Newsletter Week 5 Term 3
St Brigid's School 23 August 2022
Upcoming Events
- Year 3 Amesbury cross country run - Thursday 25 August, Amesbury School, 48 Amesbury Drive, Churton Park 9.30am - 11.00am
- Information Evening about our Year 7/8 programme for all our Year 5 and 6 parents - Thursday 25 August - Library 5.30pm; Room 12 6.00-6.30pm
Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou e te whānau te Kura o Hato Pirihiti
Seesaw is the student e-portfolio system used at St Brigid’s and it allows our students to
showcase their learning journey and share it with whānau. We are encouraging students (particularly in Years 5-8) to take ownership of making posts, deciding when they would like to post their work, making comments about the learning that has taken place and what their next steps are. It is important to note that Seesaw posts aim to highlight the learning process rather than always the product.
The feedback that we have received from parents about Seesaw is that they love having this
connection with their child’s learning. Seesaw proved to be very useful and successful during previous Remote Learning times, and if students are needing to be at home isolating due to Covid, they will be using Seesaw (as well as Google Classroom for Y5-8) to connect with the learning the teacher has set for them. We are also using Seesaw for the reporting process as it allows for ‘in time’ reporting opportunities.
The teachers and I value parent participation and engagement in the learning conversations.
Commenting on your child’s learning is a powerful way to be involved in their learning. It gives your child feedback from someone other than the teacher and it helps strengthen the home–school partnership. Below are some tips for effective commenting and although they talk about tips for writing, they can be adapted for all posts, not just writing.
Top Tips for Effective Commenting on your Child’s Seesaw Account
Tip #1 Be positive and specific – Start by telling your child something that you like about their writing. Be specific about what it is you like.
Tip #2 Add New Information – Adding new information or facts in your comments is a good way to keep your comment relevant. Check the other comments to make sure no one else has already said what you want to say.
Tip #3 Make a Connection – If your child writes a post that reminds you of a time you
did something, then tell them about it. Add some facts if you can.
Tip #4 End with a Question – If you can, end with a question – you might get a
conversation going between you and your child. Make sure your questions are relevant to the post though.
Have a great week and God bless.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Jennifer Ioannou
Principal
Board Message
Thank you to those who have paid the 2022 school donation of $60.00 per student. As shared by our Principal in the previous school newsletter, the support we receive from whānau goes a long way in ensuring we are able to have an enhanced curriculum, giving our students varied opportunities to learn and grow from.
To date 23% our community has paid the school donation of $60.00. Thank you to those who have made their contribution - it is much appreciated. Please see the previous newsletter for ways you can make your donation. Thank you for your ongoing support of St Brigid’s School.
Welcome to St Brigid's
We hope you thoroughly enjoy being part of the St Brigid's family.
Assumption Liturgy of the Word and Communion
How blessed are we to have such faith filled, respectful students!
A massive thanks to all the students, staff and others who celebrated so prayerfully and enthusiastically.
Special thanks to: the senior students who so competently led the Liturgy of the Word, to Jared Calderiro who took time out of his uni studies to lead the Liturgy of the Eucharist, to the orchestra and choir led by Fiona Kearns and Lynne Candiliotis, to Team 2 who did the offertory, to Father Pete for your input and guidance in preparations for our first School Liturgy of the Word and Communion and to the others who did various things to help.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Huge gratitude to you all.
Fiona D’Souza, DRS
A reflection from Fr James Lyons
August 15 is a special day in the Catholic calendar. It honours the Assumption of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. In Aotearoa-New Zealand, it unites the Church in a common celebration. The Assumption is our patronal feast day. What’s so important about this?
Mary, as the Mother of Jesus, the Word of God, is “blessed among women” and unique in all humanity. She is not divine; she is totally human, yet privileged to be the one who gave God a human personality. The Word became flesh in the womb of Mary, transforming her into a sacred vessel.
Because of this intimacy and dignity, we believe that Mary’s body could not have known the corruption that normally follows death. She was “assumed”, taken in her entirety, to the presence of God. In honouring this belief, we celebrate the dignity of all humanity. Not only are we made in the image of God, but God has further dignified us by becoming one of us.
How can this not give us great hope and trust, and gratefulness.
Parent Information Evening - Year 5-6
On Thursday 25 August at 5.30pm all Year 5-6 parents are invited to attend an information evening in the library to learn about the opportunities available for our Yr 7-8 students. The library will be set up with examples showcasing student work as well showing the technologies that are currently being used by students in Team Wha.
From 6.00pm till 6.30pm we will gather in Room 12 where teachers will explain the rich and varied programme for tamariki in Yr 7-8.
