3. School Notices - Week 8, Term 1 2021

 QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

Altar Servers

Saturday 27th March - Isaiah Castro, 

Sunday 28th March - Lilly Kelcher and David Kilgour

Birthday Greetings to

Charles Mascarenhas, Ai Lin Ma, Allan Roberts, Alexander Perniskie and Freya Spooner

Holy Week

There is no Mass next week due to the school celebrating Holy Week. You are welcome to join us at any of these presentations.  A notice will go home on Monday regarding our shared lunch on Wednesday.

Home and School AGM

The Home and School are holding their AGM on Thursday 15th April at 6.00 pm in the staffroom and would love to see you there.  The AGM and a quick meeting afterwards will only take an hour.  If you would like to join the Home and School committee and time is against you or you don't want to be given a designated job, please consider the following:

- meetings are usually held once or twice a term depending on what is happening with fundraising

-  meetings usually finish within 30 minutes (unless you stay longer for a social catch up)

-  meetings could be held straight after school if people want them with the children being able to play outside.

- designated roles - all taken care of at this stage

Moraeki Boulders and Marae Trip

A paper and email copy has gone home regarding this trip on Tuesday.  Thank you to the parents who have offered to help but we are still short of 6 parents which we need due to our adult per child ratio near water. If you can help, please contact your class teacher.  Helpers if you wish to take your car or catch the bus, let your teacher know.

Dear Parents/ Caregivers

In continuing with Inquiry this term, ‘Our future is determined by our past’, we will also be visiting Moeraki Marae and the Moeraki boulders on Tuesday March 30 as two groups, the Senior Syndicate Years 4-8  from 9.20am until 2pm approx and Junior Syndicate from 11am and returning 2.30pm

 

Students are asked to wear PE uniform and bring/wear a school sweatshirt. They are also asked to bring a packed lunch and filled water bottle. Senior students will also need to bring morning tea. If required, students are also encouraged to bring any medications/ inhalers and hand them to teachers for safekeeping during the visits. 

For the trip to go ahead, we require 20 parents in total for visiting the boulders using a 1-4 ratio for safety near water. All parents who are able to help will be needed from 11.30am - 1.30pm at Moeraki Boulders, meeting at the car park. Parents are welcome to accompany classes to the marae. Seniors will be visiting from 10-12pm and  Junior Syndicate 12.30- 2pm.  Please let your classroom teacher know if you are able to help. 

We hope to transfer learning from the visit to preserving culture and taonga to the renovation of St Joseph’s school - ‘history in the making’.

 

North Otago Swimming Sports

On Wednesday, 14 swimmers competed at the North Otago Swimming Sports against lots of their peers from other schools.  They all swam with pride and to the best of their ability.  Special thanks goes to Mrs Adrienne Spillane who managed the team and to our parents/caregivers who offered to time keep at these sports. North Otago Swimming certificates will be presented at assembly on Friday 9th April.

Reminders

Sunday 28th - Hungry Horse Cafe

Monday 29th - Palm Sunday presentation by junior school at 9.00 am 

Tuesday 30th - Marae and Moeraki Boulders visit for the whole school

                       - Touch rugby finishes today

Wednesday 31st - Last Supper & Washing of the Feet and shared lunch at 12.00 pm 

Thursday 1st - Stations of the Cross lead by the Yr 7/8 at 2.00 pm 

Rippa Rugby Tournament

Last Friday we sent two teams to the North Otago Primary Schools Rippa tournament in which both teams got second place in our two grades, year 3/4 and year 5/6.  This was a really good achievement as there were lots of close games and the results could have gone either way. Special thanks to Rory McGeown and Lee Woodhouse who were our coaches and to our parents who helped with transport and supporting the teams.

Swimming Trophies

These will be presented at assembly on Friday 9th April because next Friday is Good Friday and there is no school. 

Winter Sports Teams

Due to the Sports Coordinator being away sick this week, sport teams will be sorted out next week.  Apologies for any inconvenience.

Netball - there is a coaching course on Thursday 1st April.  Renee Bacon the coordinator from NetballSmart and the Coach Developer for the Future Ferns programme is going to run a coaching course on Thursday 1st April 5pm - 7pm at the North Otago Netball courts.  

Please email nonetballcentre@hotmail.com to register.

