Newsletter Week 6 Term 4
Sacred Heart School Christchurch - 26 November 2021
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Fifteen days of school left for 2021 and what a year it has been. Planning for the end of year events and being able to celebrate them has created some difficulty. We can all appreciate that we are living in unprecedented times and the safety of our whole community is always at the forefront of everything we do.
We have decided to do things a bit differently. The Year 8 leavers mass will be held for the Year 8 leavers and their parents only. The staff will also be there to celebrate their time at Sacred Heart School. The prizegiving will be held the day before school finishes and will be for the children and staff only. We will make sure you get the results of the achievements and photos of the event.
Tomorrow will be one of the highlights of the year. We are so excited to be performing our whole school production for you. We have a professional film crew capturing the performance with 3 cameras, we have 14 headset mics and professional sound and lighting to support the actors and dancers, the props and costumes are looking amazing. We are hoping to be able to share the performance by tomorrow evening. Thank you for your support of the children in terms of costumes and helping them with lines and listening to songs.
Sunday 28th November marks the first Sunday of Advent – a time where the Catholic Church prepares for the birth of Jesus. Each week a candle is lit on the Advent wreath. Each candle has a special meaning – the first one marks the virtue of Hope, the second one Faith, the third Joy and the last one Peace.
In the first week we focus on Hope and acknowledge that Jesus is coming. We begin to prepare our hearts to welcome Jesus at Christmas.
We were very excited to have the fences around the playground removed to give the children use of the new additions to the playground. We are thankful to the Board of Trustees who fund these initiatives. This project used part of the Jack Grant Legacy money. Jack left a sum of money to the school many years ago indicating that the money needed to be spent on the enjoyment of the children.
Te Ara a Maria – Mary’s Way
In 2020 the New Zealand Bishops discussed plans to establish a National Shrine honouring Our Lady with a suitable artwork of Our Lady. This artwork, undertaken by Damian Walker, is touring around New Zealand in a Hikoi following the celebration on the Feast of the Assumption, Sunday 15 August 2021 at St Mary of the Angels’ Church in Wellington, where all the bishops were present. St Mary of the Angels church will become a national shrine to Mary.
This morning the artwork was present at the school. All classes had the opportunity to view the painting and pray together to Mary. We were very fortunate to have the painting at school and ensured that the children understood the significance of the work.
Liturgical Year
Sunday the 28th November is the first Sunday of Advent. So set up your Advent wreath . The Advent wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition. Traditionally, Advent wreaths hold four coloured candles, lit one by one through the four weeks of the season. These candles represent in order: hope, love, joy, and peace. Each is purple except the pink, which represents joy. A fifth candle, the white Christ candle, is first lit on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day.
Advent wreaths are a great way to mark the Advent season and involve your household in the process. Make yours now!
More on the Mass
In the Fraction Rite, the celebrant breaks the consecrated bread as the people sing the Agnus Dei or "Lamb of God." John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). The action of breaking the bread recalls the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper, when he broke the bread before giving it to his disciples. One of the earliest names for the Eucharistic celebration is the breaking of the bread.
A special welcome to Peter who has joined Paretai, Maichitty who has joined the Middles and Cahill and Isabella who have joined Muriwai this week!
Scholastic Book Orders
An order form was sent home this week for Scholastic books.
Orders must be back at school by Friday 3 December. No late orders accepted.
School Photos
All school photo orders were sent home this week. Please double check your child's bag if you have not seen them.
Internet Safety
As young people use more digital technology, it’s important parents teach them about online safety. While there might be a gap between what your child knows and how much you know about technology, you don’t have to be a tech expert to help. You can offer life skills, maturity and experience your child hasn’t developed yet.
So, how do you get started?
Netsafe has put these tips together to help parents and whānau talk to their young people about online safety.
https://www.netsafe.org.nz/online-safety-for-parents/
Policy Review
We have all our policies and procedures on School Docs. At present we have a policy on Maori Educational Success and Religious Education that we would appreciate your feedback on. Please follow the link below and review this policy.
1. Visit the website
http://sacredheartchch.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm (note that there is no “www”!)
2. Enter the user name (sacred) and password (heart).
3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
4. Read the policy.
5. Click the Policy Review button at the right-hand top corner of the page.
6. Select the reviewer type "Parent".
7. Enter your name (optional).
8. Submit your ratings and comments.
Oscar Holiday Programme - Application forms in the school office
Improving one of Christchurch’s busiest roads
We’re excited to share the changes we’re proposing along Brougham Street with you.
We’d like to say thanks to those of you who helped shape our ideas and encourage you to get involved one more time before we finish our designs and start construction.
The improvements we have landed on will make it safer and easier for people to do everyday things like taking children to school, travelling to work, moving goods and doing business.
They are simple but effective improvements that make use of the existing road space to help freight get where its needed and give people more travel choice that will work better for them and the environment.
We’ll be taking feedback until January 28, 2022. You can tell us what you think online, via email or by attending one of our community drop-in sessions. More details are below.
There is a Community meeting Monday 29th Nov in the whānau room at Addington Te Kura Taumatua to unpack the proposed plan from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for Brougham St in the Addington area. Children are welcome at the meeting and they have a place for them close by and in sight to play.
Tell them what you think
• Share your thoughts online and on our interactive map at www.nzta.govt.nz/brougham
• Come to an open day:
– Thursday 2 December 3.30pm – 6.30pm Addington School, 22 Brougham Street
– Tuesday 7 December 3.30pm – 5.30pm Addington Seventh Day Adventist
Church Hall, 61 Brougham Street
• Register at www.nzta.govt.nz/brougham to attend our online Zoom session:
– Wednesday 8 December 6 – 7pm
2022 Enrolments
We have very few places available for next year. Hopefully, we have included any siblings to come in on our list. If you have or know of any children not on our list wanting to start next year can you please get someone to contact us as soon as possible.
We have a new Facebook Page
We have a new Facebook page, Sacred Heart School Te Kura o Te Ngākau Tapu, Addington
Click here to check it out.
Make sure you keep up with all communications from school and have the latest update of our School App. Download SchoolAppsNZ from the App Store or Google Play and search Sacred
Parents are encouraged to make healthy choices from the Sushi Factory as well as Subway. Check out the menu.
Please visit https://www.lunchonline.co.nz/ to join up and order for your children.
Upcoming Events
Friday 26 November - Production Day
Thursday 9 November - Board of Trustees Meeting 5.30 pm. Senior Room
Friday 10 December - Year 8 Leavers Mass (Limited to family)
Tuesday 14 December - Whole School Fun Day
Wednesday 15 December - Prizegiving (School only)
Thursday 16 December - Last Day of the year (School finishes at 12.00 pm)
Wednesday 2 February 2022 - First Day Back
Parish News
For Church Notices Please view the Catholic Parish of Christchurch South website. https://christchurchsouth.org.nz or the New App
Here are the details of how to download our excellent new Parish App. Keep updated on mass times, news and what is happening in the Parish.
Go to the App Store on your Apple or Android device and Search 'Church AppsNZ' to download the app onto your device.
Then search "The Catholic Parish of Christchurch South' to find your church app.
