Tēnā koutou kātoa e te whānau,

Our children and staff have settled into our new school year and learning is well underway. Teachers have gathered data and are working with children to develop learning goals and next steps. It is comforting to see our resilient kids getting on with things amidst the ever changing world of Covid.

In light of Omicron becoming more prevalent around Rotorua schools, this is a timely reminder to please not send students to school who have any symptoms of Covid or are a close contact needing to isolate. If your child is required to isolate, please get in touch with their classroom teacher to organise home learning.

Next week we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday marks the day before the beginning of the long fast of Lent. The custom of making pancakes arose through the need to use up food items, which were forbidden during Lent! This is a tradition that we usually celebrate as a community but this year children will eat pancakes in their class groups. Please send your child to school with pancakes and and we will supply a variety of tasty toppings.

Our Ash Wednesday liturgy will take place in the hall with Father Prakash. Again, this is usually a time when we invite our parish community to pray with us. This year we will celebrate in our team bubbles and sadly our community can not be invited.

Stay safe everyone and remember that you can contact your child's teacher through emails or via Seesaw.

Rachael McLanachan

Te tumuaki o te kura Hato Mikaere

All the children at St Michael’s have settled in well and are getting stuck

into their learning. We have been learning about Prayer and how it is a

special time for us to talk to God. We know we can talk to God anywhere

at any time because he is always listening. Next, we will be moving onto

learning about Jesus. We will learn that people who believe in Jesus

through the grace of the Holy Spirit are invited into a loving relationship

with Jesus, to follow him and live his way through conversion of heart through faith, hope and

charity and with Tika – Justice, Pono – Integrity and Aroha – love. We have 5 very excited

students who are participating in the Sacramental programme with Father Prakash. We know

they will learn from the best and they will learn the importance of the Sacraments. This is a very important step in their Catholic journey, and we wish them all the very best.

Next Tuesday 1 March we will celebrate Shrove Tuesday with a pancake breakfast in our bubbles.

Shrove Tuesday happens on the day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday was also called “pancake day” in Ireland and England because all the leftover fat had to be cooked with batter on this day, being that fat and dairy products were traditionally given up, along with meat, during Lent.

We will then celebrate Ash Wednesday on 2 March. In the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is one of the most important Holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.

Usually, the priest will dip his finger into the ashes, spread them in a cross pattern on the forehead, and say, “From dust you came and from dust you will return. The ashes are prepared by burning palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday.

As a school we will celebrate Ash Wednesday in our bubbles in our school hall.

Kate Keaney - Acting Directors of Religious Studies

CHURCH NEWS

Mass Times - Red Level Procedures

ST MARY’S

Sunday 10am - Vaccination Pass Required

5pm - Vaccination Pass Required

Monday 9am - Vaccination Pass Required

Wednesday 12:05pm - Vaccination Pass Required

Reconciliation 11:15am - 11:45am

Friday 9am - Vaccination Pass Required

Reconciliation 8am - 8:30am

Saturday 9am - Vaccination Pass Required

ST. MICHAELS

Saturday Vigil 5pm - Vaccination Pass Required

Sunday 8am - Vaccination Pass Required

11:30am - No Vaccination Pass Required

Tuesday 5:30pm - No Vaccination Pass Required

Reconciliation 5:05pm - 5:20pm

Thursday 9am - No Vaccination Pass Required

Reconciliation straight after Mass

Limit of 100 people at each Mass with Vaccination Pass,

Limit 25 without Vaccination Pass

Online booking required for the Sunday Masses

Please follow the Covid Protocols - wear a Mask, Scan / Sign in, Sanitize and keep

Two Meter Distance

Parish Priest: Fr. Thomas Thanniyanickal cmf

Email: kunjcmf1986@gmail.com Phone: 022 565 9017

Assistant Priest: Fr. Prakash Somu cmf

Email: prakashreddycmf@gmail.com

Secretary: Andrea Tuki

Office Hours: Monday: Closed - Tues. - Friday.: 8am - 2.30pm

Phone: (07) 348 0289 ext. 2

Email: catholicrotorua@xtra.co.nz

Face Book: Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop, Rotorua

Postal Address: 40-44 Seddon St, Glenholme, Rotorua 3010

Next board meeting Date: Thursday 24 March.

At each BOT meeting - twice a term - policies are reviewed. If you would like to communicate with the BOT, you are welcome to email our independent e-mail address; botstmichaels@gmail.com or alternatively, send letters to the school in an envelope marked "Board of Trustees."

You are also welcome to attend any meeting, however, if you would like to have speaking rights, you need to request this from the chair using the email address. This email address can be accessed by Nick Horton (Chair)

Please bring something suitable to put your tasty treats in upon collection.