4. Diary Dates - Week 8, term 1 2021

 

MARCH Sunday 28 Monday 29 Tuesday 30 Wednesday 31 APRIL Thursday 1 Friday 2 Saturday 3 Sunday 4 Monday 5 Tuesday 6 Thursday 8 Friday 9 Saturday 10 Thursday 15 Friday 16 MAY Monday 3 Monday 10 Monday 17 Sunday 30

Hungry Horse Cafe  Palm Sunday presentation at 9.00 am by junior school * Marae visit for the whole school * Touch Rugby ends today  Last Supper and Washing of the Feet by Yr ⅘ and shared lunch * Stations of the Cross at 2.15 pm by Yr 7/8 * Good Friday - school closed  Holy Saturday  Easter Sunday  Easter Monday - school closed  Easter Tuesday - school closed  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Swimming trophies presented at assembly * Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Otago Primary Schools swimming sports  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Last day of term 1 First day of term 2  Confirmation Parent Meeting 1 at 7.00 pm  Confirmation Parent Meeting 2 at 7.00 pm  Confirmation Mass

Principal's News Term 1 Week 8 2021

Engagement in Learning

In 2021 our main achievement target is engagement in learning.  We undertake standardised and normed engagement surveys with our students and we know that they are strongly emotionally and positively behaviourally engaged at St Joseph's.  Our next step is to ensure that strong learning behaviours are in place so that  children can transfer their key competency skills from one discipline to another and gradually and efficiently become lifelong learners who can do it on their own.

The first part of our investigation is to look more closely at what we think learning is.  What activities are actually learning activities which are not?  Can we transfer great self management skills from the farm or football field to the reading group?  Or from the reading group to the cross country course?

This week our staff have looked at this in some depth and so have our board and over the next couple of weeks we will be finding out what our year 4-8 children think about it.

Here are our Board members looking at children's learning this week:

Rory McGeown and Andy Bradley

Samara Tamati and Vic Rapson

Leigh Thomas, Sharni Cunning, Fr Wayne

St Joseph's Board of Trustees

I would like to introduce you to St Joseph's current Board of Trustees.  At St Joseph's we are really truly blessed with an excellent Board.  They are focused on our children's learning and are constantly making decisions and promoting excellent learning for all of our children.  They are very respectful of the management and governance division and highly appreciative of the work of our staff.  

Our Board are:

Sharni Cunningham (parent representative) - Board Chair

Andy Bradley (parent representative) - Deputy Chair

Rory McGeown (parent representative)

Vic Rapson (parent representative)

Samara Tamati (parent representative)

Fr Wayne Healey (proprietor's representative)

Adrienne Wylie (proprietor's representative)

Rebecca Laming (proprietor's representative)

Jan Plieger (proprietor's representative)

Leigh Thomas (staff representative)

Lorraine Frances-Rees (CEO)

Sharni Cunningham, St Joseph's Board Chair

Palm Sunday

We are celebrating Palm Sunday this Sunday and it brings back memories of lockdown last year, how we struggled and succeed to celebrate Palm Sunday despite being separate - through the crosses people put on our gates and through our parish being able to set up Zoom masses.  Luckily this year we are able to celebrate in person and thank you to Kakapo Class who shared their rendition of Jesus's entrance to Jerusalem at our school mass this morning.

God Bless and Aroha,

Lorraine Frances-Rees

2.Special Character Week 8 Term 1 2021

Faith Insight

WEEK 8 22^nd – 26^th March (Violet)
5^th Week of Lent
25^th Annunciation of Jesus

This is the last week of Lent. Next week Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday.

On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the first joy of the season, as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem where he was welcomed by crowds worshiping him and laying down palm leaves before him. With in the week the crowd would turn against him.

The week begins with joy and ends in sorrow and by the following Sunday Jubilation.

Special Character Focus

Religious Education- Our children are continue learning about Jesus and Holy Week for our R.E program. There are 3 big ideas that our children need to understand about Jesus.

• Jesus was human (as well as God)
• Jesus came to show us how to live and to save us.
• Jesus is God (as well as human)

Holy Week

1. Make way for the King
2. The Last Supper
3. Jesus dies and Rises 

School Thursday Mass: Thank you to Year 5/6- Mrs Thomas' class for the presentation of the gospel last week. Today presentation is Year 4/5  Mrs Streat's class. 

Next week there will be no mass but we will be celebrating the Holy Week. You are welcome to join us and celebrating with us the Holy Week.

Monday-the Junior Hub will lead our whole school prayer with presentation of  Palm Sunday at 9am.

