Newsletter Week 7 Term 3
Newsletter 26 - Week 7 Term 3, 7 September 2021
Principal's Message
OUR NEWSLETTER IS COMING OUT A DAY EARLIER THIS WEEK
Dear Parents/Whanau
School starts on Thursday 9th September. We are excited to see everyone and look forward to getting back into school life under Alert Level 2. Under Level 2 you do need to send your child back to school unless you have good reason to keep them home.
First of all, I want to thank you as co-teachers during the two weeks your child has been in lockdown. Teachers and support staff have done an outstanding job providing fantastic learning experiences for your child but it wouldn’t have been successful without your help. To me, it really illustrates that it is important that parents and teachers work together in educating children.
We are ready for the start on Thursday and have set up sanitiser stations in each classroom along with soap dispensers and paper towels. Staff will be ensuring that door handles, hard surfaces, and class equipment will be sanitised periodically throughout the day.
We do ask that if your child is unwell you do not send them to school. It is important that your child has totally recovered before they are sent back to school. It is expected that a child would be away for at least 48 hours if they have been unwell.
We have been advised that staff and children DO NOT need to wear masks, although you will be expected to wear a mask if you come onto the school site.
What will school look like under Alert Level 2?
Classes will operate as per usual
There will be no assemblies, School Assemblies, Masses, or Liturgies.
Pita Pit can be ordered from this Thursday
PTA Sausage Sizzle will operate from this Friday
At level 2 we are allowed to have our school playgrounds open.
Start of the day
8.30 - 8.45 am Arrival time for Totara Team (Room 1-5) and Kahikatea Team (Rooms 12,14-17)
8.45-9.00 am Arrival time for students in Kakano, siblings of students in Kakano, and students from Before School Care.
The school gates will be opened at 8.30 am and all gates will be accessible until 9am.
Everyone is to sanitise their hands at the gate sanitiser stations.
When students arrive at school they are to go to their classroom immediately.
We encourage parents to drop their child at the gate and not enter the school grounds unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. Parents are advised they must not enter any classrooms, please. If you do choose to come on the school grounds please follow the arrows which are on the fences and footpaths. We have an inward and outward pedestrian lane in the Church Car Park, Carnot St and Ranolf St entrances. Any students who comes to school after 9am will need to come in via the Carnot Street entrance and be accompanied by an adult when they report to the School Office.
End of the Day:
2.45 - 2.55 pm Pick up time for students in Kakano, siblings of students in Kakano, and students going to After School Care
3.00pm - 3.15 pm Pick up time for Totara Team (Rooms 1-5) and Kahikatea Team (Rooms 12,14-17)
School will finish at 2.45pm for all Kakano students and their siblings. Kakano students will be taken to the Church Carpark gate by a teacher. If your child is in a Kakano class and you want your child taken to a different gate please advise the class teacher which gate you want your child taken to.
If it is raining at the end of a school day we will need some help and parents will be allowed to collect their child from outside their classroom.
Please note all gates, except Carnot Street, will be locked at 3.15 pm
Parents may come onsite in the afternoon to collect their child from outside their classroom, provided parents use the Contact Tracing app. Please remember this is not a time to socialise and you need to maintain social distancing.
If you are picking your child up from the Church Car Park please do not stand in the pedestrian lanes but come and stand in the designated area which is the area between the cones and tyres. We do need your support with this.
Contact Tracing is required at Level 2 for anyone who enters school grounds. We have QR codes at each entrance to the school.
We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday.
Regards
David Macmillan
Message from DRS Bernie Hall
An important aspect of our Catholic school is pastoral care. Please do not hesitate to contact our Principal or DRS or our Parish Priests if you would like to chat, seek clarification, need assistance or spiritual support or any other type of support you or your whanau may need.
Galatians 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.
I hope you are all keeping safe and well. Below are some useful links.
NZ Catholic Magazine September issue
From the Josephite Companions -A Prayer for the Earth
Sit quietly reflecting on the image and words. Allow them to resonate in you
Ka mate te whenua,
ka mate te tangata;
Ka ora te whenua,
ka ora te tangata.
If the land dies, people die;
If the land lives, people live.
The Catholic definition of stewardship is about being concerned for the wellbeing of both the planet and its people and valuing life for its own sake. We have to look after the gifts our good God has given us with an attitude of humility and awe.
Scripture: Creator God (Romans 1:20)
“Ever since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities—God's eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through the things God has made.”
Here are some fabulous ideas for wellness during lockdown.
Upcoming School Events
Grandparents Mass will need to be rescheduled
Tuesday 25 October currently the new date for Junior Tough Guy and Gal event
Friday 12 November Teacher Only Day
Sports News - Alert Level 2
Miniball - TBC
Hockey - Rotorua Hockey is planning to have Maxi Grade finals on Saturday 18th September. This will be confirmed soon. All other grades have finished for the year.
Football - Junior Football has finished for 2021.
The Rotorua Football Tournament is still going ahead on Saturday 18th September. We will keep in touch with the team coaches & parents of the teams who are registered for this event.
Junior Tough Guy & Gal Challenge - Tuesday 25th October
SUMMER SPORTS REGISTRATIONS
It is now time to register your child for Term 4 summer sports. Unfortunately, there is no Flippaball, however, there is water polo on Sunday afternoons run by Rotorua Water Polo. We will share more information about this once it's available.
Our sports for Term 4 are Cricket and Touch Rugby.
Information about each sport and the registration form can be found on our School Website under Our Sports - Cricket/Touch. Click on the links below to view.
If you have any queries please contact Whaea Leanne, Sports Coordinator
Email: sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz Ph: 027 285 7579 or 347 1701
SPORTS FEES
All previous and current sports/event fees must be paid or arrangements made by the end of Term 3. We will be enforcing our ‘No Pay, No Play’ policy from Term 4 onwards. Children will be unable to participate in sports if fees are unpaid.
Payments can be made to the School Office or via internet banking ANZ 06 0209 0229658 00 please use your child's name as code and sport/s as reference.
We are aware of the financial impact the latest lockdown may have on some of our school whanau. If you need assistance with your child's sports fee's please contact Whaea Leanne at sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz or Mr Macmillan at davidm@stmarysrotorua.school.nz
Special Mentions
Contact Us
Email: schooloffice@stmarysrotorua.school.nz
Website: https://www.stmarysrotorua.school.nz
Location: 37 Carnot Street, Glenholme, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Phone: +64 07 3481701
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-Catholic-School-Rotorua-870642283022074