Newsletter Week 5 Term 4
St Brigid's School 15 November 2022
Upcoming Events
- Snorkel trip Rooms 13 & 14 - Wednesday 16 November 9.00am - 3.00pm
- Snorkel trip Room 12 - Thursday 17 November 9:00am – 12:30pm
- School tabloid sports - Friday 18 November, 1.30pm - 2.45pm
- Team Tahi swimming - Tuesday 22 November
Term 4 Dates
- St Brigid's Colour Dash - Friday 2 December 1.30pm
- End of Year Mass - Thursday 8 December 6.00pm
- School Picnic at Waikanae Pool - Monday 12 December
- 2023 Y1-8 Transition Morning - Tuesday 13 December
- Year 8 Day Out with the Principal - Tuesday 13 December
- Year 8 Celebration Evening - Tuesday 13 December
- Term 4 Ends - Thursday 15 December 1.00pm
Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou e te whānau te Kura o Hato Pirihiti
Our Athletics Day for Year 4-8 on 7 November at Alex Moore Park was a huge success! Thank you to Bryony McConnochie our Sports Coordinator for her leadership and organisation to make this event run so smoothly. A big shout out to our wonderful parent helpers who assisted on the day to support our tamariki and kaiako.
47 students went through to the Northern Zones Athletics Event on 14 November and represented St Brigid’s. Congratulations to everyone who did their best!
Before/After School Care
Thank you once again to the parents who responded to our consultation last term.
As detailed in an earlier newsletter, we analysed the results and discussed the level of parent interest with Kelly Club. Unfortunately, projected numbers are still not high enough for any changes to be made to our current arrangements with Kelly Club at this point.
At the previous Board meeting, we discussed whether it was feasible for St Brigid’s to take on a before/after school care programme “in house” and provide it ourselves.
Over the years, the Board has discussed this issue and each time has decided that our school doesn't have the facilities to offer such a service. There are stringent Ministry of Social Development rules that we have to abide by, including that the space needs to have a kitchen facility and it must be located beside toilets. As you are aware, we have limited space at St Brigid’s and ideally a hall would facilitate this. Additionally, there are not the numbers to ensure a viable and sustainable service, therefore the school would be running the programme at a loss. Our role as a school first and foremost is the education of our students, providing the best quality education that we can. As a Board, we must prioritise our resources to achieve this.
We will ensure we consult again in Term 1 2023 to ascertain if more parents’ circumstances have changed and larger numbers require care for their children. If there is, we will look to see if there is an existing child care business that is interested in running a service close to our school.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Jennifer
Principal / Tumuaki
Reporting to Parents
A reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday 16 November, your child’s Mathematics post will be available on Seesaw. Please look out for it tomorrow.
Kids Artwork Fundraiser
The last day for payment into the St Brigid's Operations Account 12-3041-0341681-00 is tomorrow, Wednesday 16 November.
Planning for 2023
Could you please email the office at office@stbrigids.school.nz to let us know if your family is moving out of the area or will be attending another school.
Message from our DRS
Team 3 attends Parish Liturgy - All Souls
What a beautiful liturgy to pray for all those who have died, particularly those we have loved. Thanks to the whānau who sent photos and names in. I know from the many comments afterwards, the students really appreciated the opportunity to remember and pray for their loved ones and found the experience calming, peaceful and prayerful.
The St Brigid's Colour Dash is back!
On Friday 2 December at 1:30pm the children will run through paint stations and obstacles in a fun race at school.
It was hugely successful in 2020 and we raised over $9,000, which we used to build the new fitness run.
This year the money raised will go toward upgrading our playgrounds. And there are great prizes to win.
Once you have filled in your sponsors form and collected your sponsors money, please either drop off the cash to the school office or pay online to the Friends and Whanau Account 12-3223-0108071-00.
If you have lost your sponsors form, another copy is available from the school office.
Parents and siblings
If you or younger siblings want to run, we ask for a koha of $3. Pay online to the Friends and Whanau Account 12-3223-0108071-00 (Please include Colour Dash - then your name - entry).
There is no charge for the students and you do not need to register them.
Can you help on the day?
We need some parents to help marshal and throw paint. Please email stbrigidsfundraisingnz@gmail.com if you are available.
Thanks to our paint station and prize sponsors.
