Newsletter Term 1 Week 11
St Mary's School Blenheim Thursday 14th April 2022
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Kia ora koutou Te Kura O Hato Mere Whanau
We have made it. The last day of term and well earned and deserved break for all starting with Easter weekend.
It has been a long but seemingly short term which has included a variety of different activities and has seen the whole country learn about new terminology with regards to COVID - 19 and have restrictions in place for us all. These have just changed which will allow more freedom across the country during this time. However we all must stay vigilant and make sure we carry on our safe practices of washing hands, covering our coughs and not going out in public if we ourselves are feeling unwell. All in all it has been a time of personal health and well being. This includes mental , social and emotional well being which will deepen again as we move forward as a country.
A big thank you from myself, the entire staff and our community for following the guidelines set in place and supporting each other as we have moved quickly through this time in our history. We are always stronger as one whole working together and we all thank you.
This weekend signifies the end of Lent as we move towards a time of sadness mixed with gratitude as Jesus sacrificed himself for us on the cross.
Lent is a time to be in touch with who we truly are as people and look to support others when and where we can. It is a time of reflection and a time of stopping, or changing our habits. Giving up or sacrificing something in our lives. A time of recentering and becoming closer to God. Living through the beatitudes and really shining our talents to support those around us. This needs to continue.
Holy week has been a time at school when the children have reenacted the week leading up to and including Jesus' death. Today the last supper was a touching reflection on those who stayed true to who they are and their beliefs and those who did not and betrayed Jesus. The middle block today we saw the entire school working together reflecting and reenacting the Stations of the Cross.
This time for our pupils is not only a time of learning, it is a time of living their faith and the Catholic faith of the school and our Parish.
Just as Jesus was betrayed, so do we betray our faith and living through our beatitudes at times. It does not make us a bad person, in fact it just makes us human. Through this time we are reminded that although at times we may stray from what we know is right, we always have the light of the Holy Spirit to light our way back to the truth and the Light.
This Easter take the time to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each and every one of us. Remember this sacrifice and how Jesus overcame the doubters and followers who turned their back on him in his time of need. Jesus stayed true to who he is, to his faith and belief in God his father.
The learning for us is, that In times of struggle we too must keep true to who we are as a person, to our faith and our beliefs. God will always be with us and support us as we move through these times of struggle and doubt.
Have a safe and restful Easter break and holiday with your beautiful children.
May God bless you all,
Yours ‘In Christ’s Light’
Paddy Dowling
TE WHETU O TE MOANA l STAR OF THE SEA - MARLBOROUGH CATHOLIC PARISH
Parish Newsletter - No.09. 27 March 2022
Parish Newsletter - No.10. 03 April 2022
Parish Newsletter - No.11. 10 April 2022
Parish Newsletter - No.12. 17 April 2022
JOHN DEW NEWSLETTER
24 March 2022 Issue No. 262
Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
Last Saturday, on the Solemnity of St Joseph, Pope Francis released a new Apostolic Consti tution entitled in English “Preach the Gospel.” It is a document which opens up top Vati can leadership roles to any baptized lay person, including women. The document outlines the structure and function of the Roman Curia and brings much of his vision for the Church into the statutes of the Curia.
The whole document is too complicated to go into in this newsletter but an important point, certainly for me, and hopefully for all of us, is something that Francis has said many times, that any true reform is based above all on an “internal reform,” meaning personal conversion. That of course is what Lent is all about, a season calling us to greater holiness, integrity, aligning our whole life with the Gospel. We are always being called to inner con version.
“Preach the Gospel” has been many years in the making, and now it has come at a very im portant time in the Church, during this time of preparation for the Synod which will lead us to listen to one another and become a discerning Church, a Church able to identify the work of the Holy Spirit among us and follow its lead. That task is for all of us, for all the baptised.
On the same weekend as the Pope’s document was published all priests of the world re ceived a letter from the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops and the Prefect for the Congregation of the Clergy. It was a letter of encouragement, asking us all to be involved in the Synod process. If we want the Church to grow, if we want the Church to be relevant to our lives, if we want the Church to be active in society and influencing society with Gospel values, then we all, priests and people, must be engaged in becoming a discerning Church, a Church able to identify the work of the Holy Spirit among us and to follow the Spirit’s lead.
Please look for ways to encourage one another, parishioners and priests together to en gage in the Synod discernment process we have been invited to join in together. With every blessing
Nāku noa. Nā,
+John
RECONCILIATION AND HOLY COMMUNION
The Sacramental Programme for Reconciliation and Holy Communion will be run at St Mary’s Church from the beginning of May until June.
