Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta, Namaskārām, Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam and Ayubowan
Dear Families
HAPPY HOLY TRINITY FEAST DAY! Manuia le Aso Tausamiga o le Tolutasi!
As we are named Holy Trinity Catholic School, Trinity Sunday is our special Feast Day, which we joyfully celebrated today, being the closest school day to Trinity Sunday- this weekend. It is the charism which embeds the life our school.
LOVE is at the heart of the Holy Trinity and the heart of our school. The love of the Father for his Son, the love of the Son for his Father and the love of the Holy Spirit, is reflected in all we say and do.
When we are making the sign of the cross , which is a very special ancient prayer, we are expressing our belief in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, remembering that there are three persons in one God- in other words the Holy Trinity.
Our school vision of LEARN, LOVE and SERVE in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is a living reality, which we should all be very proud of. It is the Holy Trinity in action.
The School Board
With a growing number of new families joining our Holy Trinity School whānau and many for the first time, I thought it timely to share a few thoughts about a school Board.
The school Board has a stewardship role that involves planning for and acting in the interest of the school and its community. Its role is to oversee the governance of the school and to ensure that everything that needs to be done, gets done- legally, ethically and as well as possible in the best interests of its students.
In particular, the Board is responsible for:
- Student learning, well being, achievement and progress
- Setting the strategic direction and targets for the school
- Planning and reporting
- Curriculum management
- Financial and Property management
- Policies and procedures
- Health and Safety
- Employment of Staff
The principal is both a member of the school Board and its chief executive and manages the day to day operation of the school, in line with the Board’s direction and policies.
The Board is elected by the school community to ensure that the school community has a voice in the direction of the school and the education it provides for the students.
For a state integrated school such as Holy Trinity, there are also members representing the Proprietor- in our case, the Bishop of Auckland. These members have all the same rights and obligations as all other Board members, as well as a key role in ensuring that the Catholic special character of the school is nurtured and preserved, and the property, which belongs to the Diocese, is well cared for. The parish priest and principal work together in recommending to the Bishop suitable people to fulfil this role on the Board.
Our Holy Trinity School Board:
Community elected members: Jason Farley (Deputy Presiding Member), Trish Martin, Maila Altamirano, Vineetha Uthamaputhiran, Lenis Martin
Proprietor’s Appointees: Philip Cortesi (Presiding Member), Apaula Fruean-Lautua, Anna Soo-Choon, Alma Santos
Staff Representative elected by school staff: Lynn Rhode
Principal: Peta Lindstrom
Our Board meets monthly, usually the fourth Wednesday of the month. As a Board we welcome your thoughts and ideas and appreciate your contribution through the various forms of consultation we engage in.
We enjoy serving our community and our school community and are committed to our role as we work together with all our school whānau in providing an excellent Catholic education for our tamariki.
School Policies
As a Board, we have the responsibility of developing policies and ensuring that they are implemented to meet all that is required of us as a Board. Through SchoolDocs, an online service to which many schools belong, school policies are developed, tailored to meet individual schools’ needs and reviewed every three years, ensuring that they meet all legal requirements under the Education Act.
Minimising Physical Restraint Policy:
New rules and guidelines regarding the use of physical restraint in schools came into effect at the beginning of this school year.
What is Physical Restraint? Physical restraint is using force to prevent, restrict, or subdue the movement of a student (or any part of their body) against their will. It is a severe intervention and should only be used as a last resort, by authorised staff.
As required by the Education and Training Act 2020 and in support of the National Learning Priorities (NELP), Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School promotes a school-wide culture of wellbeing to ensure the school is a physically and emotionally safe place for all students and staff. This includes understanding, recognising and safely responding to student distress and minimising the use of physical restraint.
The physical restraint rules set out in our policy comply with the Education Physical Restraint Rules and the framework for physical restraint set out by the Education and Training Act 2020.
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School does not allow seclusion or unsafe physical restraint in response to student distress.
Should you wish to read our policy in detail, please go on line to holytrinity.schooldocs.co.nz , use the community user name: holytrinity and the community password: learnloveserve OR alternatively, you can view a hard copy at the school office.
School Uniform Policy:
The Board is also responsible for the school uniform policy, which provides the school dress code which we expect from all who attend our school.
We are proud of our school uniform- it is an outward sign of who we are and who we represent- students of Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School.
The updated Uniform Policy is here Uniform Guidelines – Updated April 2023 FINAL
Fa’afetai tele lava – Thank You!
Fa’afetai lava/thank you to all our families who are now using the pedestrian gate entrance to the school from Kapowai Boulevard. It is much safer for everyone.
Please DO NOT use the Airfield Rd end of Kapowai Boulevard, which necessitates pedestrians going out towards Airfield Road where traffic is coming through the school carpark entrance.
Many thanks for your patience and understanding as we do our very best to keep all our families safe!
Have a safe and blessed weekend.
Fa’amanuia le Atua ia te outou uma
Philip Cortesi
Presiding Member of the Board
