NEWSLETTER WEEK 1 Term 1, 2025.
Dear Parents,
Welcome back to all our families and children. I hope you all had a lovely holiday break with your families. It is great to see our children returning to school rested and ready for a new year of learning. Thanks to our fantastic staff, who have been working hard over the holidays to prepare for the return of our students. I am looking forward to an exciting year.
On Thursday, it is Waitangi Day. It is a great day to spend time with whanau and acknowledge the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for Aotearoa New Zealand. There is school on Friday for everyone. It is NOT a Teacher Only Day.
It was so good to have the two Korero Mai days last week, during which you and your child could meet this year’s teacher, update your records, download apps, meet oral health people, and register for this term’s sports teams. Thank you for supporting this.
Welcome to our new staff member, Lauren Martin. Lauren teaches in Totara 6. I am sure you will make her feel very welcome. Welcome back, Abby Sorrenson, our Learning Support Coordinator, who has returned from maternity leave.
A special welcome to our 33 new children and their families. It is great to have you join our large St Mary’s family, and I hope you find your time with us rewarding.
We have our ‘start of the year’ Mass next FRIDAY, 14th FEBRUARY, and we will celebrate this in our Parish Church, St Mary’s, at 9.00 am.
Several children read many books over the holidays, and we will have our lucky log draw soon. If you have been reading stories to your child, that counts, too. Just write the story on the holiday log and all the other reading activities they achieved over the holidays. Please continue to support your child/children's reading at home.
Summer sports will be starting soon. If you want your child to play, please register THIS WEEK. Registration forms are on our school website. Sports at school are touch, cricket, netball, gymnastics, roller skating, indoor bowls and golf. These sports will take place during school time.
Our Gala Day is on Friday, March 7th. Our PTA is in full organisation mode and is looking for businesses to sponsor prizes, activities, goods, or donations for the event. Our Gala is a great community event, and we would appreciate your support. A letter from the PTA on ways to help will be sent home shortly.
We are organising the roster to cook the sausages for the children’s Sausage Sizzle every Friday. We also need volunteers to help with the School Uniform Shop. The commitment is half an hour once a week. Please let Shanelle know in the office if you can assist us with this. Hopefully, we can get many people to help so we can put a roster together so it doesn’t become a huge commitment.
Have a fabulous week. Please have your children at school on time and if they need to be absent, please ring the school office.
David Macmillan, Principal.
TERM 1 DATES.
3rd February, Monday. First Day of School
6th February, Thursday, Waitangi Day. (Public Holiday)
7th February Waitangi Day Liturgy 2.00 pm.
14th February, Friday, Start of Year Mass. 9.00 am at St Mary’s Church
24th February to 5th March, Totara Noho Marae Kearoa for Years 5 and 6
27th February, Thursday. Commissioning Mass Rotorua
5th March, Wednesday. Ash Wednesday Liturgy
7th March, Friday Gala Day
10th March, Monday School Swimming Sports
18th March, Math’s Whizz visits to classrooms
21st March Friday, St Joseph’s School Mass
11th April Friday, the School Holidays start. Easter and ANZAC take place in the holidays.
CLASSES AND TEACHERS FOR 2025:
Deputy Principals: Sylvia Dunkley and Sara Mines
Special Education: Sany-Joy Mareroa
Learning Support Coordinators: Lori Norton, Amerents Hilbink. and Abby Sorrenson
TOTARA TEAM
Jill Dinniss (Yr 5/6 ) Totara 1
Liz Macaskill (Yr 5/6 ) Totara 2 Team leader
Delwyn Bowen (Yr 5/6 ) Totara 3
Bevan James (Yr 5/6 ) Totara 4
Ellie McLanachan (Yr 5/6 ) Totara 5
Lauren Martin ( Yr 4 ) Totara 6
Becks Scott ( Yr 4 ) Totara 7
Lorna Dobson ( Yr 4 ) Totara 8
KAKANO
Michelle Ryan (Yr 1 ) Kakano 2
Natalie Weaven ( Yr 1 ) Kakano 3
Lorraine Thompson ( Yr 1 ) Kakano 5
Melissa Elvidge (Yr 2 ) Kakano 6 Team Leader
Matt Liley (Yr 2 ) Kakano 7
David Bach (Yr 2 ) Kakano 8
Lorette Tiedt (Yr 3) Kakano 9
Harriet Fenwick (Yr 3) Kakano 10
Adele Rennie (Yr 3) Kakano 11
