Thursday 30 November 2017

1. Principal's News - Term 4, Week 7, 2017

2018 Teachers

I am very pleased to let you know that we have confirmed our final appointment this year.  Mrs Jennifer Herbst will be teaching the year 5-6 class.

Mrs Herbst is originally from South Africa.  She is an experienced primary and intermediate teacher presently teaching at Rosmini College (a boy's school) on the North Shore in Auckland where she's head of Intermediate English and Learning Enhancement.  Jennifer comes with her husband Carl and two children Eli who is coming into year 5 and her daughter Sarah who is going into year 9 at St Kevin's.  Jennifer is a practising Catholic with a diploma in Religious Education.  She is presently the across school teacher for the North Shore Catholic Community of Learning.

Jennifer completes the staff for 2018 and we are extremely lucky to have a full complement of experienced staff with a huge array of talents and leadership experience.


Sports Courtesy

Please remember to let the coach know if you cannot turn up for a game.
Children should also remember to treat all players and supporters with manners, good will and sportsmanship.

We have sent home sports forms to fill in.  Can we please have these back as soon as possible otherwise we cannot fit your child into a swimming group for next year.

Our year 8 sports awards will be awarded on the basis of our school athletics, cross country and swimming competitions.  The winner gets 3 points, 2nd place gets 2 points, 3rd place gets 1 point.  If there is a draw there is also one point for each school team the person plays for.  The boy and girl with the most points will be awarded the sports awards at our prize-giving mass.

Spelling
This year we introduced the Wordlab spelling program.  The proof is always in the pudding - does it make a difference?


Whole school excluding year 8s
Average increase in years (from June - Nov)
% of children accelerating
Average increase of low spellers
Average increase of average spellers
Average Increase in high spellers

1
59%
1 year
1 year
1.3 years
Yes it does.  In the five months we have been using the program this is the average rate of increase in spelling age for our spellers.  We tested on the South Australian Spelling Test and what is interesting is these are not the words learnt in Wordlab.  In Wordlab you learn HOW to spell not WHAT to spell.  That's why there aren't vast lists of complicated words and its also why most of it is done in school, not for homework.  Some parents have worried that able spellers won't be extended.  But from this it would look like the able spellers make the most gain.  Some of our spellers who started at the 13 age range ended up at the 16+ age range.

Sports for 2018
Paula Brien will continue with our Sports Coordination for 2018.  Thank God.  We presently have a very large funding application in to replace and upgrade the St Joseph's clubs equipment.

We need to make the sports sustainable and keep the equipment upgraded.  So from the start of next year we are going to ask for sports fees to be paid before the seasons starts.  If they can't be paid up front an automatic payment can be arranged. 

Thank you Miss Pryce for your work all year
with our lunchtime art groups


End of Year Reminders
The Junior Nativity Pageant will happen at the end of year mass starting at 6,30pm on Thursday 14th December.  We have started it at 6.30 to give the children time to eat beforehand.  

We would like all of our community to get together for this end of year celebration.  This will be combined with prize-giving.  At least one child from every class will get a prize.

We have removed all speeches so as to make the evening manageable for everyone.  It will be our normal school mass, plus the junior nativity and prizes at the end.  

The head boy and girl speeches will be on Friday 15th at our final assembly at 2.00pm.

Buses at the end of the year
After 8th December only the Maheno and Clifton Falls buses will still be running.  Families further afield can bring children in for these buses.  These are the only two buses specifically contracted to St Joseph's school once the high schools stop.

2. Week 7 Special Character

Faith Facts this Week:-
This Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent where we prepare ourselves through prayer and reflection for Jesus' birth and his second coming.


Have you created your Advent wreath yet? The Advent Wreath is made of evergreens. There are four candles. Three of them are violet or purple, the traditional colour of Advent. One is rose, the traditional colour of the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.  Find out more at this link.



Week 7: 27 - 1 December
30th St Andrew, apostle

Andrew was a fisherman before he and his brother Simon Peter became two of the 12 disciples of Jesus. He was baptised by John the Baptist and was the first disciple of Jesus.

