Reignier Catholic School Newsletter
31st August 2022 - Issue # 8
WELCOME
CONGRATULATIONS
Warmest congratulations to Ciara and Roisin Butler who were Baptised on Sunday. May God's blessing be with you always.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Kia ora whānau,
What a brilliant day yesterday with the running of our annual school cross country and endurance run. It was great to see so many supporters there and our tamariki taking part. A lot of training and preparation had gone on behind the scenes, thank you to all the staff. I know the students were very excited.
We are halfway through the term already. Time really does fly when you are having fun. This week I have been spending time in our classes observing RE lessons. The students have been learning about God’s whānau and how they are part of this family, how they are part of our parish family, who our priests are and the Sacraments of Initiation. Please talk to your children about what they are learning as these are beautiful concepts that help guide them on their faith journeys.
This coming Sunday we will be celebrating alongside some of our students as they receive their First Holy Communion. It has been an honour and a blessing to be part of this journey with our akonga. I would like to thank and acknowledge the work the Parish does in running this programme for our young people and to those staff who have assisted in helping prepare this group of students.
Finally, a reminder of our whānau mass on Sunday 11th September. This is an opportunity to come together with our wider Parish in faith and Eucharist and be as one. It would be great to see all our families present, actively living out and role-modelling our faith as first faith teachers to our students. We look forward to seeing you there.
God Bless.
Mrs Shanks
INTROUDCING ELLIOT BRUNTON - NEWLY ELECTED PARENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR BOARD
I am Elliot Brunton and I am standing for the Reignier Catholic School Board. It will be an honour to be able to contribute and offer my skills and time to support the running of our school. Our twin daughters are growing and developing well in year 3 at Reignier and our son is excitingly waiting for his turn at the start of 2024. While I have not sat on a school board before I have experience in working in committee and bring professional experience from the IT and accounting worlds, both here and in the UK. Having returned from overseas in 2009 I have spent most of my time working in Hawke’s Bay apple industry and currently work as Commercial Finance and IT Manager for a privately owned apple exporter. Prior to the birth of our children, I was also involved with both the Hastings Hibernian Society and the Hastings Hibernian Catholic Education Trust. Growing up in Hastings Sacred Heart parish, and like my father before me attending both St Joseph’s and St John’s schools, I have first-hand memories to the special character of our catholic education and the interconnectedness of school, Church, community, and family life. This I believe comes across in our own children’s special personalities and developing values. With my personal and professional experiences, I hope to be able to work with the rest of the Board to assist in the ongoing success to our special school. Thank you.
INTROUDUCING FOO CHEONG CHAN - NEWLY ELECTED PARENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR BOARD
My name is Foo Cheong. My wife Helena teaches Year 5/6 students in Room 10 for two days a week at Reignier. Not so incidentally, our daughter is a student in Room 10 as well. We have a pair of boys who are 3 years of age. For a long time, Helena and I were both chefs. In a stationary shop at Massey University, whilst Helena chose to buy a piece of paper that allowed her to teach, I opted for one that allowed me to fix animals. After three years working as a veterinarian in Australia, we decided to return to NZ. I am still a veterinarian but in a regulatory role instead of general practice. We chose Reignier Catholic School for Ula, because of its Christian culture and we really valued its ever-present community vibes. For the last 6 years, Ula has benefited greatly from the values instilled and the safe environment provided by the school. In the past, I have been fortunate enough to have time on some rare occasions to help with Reignier’s extracurricular activity such as chess and sailing. Our family is very optimistic by the current directions and decisions the school has been making under very challenging circumstances in the last few years. I can see Reignier Catholic School being an even more desirable primary school to be at because of its existing values and the positive changes it is undergoing. If given the opportunity to be on the Board, I will strive to respectfully communicate my perspective to ensure all students continue to have a safe and positive environment to flourish in.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE BOT INTRODUCTIONS IN OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER(S)
SPOONER SHIELD TEAM
All the best to our students competing in Spooner Shield this Friday. Play hard, play fair and most of all have fun! Waimarie pai!
SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK - 4TH-10TH SEPTEMBER
Racism is the topic for Social Justice Week in 2022. This issue is both challenging and vitally important for all of us. The title of the Caritas resources is SAY NO TO RACISM. WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST. As we journey through this Social Justice Week, the key question for us to reflect on us is how are we becoming one in Christ?
It is important to note that there has been a deliberate choice to focus on human dignity and solidarity. Of course, the negative impacts of racial discrimination are explored through the various elements, but the most important step for all of us, is to respond with love and acceptance, following Catholic social teaching (CST) principles, as Jesus modelled.
The poster for Social Justice Week conveys a strong message using thousands of faces to remind us that we are all part of one human family. We may be different in so many ways, but we can come together and work for justice, peace and love. The mosaic that is formed in the poster is the kowhaiwhai pattern that symbolises movement and change. Found also in the Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand logo, it continually points us in new directions as we face the challenges of our complex, globalised world, grappling with issues such as racism.
CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
Yesterday we celebrated all students who competed in the annual school cross country and we would especially like to acknowledge the following students who placed in the top three of their year group.
Year 3 Boys: Archie Jeffares (1st), Parker Collings (2nd) and Henry Wilson (3rd)
Year 3 Girls: Olive Schicker (1st), Mya Burn (2nd) and Emily Nel (3rd)
Year 4 Boys: Jack Coombe (1st), Riley Jackson (2nd) and Alex Hellyer (3rd)
Year 4 Girls: Isabelle O'Neill (1st), Olivia Sebileau (2nd) and Franki Yardley (3rd)
Year 5 Boys: Hunter Reilly (1st), Talon Lawton (2nd) and Josh Coffin and Kees Lepelaars (3rd=)
Year 5 Girls: Makenzie Rowland (1st), Quinn MacFarlane (2nd) and Ashley Sawyer, Morgan Hellyer and Harper Robertson (3 Way Tie)
Year 6 Boys: Lucas Collings (1st), Liam O'Neill (2nd) and Hugo Jeffares (3rd)
Year 6 Girls: Nicole Gregory (1st), Gabrysia van Asch (2nd) and Emma Nairn (3rd)
Overall House Results for Cross Country and Junior Endurance Run
Barbier 1st / Pompallier 2nd / Chanel 3rd / Aubert 4th
MATHLETICS
Mathletics is the new online learning platform for students in Years 3-6. This has replaced IXL. Years 0-2 will be using Mathseeds. Teachers are in the process of teaching their students how to navigate these platforms. We encourage the use of Mathletics and Mathseeds to be used at home to support the learning that is happening at school. Please touch base with your classroom teacher if you have any questions.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
The Book Fair was a wonderful success, and we had a fantastic result. We sold over $3,500 in books (and donkeys!), in turn giving us just over $1,000 of Scholastic Rewards to purchase new library books. WOW!
Our guess the 'Teachers Pet' competition was a hit too, we had two children correctly naming 13 pets. Congratulations to Paytence Jenssen Grant and Cooper Alexander Bosson.
Our lolly jars were shared amongst five winners. Congratulations Nicole Gregory, Caleb Westaway, Hunter Reilly, Olivia Sebileau and Rueben Smith.
Thank you so much to the Friends of Reignier parents for helping, our Year 6 librarians and all the staff for supporting. Special thanks to Phil Blunsdon for the help with setting up.
And most of all, thank you to all of you, the parents and families of our students who came along to support our library, it was truly overwhelming.
SCHOOL REPORTS
School reports will be emailed home next week. Please ensure we have your correct email address. You can email admin@reignier.school.nz if your email address needs updating. Thank you in advance for your support with this.
MUSIC FESTIVAL - SAVE THE DATE
Please mark Thursday 29th September at 6pm on your calendars now! We will be hosting a school wide music festival on this evening at St Mary's Church. It will be an evening of pure entertainment to be enjoyed by young and old alike. More information to come.
VISITORS - SIGNING IN & OUT
If you enter the school grounds during the day, please enter via the school office, sign in and speak to Mrs Gouder who will direct you. Please ensure on exiting the grounds, you sign out. This is a Health and Safety requirement. Thank you for your support.
