1. Principal's News - Week 8, Term 4 2021

 Year 7 & 8 Social

Many thanks are due to our Home and School for organising and funding the annual Year 7 & 8 social.  A particular big thank you to Rebecca Heffernan and Adele Whiston who decorated the hall beautifully.  Also to Adele Whiston with help from Adrienne Spillance preparing a delicious sit-down meal for our year 8 graduates.  The students have been learning social dancing all term and had a wonderful evening of dining, dancing and socialising to mark the end of our year 8s time at St Joseph's.

House Choirs

Congratulations to our year 8 house leaders and cultural leaders who prepared their houses for a modified version of house choirs this year.  We weren't able to have an audience, and we didn't have the usual practice time we would have had in term 3 but still, everyone got into the spirit of the occasion and enjoyed supporting their houses.

Junior Nativity - Monday 13th December 11.15am

The juniors are preparing for their nativity presentation at next week's final Mass of the year.  Normally this Mass is in the evening and our families attend.  This year we can't do it that way and we won't be able to invite families to join us at the Mass.  The Mass will be live-streamed from 11.15am on Facebook and we hope you will join us in a virtual way.  We encourage you to tune in as this is normally our communal end of year event.  At the end of Mass at about 12 noon, we will be presenting the JJ awards. 

Senior students are to wear their school uniform and not their pe gear.

Here are our junior school practising for their presentation today.

Just Like Jesus Awards

These Just Like Jesus (JJ) awards are given out annually, one to each year group.  The recipient of the JJ award in each year group is a child who we think most exemplifies being Just like Jesus and who is a role model to others.  These awards will be presented at the end of Mass on Monday at about 12 noon and will be part of the Facebook livestream.

Intermediate Camp

Our intermediate students are on camp at the moment.  Photos from the camp will be in our Facebook page over the weekend or early next week.

Tuesday 14th December 11.00am

• Prize-giving Assembly in the Basilica
• Handover of leadership roles to year 7s
• Leavers Certificates for Year 8s
• Head boy and Head girl speeches
• Prize-giving and leaving candle ceremony for year 8s

Year 7 & 8 children will be in the Basilica on the right hand side.  Parents of year 7 & 8 students only are invited to sit on the left side wearing masks and social distancing from each other.  This keeps us as a gathering of less than 100 in Level 2 requirements as this assembly is about leadership roles which is part of our school curriculum.  The students are asked to wear their school summer uniform and not their PE gear.

The rest of the school will watch this event in our hall and it will be live streamed from the Basilica to the hall and also to Facebook.  This keeps our actual gathering below 100 and is the only way we can get our year 7 & 8 parents in to share the graduation, prize-giving and handing over of leadership roles with the intermediate students.

Wednesday 15th December 12.15pm - School finishes, please pick children up.

We will have a short school assembly and carols before finishing at 12.15pm.  IF IT IS FINE WE WILL HAVE ASSEMBLY OUTDOORS AND FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO JOIN US AT A SOCIAL DISTANCE.  If it is not fine we will have it in the hall and will not be able to invite people in.  Let's pray for fine weather!

Start date for term 1 next year is Monday 31st January. 

You will receive the stationery lists for your child's class next year with the end of year reports which will go home next Tuesday with your children.  The stationery lists are also on the website.

Thank you whanau for your support and encouragement in 2021 and I wish you a Happy Christmas and every blessing for the New Year.

God Bless and Aroha

Lorraine