Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and we celebrated it in school yesterday. Lent is the period of 40 days (6 weeks) leading up to Easter where we make a special effort to prepare for remembering Jesus' death and Resurrection. We do this by trying to live more simply, maybe giving something up or taking on a new challenge, by doing our best to help others and by praying more. This is traditionally known as fasting (living simply), almsgiving (helping others) and prayer.
On Ash Wednesday the palms from last year's Palm Sunday are burnt and the ashes are put on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, saying the words, "Repent and believe." This is a holy day in our church and we would normally go to church but we weren't able to do that with our restrictions and instead we had a staff session followed up during the day by distributing the ashes within the classrooms.
Please encourage your child to think especially during this time of the needs of others, of living simply and kindly and praying. This is also a particularly good way of meeting the challenges that are facing us at the moment with Covid 19 now in our community - live simply, be kind and pray.
House Groups
We are having a big push on our house groups this year. Over the last two years we have done our best to keep our main events going but now realise that this may not always be possible and we have to find ways of making community, having fun and interacting together that can be done in little ways. So, in combination with our house captains, we are going to have fortnightly house meetings. They have decided to do a sports tournament each term. This term it is Rippa and the house captains will be giving some lessons to the rest of the school which will culminate in a tournament in the last week of term.
Thanks to a kind benefactor we have purchased flags in house colours and each week the winning house will be able to raise their flag above the school. The children get house points for good behaviour and schoolwork and also for specific house competitions such as the tournament at the end of term.
Goal setting
Your child's first goal for the year will be published on Educa by the end of tomorrow. It will be under "goals" in your child's profile. Please have a look and discuss with your child. This is now part of our reporting to parents which will take place continuously throughout the year rather than only mid and end of year.
Educa will also be used as our main communication platform if we have to go further into digital learning. So please make sure you have downloaded the app and know how to access it. Connect with your child's teacher if you are having trouble.
Touch, Cricket and Rippa
We are really lucky this week to have got three different sports skills teaching happening at school. All children have experienced training in touch rugby, cricket and tomorrow Rippa Rugby.
Pastoral
Normally at this time of year we start to think of our parish freezer and ask families for frozen meals or treats which we can give to families who are having a difficult time for one reason or another. This family could be your's or anybody's during the year. I strongly invite you to drop off a frozen meal at our office which we can keep and distribute as it is needed.
Please note for whanau who are isolating you may be able to get help from Work and Income if you need extra support. Go to this link: Visit the Work and Income website and use their online form to let them know how they can help.
If help is needed, you may be able to get:
- money to pay for urgent and essential costs, like food, medicine, and some bills
- things that are needed to be delivered.
Walk and Wheel
Please see the notice in the main section about walk and wheel week next week. We are going to set aside part of our playground for children to use their wheels during lunchtime if they have them at school next week. Please support this initiative to increase your child's fitness and wellbeing.
Stay well,
God Bless and Aroha,
Lorraine
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