St Andrew was crucified on 30 November 60AD, by order of the Roman governor Aegeas. He was tied to an X-shaped cross in Greece, and this is represented by the white cross on the Scottish flag.

God Bless
Nicola Winders


3. School Notices - Week 7, Term 4 2017

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK


Altar Servers
Saturday 2nd December - Paddy & Sebastian Spillane, Sam Asi and Max Fatafehi
Sunday 3rd December - Molly-May Mestrom, Morgan Baillie, Hana Davies and Seth Bartley

Birthday Greetings
Annalise Kilgour and Tavis Simpson

Assemblies (Kotuitui)
Please note that assembly times will change for the next 3 Fridays due to their being extra activities.
Friday 1st December - assembly starts at 2.15 pm  - athletic trophies being presented and Yr 7 act
Friday 8th December - assembly starts at 2.30 pm normal time
Friday 15th December - final assembly starts at 2.00 pm - head boy & girls speeches, 2018 leadership positions announced and Yr 8  Leaver's certificates presented

Catholic Advent
Click the link to view Advent on the Dynamic Catholic blog.  https://dynamiccatholic.com/best-advent-ever

Country Buses 
These are the buses that are running from Monday 11th December to Monday 18th December.
Clifton Falls - This bus travels in from the Five Forks area, through residential Weston and then via Homestead Rd > Parsons Rd > Chelmer Street > Reed Street to drop-off at St Joseph's then on to OIS.

Maheno - Bus begins its run outside the Maheno Bowling Club in Bridge Street, Maheno and then travels via Island Stream Rd > Serpentine Rd > Kauri HIlls area > Gemmells Crossing > Roundhill Rd > Woolshed Rd > SH1 > through Alma into town via the main southern approach to drop off at St Joseph's then on to OIS.

Airedale - This bus run begins at the top end of Eden St and travels via Devil Bridge Rd > Oamaru Creek Rd > Teaneraki Rd > Coalpit Rd > Weston -Ngapara Rd > through Weston Settlement > West View Drive > Saleyards Rd and into town in the normal route via Chelmer St > Reed St etc to drop off at St Joseph's School and the Airedale for primary schools in general.  If any of the parents need any further information please feel free to ring Ritchies Buses.

Cricket 

Primary School Round Up/Term 1 Competitions
A message from Sam Bastin from North Otago Cricket.  First I want to thank every parent helper who has helped make primary school cricket a success so far this year, we have had many more primary school children engaged in cricket.  The Festival Days in both Oamaru and Palmerston had over 20 teams combined and over 120 children attending which is a fantastic effort.
Our Superstar Academy run on Saturday mornings has been a success and will resume again in term 1 (date to be confirmed).

The Girls Smash and Superstar Cricket Boys Blast will be running on a Friday at Centennial Oval from 4.00 to 5.00 pm, starting on Friday 16th and running through until March 16th.  These games will be very similar to our festival day, but this time just 1 game a week, very quick, fast and fun for the children.  Both competitions will be 6 aside, the Girls Smash will be for years 5-8 but if you have a very keen year 4, they will be included and the boys competition will be years 3-6 (again if you have a good year 2, they will be included).

Draw - Saturday 2nd December
The last day of cricket for this year will be Saturday 16th December with all the games being played in town.

Intermediate A - 8.45 am start - St Joseph's/Union v Kurow - SKC 1
Intermediate B - 9.00 am start - St Joseph's v Kurow - SKC Artificial 2
Primary - 9.00 am start - St Joseph's v Eastern - SKC Artificial 1
Super Star - 9.30 am start - St Joseph's Sparks v Valley - Centennial Park

Disco
Remember the disco is on tomorrow night for Yrs NE- Yr 6 starting at 6.00 and going to 7.30 pm.  The theme is Christmas and entry costs $3 entry and gets you glow stick, drink and a bag of chips.  Extra glow sticks cost .50c and drinks $1.00.  Parents please bring coins or small change as there is no facility to exchange big notes.  Sorry no pre-schoolers and parents please drop off children and pick them up.

