Welcome to the first day of Term 1, 2022. We are all very excited to see you all again and we look forward to a creating a MERCY filled, creative and happy term ahead full of building relationships with one another in a dynamic learning environment.

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO OUR FOLLOWING NEW CHILDREN/TAMARIKI

Room 1: Sasha, Esha, Jakob, Serah

Room 3: Meliah (sister to Hunter)

Room 4: Kate

Room 5: Nibin, Raima

Room 6: Hunter (brother to Meliah), Skyler (returning)

Abundant gentle blessings to you all. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school as we all work to look after each other.

The team at Our Lady of Lourdes.

CLASSROOM SET UP FOR 2022

This year we have three learning HUBS in our school. The teachers will be planning collaboratively running parallel classrooms. We will have a Year 5 and 6 HUB, a Year 3 and 4 HUB and a JUNIOR SCHOOL HUB. This is a very exciting move which will allow for crossing over of children and utilising teachers skills.

We also have new names reflecting our journey into who we are as a school/kura.

JUNIOR HUB (starting at the field end of junior block)

Ōkatia - The mighty Tōtora that forged the gorge. In it lived the spirit Ōkatia.

Room 1: Ōkatia Tahi - Mrs Caroline Gilligan (Year 0&1)

Room 2: Ōkatia Rua - Mrs Corina Cheetham (Year 1&2)

Room 3: Ōkatia Toru - Mrs Colette O'Connor (Year 2&3)

MIDDLE HUB (The two classrooms closest to the courts/carpark of junior block)

Tū Manawa - The heart standing together

Room 4: Tū Manawa Whā - Mrs Julie Moor (Year 3&4)

Room 5: Tū Manawa Rima - Mrs Helena Pedley (Year 3&4)

SENIOR HUB (Upstairs)

Te Āwhina - The heart standing together

Room 6:Te Āwhina Ono - Mrs Davinia O'Callaghan (Year 5&6)

Room 8: Te Āwhina Waru - Mr Michael Anderson (Year 5&6)

TERM ONE HAPPENINGS - (we have had to revise the term ahead due to RED level)

• Setting new school and classroom expectations
• An emphasis on and ENCOUNTER with God and the Gospel teachings of Jesus, strengthened by GROWTH in our knowledge of Catherine McAuley as we LIVE, LEARN and LOVE Mercy values founded by the Mercy sisters
• Our St Bernadette feast day is postponed for now
• Important liturgical events in our church - Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Easter will be carefully planned for - most likely within our HUBS for now.

• STAFF ONLY DAY (SCHOOL CLOSED) - MONDAY FEBRUARY 21st - all Catholic schools in our Palmerston North Catholic Kāhi Ako will be working with Rangitane on this day.

• Life Education bus from February 22nd - with a health lens. This will be supported with further work on Zones of Regulation that began this year.
• We have swimming for the first six weeks - please bring togs to school everyday
• Our senior camp is postponed until the end of Term 3 for now.
• All Catholic schools Combined Tabloids are postponed at this stage.

COVID 19 UPDATE

The return to school is slightly different than what we all hoped for. We are following all Ministry of Education guidelines over these coming weeks. School is open for all at this stage and we ask that we all work together for the good of all. We will re-establish the same health and hygiene practises as last year. Your child will sanitise on their way in to school through the front gate.

Children from Year 4 upwards are required to wear a face mask and we will go through this process gently with your child throughout the day.

Parents/whanau are able to come onto school for educational purposes - ie settling in their child to a new classroom - and we remind you that wearing a face mask and scanning in is a requirement of all. We will keep you updated through all our school apps should anything change.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

TONGA

We are also very aware of our families and friends who are affected by the events in Tonga. We keep you al in our prayers and thoughts.

Being part of a Catholic school asks us to be WITNESSES in our community. During the term we will look for ways to support these families and all those in our school community. May God continue to watch over us all.

MODERNISED BUILDING WORK UPDATE

We have had a busy break here at school with work 99.5% completed on our modernised junior and middle school block - with the last few little things to go. It is with such excitement (and relief) that we can begin to use our junior and middle school block. Today these will be blessed informally with the children and when it is easier to do so, we will officially open the block with our school and parish families/whanau.

We have moved our uniform to Academy Apparel on Broadway Avenue. We have heard that there is a supply issue with the new uniform - as we hear from many businesses. We always knew transitioning to a new uniform would take us over a year.

For 2022: we understand that there maybe challenges trying to source the new uniform and will help in all that we can.

Please wear our older style uniform for the year if you are able and have access to one.

• If you have the new uniform - that is great.
• If you have to do a mixture for now - no problem. We will all work together on this and we will get there.
• We have a lot of wonderful donated items in the office area so if you are struggling with sourcing a uniform please come in and have a look - they are free to a good home.
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We hope that by 2023 we can have all children in our new school uniform with the PE uniform used for sports activities only.

Let's go gently and work together on this.

TERM ONE DATES FOR 2022

We have reviewed our school calendar for the term and working to keep things as simple as we can for now, for the health and safety of all.

• Wednesday February 2nd - School begins @ 9am for all children
• Monday February 7th - Waitangi Day recognised - school will be CLOSED
• MONDAY FEBRUARY 21st - Kāhui Ako Staff Only day - all Palmerston North Catholic SCHOOLS CLOSED
• Tuesday February 23nd - Life Education is here for the week
• Wednesday March 2nd - Ash Wednesday
• Thursday April 14th - HOLY THURSDAY
• THURSDAY APRIL 14th - END OF TERM ONE
• Friday April 15th - Good Friday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Term 2 - Monday 2nd May - Friday 8th July

Term 3 - Monday 25th July - Friday 30th September

Term 4 - Monday 17th October - 14th December (to be confirmed)

Society of St Vincent de Paul:

Youth Co-ordinator Position

We are currently seeking a person to work across

the Catholic schools in the city.

The position involves 10 hours a week during school

terms.

For a job description, rates of pay etc please contact

Rose Semmens 06 3575429

Applications close 18 February

St Vinnie's Shop 252 Rangitikei Street

We need volunteers - for an interview

Phone Toni 357 6779