1. Principal's News Term 4 Week 4 2021

Events this Term

In my start of term letter, I said that things would not be quite the same this term.  Our staff have put a lot of thought into what we are able to do and have saved as much as possible whilst trying to keep a balance of sense about it.

Although we haven't been able to have our usual Athletics celebration we are having a modified version tomorrow at school.  We had a modified version of the multicultural day yesterday and the children loved it.  Singing Cup was missed the last term and in order to keep the leadership opportunity for our year 8 students, we have planned to keep the house choirs which will be live-streamed on Monday of week 8.   We had our year 6 camp and are well organised with our year 7 & 8 camp for week 8.  Fingers crossed nothing untoward will get in the way of this.   This is as well as keeping our learning going without any hiccups which we have been able to do.  This means though that we are fully booked and if it rains tomorrow, we do not have a postponement date for the athletics so we are praying for a fine day!

Our First Communicants are able to make their First Communion over the next two weekends.  It is spread so that their families can attend and still be within the gathering limit.  Congratulations to our first communicants.

Multicultural Day

Despite our restrictions, we had a really lovely multicultural day yesterday.  We started the day with a whole school prayer, then the children split up into whanau groups and rotated through nine different workshop options.  Each group got to experience three workshops.  The workshops covered Tongan x2, Indian, Dutch, Filipino, Chinese, African, Maori, and Irish.  After the workshops, we met in the hall and shared performances.  Videos of the performances are on our Facebook page.

Athletics

The children started practicing their relays on Tuesday encouraged by an enthusiastic crowd.  The senior athletics is this Friday 9.30-2.30 and parents are welcome.  Please come straight through into the playground, wear a mask and keep a 2m distance, please.  The junior athletics start at 1.40pm next Tuesday with the whole school relays at 2.30pm.

Planting Project

In science last term our students had a focus on the "Living World."  Over the last few years, we have investigated Enviroschools and done some visioning for things we would like to plant in our garden.  Last year we received some funding from the Otago Community Trust to help to do some native planting.  Classes have been making a planting plan for various areas of the school grounds and these will be planted before the end of term.  

Here are Kakapo Class sketching some ideas for their garden:

End Of Year Celebrations

This year due to level 2 restrictions we will not be able to invite families into our celebrations. Therefore we will do them during the school day and livestream them, also recording for later watching.

Monday 13 December 11.15am - Basilica

Last school mass of the year.

Junior school will do their nativity pageant.

Only school present, no visitors - will be live-streamed

Tuesday 14 December 11.00am - Basilica

Leavers assembly.

Year 8s enter with “Prepare Ye the Way”

Head boy and head girl speeches

New leaders announced.

Year 8 trophies presented

Leavers certificates, candles and ketes presented.

Year 8s process out.

Only school present, no visitors - will be live-streamed

12.00 (or thereabouts) - Year 8s to have fish and chip lunch with Fr Wayne in Dean O’Reilly lounge

Wednesday 15 December - School Hall

11.45am - Final Assembly

Prayers and carol singing

12.05 = home time

Please note our teacher only day on Tuesday 30 November when school will be closed for the day.

God Bless and Aroha

Lorraine