Newsletter 12 April Term 1 - 2022
St Brendan's Catholic School
Welcome, nau mai, afio mai, namaste, kon'nichiwa, nĭ hăo, halea, talofa, komosta, vanakkam, auybovan,
Dear Parents, Caregivers & Parishioners,
We are coming to the end of what has been a very challenging school term and start of the 2022 school year. We have reached out to our community where we have supported home learning and wellbeing. The upcoming holidays provide our team with an opportunity to rest and recharge. Our mission next term is to reconnect with everyone.
We have been delighted to welcome more and more students back to school. The number of positive cases reported to us by our community has fallen to single digits again. We continue to keep all students, staff and families impacted by Covid-19 in our thoughts and prayers.
Our first Positive Behaviour for Learning GRACE celebration was enjoyed by every class across the school last week. The school was a sea of blue, green, yellow and red on our Hauora fun House day! The Adventurers rolled around the school on a wide variety of wheels. Our Navigator's Adventure race provided excitement and challenge. Yesterday each class participated in an Anzac Liturgy and we gathered briefly in the quad to lay our wreaths, which this year took the form of crosses. Thank you to Gemma Lorenc-Lafou for playing the Last Post. Yesterday afternoon you could feel Easter in the air as the annual Easter raffle was drawn. Every class has acted out a section of the Stations of the Cross, this will be shared across the school on Wednesday. And, we have raised awareness and money for Ukraine with our sunflower seed and plant sale.
Did you Log into Hero last week?
On Thursday we shared a Maths post with you, we hope you were able to log into Hero? Learning posts combined with curriculum information and goal-setting will form part of our 2022 Reporting to Families. Please email your child/ren’s class teacher if you have not been able to access your Hero account yet and they will be able to help you.
Paschal Candle Design
Each year Our Lady of the Valleys Parish blesses a new Paschal Candle at Easter to represent Jesus as the Light of the World. Thank you to everyone who created designs which reflect the message of Easter. The design chosen for 2022 was submitted by Conor, Rm4. Everyone has the opportunity to admire all of the designs which are currently on display at Our Lady of Grace and St Francis Xavier Churches.
Congratulations
We want to congratulate all students who have participated in opportunities and events outside of school this term. We encourage you to share your successes with your child/ren’s classroom teacher/s so that these achievements can be shared and acknowledged.
Happenings around the school . . .
Building work continues in our Administration block. Our amazing Administration team is operating out of Room 3, and I have moved to the Potu a Tamaiti Room where other members of our team are also working/meeting. A new container is on its way and will be placed at the back of the courts to provide a permanent storage solution for our school. The reversible basketball/netball hoops should be installed ready for use in the new term. And, the sensory playground at the back of the hall is almost half finished - this is a unique piece of art representing St Brendan’s and Aotearoa that many students fed ideas into last year.
Thank you for your ongoing support - we are grateful for the loving generosity of our community.
We wish you and your families God’s blessings this Easter. Have fun and keep safe during the holidays. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, 2 May.
God Bless,
Veronica Sawers
Principal
VERBAL BOUQUETS AND THANK YOUS
- To Pak n Save for kindly providing hand sanitiser to each student. They also dropped off some Easter treats and bags for us to use for the Easter Raffle.
Community & Parish members - we have enjoyed and been grateful for three morning teas for our staff team generously donated by members of our community.
Community support for Easter Raffle, Sunflower seeds and plant sales.
The Collins family for their donation of paint for our new mural.
WALKING HAND IN HAND WITH CHRIST
OUR LADY OF THE VALLEYS PARISH SERVICE TIMES
FOR HOLY WEEK/ EASTER WEEKEND 2022
Wednesday 13th April
6:30 am Mass - Our Lady of Grace Church
9:00 am Mass - Our Lady of Grace Church
Holy Thursday 14th April
7:30 pm Mass of the Last Supper - Our Lady of Grace Church
Good Friday 15th April
3:00 pm Solemn Liturgy of the Passion of Our Lord - St Francis Xavier Church
Holy Saturday 16th April
8:00 pm Vigil Light Service - St Francis Xavier Church
Easter Sunday 17th April
8:30 am Mass of Easter - St Francis Xavier Church
10:30 am Mass of Easter - Our Lady of Grace Church
Our Lady of Grace Church, 5 Palmer Crescent, Heretaunga
St Francis Xavier Church, 152 Stokes Valley Road, Stokes Valley
Note Holy Thursday, Good Friday 3:00pm, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday morning services all have a maximum attendance level of 200.
