Newsletter Week 2 Term 4
Sacred Heart School Petone Wednesday 26 October
Principal's Pen
Malo ni parents and friends
Welcome back to Term 4! We have definitely hit the ground running and the term has begun well. I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. This week is Tokelauan language week and we are looking forward to our Tokelauan students sharing their language and culture with us.
Tui are back in their classroom and last Wednesday we welcomed Archbishop Paul Martin to school to bless the newly refurbished Tui classroom. We acknowledge the funding we received from both the Ministry of Education through the EPMP money and the Archdiocese who topped up the funding to complete the work on our 10 year property plan. Thanks to all the parents who joined us for the blessing. Please pop in and have a look the next time you are at school!
Congratulations to all our Year 4 - 8 tamariki for their wonderful performance at Hutt Fest at the end of Term 3. We were very proud of all of you. Special thanks to the staff for their work getting the tamariki ready to perform. Thanks also to Foí Bell for her organisation of the new uniform for the students.
Congratulations to all our students for their great participation in our school athletics last week. Thanks to Whaea Clare and Whaea Katy for all their organisation. Many thanks to all the parents who helped us on the day.
We have welcomed Mrs Katie Brazer to the staff as a Teacher Aide. Katie has recently arrived in NZ from South Africa. Katie is working in Kereru class.
We have appointed Mrs Michelle Harding to the vacant position left by Whaea Clare's resignation Michelle is joining us on a fulltime basis next year.
It with regret that we have accepted Mrs Julia Havell's resignation. Julia is retiring at the end of this year and we wish her all the best for the next stage of her life. We will have an opportunity to farewell Julia and Clare later this term and thank them for all they have done for all of us at Sacred Heart School. Confirmed staffing and classes will be shared as soon as decisions are made.
Mrs Liz McNeill is on sick leave at present as she is having surgery. Please keep Liz in your prayers for a speedy recovery. Thank you to the teachers covering Kereru while Mrs McNeill is away.
Touch and Netball- Term 4:
Both these sports begin this week. Touch on Thursday and Friday and Netball on Saturday. Please pay your fees before your child plays. Children must wear correct sports uniform.
Summer Uniform: Everyone should be wearing summer uniform including a named school sunhat. New navy blue shorts for the boys are available from the uniform shop. Also a reminder that boys may wear navy blue socks with their summer uniform. We do not sell navy blue socks at the uniform shop. Please ensure your child is wearing correct sports shorts, which may be purchased from the uniform shop..
RISE Challenge: RISE challenges are due by Friday 25th November please. This enables me to prepare the certificates for the Prizegiving.
Reminders:
- There will be a Teacher Only Day on Friday 11th November.
Thought for the Week
“God’s style is discreet, it does not impose; it is like the air we breathe - we do not see it but it allows us to live, and we realize this only when it is missing.” #PopeFrancis #GeneralAudience
Ke manuia koutou uma I te Aloha o te Atua
God bless
Liz
Term Dates 2023
TERM DATES
2023
Term 1
Wednesday 1st February – Thursday 6th April
Public Holidays:
Waitangi Day 6 February
Good Friday, Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday are in the holidays.
Term 2
Monday 24th April – Friday 30th June
Public Holiday:
Anzac Day Tuesday 25th April
Queen’s Birthday Monday 3rd June
Matariki is in the holidays
Term 3
Monday 17th July – Friday 22nd September
Term 4
Monday 9th October – Friday 15th December
Public Holiday:
Labour Day Monday 23rd OctoberOur Special Character
All Saints Day Mass: We will be joining with the Parish to celebrate the Feast of All Saints on Tuesday November 1st.
Buddy classes this term will be joining the parish for a weekday Mass. Teachers will let you know when their classes are going.
Dates for your Diary:
- End of Year Mass - Monday 12th December 9.30am
- Prizegiving Liturgy and Farewell to Year 8 - Wednesday 14th December 6.30pm
R.E in Kererū Class
For R.E., Kererū wrote about treasures/taonga that have been passed through the generations in our families.
My language has been passed down for many generations. My language makes me me. I do not care if people make fun of my language. That's my treasure.
