Information from the Ministry of Social Development

Work & Income

Help with essential costs!

Work and Income may be able to help you, even if you’re working

If you can’t work at the moment, have lost your job, or are working fewer hours

You may be able to get a benefit or some other financial help from us.

If you’re struggling to pay your rent or your bills, you might be able to get some help – even if you’re still working or on a low income.

We can also help you look for work or training and help with the costs of getting started in a new job.

If you’re sick or need time off work because of COVID-19

If you’re being tested for COVID-19, it’s important you stay home until your results come back. If you can’t work from home, your employer may be able to apply for the Short-Term Absence Payment to help them pay you.

If you’ve been told to self-isolate because you or someone you’ve been in contact with has COVID-19, and you can’t work from home, your employer may be able to apply for the Leave Support Scheme to help them keep paying you.

Talk to your employer about the help that’s available so you can keep getting paid. If you’re self-employed and can’t work from home, you can also apply for these payments.

If you need help with essential costs

Depending on your situation, there are lots of other ways we may be able to help you and your family. You don’t need to be on a benefit to get help, it’s also available to people on a low income. We could help with:

Find out more

Even if you don’t think you qualify, call us to talk about your situation.

You can also visit workandincome.govt.nz and click on Check what you might get.

For more information

Go to workandincome.govt.nz

Call us on 0800 559 009, 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm, Saturday.

Chinese

Cook Islands Reo

Te Reo

Tongan (1)

Samoan

MSD has also advised encouraging people to check what they’re eligible for via this website Check what you might get (msd.govt.nz)

Essential Services

If you need financial help to buy food, Work and Income may be able to help.

Visit the Work and Income website for urgent financial support and ongoing needs.

You can apply for a main benefit online and check your eligibility for food assistance.

You can also use the COVID-19 financial support tool on the Unite Against COVID-19 website to see what support is available to you.

Go to:

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz (for more information)

https://my.msd.govt.nz/ (to apply to Work and Income online)

0800 559 009 (MSD General Line)

0800 552 002 (MSD Seniors 65+)

0800 88 99 00 (StudyLink Students)

http://www.Covid19.govt.nz/business-and-money/financial-support/covid-19-financial-support-tool/ (the COVID-19 Financial Support tool)

Foodbanks

If you need food urgently (eg if you need food in the next 24 to 48 hours), your local foodbank may be able to help.

You can find your local foodbank by searching on the Family Services Directory website:

Family Services Directory website

If you can’t get food delivered

If you have tried and can’t access support through any of the options above, contact your local Civil Defence and Emergency Management (CDEM) Group.

Go to: http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/find-your-civil-defence-group/

Learning Community News

Learning Communities Maunga and Ngahere

Below are images of some great pieces of work shared by our students through their HERO Learning Wall pages:

Curriculum News

Year 7 & 8 Camp 2021

We have planned for an overnight Education Outside the Classroom Camp for our Year 7 & 8 students in Week 3 Term 4 (Wednesday 3rd November to Friday 5th November) to be held at Camp Adair, Hunua. It is an opportunity for students to engage in activities that will challenge their own comfort, build on their resilience, commune with nature, with each other and with God, and to take risks and build character. 

This CAMP is part of our planned Curriculum Health and Physical Education programme for the year. Some of the great activities our students will be involved include:

• Archery
• High beam field
• Raft building
• Mountain biking

Camps are more than just an opportunity for our students to challenge themselves in an outdoor setting. It is a memorable occasion that inspires growth in our tamariki and the fostering of leadership that all our students have the potential for. Camp will be an amazing time for all!

Next Thursday the 30th of September, we will host a Parent Camp Information Zoom meeting at 7.00pm. The details of that meeting will be posted through HERO and sent via email closer to the time. For those of our parents who would like more information, please contact Andrew Malele amalele@holytrinity.school.nz

Reminders!

2021 School Leavers

If you are leaving our school at the end of this year due to a change of circumstances (other than our Year 8 students), please email the school office as soon as possible – office@holytrinity.school.nz. We are currently managing a maximum roll of 300 students and this much needed information will help us to make decisions in regards to enrolments for 2022 placements. Thank you.

Teacher Only Days – Term 4

Friday 22nd October and Monday 15th November

Dues to the current Lockdown situation and the postponement of a number of events, the Teacher Only Day scheduled for Monday 23rd August will now take place on Monday 15th November. This change of date has been approved by the School Board. Therefore in Term 4 …

School will be closed for students in Term 4 on Friday 22nd October and Monday 15th November. On the 22nd October, teachers will be involved in a final day of study –  RE/Health Seminar “Having Life to the Full” – session 4.  On the 15th November, teachers will be writing the school-wide development teaching and learning plan for the NZ Health Curriculum Key Learning ‘sexuality education’.

Please make alternative arrangements for your child/ren on this day.

These Teacher Only Days are part of the Primary Teachers Collective Agreement and are used for teacher professional learning and development. This means that schools can close on a day to allow for all teachers to attend various professional development.

Term 4 School Uniforms

School Summer Uniform

Students are expected to be in the correct school uniform from Term 4. 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 20/5 Lambie Drive, Manukau.

All students are required to wear the correct school uniform for summer as listed below.

Girls Uniform

Tartan skort
Blue short sleeved monogrammed blouse (summer)
Black open toed school sandals (summer)
Navy bucket sun-hat monogrammed
Navy woollen monogrammed school jumper OR school jacket

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 OR school jacket

Upcoming School Events

Catholic Schools Day Celebrations!
Wednesday 29th September

Term 3 concludes
Friday 1st October

Term 4 commences
Monday 18th October

St Anne’s Parish Job Vacancies

Communications Administrator & Gardener

Two roles have opened up at St Anne’s: that of the Gardener and Communications Administrator (that’s this job!). These are both part time roles. The Communications Admin role would suit someone who is somewhat tech-savvy (knows their way around a computer), has an eye for design, and is a confident communicator – as you’d be responsible for doing the weekly bulletin and sending it out to all of the Parishioners. If you would like some more information about these two roles, please send an expression of interest to operationsmanager@manurewacatholic.org.nz.

Catholic Diocese of Auckland Job Vacancy

 Part-time Credit Controller & Administration – Pompallier Centre

This part time role is to provide credit control and administration support to the Operations Manager for the collection of Attendance Dues for schools in the Auckland Diocese.  Hours are flexible to incorporate some evening and Saturday morning work.

Key Tasks include: Collection of compulsory school Attendance Dues; contact with school parents via outbound phone calls; follow up of unpaid accounts and Debtor ledger management.

To view the full advert, please visit our website www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz under Diocesan Services and Staff Vacancies.