ENROLMENTS FOR 2023, 2024 & BEYOND & STUDENTS LEAVING
If you have a child who will be turning 5 in 2023 or in 2024 and beyond, it is not too early to get them enrolled or indicate that you are intending to enrol your child at Reignier Catholic School.
Please call into the school office to get a preference form, make an appointment with Fr Barry to have this signed and drop back to school. Without this form, we cannot accept your child's enrolment.
Equally, if you are leaving Reignier at the end of the year (other than our Year 6's) to another school in the area or out of town, please let Mrs Shanks know.
This enables the school management team to forecast staffing for next year and the year after.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Shanks on 844 2144.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
You will be aware that this has been in the news a lot recently. As a kura, our number one priority is for your child to be at school. It is known that when a child is present at school and participating in their learning that this leads to progress. If your child is absent, you need to inform the school as to why by either phoning the office or using the app. We ask that you DO NOT Seesaw message your child's teacher as they are busy prepping for the school day and often don't see their messages till much later in the day.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
START OF DAY
Our school day begins at 8.55am. We encourage all our students to please be at school before then, so they are able to prepare for the day ahead. If you know that for some reason you are going to be late, please give the office a call.
SCHOOL FINISH TIME
Our school day concludes at 2.55pm.
ROAD PATROL TIMES
Morning Road Patrol is from 8.30am to 8.50am.
Afternoon Road Patrol is from 2.50pm to 3.10pm.
UNIFORM SHOP ORDERING
We continue to ask families requiring uniform to send an email (admin@reignier.school.nz) stating what items you wish to purchase and to deposit the money into the school account, referencing your surname and uniform. Once the money has been deposited into the account we can release the uniform items you have ordered. This is done by way of the student in the classroom. Thank you for your continued support of this request.
School Account Details:
Account Name: Reignier School Board of Trustees
Account Number: 02-0766-0106693-00
Uniform Items Available for Purchase:
Sweatshirts - $50
PE Shirt - $33
PE Shorts - $27
Sunhats - $13
TERM 3 - UPCOMING EVENTS
Spooner Shield - Friday 2nd September
First Holy Communion Celebration - Sunday 4th September
Gym Festival - Monday 5th September & Tuesday 6th September
School Assembly - Friday 9th September
Sunday Whānau Mass - Sunday 11th September
Social Justice Week - 4th - 10th September
Inter-school Cross Country - Tuesday 20th September - TBC
School Assembly - Friday 23rd September
Music Festival - Thursday 29th September - 6pm at St Mary's Church
Performance Kapahaka - Every Wednesday at 11.15am
2022 DATES
Term 2 - 2nd May – 8th July
Term 3 - 25th July – 30th September
Term 4 - 17th October – 16th December
Teacher Only Days: 14th April and 26th August (Term 3) for staff to attend special character retreat.
2023 DATES
Term 2 - Wednesday 26th April - Friday 30th June
Term 3 - Monday 17th July - Friday 22nd September
Term 4 - Monday 9th October - Friday 15th December
Teacher Only Days: TBC
OUT OF SCHOOL SUCCESS
Congratulations to Kees Lepelaars, Quinn Macfarlane and Talon Lawton for receiving the Napier Old Boys Marist (NOBM) Junior Rugby “Best Team Mate” award.
FRIENDS OF REIGNIER
GALA - SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER
Reignier Catholic School Gala will be held at school on Saturday 29th October. The Gala committee are needing as many helpers, sponsors and donations as possible to make our 2022 Gala a success. Please contact Kristi 027 427 5007 if you can help with any of the planning. Our Gala has been successful for many years and a fun family event with huge funds raised for our school and children. We look forward to hearing from you with how you can be involved!
OFFICE DESKS FOR SALE
If you are interested in purchasing an office desk please see Mrs Gouder or Mrs Shanks for further information. We have two desks left for sale. Note: Photo doesn't depict what is for sale.
Contact Us
Email: admin@reignier.school.nz
Website: https://www.reignier.school.nz/
Location: 99 Guppy Road, Taradale, Napier 4112, New Zealand
Phone: 06 844 2144
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reignier-Catholic-School-115115200209335