1. Principal's News - Week 3, Term 4 2017

St Joseph's Multicultural Food Fair

A big thank you to our Home and School who worked so hard and so efficiently to create a wonderful community event on Sunday.  We will confirm the amount raised.  The Home and School funds a lot of our leadership materials for the senior students, including their badges, prizes and engravings, Bibles for new entrants, junior disco, intermediate end of year social, and this year has paid $1000 for balls and playground equipment, and our new senior sandpit, not to mention the new hall heaters.  But money can't buy everything -  and the good will and sense of community established by showcasing some of the different cultures that make up St Joseph's and bringing us all together, is priceless.

We've had some fun stuff happening this week.  All the classes got some St John's training.  The year 8's did a practice walk in Peel Forest today and the year 7's are enjoying glorious weather at camp at Iona.


Keep an eye out for athletics notices and book character notices sent home yesterday. 

Year 7 Camp - Gorge Scramble

St John's Training

Year 7 Camp

The year 7s and Mrs Jones-Hogan have had amazing conditions for their camp.  This week they have orienteered a bush walk, done a roped gorge scramble, built bivouacs, assessed the Herbert River for environmental health, slept in tents, hosted their parents for a BBQ tea and camp performances, kayaked, sailed and done archery.  Tomorrow they will be mountain-biking and swimming.   Thank you to an awesome, dedicated and capable group of parent helpers.

End of Year Celebrations

Friday 1st December - time to be confirmed

School Disco - years 1-6

Friday 8th December 

Year 7 & 8 social

6.00 pm -year 8's arrive for dinner laid on by Home and School

7.00 pm - Year 7's are invited in for social dancing (bringing a plate for shared supper)

8.45 pm - shared supper (home: 9.00 pm)

Thursday 14th December 6.30 pm - Full school and family mass to celebrate 2017.

All children and families to attend this mass - this is the culmination of our school year

• We want to include everyone so we have made some changes to the mass.
• THERE WILL BE NO SPEECHES - in order to make the event accessible to all of our children
• The junior school will perform their nativity pageant as part of mass
• When mass is finished the following will happen:
• There is a new JJ (Just like Jesus) award - awarded for showing our school values of respect, reverence, resilience and relationships.  There is one for a child who has excelled in exemplifying our values from each class.  These will be awarded after mass.
• The year 8 trophies will be awarded.
• The year 8's will be presented with their candles and the roll handed over to Mr Paul Olsen the Principal of St Kevin's College and the year 8's will process out with him.

Friday 15th December 2.00 pm - Celebration Assembly

This is the last day for the year 8's.

The new leadership positions for 2018 will be announced.

The year 8's will be presented with their leaver's certificates

The head boy and girl will deliver their speeches.

Monday 18th December

School finishes at 12.30 pm with carol-singing in the hall beforehand.

Term Dates for 2018

Start: Tuesday 30th January

Finish: Friday 14th December = 384 half days

Term 1 ends: 13th April

Term 2: 30th April - 6th July

Term 3: 23rd July - 28th September

Term 4: 15th October to 14th December

Lost Property

We have a HEAP of unnamed lost property.  There are quite a lot of winter jackets.  There are some mufti clothes too.  Please check your child's clothes to see if anything is missing and come and claim it.  After Friday we will be recycling it through the uniform shop and St Vincent de Paul (for mufti).

Board Notice
A recent notice regarding a request for a by-election received 1% of the electorate response and so St Joseph's Board of Trustees will select two new board members to fill our two casual vacancies.

Congratulations
Congratulations to Miss Christina Gray who has been wanting to move to Wellington and has secured a position teaching year 5 & 6 at Lyall Bay school.  Well done Christina.  We will miss you though.  

God Bless and Aroha

Lorraine Frances-Rees