Last Friday we enjoyed our Matariki Celebrations throughout the school. We began the day with a special Matariki Liturgy where a star was brought forward from each class with the hopes and dreams of all class members. The stars had been part of the prayer circle each morning and these prayers were then gifted to God as we remembered the special stars of Matariki.

Matariki celebrations continued in class with a variety of activities including soup making, weaving, art activities, singing and kapa haka. The children had a wonderful morning learning about Matariki and engaging in fun and authentic cultural experiences together. A big thank you to our dedicated staff and whānau who helped make the day so meaningful - it was a special way for our school to gather, reflect, and welcome the Māori New Year.

We are thrilled to announce that St Mary's Multicultural Festival will be taking place in Term 4 this year!

Date: Friday 27th November 2026
Time: 5.00 pm - 7.00 pm

This promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating the many cultures that make up our St Mary's community. Families can look forward to an exciting programme of multicultural performances, delicious food from around the world, and activities that showcase the richness and diversity of our school.

As the whakataukī reminds us:

"Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini."
Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.

To make this event a success, we are looking to form a Multicultural Festival Sub-Committee. We would love to hear from parents, grandparents, whānau, and community members who are willing to help with the planning and organisation of the festival.

If you are able to support us, please complete the Google Form linked below. We are looking for people who can assist with the logistics and organisation of the event, including planning, contacting key people, coordinating different aspects of the festival, setting up on the day, and helping to ensure everything runs smoothly. The committee will meet after school or in the evening this term, depending on what works best for the group.

Over the next few weeks, we will also be sending out notices inviting families to:

register their interest in running a food stall featuring their culture's cuisine;
offer a cultural activity or experience for families to enjoy during the evening; or
perform at the festival. If you or your children are involved in a cultural dance group, music group, or another cultural performance outside of school, we would love to hear from you!

This festival is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of our school community and learn more about one another through food, music, dance, and culture. We can't wait to bring our community together for what is sure to be a memorable evening.

Thank you in advance to everyone who is able to support this exciting event. We look forward to working alongside you to make our first Multicultural Festival a fantastic celebration for our whole community.

Google form to register your interest in helping organise this event:

https://forms.gle/X5qFutnfn7n2D3jf6

Kia Noho Hāhi – Being Church.

This term, our Religious Education focus is Te Rongopai - Good News.

Aim: That young people will develop an understanding of the Bible as a library of books with a range of origins, authorship, genre, style and purpose. They will be able to retell many of the narratives and concepts, and will develop an understanding of the significance of these texts, as part of God’s revelation, within the Catholic Tradition and for human society today. (Tō Tātou Whakapono Our Faith)

Te Rongopai Good News focuses on Sacred Scripture. Children learn that the Bible is filled with good news for us all. Young learners are given opportunities to explore, grow in understanding, wonder about, reflect on and connect with stories from the Old and New Testaments.

Please take some time to explore our Whānau Connection Pages to see what learning will look like for students at each year level this term.

The Parish RCIC (Rite of Catholic Initiation as a Child) programme will begin in October. These lessons will run on a Wednesday evening at St Mary Immaculate Church, and are for young people aged 7 to 14yrs who are seeking to be baptised and become Catholic.

This programme covers the Sacrament of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist. It is run once a year and this year will begin on WEDNESDAY 14th OCTOBER, 5.15PM TO 6.45PM AT ST MARY IMMACULATE CHURCH, and will run through to 17th March 2027.

The sessions will be held weekly on Wednesdays 5.15pm to 6.45pm (not in the school holidays though). A parent must accompany the child for the duration of the lesson please.

If you wish to find out more information or enrol your child/ren in this programme you can complete and submit an online application form - Please click on this link to visit our Parish Website. Or if you have any questions please contact Margie Cooper at the Parish Office.

We look forward to Term 3 where we can connect with our families and whānau through our Class Masses, School Parish Masses and special Liturgies.

Please see our important liturgical dates below.

For our new families information, our centre where we gather as a school is called the Blessed Anne-Marie Javouhey Centre, so you may often see the acronym BAMJC. Blessed Anne-Marie Javouhey is the founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny. We will share more about Blessed Anne-Marie Javouhey and our school charism throughout the year.

At our school working bee on the final Saturday of the school holidays, adults and children alike rolled up their sleeves, grabbed shovels, and got stuck in to shift a whopping 10 cubic metres of metal! Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we now have a beautiful new pathway winding through our Secret Garden.

Thank you to everyone who gave up a Saturday morning during their break, brought wheelbarrows, supplied home baking, or cheered us on. We couldn't have done it without you.

💛 A Huge Shoutout to Our Community Champions

This project wouldn't be off the ground without the incredible generosity, time and support of our Regional Council and local community:

BOP Regional Council: A massive thank you for the sustainability grant funding that is making the ongoing transformation of our Secret Garden possible.
Taylor Brothers Transport Ltd: For generously donating all the gravel for our new pathway.
Albie Sands: For donating the timber, expertly building the boxing for the pathway, and crafting a wonderful special feature table for the garden!
Terry Consedine: A special thanks to Terry, one of our Board of Trustees members, who has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help coordinate this project.

🚀 What’s Next?

We can't wait for the students to explore and enjoy the fantastic progress in the garden!

This pathway is just the beginning. Now that the groundwork is laid, we are excited to use our Regional Council grant to kick off the next stages of development for this special outdoor area including:

Planting a rich variety of native plants to bring the garden to life and support local wildlife.
Creating peaceful reflective spaces for students to relax, learn, and spend quiet time outdoors.
Adding creative artwork to enhance the space and make it uniquely ours.

Ngā mihi
Louisa Strange

St Mary's School is seeking teacher aide relievers to support a variety of students, including those with additional learning and special educational needs.

Previous experience is preferred but not essential. We are looking for people who are practical, energetic, and caring, have initiative, work well as part of a team, and enjoy supporting children to succeed.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

Please email Janine Goldsmith, SENCo, at jgoldsmith@stmarystga.school.nz for more information or to express your interest.

Men alive is an opportunity for men to explore what makes them feel fully alive.

The experience of reflecting on your life, challenges and hope with other men, creates a powerful and dynamic experience.

If you are keen to be more alive and give God a chance to make a difference in your daily lives – then come along.

Many men are inspired to live their faith with a new sense of purpose and mission. You don’t have to be a practising Catholic to attend.

When: All Day Saturday 22 August, Sunday Morning 23rd August

Where: Held at St Thomas More Primary School.

Cost: Donation - $60 recommended – but contact us if you need assistance.

Contact: To register, or if you want to know more, please contact Matt Gribble on 027 787 8246