Wednesday-  The Last Supper and Washing of Feet will be presented by Year 4/5 class.

Thursday- The year 7 and 8 will lead us with the Station of the Cross at 2pm. You are welcome to join us and we are looking forward to seeing you. Enjoy your week and many blessings to you all. 

Thank you/Malo 'Aupito

God Bless

Tua Misiloi Co DRS

1. Principal's News Term 1 Week 7 2021

Our Future Is Determined by Understanding Our Past

The children's visits to the parish archives continued this week with all year 4-8 children now having thoroughly explored the parish centre.

I have heard from our diocesan office that it is likely we will start our rebuild by mid 2022.  We all wish it was happening already but in some ways this still gives us time to think.  It allows the children to continue to explore how the past has been preserved in Oamaru and what we want to do to preserve our essence moving forward.  We have $5500 left from funding last year for Enviroschools that needs to be spent this year and we will look at our school environment through the lens of the future and what marks we wish to make.

Siale, Aria and Lucas investigate old money (pre-Elizabeth II) found in the Parish Centre

Lucas, Luke and Marmaduke think about photos from the parish archives and find out how our parish has preserved our history

The junior school enjoyed visits to the art gallery, museum and historic precinct to find out how our community has preserved our history

Happy St Patrick's Day

We are St Patrick's Parish.  Here are the staff celebrating morning tea this morning.  There was a large Irish component in the first settlers in the South Island and one of the magnificent things these people did was build basilicas.  Our beautiful basilica is an example of the effort of a people to celebrate their God even when they themselves were living in poverty.  To them the church building represented the church, the Body of Christ where each and every person knew they were more than their earthly life, or the constraints of the world around them.  It was a place where all knew they were connected to God and to each other.  Happy St Patrick's day.

God Bless and Aroha

Lorraine Frances-Rees

2. Special Character Week 7 Term 1 2021

Special Character Focus

Religious Education- Our children are now learning about Jesus for our R.E program. There are 3 big ideas that our children need to understand about Jesus.

• Jesus was human (as well as God)
• Jesus came to show us how to live and to save us.
• Jesus is God (as well as human)

Sacrament of First Reconciliation-Congratulations to all of our 18 children who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation last Sunday. Thank you to all families and prayer partners. Many blessings to you all. 

School Thursday Mass: Thank you to Year 1/2- Mrs Brookes and Mrs Misiloi's class for the presentation of the gospel last week. Today presentation is Year 5/6  Mrs Thomas' class. 

Next week will be presented by Year 4/5 Mrs Streat's class.

Faith Insights

WEEK 7 15^th – 19^th March (Violet)
4^th Week of Lent
17^th St Patricks Day
19^th St Joseph

Thank you/Malo 'Aupito

God Bless

Tua Misiloi Co DRS

3. School Notices - Week 7, Term 1 2021

 QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

Altar Servers

Saturday 20th March - Clarence and Rheanna Coscos

Sunday 21st March - Ivy-Belle Mestrom

Birthday Greetings

No birthdays this week

Cricket Skills

This week Ben and Ella from North Otago Cricket came to our school and showed all our children some new cricket games which involves everyone playing in the games.  The children enjoyed the sessions and a new appreciation of playing cricket.

Hungry Horse

The last race meeting for 5 months is on Sunday 28th March and we are still looking for 4 more volunteers to work in the Hungry Horse Cafe.  If you can help please let Rebecca know on 027 432 4056.  The shifts are:

10.00 - 12.00 - full

12.00 - 3.00 - need 3 more people

3.00 - 5.30 - need 1 more person

North Otago Swimming Sports

Next Wednesday, we have 15 swimmers competing at the annual North Otago Swimming sports at the Waitaki Aquatic Centre.  Last year this event was cancelled due to Covid so we are looking forward to representing our school at this event.

Reminders

Friday 19 - Rippa Rugby Tournament

                - St Joseph's Day

                - Technology for Yr 7 & 8

Monday 22 - Otago Anniversary Day - school closed

Wednesday 24 - North Otago Swimming sports

Rippa Rugby Tournament

We are entering two teams in this North Otago Primary School Rippa Rugby tournament tomorrow at Centennial Park.  All families involved have been given information regarding this.  Good luck to our teams.