Jose
All people have treasure, so today I am writing about my treasure. My treasure is my language. It is funny, because when my parents do not want me to know what they are saying, they talk Tokelauan. Hahahaha!
Tekelua
A clock that's been in our family for a few years. My Great Great Grandfather got it from the Philippines. Now it is with my Mum and she really hopes it will tell the time again.
Joshua
Te whakanui i to tatou kura (Celebrating our school)
Term 4 and we have hit the ground running!
We have welcomed three new Tui's, Paxton, Kennedy and Harper, to our kura whanau. Paxton's whanau is new to our school, but he joins his Howat cousins- nau mai haere mai Paxton! Kennedy and her family are new to our school community -nau mai haere mai Kennedy! Harper joins big brother's Brayden and Brody and big sister Olivia at Sacred Heart. Welcome Harper! Due to Labour Day we were unable to welcome Kennedy and her family at School Prayer but we look forward to welcoming them officially with a whakatau this coming Monday.
Athletics last Thursday saw our kura take to Petone Rec for a fun and competitive morning of games and sport. The sun was out but in true Wellington style, so was the chilly wind. Thankfully this did not stop our students from giving their best. Check just some of the pictures below.
Last term Kākāpō class held a speech competition and Gerard Duignan kindly stepped in to judge. The topic was "Influencing Others" and focused on using persuasive writing. The winner was Kiri - please scroll down to read the winning speech and a photo of the finalists with Judge Gerard.
During Term 3 our students and teachers rehearsed tirelessly for HuttFest, and the night was a huge success. The singing was amazing and the outfits were very striking to look at from the audience. Thank you to Reggie (Zeal's dad) for taking amazing photos of the evening. I have included a few below.
It was lovely to see parents and caregivers gather with us last week to bless Tui classroom. We had the honour of hosting Archbishop Paul Martin, who blessed the classroom. Our school leaders spoke beautifully and the singing was lovely. Thank you to Mrs Bell for your wonderful guitar playing. Tui class are loving their new classroom!
School News
ShakeOut - Earthquake drill and Tsunami evacuation
Tomorrow (Thursday 27 October) is New Zealand's national ShakeOut earthquake drill and tsunami hīkoi. We will be participating in both the earthquake drill and the tsunami evacuation. I have attached the Evacuation Procedure below and our evacuation map.
Please note we will not be evacuating to our actual meeting place on the corner of Magnolia Grove and Dowse Drive in Maungaraki. This is due to the fact that students would need to cross the motorway, which outside of a real emergency requires a police presence for safety reasons. We will instead evacuate to the corner of Railway Ave and Hutt Road outside Hirepool before returning to school.
As this is a drill, we would like to remind parents and caregivers that we do not require parent help or assistance.
Please follow the link for some great resources to share with your family around emergencies. Get ready and Get Prepared with a family plan. https://getready.govt.nz/en/
GUMBOOT Friday - Next Friday 4 November
Gumboot Friday is a fun way to raise funds for kids' mental health through I AM HOPE which is owned by The Key to Life Charitable Trust. Each year in New Zealand, between 120 and 180 young people die by suicide and it is estimated another 3500 attempt to take their own lives. While Government agencies are doing their best some young people are stuck waiting up to six months to receive the counselling they so urgently need.
For many families in New Zealand, teenage and kids' mental health is a very serious issue. To support this very important charity, Sacred Heart School will be holding a gold coin fundraiser next Friday 4th November.
- Wear your gumboots to school!
- Gumboot toss!
- Colouring in competition!
- There will be prizes!
CookieTime Festive Fundraiser
With Christmas coming up fast, what better gift to give than a bucket of delicious Christmas Cookies! I will be sending home order sheets with your student by the end of the week with further instructions.
Lunch Online
Sushi Fridays are back! From Term 4 we will have One Sushi providing lunches on Fridays.
Pita Pit - Wednesdays
Chubby Baker - Thursdays
One Sushi - Fridays
To order or create an account, follow the link: https://www.lunchonline.co.nz
Evacuation Procedure
Sacred Heart School Petone
Evacuation Procedures
In the event of a major Civil Defence Emergency (tsunami, flooding etc), and we need to evacuate the school, the following procedures will occur.
