Newsletter Term 1 Week 6
St Patrick's School Masterton 14th March 2023
TUMUAKI/PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa, nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa!
Last week it was wonderful to be able to join with our local church community for Thursday morning mass. Our student leaders processed our school banner into church to start mass and the children enjoyed leading prayers, readings from the bible and of course singing. Thank you to Fr Bruce and the community for allowing our whole school to be part of the celebration.
This end of this week is a busy but exciting week for everyone here at St. Patrick’s School. Parents and whanau are encouraged to join us for as many of the events as they possibly can. Listed below are some key information about what is happening:
Event No 1. St Patrick’s School biathlon 9.30am on Wednesday 15th March:
Event No 3. NZEI Teachers Strike on Thursday 16th March (SCHOOL CLOSED)
Last week, we received official notification that all teachers who are members of the NZEI Teachers Union will be striking on Thursday 16th March.
As we do not have enough staff to safely operate the school we will be closing on this day - Thursday 16th March.
Teachers and Principals across New Zealand believe that every student should receive the attention, time and support they need for their education. This isn't always the case, and we are calling on the government to improve the working conditions for teachers and Principals, which in turn affect children's learning conditions. This means we are asking for:
- better support
- more staff
- recognition for the work we do
Please make arrangements for your child on Thursday as school will not be open for any children. Thank you for your support.
Event No 4. St Patrick’s Day Celebrations 9am - 3.00pm onwards on Friday 17th March:
On Friday we will be holding our school ‘St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Our plans for the day include:
Whole school mass @ 9.30am at St Patrick’s Church
Hub activities
Kapa Haka lessons between 11.45 & 1.15
Parade through town (TBC)
Shared pizza lunch provided by school (a couple of slices each)
On this day children are to wear their usual school uniform but can accessorise with green hair, green face paint or green clothing accessories.
Event No 5. St Patrick’s School Food Fair 5pm onwards on Friday 17th March:
Listed below are key events that are planned for term 1 of this year:
Mar 15th - School Biathlon @ 9.30am
Mar 15th - School ‘Whanau Day’ @ 12.00 onwards
Mar 16th - NZEI Teacher & Principal strike - SCHOOL CLOSED
Mar 17th - St Patrick’s Day Celebrations & Food Fair (5pm)
Apr 5th - Board of Trustees meeting 7.00pm in the school staffroom
Apr 5th - Last day of Term 1 for students
Apr 6th - Teacher Only Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
Apr 24th - Teacher Only Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
Apr 25th - ANZAC Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)
Apr 26th - First day of Term 2
Ngā mihi o Te Atua,
Steve Wheeler
Tumuaki/Principal
Catholic Parish of the Wairarapa Weekend Mass Times
Saturday Vigil - 5.00pm Masterton
Sunday Eucharist - 8.30am Masterton
-10.30am Featherston
BAPTISMS:
Virtue of the Month: Faithfulness - Whakapono
Loyal to God & Jesus
Constant in your beliefs and actions
A loyal friend
Faith can move mountains Matthew 17:20
Term 1 School Theme
Message from the Attendance Dues Team
The 2023 statements have been sent by email to all accounts that have an outstanding balance.
If you do not receive your statement by 13 March 2023 and believe you have an outstanding
balance, please contact our office on 0800 462 725 or email dues@wn.catholic.org.nz.
Statements will be posted to accounts without an email address.
Please check that the statement has not gone to your Spam/Junk Inbox and that all your children
are listed on the statement.
Payments are due in full by 31st May 2023 unless you have a regular weekly, fortnightly or
monthly payment to clear the balance by 30 th November 2023. Payment can be made by Internet
banking or pay online by credit/debit card here.
Financial assistance is available to families experiencing financial hardship. Please contact your
school to apply.