Subway Coordinator

We are needing a new Subway lunch volunteer as the lovely Jessica is stepping down as she is going to have a baby soon.  The coordinator will collate all the subway orders, write the children's names and  their orders, tally the money and drop the orders off to Subway each Friday.  The time will be from 8.30ish to 9.15-9.30 am depending on how many orders there are.   If you are interested in volunteering your time for up to an hour every Friday morning, please contact the office.  Jessica will be able to show you what the job involves.

Welcome

We warmly welcome Ares to our new entrants class this week.

WINTER SPORTS

The names of children who are wanting to play a winter sport are displayed on the sports notice board.  Anyone who has offered to coach a team will be notified next week and will be given a list of names for their respective teams.  Some teams are short of a couple of players and we are looking for more players.  

Some sports teams may not have enough players and we will endeavour to combine our teams with a club.  If you wish for your child to play a sport and there are spaces in the team, please let Mrs Brien know.

Second Hand Sports Equipment and Gear

If you have any old sports equipment and gear surplus to requirements, please donate them to our school for other children to utilise.  This applies to both summer and winter sports and any gear that comes in we will advertise in the newsletter e.g. rugby boots, cricket pads, bats etc.

Football and Hockey

We are unable to field any teams this year for these codes.

Basketball

This competition is for Yr 7 & 8 players (and sometimes include Yr 6's) played on Wednesday nights and usually starts in the second week of term 2 which is yet to be confirmed.  (AGM meeting tonight). 

We will enter one mixed intermediate team this year and waiting on confirmation for the second team.

Fees - waiting for confirmation.

Teams - will be confirmed later on.

Coaches - to be notified

Mixed Team - Dorothy Baricuatro, Ivy-Belle Mestrom, Marc Mafi, Mazvita Rondozai, Kacymea Tahitu'a, Vilivea Tahitu'a and Kenton Tokai.

______________________________________________________________________________

Miniball

This competition is for Yr 3-6 played on Tuesday nights and usually starts in the second week of term 2 which is yet to be confirmed.

Coaches - to be confirmed and notified

Fees - waiting for confirmation

Boys team - Jac Bradley, Tevita Leo, Liam Lindsay, Soa Mafi, Lincoln Mandiwona, Blake Meek, Theo Mestrom, Joaquin Perez, Tendayi Rondozai and Iverson Wylie-Taukolo - no more players required for this team.

Girls team - Manu and Mele Ahotaeiloa, Taera Koni, Hila'atu Leo and Sephrin Staju.  We need a couple more of girls for this team.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Netball

This competition starts in term 2.  We urgently require more players for the Yr 6/7/8 team.

Coaches - will be asked for when we get teams.

Fees - waiting for confirmation

Yr 1/2 - this is a skills based session for all schools held at the North Otago Netball courts starting at 10.00 am.  Some of the girls who have played a ball sport before maybe moved up to the Yr 3/4 team.

Yr 3/4 team - this is a 5-aside team and we will manage numbers for this team

Yr 5-8 - these will be played as 7 a-side teams and we need more players for the intermediate team

Team lists - these will be displayed on a separate email once I have spoken to parents and other schools.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Rugby

Usually starts on the first Saturday of May.  We may have to combine with another club depending on numbers.  

Coaches - will be notified once teams are sorted.

Fees -waiting for confirmation

Team lists - these will be displayed on a separate email once I have spoken to parents and other schools.

______________________________________________________________________________

Community Notices

• Oamaru Farmers Market

21 March 2021

Jazz Festival Weekend - Come join us at the Oamaru Farmers Market

Every Sunday from 9:30 am - 1 pm at the Harbour area

• It's a countdown to Harbour Street Jazz & Blues Festival from the 19th to the 21st of March. ..and guess what...we have two bands playing at the Farmers Market on the 21st of March. Bare Essentials will play from 9:30 am and The Blue Groove from 11 am.
• Come support the Jazz Festival bands and our local vendors
   It's going to be an exciting weekend 

28 March 2021 - Children's Market Day
9:30 am - 1 pm at the Harbour area

Lots of fun for the kids: 

• Back by Popular Demand - Brent Harpur AKA the 'Kiwi Cartoonist' will be offering FREE cartoon drawing lessons throughout the morning  (ALL ages and abilities welcome)
• Rock Painting
• Face painting
• Games
• and so much more...

• Rainbow Confectionery Colour Competition - see the attached competition to the email

• Plunket Fashion Show - Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31 March at Style 358 at 7.00 pm.  Doors open at 6.45 pm.  Tickets cost $15.00.
• 
  
• OCEANS Grief and Loss Programme - that provides support for people who are missing someone in their life.

