Me Whakakotahi, Kia Maarama, Kia Pono, Ki Te Karakia

Together We Learn, We Pray, We Serve

Lockdown

I hope you are all keeping safe and enjoying the blessing of family time with your children and other family members in your bubble. It’s so special to start the morning with our children in prayer via zoom and having you present in the background. Thank you for getting the children ready for their morning sessions with the teachers and for using the prayer bag every day. Remember you could also go for a prayer walk around the neighbourhood and pray for everyone living in your street or block. To all our essential workers, we pray that you will be strengthened to carry on with your mission to serve our country in an extraordinary way.

Sacrament of Baptism

We were so excited to celebrate this very important Sacrament with our families but unfortunately, like so many other important events, this is now on hold. We continue to pray for our children and their families who will definitely receive their Baptism later in the year.

Annual Can Drive

We have signed up for a second year to contribute cans to St Vincent de Paul in the wider Auckland community. The new date for collecting cans is on the 5th November (Week 3 of Term 4). As we did last year, we will run a house competition again to see which house collects the most cans, so please support your children’s house to contribute cans for a very good cause.

St Vincent de Paul

During the lockdown the volunteers at St Mary’s church (and I am sure other churches too) are working behind the scenes to make sure that there are packed groceries for families in need. If you are in need of anything, please contact me (bernadettep@stmaryspapakura.school.nz) or Mrs Kippen and we can pass on your message to the church.

On a lighter note …

Not too sure how many of you follow Bishop Michael Gielen on Facebook? He shared a video recently of how he was baking a lemon drizzle cake. Just to confess towards the end of the video that he used the ready made box! Please check him out as he (and many others) share inspirational thoughts to keep our spirits up during lockdown.

Blessings and Aroha

Mrs Bernadette Paulse

Director of Religious Studies

A website has been created to help promote the bishops’ renewal of the dedication of the country to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven. The renewal project has the title Te Ara a Maria: Mary’s Way and runs for 12 months from 15 August.

Go here for the website: www.tearaamaria.nz

The website contains details of the project. It will be updated regularly to include the schedule of the nationwide hikoi of the artwork created for the project. The hikoi starts on August 18 in Invercargill.

Catholic Schools Office

Auckland Catholic Diocese

30 New Street

Private Bag 47-904

Ponsonby

AUCKLAND 1144

Below is a personal invitation from Bishop Pat to the Rejoice: Auckland Catholic Festival on Saturday 16 October.

It is a free admission, family friendly event. Enjoy the day and we invite families to make up a party with other families. There is also a young people focus throughout the day, and a Youth Festival in the evening.

For the most up-to-date information go to https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/festival/

Team Bethlehem have been enjoying some wonderful learning experiences from home, these past two weeks. We have been involved in the kitchen, helping to make lunches and dinners. We've had more time to practise important skills like cutting and tying shoelaces.

Handwriting, reading, writing and maths activities have continued, as well as some fun fitness and music activities too. The children have explored their home environments, hunting for things beginning with every letter of the alphabet.

With the start of spring, we have had some budding weather reporters keeping us up to date with changes in the weather. Our creativity has shone in our maker activities, some using recyclable materials and some using their toys. It has also been great to have the extra time with our families, enjoying the outdoors and getting some valuable playtime together.

Mrs Tanya Rowe - Team Leader

Emmaus have been diligently working through our Lockdown Distance Learning Programme. I am very pleased with the children's engagement, motivation and commitment to their studies. Thank you to all Whanau for supporting your children.

We are continuing with our Enterprise theme, but with a lockdown twist, reviewing movies and, due to the children's popular demand, comparing and contrasting with reality TV shows. This unit requires that students use an analytical approach with a wider world lens to critically analyse features of movies and reality TV shows. This encourages their critical analysis skills and the knowledge of a target audience and how popularity is achieved, resulting in success of the 'end product'. These are curriculum level 4 expectations in both reading and writing and students will be assessed against these criteria.

Prior to lockdown, Emmaus were challenged to analyse advertising techniques and apply that to the world of advertising. The level of understanding was outstanding, with the students providing evidence of the learning through connections to current advertising.

The children are also using their graphic digital skills by creating mosaics in the application, Google Drawing. This involves following a process of using images and graphic skills to create a mosaic. Here are some of Emmaus's wonderful mosaics, digitally created.