We welcome all baptised students from age 8 (Year 4) and up, to join with us as they continue on their Faith Journey. Rosie Lamain and Lorraine Walker will facilitate the programme.
The sessions will be held on a Sunday morning before 10.00am Mass. Parents and Caregivers are invited to join us for these sessions also.
If you are interested in having your child participate in the programme please make contact with us . A list of dates and times will be issued accordingly.
Ginetta office@staroftheseamarlb.co.nz
Rosie rosie@stmb.school.nz
WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Here in our school, we are gathering to pray The Way of the Cross.
We are remembering Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection that occurred over 2,000 years ago, and changed the course of human history.
Today, we sometimes speak of Jesus as the Prince of Peace, and the kingdom that he came to establish on earth, as the kingdom of peace.
Not long before he died, Jesus gave his disciples this gift of peace:
‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. A peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.’
We are called to be peacemakers, so today we pray for peace in our hearts, in our country, and throughout the world.
Generous God,
We thank you and we praise you,
for we are surrounded
by your abundant gifts.
The table you have laid is piled high,
and yet too many people
are turned away from the feast.
Work through us, so that,
as the tiny acorn
becomes the mighty oak,
our small acts of love may grow
bringing hope of a world transformed,
where all may eat their fill.
Amen.
HOLY WEEK
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Holy Week - 10-16 April
- Last Day of Term 1 - 14 April
- Good Friday - 15 April
- Holy Saturday - 16 April
- Easter Sunday - 17 April
- Easter Monday - 18 April
- School Starts - First Day of Term 2 - 2 May
- 150th Jubilee - 21-23 October 2022
BOARD NEWS
Parent Representative
We would like to welcome Ross Frater as our Board selected parent replacement.
Ross is well known as the Gala’s face of the Chocolate Wheel and has a couple of children in our school.
Ross brings with him a wealth of financial knowledge and community connections and his experience will be highly valued.
We would like to congratulate him on his nomination and selection as a Trustee to replace Natasha Vincent who resigned earlier this year.
Full board elections will be happening in September and we encourage parents to consider putting themselves forward for nomination.
Our Board requires five parent representatives.
If you would like more information, please email: chairperson@stmb.school.nz
COVID-19 UPDATE
You may have listened to the changes made yesterday by the Government with regards to the Traffic Light system and the change of colours to ‘Orange’.
This Has many implications for our school and all kura across Aotearoa. I have had a meeting with the Ministry of Education and we are meeting again next week to discuss how these changes will look in schools moving forward.
I will email all whanau in the second week of the holidays to confirm the direction Te Kura O Hato Mere will be taking from the beginning of term onwards.
If you are isolating in the holidays and your children are testing positive can you please send me an email and let me know. I would like to keep the records clean through this time so we have a true reflection of how COVID -19 has affected our community. I would also like to offer help and support through this time of isolation if you require any.
2022 LANDSCAPING
The excitement continues these holidays as we build the borders for the gardens to go in, prepare the beds for the trees to be planted next term and look forward to the draft plans being presented to us by our Landscape Architect Emma Woods. During the holidays we will also have Matt in here with his crew from MTC removing the Oak tree on the corner of Maxwell Road and Stephenson Street and the Golden Elm from the middle of the school. The landscape will be changing a lot over the next 6 months as we plant over 100 trees around the school and at least 50 other plants. I will be asking for the school communities' support in the planting process, so look out for the dates and times. As soon as we have a date for delivery we will be underway!
St Mary's School, Blenheim 150th Jubilee
Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd of October 2022
For more information click this link - St Mary's School 150th Jubilee
SPORTS NEWS
WINTER TENNIS
Winter tennis and coordination training in St Mary's hall after school on Wednesday and Thursday.
This is through terms 2 and 3.
For more details contact
Glen Cameron
0211157239
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES
SCHOOL LUNCHES
Subway Lunches on Wednesdays
If you would like to order, please bring the filled form and money into the office on Wednesday morning or you can order online!
Orders have to be done before 9.00am on Wednesday mornings.
Online order instructions here
Due to the minimum wage and the price of supplies increasing, all prices will increase by 50c starting in term 2.
OUR SPONSORS
CONTACT US
Email: office@stmb.school.nz
Website: https://stmb.school.nz
Location: St Mary’s School Blenheim 3 Stephenson St, Blenheim, New Zealand
Phone: +64 3 578 9494
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmarysschoolblenheim/