School Newsletter 21st February 2025

Greetings, Kia ora, Kia orana, Talofa, Mālō e lelei,  Namaste, Ni Hao, Bula, Hola, Kumusta, Namaskārām,
Sat Shri Akaal, Vanakkam and Ayubowan

Dear Families

This week we celebrated our school Mass to mark the beginning of a new year. Father Mathew led this beautiful Mass which was made extra special with the commissioning of our 2025 student leaders. As a school community we pray for our student leaders and ask God to walk with them and guide them throughout year as they grow in learning ka ako, loving ka aroha and serving ka manaaki.  We pray our students will ‘encounter Christ’ and ‘be Christ’ to others by using their leadership and responsibility positions to serve, nurture and sustain all those in our ‘Common Home’.

Congratulations to all our student leaders and THANK YOU for saying YES!

Student Leaders 2025

Whānau Leaders

Aubert – Eva Abin, Hannah Chau and Liam Clarito

MacKillop – Johan Solanga, Caitlin Atienza and Lara Tamani

Pompallier – Genesis Feagaiga, Maegan Tiongco and Kinsley Miravite

Patrick Dunn – Mele Kaloni, Ezra Hennessy and Alicia Soriano

Catholic Special Character/Peer Ministry Team

George Kent, Eva Abin, Francheska Palisoc, Johan Solanga, Mele Kaloni, Genesis Feagaiga, Olive Racaza and Keira Vibal

Cultural Leaders

Jane Tatui, Mikayla Chand, Francheska Palisoc, Ruby-Lee Drollet, Joseph Seemon and Zia Sarath 

Peer Mediators/ Awhi Team

Year 5: Khloe Kippen, Ngatalia Iripa, Mia Galiliea, Sierra-Marie Watkins, Isaiah Raega, Caleb De vera, Timothy Isip, Joseph Mangalassery, Mason Briones and Katherine Farley

Year 6: Caitlin Atienza, Jaeyoung Hwang, Ruby-Lee Drollet, Olive Racaza, Genesis Feagaiga, Mele Kaloni, Lara Tamani, Eva Abin, Liam Clarito, Elsa Sajan, Johan Solanga and Joseph Seemon

Sports

Petranelle Peter Tulaga, Leon Dang, Matt Marcasote, Ileanah Del Rosario, Daniel Bangero, Carl Leonidas, Lacey Rumary and Khayla Platon

Librarians

Venbaa Uthamaputhiran, Elsa Sajan, Eva Abin, George Kent, Jacob Mahoni, Mia Yandall, Emily Martin, Katherine Farley, Sierra-Marie Watkins, Sade Leef-Shepherd, Mahalia Power and Matt Alcantara

Hauora / Travelwise Team

Hannah Chau, Jane Tatui, Jacob Mahoni, Lara Tamani, Kinsley Miravite, Mikayla Chand and Maegan Tiongco

Flag Crew

George Kent, Lavin Fox, Owen Taualai, Jaeyoung Hwang

Taamaua Crew

Year 5: Brody Smith, Isaiah Raega, Fatongiateli Finau, Mia Galiliea and Sam Balbona

Year 6: Elijah Tatireta, Lynk Leef-Shepherd and Janel Tufuga Stowers

School Board News …

Nau mai haere mai, nau mai hoki mai ki te tau kura hou

From the Board, I extend God’s blessings and warm wishes to all, as the 2025 school year is getting underway.

A special welcome goes to our new families- welcome to our Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School family. We hope that you enjoy your time with us and we look forward to meeting you all soon and getting to know you.

I would like to acknowledge Miss Lindstrom, our principal, the senior leadership team and indeed all the staff for the excellent work they have all done in planning and preparing for the new school year. It is going to be another busy year for our school, as together, we learn, love and serve.

As a Board, we are accountable for setting the school vision, the strategic plan and for student achievement and ensuring that the school complies with the government requirements. This also includes the well being and safety of all our children and staff. While the Board is in a governance role, it is the principal who is responsible for the day to day management of the school, and together we work in partnership to provide the very best Catholic education we can for all the children in our care.

School Board Elections

This year, all schools in New Zealand are scheduled to have their triennial Board elections, which will be in September. Being on the Board is a wonderful way to become involved in the life of your children’s school and their education. It is a commitment and a very rewarding one, where Board members have the opportunity in their leadership role, to live out our school’s vision- “Learn, Love and Serve, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”- Ka Ako, Ka Aroha, Ka Manaaki.

With the elections coming up in September, you might like to think about this special ministry- it might be a way in you would like to become involved in your children’s schooling. If you would like to find out more information, I would be happy to talk with you.

There will be more information to come as we get closer to the election time.

Community Engagement and Consultation

As a Board, we are again seeking our whānau voice, as we begin to look ahead to develop our next three year strategic plan- 2026-2028.

While this plan will be the responsibility of the newly elected board in September, we need to begin the process now. As well as reflecting the government’s education priorities, the strategic plan needs to reflect the needs and wishes of our community. To do this, we need to gather our whanau voice- the sharing of your ideas is very much valued and your engagement in our consultation process is much appreciated.

