1. What's new ? Principal Updates Week 1

Welcome back to all of our families. We have begun on a positive note with our highest starting roll for several years with 223 students. We are delighted that all of our senior students have chosen to stay with us for Year 7 and 8. We also have 6 new students in the Senior Learning Hub as well as other new students in the school.
A very warm welcome to Miss Megan Day who is teaching the Yr 3's in the Junior Learning Hub 2.

Engagement in Deep Learning for Success
Our school wide goal to engage our children in deep learning for success has come to life throughout the school in our first week back for this year.
I have spent time in all of the learning hubs this week and have seen our learners fully engaged in learning in our redesigned learning spaces.

Thank you to all of our staff who worked so hard during the holidays to transform the school environment. 
Our Teaching and Learning Site is now live and is the informative link between school, home and the world. You can access our site here. We are fortunate that Mrs Frances Rees developed this for us before she leaves at the end of this term to take up her new principal position at St Joseph's, Pleasant Point. We have all taken ownership of this site now and it will evolve and develop as the need arises. There are already plans to include parent, student and board sections on the site. 

In order to fully support your children for success with their learning, I strongly advise that you attend the Family Learning Huis this year. We will have two each term and they will keep you up to date with teaching and learning at St Joseph's. Every meeting will have a different focus based around you and your children's needs.
We will also hold open mornings this year for you to come in and see the children in action. The first open morning will be on Tuesday 17th March.

Family Learning Hui No 1 Wednesday 11th February 6pm - 7:30pm
These gatherings are a MUST for all families wishing to learn how to best understand and support their children for success.

What do you need to do ?
Come along with some food ( eg. fish and chips, subway, pizza if you haven't got time to beforehand ). Your whole family are welcome or just come on your own. Bring your devices if you want to have a chance to learn how to navigate the Teaching and Learning site or just come along and listen.

What's on the agenda ?

• Meet our staff for 2015
• Teaching and Learning Site
• Learner Licenses
• Digital and Cybersafety
• Teacher Dashboard

Goal Setting Meetings
These take place on Tuesday 24th and Thursday 26th February. You will be able to book for a meeting online and we will provide you with the details to do this next week. These important meetings to set student goals will take place with you and your child's homeroom teacher.



We thank you for your commitment to the excellent education that we provide at our special character Catholic school and look forward to reaching for the stars as lifelong learners in the Catholic faith with you for 2015.

We wish all of you a safe and happy Waitangi Day weekend. ' We recognise the Treaty as an essential element of our identity: In the Treaty of Waitangi, we find the moral basis for our presence in Aotearoa New Zealand and a vision that sets this country apart.' (taken from staff prayers)