Classes will evacuate the school and walk to higher ground in Maungaraki. A map of the route is attached.
Teachers will make the call to evacuate immediately in a severe earthquake.
If time permits the older children will be buddied up with younger children. All extra staff and parents at school will also be assisting younger children.
Our initial meeting place will be opposite the playground on the corner of Magnolia Grove and Dowse Drive. There is a large driveway or grass berm area where we will meet (this will save crossing the busy road).
If necessary we will then move further up the hill to Maungaraki School/Community Centre.
Each class/principal/office manager has an emergency ‘grab bag’ which will be taken. This contains all emergency contact details and medical information, along with other CD requirements.
Children will ONLY be permitted to leave the evacuation site with an adult identified as the child’s Emergency Civil Defence Contact. Children will not be permitted to travel home without an accompanying adult.
Internet/Mobile network permitting we will notify you that we have evacuated the school.
Evacuation signs will be posted on the school door.
A speech by Kiri
Intro-
How would you feel if you weren't allowed to wear what you wanted? Or vote for who you wish to win? That's how women felt before they gained the courage to do something about it. You may already know about women's rights, but today I will expand your knowledge about sexism between men and women and tell you about the remarkable women who helped reduce it.
Main point 1-
Before women stood up for themselves, they had to stay at home and clean. They were not allowed to get a paying job or wear what they desire. This occurred due to living in a patriarchal society where women were used to have children, cleaning the house and cooking dinner for their family. On top of that they had to obey their husband.
Women were only seen as being useful by bringing a child into this world. They were to wear feminine clothes - which meant long dresses and tight laced corsets. Many societies viewed women as less than a full human. They believed women had inferior brains.
Main point 2 -
Did you know how many things women were banned from doing? The amount of activities is disgusting. Women were not allowed to get a job, vote, wear what makes them happy and in a few countries, like Saudi Arabia, women weren't allowed to drive a car or in Pakistan, where a group of men took over and forbade girls from going to school. According to Reader's Digest, in 1920, women were also not allowed to join the military, compete at the olympic games or smoke a cigarette in public. Some of them are just silly, for instance, shopping without company from a man, own their own passport if they are married or play a desired sport. If you think that isn’t enough, there's more. Keeping your maiden name was illegal and so was owning your own property if you were married. Thankfully it has changed.
Main point 3-
As I mentioned before, women were forbidden to vote.
Kate Sheppard disagreed with this law and decided to do something about it. Kate Sheppard was born on the 10th of March 1847 in Liverpool. After her fathers death in 1862, she moved to Aotearoa, New Zealand in 1869 with her mum and two brothers. In 1893 Kate and her fellow suffragists collected 32,00 signatures on a 270m long piece of paper. It was the longest petition ever presented in parliament. The petition was unrolled across the floor of the chamber of the house with a dramatic effect. Finally on September 19th the Governor signed a new electoral law confirming women the right to vote. New Zealand acknowledged her acts by putting her on the 10 dollar note.
Picture this, a group of evil men take control over your beloved country and forbid you from going to school. Malala Yousafzai was unfortunate to have that happen to her country, Pakistan. Malala was born on July 12 1997. She loved going to school and learning and learning but in 2008 a group of men called the Taliban took control of her village and banned girls from going to school. She was only eleven year old and disagreed strongly with this rule. She wrote about online and had the chance to speak on TV. One day in October 2012 she hopped on the school bus and two Taliban men stopped the bus and shouted “ which one of you is Malala”? Her friends looked at her with puzzled and scared expressions. The men fired their guns at her head. She was hit on the left side of her head. She was immediately rushed to the hospital. But thankfully she stood strong and didn't die. She recovered faster than any one could imagine.