This week, we took the opportunity at the “meet and greet” your children’s kaitiaki on Wednesday afternoon, to begin gathering thoughts and ideas of those parents and caregivers who attended- it was a good start and a big THANK YOU to all those who contributed.

There will be other opportunities during the course of the year for you to have your input into the school strategic plan.

We are focussing on four key questions:

1. What are two things you would like to see improved that will help to enhance your children’s learning and growth?
2. What can we do to help you know and understand how to support your children’s learning at home?
3. What can our school do to cater for the Well Being/Hauora of our students/tamariki and our families/whanau?
4. What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School over the next three years?

You might like to consider your response to these questions, as we engage with you in the consultation process.

We look forward to another year with the Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School whanau working together to provide the very best Catholic education we can for all our tamariki.

Remember: TEAM– Together Everyone Achieves More.

Nga mihi mahana me nga manaakitanga ki a koutou katoa

Philip Cortesi (Presiding Member of the Board)

DRS Report

Dedication Mass

Last week on Tuesday 11 February, some of our staff attended the annual evening Dedication Mass held at Christ the King Parish in Owairaka. It’s always a beautiful way to start the year as all those who work in Catholic early childhood, primary and secondary schools gather together to re-dedicate themselves to the vocation of teaching. Monsignor Bernard Kiely led a beautiful Mass along with the attendance of other priests. We were able to celebrate some of our teaching staff who received certification on the night. Congratulations to Mrs Malgas, Mrs Sherlock, Mrs Speechlay, Miss Lindstrom and Mrs Silva.

Beginning of Year School Mass

This week on Wednesday 19 February, our school gathered together to celebrate our Beginning of Year Mass led by Father Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil of St Mary’s Parish, Papakura. It was also a special Mass where we commissioned and blessed all our Year 5/6 student leaders this year from Learning Community Moana. We continue to pray for our young people as they step into leadership roles. May the Holy Spirit give them courage to bring the best of themselves out by sharing their gifts and talents with our school community.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy

We celebrate Ash Wednesday on the 5th March this year with an Ash Wednesday liturgy in Taamaua/school hall at 9:15am. We invite all our school family and friends to join us for this special liturgy that marks the beginning of our Lenten journey for this year. All are welcome.

Sacramental Programme

It’s wonderful to see our children going through the Sacramental programme at St Mary’s Parish, Papakura. Registration for the Sacramental programme at St Anne’s Parish, Manurewa, as of 12:00pm today, is now closed.

For children aged 7-12 years, St Mary’s Parish Papakura is happy to invite Catholic parent(s) who have children not yet baptized, but open to baptism in the Catholic Church to a gathering. We shall enter into a process of discernment and faith formation before baptizing them. Classes on 15th, 22nd, 29th March & 5th April from 2 – 3pm, Ryder Room at the Parish. Contact the parish office for more information. (09) 299 6056

Parish Bulletins

St Anne’s Parish, Manurewa St Anne’s Parish Manurewa Bulletin #8 – Sunday 23rd February 2025 

Staff/Teacher Only Day in Term 1 2025

School will be closed for students on Friday 28th February – Term 1

Teachers and Support Staff will be involved in a professional development and learning day about the newly released New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area. This is a Ministry of Education approved Teacher/Staff Only Day. We received notification of approval recently.

This teacher-only day will provide our school with a dedicated time to understand, prepare and engage with changes across The Mathematics and Statistics curriculum. It is an opportunity for our kaitiaki to share ideas and expertise and to grow in our confidence in implementing the upcoming curriculum and assessment changes.

sKids will be open for the day to accommodate our families whose children require supervision. Bookings are open for the Teacher Only Day next week, on Friday, February 28, 2025. The theme for the day is Ancient Civilizations, and children will be engaging in activities such as making clay and mosaic art, team games, and much more! Parents can secure a spot for their child by visiting our website: https://enrolmy.com/skids-sknz2/activity/1223-Holy_Trinity_Teachers_only_day_Friday_February_28_2025.

Please make alternative arrangements for your child/ren for Friday 28th February

Staffing Update

We are looking forward to welcoming new teachers to commence with us this coming week!

Ms Geralyn Chua is joining the Learning Community Whenua teaching team on Monday 24th February. Geralyn has a long association and work history with the early childhood sector. She has a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience at working with younger students in the 3-5 year old age group and has held a leadership role in her recent work place. Geralyn is very family orientated and enjoys spending time with her children as well as having a love for ‘beading’ projects/creations. We are delighted to welcome Geralyn to Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School and know that she has many gifts and talents to share with our kaitiaki, students and school community.

PTFA News …

The PTFA are organising a Pancake Lunch for all children on Shrove Tuesday 4th March. Please look out for an order form coming home this week and place your orders at the office.

Children will receive 3 x Pancakes with Maple Syrup per pack. Packs are $5 each, please take your completed order form to the office, and pay by cash or EFTPOS by 3pm on Wednesday 26th February. The pancakes will be delivered to your child’s Learning Community on Shrove Tuesday!

Thank you for your ongoing support, all proceeds will go towards our fundraising efforts for the school.

