Newsletter Week Five Term Four

Principal's Message

NEWSLETTER WEEK 5 TERM 4 2025

Dear Parents

The PTA is organising its final Disco of the year. It is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, starting at 5.30 pm in our school hall. The theme is “Formal,” and hot chips, pizza, lollies, drinks, and glowsticks will be on sale. The disco finishes at 7.00 pm, so please make sure you are there to pick up your children by then.

As I mentioned last week, there is a measles outbreak in New Zealand, and it is spreading. We are updating our immunisation register and reviewing our records. If we don’t have any record of your child’s immunisation, you will be contacted for information on your child.

We have a Teachers’ Only Day on Monday, 10th November. There will be no school for children on this day. If you require after-school care, you can ring Aidan from A-Z Kids’ Club (Glenholme Afterschool Care). Aidan’s contact number is 347 0709 or 021 1215599

Grandparents/Grandfriends Mass is on Friday, November 14th at 9.00 am

Join us for Mass and then come over to the school for a shared morning tea with the children. We would love to see as many grandparents and grandfriends as possible there with us.

The Interhouse Athletics Day for Years 4 to 6 students is next Wednesday, 19th October 2025, and we hope for fine weather for this event. You will need to make sure children are dropped off at the Rotorua Stadium Athletics track on Devon St by 8.45 am. This event is compulsory for the students to participate in.

Have a good week.

David.

TERM 4:

Friday 7th November Legends of the Peak

Monday 10th November Teacher Only Day

Friday 14th November Grandparents' Day

Wed 19th November Athletics Day for Totara Team

Thursday, 20 November Celebration of Learning

Friday 21st November JPC Orientation Day for Year 6 students

Thursday 27th November Year 6 Retreat and Year 5 Leadership Day

Friday 28th November Ahurei: Senior and Junior kapa haka perform.

Tuesday 2nd December Year 6 Big Day In

Wed 3rd December Kakano team Big Day In and Totara team picnic

Friday 5th December End of Year Mass

Monday 8th December School Prizegiving

Thursday, 11th December, Missioning of our Year 6 students and the last day of school

PTA Fundraiser – St Mary’s Towels

This term, our wonderful PTA is running a fun fundraiser! You can order a special towel with the St Mary’s logo and your child’s name on it.

Each towel costs $35, and they’re perfect for school swimming or as a Christmas gift.

To order, please fill out the order form. Remember, you’ll need to complete a separate form for each towel you’d like to buy.

Thanks for supporting our PTA – we can’t wait to see everyone’s St Mary’s towels!

Sample of towel in the school office.

The final day to order is 5 November.

https://forms.gle/AKB6bD6TYDLZLTbM7

Director of Religious Studies

Last Friday, several of our Year 5 and 6 students had the special opportunity to lead the Rosary alongside our Parish. Their respectful leadership and heartfelt participation were a beautiful reflection of our school’s faith and values. We are very proud of them.

Thanks to Mrs Martin and Totara 6, along with Mr Bach and Kakano 8, for their All Souls and All Saints Liturgy last Thursday, and we prayed especially for all our loved ones who are no longer with us. All Saints’ Day (November 1st) is when we celebrate all the saints, the special people who loved God and showed us how to live kind and faithful lives. All Souls’ Day (November 2nd) is when we pray for everyone who has died, especially our family members and friends, asking God to take care of them.

These two days remind us that we are all part of God’s big family, the people on earth, the saints in heaven, and those who are still on their way to be with God. It’s a time to remember, give thanks, and pray with hope.

On Friday, 14th November, we will be celebrating Grandparents Day, starting with a Mass at 9 am. Everyone is warmly welcomed to come along.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

God bless

Lorna Dobson DRS

Year 6 JPC Orientation Day

We have our annual Y6 Orientation Day. Here are the details

- Friday 21st November.

- Start at 10:45am

- Wear your regular school uniform.

- Bring your lunch and drink bottle.

- Bring a hat

- Meet Mrs. Fraser, the Y7 Dean, in the Edmund Rice Centre (the school gym).

- We're all finished at 2:30pm ready for parents to come collect (from inside the gym).

Summer sport & other tournaments information is up on the website. Good luck to all participating in a sports this term. Please remember our values and fair play.

Girls Golf Fluro 2025

Event Details: Girls Golf Fluro Fun day

Where: Springfield Golf Club

Date: Wednesday 26th November

Cost: $5 Per Student

Click here to register

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

Special Mention

A month ago, Max Olsen trialled for 1 of 4 spots on the New Zealand Mighty 11s team — and he made it! Over the weekend, the boys raced at Mountain Raiders in Auckland at the north island titles against the Australian team and came out on top with the win. This event is a bit different from regular racing, as the riders have to work together as a team to gain points— and it clearly paid off. The Mighty 11s has been running for over 30 years as a memorial to an 11-year-old BMX rider who tragically passed away, and it continues to be one of the sport’s Tran Tasman traditions.

Please drop any old, unwanted or broken phones into our collection box in the school office. We receive apple dollars for every phone collected.

Lunch Online

We're pleased to announce that Lunch Online now has a QR code that allows families to quickly and easily create an account. This will provide a convenient way for new families to get started with their service.