Newsletter Week Four Term One

NEWSLETTER WEEK 4 Term 1, 2025.

Three Totara classes have been on, or are at, camp this week. Kearoa Marae is a perfect place for our children to stay. It’s a short trip from Rotorua and it’s a very peaceful place to be. I have been lucky to be at camp on Monday and Tuesday and I am very pleased to report that the children were very well behaved. Thank you to the teachers for organising a great experience and to the parents who are accompanying the classes. We are indeed lucky to have great support from our parents who volunteer their time to help us on these camps. Two classes go next week so fingers crossed that the weather stays settled for the week.

On Monday we had a large group of girls play in a Golf Tournament. Mr G and some parents accompanied the girls. It was a great morning, by all accounts. Thanks to the parents who supported us with this event.

Last Friday we had our 2025 Leadership Assembly where each of the Year 6s were assigned a leadership role and were awarded their badge. Students were very excited to learn what their roles are for the year. Staff have been assigned to each leadership group to support students in their leadership work.

Our summer sports have started and I want to thank Shanelle McCashin for setting up the teams, organising coaches and getting the team gear ready for the teams. Thanks to the many parents who have offered to support teams in coaching and management roles.

On Thursday at 6.00 pm, the Commissioning Mass for schools will be held in St Mary’s Church. You are welcome to join us for this celebration.

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. You are welcome to join us for the Liturgy at 9.00 am in the church.

GALA DAY COUNTDOWN IS ON. 2025 is going to be another fantastic Gala Day. The PTA Countdown sheet is further down in the newsletter. The collection has started and children can bring their contributions to Room 11. Of course, we will accept any donated goods on any day too.

Students need to bring their Holiday Reading Logs back to school, please. We will have the Lucky Draw at assembly this week.

Our swimming sports are scheduled for Monday March 17th. All parents of children in Years 4 to 6 must fill in this form, please. See further down in the newsletter.

Enjoy your week.

David

TERM 1 DATES.

24th February to 5th March, Totara Noho Marae Kearoa for Years 5 and 6s

27th February, Thursday. Commissioning Mass Rotorua

5th March, Wednesday. Ash Wednesday Liturgy

7th March, Friday Gala Day

11th -13th March Special Character Review team in the school.

17th March, Monday School Swimming Sports

18th March, Maths Whizz visits to classrooms

21st March Friday, St Joseph’s Feast Day. School Mass

11th April Friday, the School Holidays start. Easter and ANZAC take place in the holidays.

Malia from Kakano 9

Eleanor from Kakano 11

Please pick up your $50 New World voucher up from the Office.

5th March @ 19.00 (30 minutes plus Q&A)

Netsafe is hosting a free webinar for parents and whānau on how to support children under 10 to have safe and positive experiences online. Discover practical advice and helpful tools to support your tamariki as they navigate the digital world.

The webinar will explore:

• The opportunities and risks under 10s face online

• Resources available from Netsafe (including Hector’s World) to help support online safety in the home

• What to do when things go wrong online

  
  

Whether you’re seeking reassurance or taking your first steps in learning about online safety, this welcoming and judgment-free webinar is here to support you. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.

Register via the link: https://netsafe-org-nz.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zm5xCPL3Qxy7RLsh5xPKQA

CLICK ON THIS LINK

Volunteers needed for our uniform shop and our sausage sizzles. Please let me know if you can help out once a week/fortnight/month. Even if you would like to find out more information, please get in touch with the school office!

Thank you for your donations so far.

“The Society of St Vincent de Paul is the largest Catholic lay

organisation in the Church. Our members take seriously the

commands of the Gospel to serve others and work for justice. We

work in a caring and practical manner to promote human dignity

and justice through personal contact with those in need.” (Mission

Statement) https://www.svdp.org.nz/

In Rotorua our St Michael's Conference (committee) runs a food

bank and two op shops (the money raised buys food) and home

visitations. We have general volunteers who help us but urgently

need more people willing to commit time to being members.

Members meet once a fortnight at 10am on a Monday at St

Mary’s Church for an hour of prayer, spiritual reading and

committee business as well as committing to a few hours a week

of practical voluntary work. One of our members, Sarah, is about

to retire after 8 years of dedicated service. Currently, she is filling

the roles of three people: Treasurer, Coordinator of the Foodbank

and Manager of the Westend Shop. Sarah is willing to train

people to take her place in each of these roles. We only have five

other conference members who are busy with other roles.

Without members we cannot keep open our two St Vincent de

Paul Centres at Te Ngae and Westend; their leases are up for

renewal this year. If we are unsuccessful in gaining new

members, then we will have to make the tough decision not to

renew the leases and close both shops and possibly the food

bank for good. If you are interested in becoming a member and/or

would like more information please contact me, Steve McLeod

(President) 027 766 7626 or email

svdpthermallands@protonmail.com

During Term 1 Pita Pit will donate $1.00 from every Hot Lunch that is ordered through Lunchonline. Your children have a choice of Butter Chicken, Ham & Cheese Macaroni, Beef Lasagna, Chicken Nuggets, Wedges, Pies, Mini Pies and Sausage Rolls. These are available every day except Friday on www.lunchonline.co.nz

New cut off time in the morning is now 8.30am!

Thanks Phil and the Pita Pit crew

Tarquinn, in K2, has lost his greenstone. It is a very precious taonga (pictured below) to his family, as all three children's greenstones have been carved from the same stone as their father's greenstone. Please keep an eye out for it and send it to the school office or to Kakano 2 (K2) if you find it. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Term 1 sports registrations are now closed.

Winter sport information is up on the website. Here are some quick links:

Football: Click Here

Miniball: Click Here

Hockey: Click Here

RATS Duathlon: Click here

Mountain Biking event: Click here

SPORTS PHOTOS

Please keep sending in and taking photos of our children playing sports. We love to see them and they all get used for the magazine pages at the end of the year. Please send to schooloffice@stmarysrotorua.school.nz