St Teresa's School Newsletter

Congratulations to Tyler, Xzayden, and Scarlett on their Baptism today – such a special moment for you, your families, and our school community.

We’ve come to the end of a super Term 3 with so much to celebrate! Our teachers are already busy planning a fabulous Term 4, which will include overnight trips, the Colour Run, local outings, exciting learning projects, more progress in the garden, and of course all the joy that comes with Christmas. Keep an eye out for my Term 4 welcome newsletter, which will outline all the details of our busy summer term.

You may have heard in the media that members of NZEI Te Riu Roa – including teachers, support staff, and principals – have voted to take strike action. This will take place on Thursday 23rd October, and our school will be closed for instruction on that day. The strike is part of the Kimi Haeata | Back Our Future campaign, which is about ensuring fair pay, manageable workloads, and better support for staff in schools. At its heart, the campaign is about valuing the people who teach and support your children every day, and making sure schools have the resources they need to give every child the best chance to succeed.

Thank you for your ongoing support – it makes such a difference knowing we stand together as a community. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday break, and we look forward to seeing everyone back, ready for a fantastic Term 4.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Lindsey

Today our tamariki enjoyed a special ice cream sundae treat to celebrate all their hard mahi this term! Throughout the term, students have been collecting tokens for showing our school values and then had the fun of voting for their favourite reward. The choices included ice creams, a sports day, a movie, swapping teachers, or a PJ day.

Ice cream sundaes won the vote, and what a delicious way to finish the term! This celebration is a well-deserved reward for being such super awesome students who live out our values every day.

Yesterday, a fantastic group of St Teresa's students visited Bell Street Early Learning Centre to share some Kapa Haka waiata and haka, as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

There were 37 students from across the school who enjoyed sharing their love for singing and performing, as well as sharing their reo passion with this young audience. They also enjoyed listening to some waiata sung by the Bell Street tamariki too.

It was so nice for the students to visit the Centre once again, and to see some of their younger siblings and, for many who used to attend Bell Street, their ex-teachers.

Thanks Lisa and the team for inviting us to join you!

📅 Dates: Monday 22nd September – Friday 3rd October 2025

⏰ Time: 8.30am – 3.30pm
💲Cost: $40 per day (full days only)
📍Open to: All children in Years 1–8
✅ OSCAR Accredited

HURRY - Bookings close tonight 11pm
Please note: Bookings are only confirmed once payment is received.

A huge congratulations to all our tamariki who represented St Teresa’s at the recent hockey tournament!

The children showed fantastic teamwork, supporting one another on and off the field and living out our school values of faith, love, humility, and justice. It was great to see them play with determination, celebrate each other’s successes, and keep their heads high through the challenges.

Their positive attitude, encouragement of teammates, and respect for the opposition made us very proud. Ka mau te wehi – you were true ambassadors for our kura!

A big thank you to everyone who came along to our Hui on Wednesday – your contribution is truly valued.

At St Teresa’s, we are beginning work on a new Strategic Plan for the next three years. We want to hear from you – our whānau, parish, and community – so that together we can set the direction and priorities for our tamariki.

Our current plan has already led to many great improvements, such as:

• Strengthening our Catholic Character and faith life

• Lifting student learning in reading, writing, and maths

• Supporting wellbeing for both staff and students

• Growing stronger connections with whānau, parish, and iwi

• Making our school environment better and more sustainable

These successes show the power of planning together – and now we need your voice again. Your feedback will directly influence the next plan and ensure that it reflects what matters most for our tamariki.

➡️ Last chance to be in to win petrol vouchers!

Click here to complete the survey

Thank you for helping us shape the future of St Teresa’s.

We are thrilled to share the outcomes of our charitable fundraising efforts this term — thanks to everyone who got involved, our school has made a real difference!

For Gumboot Friday, we put on our gumboots, played games, and had a gumboot toss. Together we raised $51 to support mental health and wellbeing.

On Daffodil Day, our tamariki and staff brightened the school with yellow accessories, raising $75.80 to support cancer awareness and research.

Finally, on Onesie Day, we got cosy and creative in our onesies, raising $132.70 for Wellington Free Ambulance.

Why It Matters

Supporting charitable causes like these does more than raise money — it builds compassion, teamwork, and awareness in our school community. The small extra effort everyone made (from wearing gumboots to dressing in yellow, or rocking a onesie) sends a message: we care, and together we can help.

Emily-Jane completed one of her Hands of Christ tasks by attending a Sunday Mass then writing a modern-day version of the Gospel reading. Here is her version of Luke 11:1-13:

One cloudy day, Liam sat down in the quiet and peaceful Church in his small town. Candles on the walls shone down, giving the air a serene feeling and rain pattered down seamlessly on the ceiling.

Around10 minutes later, Liam glanced next to him only to find a young boy hesitantly staring up at him.

“Oh… Hello!” the boy exclaimed. “I was just wondering, how do you pray?”

