St Teresa's School Newsletter

Nicole, our Presiding Member, emailed you today to share the news that I will be leaving St Teresa’s at the end of this term. This was a very difficult decision to make, as St Teresa’s has truly become home for me. Our beautiful kura, our tamariki, and this special community have shaped me in so many ways. It has been an absolute privilege to serve as your principal, and I will treasure the friendships and memories we’ve made together.

With that said, I’m determined to make Term 4 one to remember! There are so many wonderful events and celebrations ahead, and I can’t wait to enjoy every moment with our students, staff, and whānau.

Today we celebrated the Feast Day of St Teresa of Avila with a beautiful Mass here at school. Thank you to Fr Pene for presiding and to everyone who contributed to making the liturgy so meaningful. The day continued with fun and faith-filled celebration activities across the school, reminding us all of St Teresa’s message of love and service.

Thank you also to those who joined the Parish Mass on Sunday, and a special mention to Elsie and Emily Jane who did a wonderful job leading the Prayers of the Faithful.

Finally, a big thank you for your amazing support of our colour run fundraising efforts – we are already smashing our target! Your generosity and enthusiasm make such a difference for our children and school community.

Ngā manaakitanga,
Lindsey Dailly
Tumuaki | Principal

Monday 20th October

Life Education Years 5-8

Tuesday 21st October

Board Meeting 6pm

Booktown Community Evening

Wednesday 22nd October

Booktown Presents Writers in School

Thursday 23rd October

SCHOOL CLOSED (NZEI Industrial Action)

Friday 24th October

Tākitimu Assembly - Join us at 9am

Monday 27th October

SCHOOL CLOSED (Labour Day)

Tuesday 28th October

Tākitimu Trip

Wednesday 29th October

Cluster Athletics Year 4-8

Thursday 30th October

Postponement Athletics

Friday 31st October

Mass Remutaka - Join Us 9.30am

Our Term 4 fundraiser has been launched with an absolute bang! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has already set up their online profile and started fundraising — in just the first week, we’ve raised a whopping $2,120! What an amazing start! 🙌

Crazy Colour Day is going to be a fabulous, fun-filled event with awesome activities, wild and crazy hairstyles, and of course, the epic Colour Run! We can’t wait to see our students having a blast while supporting our school.

Check out the whānau letter and prize booklet that went home last week for more information on how you can get involved and help us reach our goal.

A massive thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for your enthusiasm and support — let’s keep that colour and energy flowing! 💛💙💚💖

Next week we’re thrilled to welcome three talented writers to Te Kura o Paetūmokai!

They’ll be working with our tamariki during the day and will also be part of a community evening on Tuesday, 21 October, in Featherston School – Te Kura o Paetūmokai school hall.

The evening will begin with a 15-minute Kapa Haka performance by tamariki, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the visiting writers, finishing at around 7:30pm.

Bring your whānau and join us for a relaxed, inspiring evening of storytelling and ideas.

There’ll be:

• Sausages, baking, and drinks for sale
• A Hero sign-up table for whānau
• A community feedback table – share 1 star and 2 wishes about our kura
• Games for tamariki outside and quiet reading spaces inside

It promises to be a fun, family-friendly night celebrating reading, writing, and creativity!

We’re excited to share that KaiKōkiri – Pae Ora, a new community health initiative, will soon be offering services right here in Featherston!

This service operates from a travelling health bus, providing health advice, vaccinations, and treatment for tamariki and the whole whānau. The KaiKōkiri team will be available at our school and can even visit your home if needed — making healthcare more accessible and supportive for everyone.

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring healthcare closer to our community, helping us all to stay healthy and well without having to travel far.

We would love your input on what this service could look like in Featherston. Your feedback will help shape how KaiKōkiri – Pae Ora best supports our tamariki and whānau.

If you have ideas, suggestions, or comments, please email principal@teresas.school.nz. Together, we have the power to shape this essential service to meet the needs of our community.

Featherston Booktown Trust and Chicken and Frog Bookstore invite you to join them at the

launch of a new Picture Book – ‘The lost star of Featherston’.

When: Sunday, 9 November, 10.30am

Where: ANZAC Hall, Supper Room

Author Tania Atkinson and Illustrator Viv Walker will be present and morning tea will be served.

The book will be read, and will be available for sale (Special launch price of $20 cash or bank

transfer)

The story is of young Awhina, riding a horse into Featherston in the 1860’s; a meteor being

tracked by local astronomer Mr Carkeek, and a family of Banded Dotterills!! It exciting to have

a local story that recognises our heritage.

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/