This Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King and marks the end of the church's liturgical year. It has lead me to reflect also on the coming end of the current school year.

Over the past three years we have all been affected by Covid and its restrictions, however it is in this past year that tamariki, whānau and staff have been most directly impacted by themselves or family members having this virus, and the consequences of sickness, isolation and interrupted schooling that has resulted.

I would like to give a huge vote of thanks to parents, caregivers and staff who have worked together all year to make this year as normal as possible whilst we were affected by the Covid virus within our school community. Added to this many thanks for the support and time that have been given to us as we returned to whole school events like the Grandparent's Mass, swimming and athletics, as well as assisting with camps that were postponed from earlier in the year. It really has been a combined effort between home and school and it is wonderful to see our children enjoying getting back to these types of activities.

Ngā mihi nui

Janet and the Team @ OLA

We had 73 children who qualified for Zone Athletics this year, which was held last week at Nga Puna Wai. All the children tried their very best and were rewarded with some outstanding results with 16 children qualifying to go Canterbury Athletics on Wednesday 30th November.

Aidan Comins - High Jump

William Morley-Bunker - High Jump

Kolio Tugaga - Long Jump

Mitchell Kubiak - Discus & 60m

Tandia Fisher - 100m & Long Jump

Sophie Mathias - Relay

Sophia Buckley - Relay

Khloe Kubiak - Relay & 60m

Ella Sisikefu - 60m

Pera Gordon - 100m & Long Jump

Louisa Ross - 1000m

Maclane Gordon - 1200m

Jessica Manuel - 1200m

Violet McDonald - High Jump & Discus

Isla Scarlett - Long Jump & High Jump

Pippa Jory - Discus

A big thank you to Mrs Grant for running this event, Mr Wallis & Mrs McDonald for taking the children on the day, Mrs Malzard & Mrs Gordon for parent helping and all the other parents who came down to support our children.

Three of our Batten Team students, Ava, Connor and Marco took time out of their weekend to meet with Jenny Bond, the Te Tuna Tāone facilitator, at Pioneer Stadium on last Sunday, where they worked to educated the public about the local stream and the eels that live in it.

They had a trailer that had quizzes and games in it that the public could have a go at. As an incentive they were given a chocolate bar if they participated! The children also handed out flyers that they had made to further educate people about this project. Click the links below to view their flyers.

Flyer One / Flyer Two

This project supports the environment work that all the Batten Team children participate in, in conjunction with the Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury.

Pictured below are the team hard at work!

Congratulations to the winners of the Canterbury DigiAwards 2022, Year 5-6 Entries with Te Reo Māori; our very own Hudson, Aidan and Ollie!!!

Their winning entry, "Te Kūmara Mārohirohi, The Mighty Kūmara!" was a result of their work as part of the Batten Team's social studies, language and science learning based on kūmara.

These gifts can be for babies through to 20 year olds.

We have been asked to not give toy guns (Nerf guns are okay) or alcohol.

Please do not wrap the gifts. This allows parents to go to St Vincent de Paul and select gifts that are suitable for their children.

We understand that donating gifts may not be possible for all families, but if you were able to it would be gratefully appreciated.

Over a 3-year cycle all our policies are reviewed. This term the policies being reviewed are Safety On & Off School Grounds and Health, Safety & Welfare Policy . The instructions for reviewing these policies are as follows:

To take part in the review:

1. Click here.

2. Enter the user name ( ola) and password ( assume 11 ).

3. Click the green “Current Review” box.

4. Select the policy you wish to review and read it.

5. Click the red “Under Review” button.

6. Select the reviewer type “Parent”.

7. Enter your name ( optional ).

8. Click “Login”

9. Submit your ratings and comments.

If you do not have computer access, please see Carolyn or Kim in the office for a hardcopy of the document.

My name is Victoria and I am proud to be the Mana Ake liaison for your school. Mana Ake can provide a range of support, from one on one work with kids during school time, to advice and guidance for parents at drop-ins. I can help with anything from anger or anxiety, to behavioural challenges… even screen time and sibling rivalry. I am a registered social worker, and mum of a ten year old, and three cats!

If you would like to have a chat with another parent who also has lots of resources and tips to share you can book a drop-in session by phoning the school office. If you think Mana Ake support may be right for your child, you can discuss this with their classroom teacher.

Each session will begin at 2.00 and take roughly 30-45 minutes. Session dates are:

Tuesday 22nd November

Every fortnight we celebrate the amazing work that happens in our classrooms by awarding a Principal’s Award to a student in each class.

Congratulations to:

Back Row: Carter, Zoe, Tim, Mitchell, Connor, Pera

Front Row: Bear, Aliyah, Sailor, Harper, & Alex

Not Pictured: Aleipata, Marco, Nikki & Mason

God Bless

Janet and the Team at Our Lady of the Assumption School

Term 4 invoices have been sent to parents. As the end of the year nears, the parish would appreciate families making payments to bring their account up to date. This helps the parish pay funds on to the Diocese. Any queries please contact Judy administration@christchurchsouth.org.nz. Thank you.