Liam softly smiled down at him with understanding. “Well, when you pray to God, say this: Father, may your Holy name be honoured; may your kingdom come. Give us day by day the food we need. Forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who does us wrong. And do not bring us to hard testing,” explained Liam. “Here you go, I’ll give you an example.”

“Imagine that one of your friends called Jacob came over to your house at midnight to sleep over, but you didn't have any food for him. So, you went over to your best friend's house called Emily. You knocked on the door and asked her politely for 3 slices of pizza, but she said, ‘No! I’m already in bed, I can’t be bothered, the door is locked and my family are all asleep.’

What should you do then? Well, even if she will not get up and give you the pizza when she is your friend, she will get up eventually and give you everything because you are not ashamed to keep asking.

Now, if you need, ask God and you will receive; seek to God and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. God will open the door to anyone who ever asks. Even after all the sins you have committed, you are the child of God and he will always offer the Holy Spirit to you when you have asked!”

Etienne and Rohan have also been working hard towards gaining their Hands of Christ badges:

Etienne volunteered with his Oma, bagging fruit and veggies for the Wairarapa veg coop. Both Etienne and Rohan volunteered for a morning at Kortare Native Plant nursery, planting Koromiko, and weeding. They also collected pine cones from Te Waka Iti farm and donated a bag each to the Paetumokai o Tauira whare for winter meetings. They also swept and bagged leaves that had fallen around our elderly neighbours property, clearing the storm water gutters.

Ka pai tō mahi koutou!

Congratulations Tyler and Neo who received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

We were delighted to celebrate alongside other children from across the parish, showing the strength of our faith community as we gathered together in prayer and thanksgiving.

The ceremony was presided over by Archbishop Paul Martin, who encouraged our candidates to continue to grow in their faith and to share the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.

Congratulations to our newly confirmed students – may the Holy Spirit guide you always.

If you would like your child to take part in the Baptism or Sacramental programme please email the school office.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported and attended our Spring Gala. Your generosity and community spirit helped us raise an incredible $5,000 for our school. We are so grateful for the time, energy, and heart that went into making this event such a success – from our organisers and helpers to all who donated, purchased, or simply came along to enjoy the day.

Fundraising Ahead in Term 4

We’re excited to keep the momentum going with more fundraising opportunities in Term 4:

• Booster Wine Fundraiser – the perfect gifts and treats for the Christmas season.

• The Colour Run – always a crowd favourite and a splash of fun for everyone.

• Intermediate Dance – a fantastic night for our senior students.

Join the FOSTA Team

These events wouldn’t be possible without our amazing FOSTA team. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to have you join us! Come along to our next meeting or get in touch by email.

📧 For more information, contact us at fosta@teresas.school.nz.

SchoolDocs is a website for our policies and procedures. We invite you to participate in the Term 3 review:

• Child Protection
• Abuse Recognition and Reporting
• Food and Nutrition
• Safety Checking
• Police Vetting
• Missing Student Procedure

To take part follow these steps;

1. Visit the website https://teresas.schooldocs.co.nz/
2. Enter the username (teresas) and password (ontrack).
3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
4. Read the policy.
5. Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
6. Select the reviewer type "Parent".
7. Enter your name (optional).
8. Submit your ratings and comments.

WAIRARAPA SPITFIRES BASEBALL CLUB

2025/26 Wairarapa Spitfire Baseball season online registrations will open mid September!

We have club teams available for all levels of experience. The season will start on October 16th and pause for the summer school holidays before re-starting in early February and finishing at the end of March 2026. All Local Development games and trainings are held on the Spitfires Baseball Diamond at Kuranui College, Greytown.

ROOKIE BALL – Ages 5 to 8 play games on Saturday mornings at 9 am

MAJORS 10U/12U DEVELOPMENT (School Yrs 5-8) – Ages 9 to 12 play games on Friday afternoons at 4pm, training Thursdays 4pm

MAJORS 14U/16U DEVELOPMENT (School Yrs 9+) – Ages 13+ play games on Friday afternoons at 5.30 pm, training Thursdays 5.30pm

12U/14U/16U TRAVEL TEAMS – Competitive baseball in the Wellington Regional Competition.

Wairarapa Spitfires Club Travel Teams will be formed late September, email mcwilliamae@gmail.com asap if you are interested. Games are on Sundays and played at home on the Spitfires Baseball Diamond at Kuranui College and away at other Wellington regional diamonds in Terms 4 and 1.

Our Have a Go Open Day is on Sunday October 12th from 10am to 12pm at the Kuranui College Baseball Diamond. Come along for a fun morning learning about baseball and eating yummy sausages.

For more information and to register check out our website https://www.sporty.co.nz/spitfiresbaseball

Join our Facebook Page for news and updates: Wairarapa Spitfires

Contact our Teams Coordinator, Eileen McWilliam, mcwilliamae@gmail.com or phone 0276028597

Email: office@teresas.school.nz
Website: https://www.teresas.school.nz/
Location: St Teresa's School Bell Street, Featherston, New Zealand
Phone: 06 308 9064
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/St-Teresas-Featherston/100057033717170/