Ngā mihi nui,
HTCPS PTFA

PTFA Meeting Next Tuesday

Happy Friday!  Can’t believe we are 3 weeks into the school term already!

Our next Parents, Teachers & Friends Association (PTFA) meeting, will be held at school next Tuesday, 25th February. We would love to see you there!  We will be focusing on getting our plans together and underway for the new year!

This is welcome to everyone – if you are new to the school, it is a great way to meet some of our HTCPS parents and friends!

Date: Tuesday, 25th February 2025

Time: 7:00 PM

Venue: School Staffroom

This is a great opportunity to contribute your ideas and volunteer support for the upcoming 2025 events, get an update on what’s happening at school, and chat to other parents.

Mahi Tahi Student /Parent/Teacher Conferences

In two weeks, we have scheduled Mahi Tahi, Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences for Wednesday, 5th March. These conferences are a valuable opportunity for you to meet with your child’s kaitiaki/teacher. The focus for the Mahi Tahi Student/Parent/Teacher discussions is around our Tōku Reo (learners’ profile). Throughout this term, your child will be reflecting on ways they can collaborate in their learning with others and kaitiaki/teachers in their learning community, how they relate to one another respectfully and how they can engage successfully with their learning. During Mahi Tahi, they will share goals created from their reflections based on the three capabilities of Relating, Engaging and Collaborating. You will have a chance to discuss with kaitiaki/teachers any queries or questions you may have. It is also a wonderful opportunity to share information about how they have started the year at school.

We look forward to seeing you all in person, and to korero with you in regards to your child/ren. Any queries or questions, please don’t hesitate to make contact with your child’s kaitiaki.

Please note that on Wednesday 5th March, school will end at 1:00 pm to allow parents to have a formal interview time. Interview times will be from 1:30 pm to 6:15 pm. To secure a 15-minute formal interview slot, you will receive a notification on HERO from your child’s learning community inviting you to book an interview time. Once you have made the request, kaitiaki/teachers will send you an email to confirm the interview time.

We are using the HERO interview booking system, and we know how successful it was for everyone last year.

We appreciate your ongoing support, and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing you at the Mahi Tahi – Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Teaching and Learning News

2025 Concept – Our Common Home

This year’s overarching concept focus is Our Common Home. The term “common home” comes from Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls us to care for the environment and all of creation. It reminds us that Earth is a gift from God, and we all share the responsibility to protect and nurture it for future generations. Throughout the year, our students will independently use their learning to encounter Christ by actively seeking ways to nurture, sustain, and serve in our common home. 

Concept A – Kaitiakitanga

In Term 1, our concept focus is kaitiakitanga—exploring ways to care for and protect all who are part of our common home. Students will use their learning to serve, nurture, and sustain the world we live in. Through their learning, they will discover how kaitiakitanga helps us be a kaitiaki for others and is a way to encounter Christ while living out our responsibility to care for God’s creation.

Learning Community Newsletters

LC Newsletters Published

Please take a moment to read the newsletters posted on Hero. Kaitiaki/teachers have shared important learning information for each curriculum area, so you can support your child’s learning at home. The newsletters also include homework expectations and details about when your child will need to bring their PE gear to school. We look forward to a wonderful term of learning together!

Learning Communities ‘Meet and Greet’

Thank you to all our whānau who joined us for our first meet and greet. It was lovely to see parents engaging with kaitiaki/teachers. During the afternoon, kaitiaki/teachers shared how their Learning Communities operate and discussed the systems and processes in place to help whānau support their child’s learning at home, setting them up for a successful year ahead.

sKids News …

At sKids, we’re excited to launch Flavour Detectives—a fun culinary journey where children will explore and celebrate cuisines from around the world! Over the next few weeks, our programme will introduce kids to recipes from countries such as Italy, India, and Mexico, giving them a hands-on experience with global flavours.

Upcoming School Events

School-wide Whānau Time commences
Monday 24th February 10:00am – 10:30am

PTFA Monthly Meeting
Tuesday 25th February 7:00pm in the school staffroom

Inter-schools Tag Touch Tournament Day – Years 5/6
Wednesday 26th February @ Bruce Pulman Park

School Board Monthly Meeting
Wednesday 26th February 7:00pm in the school staffroom

Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons  for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 27th February @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre

TEACHER/STAFF ONLY Day – school closed to students
Friday 28th February 

School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Miss Anacleto/LC Awa and Ms Gill/LC Moana
Monday 3rd March @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall

PTFA Shrove Tuesday Pancake Lunch
Tuesday 4th March 

Ash Wednesday Liturgy
Wednesday 5th March @ 9:15am Taamaua/school hall 

School-wide Mahi Tahi Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences 
Wednesday 5th March 1:00pm – 6:00pm in the Learning Communities

Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons  for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 6th March @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre

Kāhui Ako Student Leadership Day
Thursday 6th March @ De La Salle College

Term 1 Concludes
Friday 12th April

Upcoming Community Events

Artz on Show Holiday Programme

Sustainable Papakura Activities

Waiau Pa Hockey Competition