Special character - respect and reverence
We have started the year with our whole school prayer focus around our values of respect and reverence. Another word for respect is manaakitanga. Mana means internal strength or personal authority. Aki means to grow or develop. So respect means actively growing other people’s strength. This is a really good way of looking at respect because sometimes we think of respect as just having good manners and not doing anything to offend. However, manaakitanga means more - it means actively doing things which help to grow a person’s mana and make them a better person.
Our reading this week in prayers asked us to turn our attention to God. This is a reminder of our second value which is “reverence” the particular respect and awe given to God. In our Catholic school, we are extremely lucky that we have another and much bigger dimension as to why we care for each other. Not only do we have to actively grow each other’s strength and wellbeing but we are able to say we do this because God has made us and we are like God and loved individually by God and so we love each other, strengthened by our love for God. That’s what it means to be Christian and we are so lucky we can make this explicit at St Joseph’s.
Powhiris
We started the year with a couple of powhiris (welcomes). The year 8s had a formal welcome ceremony for the new year 7s.
The whole school also welcomed Mia Norwood our new year 5/6 teacher and students.
Fr Wayne’s Retirement
We are celebrating mass for Fr Wayne’s retirement on Sunday 5th March at 9.30am mass in the basilica. It would be really great if all families could please attend the mass as this is our school farewell to Fr Wayne. I will be sending out separate information regarding this.
Swimming
Swimming is off to a great start and it’s been a welcome relief for the children to cool down on our hot afternoons.
What happens when….
If you bring something to our attention that you’re worried about we will always look into it.
Often when things go wrong between children it is easy to describe it as bullying. We will always look into allegations of bullying. This means looking at all sides of the story. Bullying is when one person or a group of people have power over another, they are doing things to cause emotional or physical pain and they know that what they are doing is causing distress. It does happen and if it happens we take it very seriously and there are consequences as well as actions for improvement. However it is rare, and usually distress between children is unintentional, or an angry response or about children learning what is acceptable and not acceptable. So often when we look into things, all parties, and bystanders have something to learn or take into account. So please know that an allegation of bullying may not lead straight into a consequence for the named bully but that the situation is usually complex and complex and individual responses are required. You will appreciate this if your child is ever identified as a bully - we don’t just look at the surface we try to get to the truth of all that is happening and address the whole picture.
So please, if you have any concerns about learning, behaviour, or children’s relationships, have a conversation with your child’s teacher and let them know so they can take action. I'm writing this right at the beginning of the year to encourage you to talk early if you have any concerns about anything at all.
We really flourish on feedback, whether it is good or bad, so please let us know and don't hesitate to let us know when you're happy too as this makes us very happy.
Improvements over the holidays
The junior verandah roof has been replaced. All areas of required maintenance and painting in the junior and middle building have been attended to. We also have two lovely new water fountains thanks to last year’s parent fundraising. Now we are just waiting and hoping that our rebuild will start soon.
Camps in 2023
Our intermediate department has two different types of camps. In even years we have a Winter/snow camp and in odd years we have a Summer camp. That means that our intermediate students experience two very different camp experiences during their two years with us. This Summer the camp is booked at Raincliff and Peel Forest.
The year 6s will also have their camp this year and that will be at Herbert.
Goal Setting and Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews
Children will be sharing their goals through Educa in the next couple of weeks. Please check in with your child’s teacher if you do not have access to the Educa App. I will also send out a renewed general invitation for parents to join.
School will close at 12.30pm on Monday 20th February. All families need to please book in to see their child’s teacher between 1pm and 7.30pm.
To book your interviews go to
https://www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code
and type in the code: rmp7h
Upcoming Closures
School closes at 12.30pm on Monday 20th February, please arrange for your child to be picked up at 12.30pm, there will be no buses for us that day.
We are closed for professional development in the new NZ curriculum on Monday 24th April, the first day of term 2. Many schools in North Otago will be closed on that day.
Laudato Si’ – Caring for Our Common Home
‘... to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice’ ( Sirach 15:15)
Our choices and our decision-making- it can be so complicated. Everyone’s life is different-
we all need God’s mercy and love and other people’s mercy and love.
Earth, our common home, also needs our mercy and love.
“Saint Therese of Lisieux invites us to practise the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind
word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship. An integral ecology is
also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation
and selfishness. In the end, a world of exacerbated consumption is at the same time a world
which mistreats life in all its forms.” [LS 230]
(God bless, and love)
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