End of Year Mass
Please note in the Principal's page that the End of Year Mass on Thursday 14th December will start at 6.30 pm and not 6.00 pm as previously mentioned.  This will give time for the children to have tea beforehand.

Library Books
A number of library books remain outstanding.  If your child still has books at home, could you please encourage them to return them to school urgently as we are stock taking next Tuesday.  Many thanks.

Mufti Day - Monday 4th December
Monday is going to be a beach themed mufti day with water fights organised for different levels of the school.  The year 8's will come around and tell you what time your water fight is tomorrow morning.  They will need to bring water pistols to school, a towel and spare clothes.  It is a gold coin donation for mufti which will go towards the year 8's making some improvements to the school.  Sorry for the short notice !!

Year 8 are planning to be building some different things to help improve the school over the next two weeks. If you have any spare wood, nails, screws or anything else that would be helpful for building lying around at home could you please bring it in for the year 8's to have. They will particularly need wood.


Reminders
Friday 1 - Young Vinnies Fish & Chip lunch
               - Athletic trophies presented at assembly
               - Disco for Yr NE to Yr 6
Monday - sports forms due back
Tuesday 5 - library books due back
Thursday 7 - Junior nativity presentation at Mass at 9.15 am

School Choir
The choir is having a pizza lunch on Tuesday 5th December.  Please bring $2.00 to Mrs Brookes by Tuesday morning.

School Swimming
We have booked swimming lessons for the whole school for term 1 next year.  The senior school will have all their lessons in February and the juniors start in March. The senior dates are:  Monday 12th, Wednesday 14th, Thursday 15th, Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Tuesday 27th.  The senior swimming sports will be held on Friday 2nd March.
The junior swimming lessons are in March and April and start on Monday 19th, Wednesday 21st, Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th, Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th.
It is really important that we get the sport notices back regarding the swimming component as it determines what groups your child will be put in as we do not want to waste lesson time trying to sort your child's swimming ability. These will be done next week.

Sports Notices
This notice went home two weeks ago to every child apart from the Yr 8 students regarding, Touch Rugby, Cricket and Swimming for next year.  As of today there are 100 forms which are late being returned.  We urgently require this information for teams and groups for term 1 which are being compiled next week.
Next year we will be having a stricter stance on forms/notices not being returned on time and your child could miss out.  If you require another form to complete, please let the office or your teacher know.
New children to school next year will be given the forms to fill out.

St Kevin's Stationery Lists for Yr 9

The stationery lists are available to view online. The link to OfficeMax My School can be found on the Stationery page on the college website, under the Enrolment tab https://www.stkevins.school.nz/enrolment/stationery  Please note that you do not need to enter the student ID to view the list and that as Yr 9 and 10 students rotate through all areas of the curriculum parents and caregivers should select to view all of the tabs.

Yr 6 - EOTC
Last week our Yr 6 experienced Education Outside the Classroom and here are some photos of their experience.












 Community Notices
  • Free Hair Cuts for Kids - Vivo Hair Salon special - valid from Wednesday 3rd January to Wednesday 31st January.  By appointment only.  Valid for all children from pre-school to secondary school.  Phone 434 8678.
  • The Pied Piper Musical Theatre Oamaru - still has a few places available for children aged 0-12 years in next year's Children's Theatre production of The Pied Piper.  We especially need two or three boys who enjoy singing.  We rehearse during term 1 and put the show on at the end of April.  For further information, please contact Pat at patgunn1749@gmail.com
  • Glen Warren Kindergarten Gingerbread House Fundraiser - They are selling DIY Gingerbread house kit for $15 - Standard Gingerbread house for $20 and Delux Gingerbread house for $25.  The orders with payment are to be made at Garden Fresh (beside Couplands) by Tuesday 12th December.  Gingerbread houses are to be collected on Friday 15th December from the Oamaru Kindergarten Association Office.