Who here dresses themselves in the morning? Excluding school uniform, who here wears whatever they want? I know I do, but from the 16th century all the way to 1976, women didn't have a choice on what they could wear. Long dresses that fall right down to your ankles, layers of petticoats under your uncomfortable skirt, and laced corsets that were tied so tight you could barely take a single breath were the essential clothing that women had to wear. Women had to look pretty all the time whether they were comfortable or not. Mary Edwards Walker was born on November 26 1832. She was just a little girl when this was compulsory for all women.. But she did not care one bit. In fact, she wore what she wanted which to her likings was a pair of trousers, boots, ties and button up shirts that allow you to breathe. In that time that was considered as mens clothing. Mary loved wearing ‘boys clothes’ and she didn't let anyone stop her. Mary dreamed of becoming a doctor so she pursued her dreams and attended medical school, she was one of the first female doctors to graduate in the United states. At her wedding she wore trousers and a coat because a traditional wedding dress did not appeal to her. Mary was arrested for dressing in ‘men's clothing’ but Mary clothes are just clothes and I agree. She served in the civil war and was awarded a congressional medal of honour for her hard work. She died on the 21st of February 1919 but the United States did not pass a new law that women can wear pants whenever they want until 1972.
Conclusion-
In the past women have clearly been treated unfairly but looking at the present, things have changed so much and I am so grateful for all the women who have let us girls live in a fair society. In conclusion, women are now allowed to vote, dress how they want and a heap more. Women should always be seen the same way men are.
Thank you for listening.
Camp Fundraising Sausage Sizzles
Sausage Sizzles will commence next Wednesday 2nd November and will run every Wednesday until Wednesday 7th December. Wednesday 14 December will be an ice block day.
Order forms were sent home last week. If you would like to simply order on the day, please send a note and your payment to the office. Sausages cost $2 each and the Ice Blocks will also be $2 each.
School Board News
The new Board had its first meeting on 28 September with the parent representatives now confirmed as Maria Dalope, Dave Prior, Genevieve Hanify, Tiran O’Hagan and with Kate Wright re-appointed in this role and also as the Presiding Chairperson. Vaka Lemisio, Helen Kneebone, Fiona Daniel and myself (Helen Mollo) will be the Proprietors Appointees and Whaea Katy is the new Teacher Representative.
The Board note the schools absence rates have dropped significantly in Term 3 and pleasingly could see there were no current cases of COVID-19 or even household contacts.
The Board acknowledges the outstanding fundraising efforts of FOSH with the recent Frock Swap evening alone generating close to $800.
The Board looks forward to working together to support the school in the year ahead.
Nga mihi
Helen M.
Rā whānau ki a koe!
Yanni Papadopoulos
Noah Duncan
Blassing Faasoa
Olivia Bain
Charlotte Gendall
Eros Perez
Amaris Livingston
Lilly Lysaght
Hendrix-Ana Lui
Angelina Criscillo
Coming up...
Wednesday 26 October
School Board meeting 7pm
Thursday 27 October
ShakeOut Earthquake drill and Tsunami Evacuation
Fraser Park (Year 7 and 8) Touch Rugby starts
Friday 28 October
Touch Rugby starts (Hutt Park)
Assembly 2pm - All Welcome
Book Club closes
Monday 31 October
School Prayer and Whakatau 9am at Church - all welcome
Tuesday 1 November
All Saints Mass 9.30am
Wednesday 2 November
Sausage Sizzle
Early Risers 1 - 2pm
Friday 4 Novemeber
Gumboot Dat - gold coin fundraiser
Assembly - 2pm
Weetbix Tryathlon
Kilbirnie Park, Kilbirnie
Entry is open to all 6 to 15 year olds.
ENTRY OPTIONS
- Splash&Dash 6 years
- Individual TRYathlon 7 – 15 years
- Junior Team 7 – 10 years
- Senior Team 11- 15 years
Please follow the link for more information:
Reporting an Absence
- HERO app
- School App
- email admin@sacredheartpetone.school.nz
- Telephone - 04 568 6711.
- Text message our school cell phone - 022 511 5419.
Uniform Shop
Tuesday 2.45pm - 3.15pm
Wednesday 8.45am - 9.15am
Please note that all uniform costs need to be paid within 7 days of purchase. Regular part-payments can be arranged. Please contact Anna if you would like to arrange this.
School bank account details
Please put your child's name and what the payment is for, as the reference
Contact Us
Email: admin@sacredheartpetone.school.nz
Website: https://sacredheartpetone.school.nz/
Location: 33 Britannia Street, Petone, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Phone: 04 5686711