Year 8 Camp 2023 Ice Block Fundraiser
Year 8 camp 2023 is coming along quickly and the Year 7s are fundraising for it. We are selling lemonade ice blocks every Friday from 18 November to 9 December. (18/11, 25/11, 2/12, 9/12).
The options for ice blocks will be $1 for a small ice block (Junior) and $2 for a large ice block.
We will be selling them outside Room 12 from 12:40pm - 1:00pm. Make sure you bring money to school if you want an ice block at lunchtime. Remember it is summer so it would be especially good to keep cool on a hot summer's day!
Scholastic Lucky Book Club - Issue 8
A copy of Issue 8 of the Lucky Book Club brochure will be sent home this week with students. To purchase any books just note the 3-digit code next to the title.
Visit https://mybookclub.scholastic.co.nz/Parent/ClubManagement.aspx, type in the postcode 6037 and find St Brigid's School on the dropdown list, then follow the instructions from there. Orders are to be made by Wednesday 26 November.
An easy way to do some Christmas shopping, it’s packed with lots of present ideas. Plus every dollar you spend earns points for our library to buy new books.
Parent Coordinator Required for 2023 Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon
We are looking for a parent to coordinate next year's school group. If you are interested, please contact the school office on 478 6516.
Lost School Jersey and Vest
Joan Sharland, in Room 3, has lost a named jersey and vest. Could you please check your child’s jersey/vest label to see if they have brought it home in error.
If found, please either return or hand in to the school office.
Many thanks!
Christmas Family Mass at Ss Peter and Paul Church
There will be carols at 6.30pm for the 7.00pm Mass. Ss Peter and Paul Liturgy Group would
like to invite anyone who would like to help with this Mass to contact Wendy Cleaver,
ph: [04]2322008, mobile 0272696209 or email: cleaver@actrix.gen.nz All very welcome.
Johnsonville Christmas Parade - Saturday 3rd December
The Combined Churches of Johnsonville will have a float in the parade. We invite any
children who would like to take part to gather at the Uniting Church, Dr Taylor Tce
[next to St. Brigid's] 9.45a.m on 3rd December. Come dressed as a member of the
nativity scene or borrow a costume supplied at the Uniting Church on the day. There
will be a nativity scene on the float and all other participants will walk beside the float
which goes along Dr Taylor Terrace, down Broderick Road, up the Main road and back
to Dr Taylor Terrace. Adults are welcome to be part of the parade.
Moving from Three Churches to One
We have previously announced that we will close all our churches in the new year and open St Francis of Assisi Church in Johnsonville as our only church in the interim while we plan for development of the Johnsonville site and a new church.
We will be taking things from each of our current churches to incorporate in St Francis of Assisi Church but we can’t use for example all three altars or baptismal fonts so will need to decide which one to use, what to store for a new church and what to distribute for others to use at some later date.
We have been very fortunate to have things which have been gifted to our Parishes or that have some special history or special memories for us that you would like to see in our interim church. There might also be things we would rather leave behind.
So we can consider parishioners interests, please let us know. Tell members of the leadership team, liturgy committees or parish office.
Emails can be sent to property@stfrancisohariu.nz
Community Notices
Wellington City Libraries' Summer Reading Adventure
From 1st December 2022 through to 31st January 2023, we’re inviting the tamariki, rangatahi and pākeke of Wellington on a Summer Reading Adventure — an adventure that will take them around the city, into their own back yards, down to their local library, into the pages of more than a few books, and back home again in time for tea.
Along the way, children and teens will be reading books, drawing pictures and maps, taking videos, completing challenges, getting out into nature, and maybe fighting off the odd monster or two — all in the name of seeing who shall have the honour of being crowned Supreme Champion of Words, Books and Deeds. Along the way, our intrepid young adventurers will be earning all kinds of awesome prizes for their efforts, from collectible badges to ice-cream vouchers, free books, movie tickets, family passes to Zealandia, Wellington Zoo, and the Space Place, and much more.
Children, teens and adults can visit our Summer Reading site at wcl.beanstack.org to find out more and pre-register for the Adventure, or they can download the free Beanstack Tracker app from Google Play or the iTunes Store to participate on the go.
Contact Us
Email: lynne@stbrigids.school.nz
Website: https://stbrigids.school.nz/
Location: 9 Phillip St, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand
Phone: +64 478 6516
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1428952763904874