School Newsletter 7th March 2024

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 a beautiful Ash Wednesday Liturgy with our school community. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season which is a time of spiritual preparation, examination and penance leading up to the celebration of Easter. We use this lenten time to pray – deepening our relationship with God; to focus on self-denial – going without; and for almsgiving – doing charitable acts. These are wonderful means of drawing closer to God.

Reflection – sourced from Liturgy Ritual Prayer LRP e news …

Isn’t it interesting that we begin this big, holy season smack dab in the middle of the work and school week? It isn’t Ash Sunday or Ash Monday. But here we are. Ash Wednesday reminds us that life doesn’t happen neatly, according to our timelines, and neither does God. God isn’t waiting for an opening in our schedules. God calls to you and me every day. God reaches out to us on Sundays and hump days and good days and “meh” days. “Even now,” says the Lord. Whatever is going on today, let’s not wait a moment. Let’s listen, say a prayer, and do whatever it takes to respond to God’s loving call.

Family Prayer –

Have one person read the prayer aloud – the rest of the family can respond after each line: Be with us, Jesus!

Lord God, thank you for this holy season.
Draw us closer to you in the days and weeks ahead.
Help us to listen to your voice in our hearts. Amen.

School Board News …

School Board Update

As the new school year is now well underway, and with a good number of new families joining our Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School family, it is timely to give you an up date on the School Board.

After 11 years of serving as the Chairperson/Presiding Member of the Board, I have decided to step down from this position and give the opportunity to someone else to take on this privileged role. Jason Farley, one of our parent elected board members, who joined us in 2022, has now stepped into the role- THANK YOU Jason for agreeing to take on this leadership role as the presiding member of the board. You have much to offer as our school continues to move forward on its journey.

I will continue as a Bishop’s Appointee on the Board until the elections in September, fulfilling my role on the various committees.

Our current Board membership is as follows:

Parent Elected Members:  Jason Farley (Presiding Member), Maila Altamirano, Trish Martin, Vineetha Uthamaputhiran and Lenis Martin

Bishops’ Appointees: Philip Cortesi, Apaula Fruean-Lautua, Alma Santos.  (We have one appointment pending, as a result of the sudden passing of Anna Soo Choon in January, who had given 8 years dedicated service on the Board. She is sadly missed)

Staff Representative: Michaela Griffiths

Principal: Peta Lindstrom

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 very rewarding experience, where Board members have the opportunity to contribute to and live out our school’s vision- “Learn Ka Ako, Love Ka Aroha, Serve Ka Manaaki, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”.

Over the next few months, you will begin to get information leading up to the School Board Elections on 10th September and the process involved.

We will have some vacancies on the Board, as some of us will be stepping down after a good number of years dedicated service. You might like to give this special ministry your consideration.

If you would like to know more about what it means to be a Board member, I am more than happy to talk with you.

Education Review Office (ERO)

In Term 4 last year, we completed  the process for our triennial external review from the Education Review Office. This focused on student achievement, teaching and learning programmes and factors that influence student success. It also focused on the governance and management of the school and how the School Board was meeting all its legislative requirements.

This process was very affirming and we are doing very well on all counts. We have had best practice commended, and together, with the reviewers, we have identified some next steps for the on-going improvement and development of our school.

Congratulations to everyone. I would like to make special mention of Peta Lindstrom and our senior leadership team, Maria Speechlay and Ana Silva, for the time, thought and energy that they put into preparing for the review, as did all the staff in their learning communities and the Board in its governance role.

Thank you to all our school whānau who support the school in many different ways- the very positive report is also a reflection of how our community engages in the life of the school and work as part of the whole team towards its goals.

To read the whole ERO Report please click on the following link Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School 743 School Evaluation Report (2

Community Consultation and Engagement

As you will now be aware, the School Board is underway with its 2025 consultation process with our parents and whānau, as we look forward to preparing the next stage of our school’s strategic plan 2026-2028. While this will be the responsibility of the new Board elected in September, our current Board needs to gather our “whānau voice” to provide information to assist the new board going forward.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their thoughts and ideas around the four key questions we have set:

1. What are two things you would like to see improved that will 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/whānau?
4. What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School over the next three years?

In considering these questions you might also like to reflect on the following:

• Why do I send my children to Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School?
• What do I expect from the school with regard to my children’s education and learning?

As we progress through the year, please continue to be involved in the various opportunities offered for you to have your say. All your feedback is captured and considered as we move forward in the development of the school, so we can continue to provide the best Catholic education we can for our children. Many thanks.