The programme provides a safe environment for students to talk about their losses, discover appropriate ways to express how they are feeling, and learn new tools to help them cope with loss and change in their lives. This happens in a small group setting with others who have experienced similar losses, and is supported by caring and trained facilitators.

If you would like more information then please contact Maria Johnson on 020 459 6900 or go to the link below

https://anglicanfamilycare.org.nz/services/north-otago-services-2/

4. Diary Dates - Week 7, Term 1 2021

 

MARCH Friday 19 Monday 22 Tuesday 23 Wednesday 24 Thursday 25 Friday 26 Sunday 28 Tuesday 30 APRIL Thursday 1 Friday 2 Saturday 3 Sunday 4 Monday 5 Tuesday 6 Thursday 8 Friday 9 Saturday 10 Thursday 15 Friday 16 MAY Monday 3 Monday 10 Monday 17 Sunday 30

Celebration assembly at 2.30 pm * Rippa Rugby tournament for yrs 3-6  St Joseph’s Day  Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Otago Anniversary Day - school closed  Board of Trustee meeting  North Otago Swimming Sports  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Rippa rugby tournament postponement date * Swimming trophies and certificates presented at assembly  Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Hungry Horse Cafe  Touch Rugby ends today  Marae visit  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Good Friday - school closed  Holy Saturday  Easter Sunday  Easter Monday - school closed  Easter Tuesday - school closed  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Otago Primary Schools swimming sports  Parish School Mass at 9.15 am  Technology for Yr 7 & 8 at St Kevin’s College  Last day of term 1 First day of term 2  Confirmation Parent Meeting 1 at 7.00 pm * Confirmation Parent Meeting 2 at 7.00 pm * Confirmation Mass *

1. Principal's News Week 6 Term 1 2021

Belonging

Our inquiry "Understanding our past helps to determine our future" is still proving to be really interesting.  The staff have unearthed old school photos and it's been great to find Mrs Fatafehi's class photo as a year 8 student here at St Joseph's.  

Here was another great little find from yesterday's photo browsing:

This shows Phoebe's mother, Lucy's father, Lucy and Millie's grandmother, Kacymea, Vilivea and Fe'ofa'aki's mother and uncle.

And funnily enough here are Phoebe, Lucy and Kacymea working together at mass this morning, supported by Tommy and Manase (reading) both of whom are second generation students at St Joseph's and of course Mrs Brookes who also went through our Catholic schools in Oamaru.

In her early years Mrs Brookes was at a rural state school but she came into St Joseph's every week for CCD classes - that was education in the Catholic faith.  Afterwards the children would go across the road in Usk Street to see Grandma Sis O'Neill where they would have afternoon tea.  Grandma Sis is our head boy Jack's, great grandmother.  

For students who are new to St Joseph's or Oamaru, finding out about our past is helping them to understand their community and their place in it.  Lincoln asked me a great question yesterday about how we choose the weekly Gospel.  He thought maybe we chose one ourselves each week.  I explained that the Catholic Church has a three year cycle for our readings and that it is the same reading each week for the whole world not just our school.  So our connection is not just in our local area but across the world with our families in other countries and being part of the universal Body of Christ.  This is a really big concept to take on as a child.

As an example here are a couple of pictures of the Catholic Church in Africa - these people will be reading the same readings we are reading this weekend, as will the Church in the Philippines, South America, Tonga, Samoa, Europe, India and everywhere else.

Swimming Sports

Thank you to Mrs Brien, staff, parent helpers, supporters and children for another great swimming sports this week.  This year introduced the "big bomb" event.

At the start of the year many of the year 8s identified swimming sports as something they were both looking forward to and nervous about.  The year 7 & 8s really stepped up with helping with demonstration races and the house captains with organising the house relays.  Here are some photos from the day:

English Language Learners

We have classes for all our learners of English.  We continue these classes for our children who are bilingual and have English as their second language.  Even when children can speak fluently, when they have had to learn a second language it is always helpful to make their academic vocabulary explicit.  Mrs Rowan Stringer provides all our English Language Learners and bilingual students support in English.  She is presently studying for the Graduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language.  We have seen a big increase in understanding and achievement particularly in Science for our older learners since we introduced these extra programs about three years ago.

We are very lucky to have specialist teachers on staff.

God Bless and Aroha

Lorraine Frances-Rees