Mrs Anneke Walker - Emmaus Team Teacher

May Josiah Mika's legacy live on in our hearts, as well as the lives of the children he will be impacting through this amazing foundation. Please support this worthy cause.

Malo Parents

The Covid Crush

As expected, a number of sporting events have been cancelled over the last fortnight. (NC Year 5/6 Cross Country, NC Year 7/8 Volleyball, Year 7/8 'Field of Dreams' Sports Camp). We are particularly disappointed that the 'Field of Dreams' Sports Camp has been cancelled. This Camp was set as a wonderful opportunity for members of our Emmaus Hub to join 200 other Year 7/8 students on a week long sports event at Camp Adair. I know that the organisers are looking to secure funding and establish this camp as an annual fixture for students from across schools in Papakura.

St Anne’s Shield

Whilst no decision has been made with regards to this event happening, as the Lockdown period continues, the likelihood of this event taking place decreases. I have spoken with Mrs Kippen about the situation and she is currently in contact with the other Principals, before a final decision is made. I really felt that after an absence of three years, the St Anne’s Shield was going to provide a great opportunity to celebrate sports with our Catholic brothers and sisters. I will notify the school community once any decision is made.

Looking Further Ahead - Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon

I have registered our school for this year's Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon. The link below will go live shortly and by registering through our school group, the entry price is reduced. Over the past few years, a sizable number of St Mary’s students (and teams) have taken on this challenge. This year the event will be held at Mountford Park so why not give it a go!

https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=44533&G=138194

Feeling stressed?

Here is a link for those interested in Tai Chi. Every once in a while I pop onto Don Fiore’s tutorial and spend 8 minutes ‘hands waving clouds’. I've even invited the Emmaus students to join.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L43P1MY2KA

Keep safe and hope to see you all soon.

Mr J Frings - Sports Co-ordinator

McAuley High School offers a high quality Catholic education that challenges students to strive for standards of personal excellence. We provide a supportive environment in which our students are helped and encouraged to develop academically, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Enrolments are open now. Contact us for an enrolment form and prospectus:

Telephone: (09) 276 8715

Email: office@mcauleyhigh.school.nz

Website: www.mcauleyhigh.school.nz

Catholic Schools Day on 29 September 2021 is another opportunity to celebrate the taonga of Catholic education for which we are kaitiaki.

The poster (below) displays the oldest, continually used Catholic church in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the Archdiocese of Wellington, St Mary’s Church, Ōtaki and the parish school of St Peter Chanel stand alongside the Catholic marae, Te Marae O Hine, all overlooked by the sacred hill of Pukekaraka.

It is within school and parish, and Catholic marae, that tamariki, rangatahi, and their whānau, strengthen their sense of what it means to be Catholic and belonging to parish.

School and parish become Tūrangawaewae - A Place to Stand.

Please remember to download our school APP to receive regular updates and reminders.

Uniforms are available for purchase from the SAS Sport shop located at 28B Wood Street, Papakura. The shop hours are Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. AND Saturdays 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Shop Telephone: 296 6063 - or visit: www.theuniformshoppe.co.nz and click 'shop online'. WINZ Quotes are available through SAS Sport. Caps ($16) and 'Scrunchies' ($2) are available through the school office. PLEASE ENSURE ALL ITEMS ARE CLEARLY NAMED. THANK YOU.

See updated Uniform Price List below (which is also posted on our school website):

At St Mary's Catholic School - SIGN UP NOW for Term Three 2021! Our friends at MusIQhub are happy to announce that there will be new spaces available this term for Drum, Piano/Keyboard, Guitar and Ukulele lessons during school hours! Also, there will be Singing, Recorder and Flute lessons available! Please enquire now to book in spaces for quality music lessons taught by experienced professional musicians.

Drums, Piano/Keyboard, Singing, Recorder and Flute - Paul Barry 022 198 0044

Email: paul.barry@musiqhub.co.nz

Guitar and Ukulele - Lih Foo 021 2076 231

Email: lih.foo@musiqhub.co.nz

Term 3, 2021 - Monday 26th July to Friday 1st October 2021

Term 4, 2021 - Monday 18th October to Wednesday 15th December 2021

TEACHER ONLY DAY

22nd October 2021

LABOUR DAY

Monday 25th October 2021

https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/reading-resources/book-selection-tips/scholastic-book-clubs-getting-started.html