Prebooking using Picktime is requested to monitor attendance levels:
https://www.picktime.com/olovmassavailability
Christ on the way to Jerusalem.
The adulation of Palm Sunday.
The intimacy of the Last Supper.
The agony of the nails and crown of thorns.
The Cross on which he died.
The Wood through which we gain Life.
"Save us Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free".
Memorial Acclamation 3
THE LENT APPEAL
SCHOOL NEWS
EASTER
Room 2 created an Easter scene to celebrate Holy week.
ANZAC SERVICE
Yesterday, and on Anzac Day, we remember with thanksgiving those who made the supreme sacrifice for us in time of war. Today we dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice, freedom, and peace; and for the wisdom and strength to build a better world by celebrating uniqueness and showing kindness to all.
We will remember them.
We pray for all those caught up in violence, remembering especially the people of Ukraine; that in this time of fear and conflict, they may know God's presence and peace.
We pray for peace.
MOVIN’MARCH
This year the Movin’March art competition was held internally.
Adventurers Winners (Pictured)
William Rm 9, Jon Kelly Rm 10, Lucinda Rm11 and Samantha Rm 12.
Samantha was the overall winner in the Adventurers Syndicate.
Explorers Winners
1st - Cordelia Rm8; 2nd - Norah Rm7; 3rd equal - Janelle R8/Charlie P Rm7; Highly Commended - Emma Rm7.
Congratulations to the children and to everyone who participated.
ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON (ADW) ATTENDANCE DUES
Attendance Dues are the compulsory property and insurance fees that parents and caregivers legally commit to paying when they enrol their child/ren in a Catholic school. The dues are used to pay for the costs of new school buildings, pay off existing mortgages and pay for the insurance on all school property. ADW collects attendance dues on behalf of the proprietors of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, these are not tax-deductible, and our school is not able to accept these payments. The 2022 Attendance Dues remain at $545 per child. Invoices will be sent to families early next term.
Every family's circumstance is different and these change. You are welcome to talk with our principal in confidence to discuss Attendance Dues assistance.
PTF NEWS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The St Brendan's PTF AGM will be held on Wednesday, 20 April 2022 at 7.30pm - 8.30pm via Zoom. All welcome via the Zoom link below:
https://zoom.us/j/95328245707?pwd=eXBVQlBVbEF0bHpNTDYzaExXc1hGUT09
EASTER RAFFLE
And the winners are:
COMMUNITY NEWS
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MUSICAL INTRUMENTS?
Do we have families in our community looking for musical instruments? All instruments have been well loved, but are still in working order. We have two keyboards, a snare drum and a top hat available. Please contact the office if you are interested.
SCHOLASTIC BOOKCLUB
APRIL CELEBRATES AUTISM AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE.
Enacting Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles, inclusive learning communities like St Brendan’s do the right thing by learners and communities (tika), with integrity (pono) and with care and sincerity (aroha). Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 93,000 New Zealanders. The traits associated with autism span a wide spectrum and lead to a different way of seeing the world and interacting with others.
St Brendan’s is an inclusive learning community which equips our team with knowledge and strategies to deliver a rich, engaging curriculum in an adaptive and personalised way. Our team harnesses collective knowledge, wisdom and experiences of parents and whānau and members of the community. We actively seek, value, and respect diverse representation, views and experiences in learners, staff, and the community. We build collective curiosity, intelligence, inquiry and critical thinking to engage all learners in meaningful learning.
TOTS TO TEENS
April Tots to Teens digi-magazine link - https://issue2203.totstoteens.co.nz/
FANAU VACCINATION FESTIVAL
VAX TO THE MAX! COVID & FLU VACCINATION
Location: 56 Palmer Crescent Heretaunga Upper Hutt 5019
Phone: (04) 939 1909