If you have any questions, please contact us:
Phone: 0800 462 725 Email: dues@wn.catholic.org.nz Text: 021 0890 7902
Join the Kindness movement
With so much focus on negative news, anxiety levels are rising. Did you know the brain can not work in fear and creativity at the same time? Take time to focus on how you can give kindness each day - it is literally good for you!! (Taken from www.spectrumeducation.com)
School assembly & School Singing
Now that we have our school hall back to normal and not being used as a classroom we are able to start back up school singing and assemblies. The timetable for the rest of the term is:
Week 7: School singing - Monday 20th March @ 9am (led by Mr Murray & Mrs Connor)
Week 8: School assembly - Monday 27th March @ 1.55pm (led by Brigidine Syndicate)
Week 9: School singing - Monday 3rd April @ 9am (led by Mr Murray & Mrs Connor)
Katie Gracie Art Lessons
Over the past two years Katie has been working here at school as a Learning Assistant connecting and supporting many of our children. Sadly, as of the 17th March she has made the hard decision to finish in this role to allow for more time to focus on her passion of art. This will not be the last we see of Katie as she is wanting to offer children the opportunity to work with her in an artistic capacity. Just like when we have offered families the opportunity to sign up for music tuition with an external teacher, there is now going to be the opportunity for children to work with Katie. Please see the advert below for further details:
Last year the school moved to using ‘SchoolDocs’ to create a website for our school policies and procedures. As part of this process, throughout each year, as we review our policies we will ask for feedback from staff, board and parent communities.
During Term 1 of this 2023 we are reviewing and asking for feedback on the following policies:
Student attendance
Enrolment
Uniform & dress code
Please read these policies and give your feedback by following the instructions below:
Visit the website https://stpatsmstn.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
Enter the username (stpatsmstn) and password (kindness).
Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
Read the policy.
Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
Select the reviewer type "Parent".
Enter your name (optional).
Submit your ratings and comments.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
For 2023, Chris Day is in charge of organising all of our school sports teams. Currently registration information has been sent out via the School App and syndicate Facebook pages for:
Year 4-6 School swimming trials in preparation for Masterton Schools Swi sports
Year 3-6 girls Cricket competition
Year 1- 4 Netball
Year 1-4 Tee-ball
Year 4-6 Tough Guy & Gal event in Palmerston North
Year 5-6 Mod-softball
If you have any questions please contact Chris via the school office or email chrisd@stpatsmstn.school.nz
Sausage Sizzle - Friday
No sausage sizzle this Friday due to St Patrick's Day celebration.
2023 Cohort Entry & Enrolment Information:
2023 Term 1 start dates: Tuesday 7th February & Monday 6th March
2023 Term 2 start dates: Wednesday 26th April & Monday 29th May
2023 Term 3 start dates: Monday 17th July & Monday 21st August
2023 Term 4 start dates: Monday 9th October & Monday 13th November
2023 Term Dates:
Term 1: Tuesday 7th February - Wednesday 5th April
Teacher Only Day: Thursday 6th April (School closed)
Term 2: Monday 24th April - Friday 30th June
Teacher Only Day: Monday 24th April (School closed)
Term 3: Monday 17th July - Friday 22nd September
Teacher Only Day: TBC (School closed)
Term 4: Monday 9th October - Wednesday 20th December
Sushi, Noodles & Chicken Wings - This is available on Tuesdays. Both the Sushi and the Noodles are $4.50 each and the Chicken Wings are 2 for $4.50. Orders must be in by 9am on Tuesday morning. Please order at the school office.
Subway - This is available every Wednesday. Order through the school office or order online at www.subwayexpress.co.nz. Register - then search for St Patrick's School and place your order. There are also envelopes available at the school office.
Pita Pit - This is available on Thursdays. Order online at www.lunchonline.co.nz
Contact Us
Email: office@stpatsmstn.school.nz
Website: https://stpatsmstn.school.nz
Location: 132 Chapel Street, Masterton 5810, New Zealand
Phone: +64 63 775 043
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stpatsmstn