Warm wishes and Lenten blessings to you all

Philip Cortesi
Immediate Past Presiding Member of the School Board

DRS Report

Lent

This week we began our Lenten journey by marking ourselves on the foreheads with the burnt ashes at our Ash Wednesday liturgy. We are bonded by the physical and spiritual connection we share as followers of Jesus as we begin our Lenten journey this year. We teach our children the basic focus of Lent which reminds us to pray, fast and give. We are encouraged to spend more time as a family to pray or to attend Mass during the weekdays. We reflect on what we can fast for, this Lent. Do we fast from certain food or can we fast from habits that may help us to be better people? It’s also a time of almsgiving, the gift of giving something of ourselves for others. It could be time, to talk, to catch up or to check in on your family and friends. Let’s continue to ask for God’s guidance in this Lenten season and help us to prepare our hearts for Easter.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Next week on Wednesday 12 March, our senior students who have received the Sacraments will be spending time in Reconciliation with Father Mathew and other priests. This is a special time of discernment for our young people as they reflect on their relationship with God.

St Patrick’s Day – Bring a Gold Coin

On Monday 17 March, we are celebrating St Patrick’s Day by coming to school dressed up in “green” and bringing a gold coin to go towards the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal which Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand runs. The Bishop’s Lenten Appeal is to help support their work to aid and empower the most poor and vulnerable in our society. So let’s all dress in “green” and give this Lent by bringing a gold coin donation.

Parish Bulletins

Please click on the links below for this weekend’s Parish Bulletins:

St Anne’s Parish, Manurewa Bulletin #10 – Sunday 9th March 2025

St Mary’s Parish, Papakura Bulletin 9th March 2025

PTFA News …

We are also excited to announce our next upcoming fundraiser …

our Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Math-a-thon fundraiser!

Staffing Update – Welcome Mr Kumar!

We’re very excited to welcome Mr Varun Kumar to our Holy Trinity family. Varun joins us as an experienced primary trained teacher also having had experience in early childhood teaching. He has a love of sports and we’re looking forward to him sharing this keen interest with our senior students!

There’s a lovely note below from our new kaitiaki who is working with the Year 4 children in Learning Community Maunga.

Kia Ora, Ramram and Ni Sa Bula! 

My name is Varun Alvin Kumar and I hail from the beautiful islands of Fiji. I finished studying for my Diploma in Education (Primary) in 2013 and Bachelor of Education in 2017 at Fiji National University. I also obtained my Postgraduate Diploma in Education in 2020 and Masters of Education in 2022 at the University of South Pacific. 

I joined the teaching profession due to the desire to help improve and better the lives of children. It is a career and vocation that I undertake to intrinsically motivate and make a difference in a child’s life. I love teaching because I can make a positive difference to people’s lives by enabling students to reach a goal or a dream, or even by inspiring them to love learning and self-development. 

I am enthusiastic learner and I am looking forward to an enjoyable teaching journey at Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School!

Student Leadership Day

Today, our 12 Whānau Leaders spent the day at De La Salle Catholic College working alongside other student leaders from different Catholic schools in South Auckland. They were blessed to have members of the South Auckland Kāhui Ako CoL (Community of Learners) leaders who facilitated the day. All students had a De La Salle student leader who mentored and supported them on the day. Our tamariki thoroughly enjoyed the day and learned to explore qualities of leadership and the type of leader they wanted to be.

Mahi Tahi Conferences Thank You!

Thank you to the large number of families who were able to meet with their child’s/children’s respective kaitiaki this past week. It was so wonderful to see so many families engaging with teachers and having the students present to share their learning goals and learning journey so far this year. It is such a valuable time and allows for these important discussions and for kaitiaki to share ideas for supporting learning at home. We also ‘get to know’ our families, further nurturing the relationship that is so central to the children’s learning and development success.

Learning Community Moana families who missed time slots for this week will have an opportunity to meet with kaitiaki/teachers this coming Thursday 13th March from 1:00pm. Please keep an eye out for the HERO post that will invite further bookings for Mahi Tahi Conferences for those who were unable to secure an available slot. Thank you for your understanding and patience as we organise to make sure everyone has an opportunity for this time.

Teachers will also be following up with families for students in other Learning Communities who were unable to be here last week.

Hauora/WellBeing News

Emergency Drills

Across this term, our students will be participating in emergency drills for earthquake, fire and lockdown. It’s important for our tamariki to know what to do when an emergency takes place and it supports them to know how to keep themselves safe. Our earthquake drill is coming up soon! Our kaitiaki will help practise with their learning community before the drill so that all tamariki know how to respond safely in an earthquake by following the procedure of ‘Drop, Cover and Hold’.
DROP down on your hands and knees. This protects you from falling but lets you move if you need to.
COVER your head and neck (or your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk (if it is within a few steps of you). If there is no shelter nearby, cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.
HOLD on to your shelter (or your position to protect your head and neck) until the shaking stops. If the shaking shifts your shelter around, move with it.