Catholic opportunities
Curriculum opportunities
Leadership opportunities
Sporting opportunities
Cultural opportunities
The Arts opportunites
If you wish to attend this event please email fiona@stbrigids.school.nz so we are able to cater accordingly.
Thank you
Jennifer Ioannou
Principal
Hauroa/Wellbeing
Over the next couple of weeks students will be sharing on seesaw the learning they have been involved in with the schoolwide unit on “Healthy Choices” - We have a personal responsibility for our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. To help your child understand this concept you could share with them how you look after your wellbeing.
Discos for Team Toru and Team Wha
On Thursday 1 September, Year 5-6 students are invited to attend a Team Toru Disco to be held at the St Peter and Paul’s Church Hall from 5.00pm till 6.30pm.
Team Wha will also be holding their Disco on Thursday 1 September from 7.00pm till 8.30pm at St Peter and Paul’s Church Hall.
Tickets will be on sale at morning tea outside our school library from Monday 29 August - Thursday 1 September. Tickets cost $3.50 for each dance. (There will be no doorsales). There will be an awesome DJ for both events. The Young Christian Leaders will also be selling chips, drinks, lollies and glow sticks at the dance.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Young Christian Leaders
Our performance time has been confirmed for the St Brigid's Kapa Haka Festival
Our confirmed time for our Senior Kapa Haka Group's performance is at 11.40am on Saturday 24 September at Onslow College. Our section of performances start at 11.00am. Please note that there will be an expectation that whānau stay in the hall for the entire hour (11.00 - 12.00) to support all kura in that time slot. This should help make things run smoothly, and efficiently but also give each kura a full audience.
We will have access to a classroom prior to our performance but not for a long period of time. I will therefore be sending the girls' costumes home with them on the Friday prior to the performance. At this stage we are thinking of the girls having their hair up in a tidy bun. Boys are required to wear plain black cycling shorts (no longer than mid thigh). I will hand out their costume (maro) on the day.
If all children could please bring a bag with a change of clothes so they can quickly get changed after their performance that would be great. Another group will require the classroom straight after us.
I will look into doing black stage makeup on the day (with a couple of kind parent helpers). Wet wipes are needed for removing the makeup after their performance. Baby oil works too.
I am still to confirm a date for costume fittings. I will keep you all updated as more information comes in.
Ngā mihi
Tania FransenLibrary News
Congratulations to the following students who won the “Favourite Book Character” Art Competition:
Team Tahi - Nathan Chin and Alarice Jamin
Team Rua - Saoirse Cooper and Adrianna Raj
Team Toru - Ashley Elliott and Nzisa Mutua
Team Wha - Katrina Ramos and Olivia Swan
The following students also received prizes for their outstanding effort:
Kyle Salanoa, Hayley Williams, Jack Power, Mason Eden and Vanessa Cameron.
The winner of the “Which is the Teacher’s Pet” Competition was Olivia Swan - Congratulations!
Parish Message from the LFT
Property review and decision
As you will all be aware by now, Cardinal John has decided that a new Mass
and community centre for our parish will be developed in Johnsonville. Our
churches of St. Andrew’s and St Benedict's are to be closed. They and their
related presbyteries are to be disposed of or utilized as the parish decides.
The exciting task before us now is to develop a church for the future.
Property Project – community meetings
Your participation is essential. Meetings to discuss Cardinal John’s letter and
how this decision will be progressed will be held very soon. We expect to have
dates, times and place confirmed in next week's Newsletter. We would like as
many parishioners as possible to attend to contribute to the discussion about
the future of our Parish.
Property Project – human resources
Please consider whether you have skills and experience (eg pastoral,
governance, project management, property, construction, architectural,
financial, legal) to contribute to the success of the property project over the
next few years (and contact the Parish Office or a Parish leader).
Church closures – a Reflection
This decision to close St Andrew’s and St Benedict’s churches – whether we
anticipated it or not - will be hard for all of us. For nearly 50 years St Benedict’s
and St Andrew’s have been at the heart of the worship of those communities.
People in these communities have been baptised, married and farewelled in
these churches – and we have gathered in them for Eucharist for many years.
We should also remember that it is unlikely that the church of Sts Peter and
Paul will be retained in its current form – whether in whole or in part. So, in a
very real sense each of the historical three worshipping communities will be
losing its church.
These churches are part of our lives – they are our sacred ground.
Community Notices
Junior Softball
Check out Johnsonville Softball Club on Facebook, or contact Sue on 027 2760644 for more information.
Contact Us
Email: lynne@stbrigids.school.nz
Website: https://stbrigids.school.nz/
Location: 9 Phillip St, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand
Phone: +64 478 6516
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1428952763904874