Concerns and Complaints Policy and Procedures

It is always good practice each year to inform parents and community of the appropriate channel to share concerns or worries. Schools are required to have a Concerns and Complaints Policy in place.  The purpose is to provide clear guidelines for the school community in raising and resolving concerns and complaints.

These procedures enable us to:

• maintain the best learning environment for our students
• resolve matters of concern early, if possible
• respond to feedback and concerns constructively
• deal with complaints fairly, effectively, and promptly
• take into account individual circumstances
• maintain confidentiality
• preserve school/community relationships and communication
• monitor and record complaints and concerns about student safety.

Most complaints can be resolved informally by discussions with the people concerned.

1. Discuss the issue with the right person.
2. Work towards a resolution.

School policies and procedures are held online with SchoolDocs. Access to this information is shared with you at each student enrolment interview. Please access by logging on to http://holytrinity.schooldocs.co.nz/ – User Name: holytrinity – Password: learnloveserve

Reminders!

Our Police School Community Officer, Senior Constable Lisa Ross, has been asked to be present at school to support with traffic advice especially at the drop off and pick up times both at the school entrance/exit are and at the Kapowai Boulevard entrance/exit. Senior Constable Ross was very impressed with her recent observations of the behaviour of parents driving and adherence to road traffic rules when dropping off children. This coming week she will be observing driver behaviour and traffic flow at Kapowai Boulevard. Senior Constable Ross also commended the school for our current system of the drop off/pick up zone at the front of the school, commenting that it was a quick, safe and allowed for a good flow of traffic! So WELL DONE to our families who constantly show patience and kindness to each other when entering and exiting the school!

Please refrain from parking in the school’s two disabled carparks at all times unless you are a licensed holder of a vehicle disability card. This must be displayed at all times if using these car-parks. We now have a number of families that need to use these two carparks and it is so disheartening for them to see other vehicles parked there illegally. Thank you for your understanding and respect/manaaki for those in our community who need this support.

Upcoming School Events

School-wide Whānau Time
Monday 10th March 10:00am – 10:30am

PTFA MATH-A-THON Fundraiser launch – online registrations open
Monday 10th March 

Awhi Team Peer Mediation Training Day
Monday 10th March 

Reconciliation for Years 4-6 students
Wednesday 12th March @ Taamaua 11:00am – 1:00pm

Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons  for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 13th March @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre

Learning Community Moana Catch-Up Mahi Tahi Conferences 
Thursday 13th March @ school 1:00pm – 4:00pm 

PTFA MATH-A-THON Spot Prize Draw No. 1
Friday 14th March 

School Emergency Drill Practice
Friday 14th March 

School Gathering Liturgy and Assembly – led by Mrs Buzmion/LC Whenua and Mrs Ali/LC Moana
Monday 17th March @ 8:50am in Taamaua/school hall

St Patrick’s Day – non uniform day with gold coin donation – wear GREEN!
Monday 17th March 

Eye on Nature Day for nominated Year 5/6 students
Tuesday 18th March @ Auckland Botanical Gardens

Fr Mathew visiting Learning Communities
Wednesday 19th March 

Gymnastics/Fundamental Skills Lessons  for Year 3 (10am-11am) and Year 4 (11am-12:00)
Thursday 20th March @ Bruce Pulman Park Recreation Centre

PTFA MATH-A-THON Spot Prize Draw No. 2
Friday 21st March 

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

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

Term 1 Concludes
Friday 11th April

Upcoming Community Events

World Dance Crew Championship and Schools

Kia ora,

We have an exciting event coming to Manukau for the first time ever. Parris Goebel has brought to NZ a brand new major event called The World Dance Crew Championship. It’s only fitting that the first time its run is at the home turf of the Palace Dance Studio.

We want to invite your tamariki down to watch the best dance crews from around the world, including our own local legends The Royal Family & ID CO, take on top teams from the US, the Philippines, and beyond.

The event is at Due Drop Events Centre from April 13th – 19th, during the school holidays. With tickets priced at just $15–$20, plus, a further 10% off we hope to make it an affordable family experience. For the 10% off, please use the below directions:

Step one: Go to Eventfinda

Step two: Enter the presale code: SCHOOL10

This will be running from now until the 25th of March.

Please let us know how best to reach the parents of your school?

We appreciate your support and hope to see you there.

Ngā mihi
Hannah Simpson
Marketing & Partnerships Manager – World Dance Crew Championship (WDCC)
www.majoreventsgroup.com

Great South Dance Academy

We offer dance classes for all ages and abilities starting from 18 months through to adults. We have a range of qualified, experienced and passionate teachers who are teaching fun, educational and creative dance classes on a weekly basis. We offer a range of different dance styles so have something for anyone who loves to move!

We have purpose built studios which were designed and made with safety and joy in mind. We have been successfully running for 14 years in South Auckland and look forward to continuing for many more years to come.

For more information check out our website www.gsda.co.nz