Term 4 Week 6 Newsletter #18

To Love/AROHA	To Learn/ĀKO	To Lead/ĀRAHI

St Joseph’s Catholic School

“Excellent Education befitting our Catholic Character”

94 Seddon St Pukekohe 2120

Term 4 Week 6 16 November 2023 Newsletter #18

Principal’s Message

Tena Koutou Katoa Talofa Lava Kamusta Malo e lelei Mauri Malo ni Faka talofa atu Namaste Greetings to all

Thank you for accommodating our two Teacher Only Days last weekend. I hope you were able to enjoy the long weekend with your whaanau. On Friday, our teachers participated in professional development around the NZ Curriculum Refresh with a focus on English. This was a dedicated day directed by the Ministry of Education. From 2024, the NZ Curriculum will be divided into phases rather than levels with Y0-3 being the first phase and Y4-6 being the second. This has influenced our decision to divide the school into two learning phases for 2024 as we reset as a Year 0-6 school. Our second TOD was school-based with an emphasis on collaborative practice.

There is a lot to plan as we move forward which is why you would have received a survey asking for your input on key points for our strategic planning. This is part of our consultation process and we asked that this feedback be entered online or returned by Monday. Send in the slip with your children so they can receive house points.

There is a buzz of anticipation and excitement as our children look forward to our annual Mission Day tomorrow; our last to be organised by our Year 7 & 8 intermediate children. Mission Day is a firm St Joseph’s tradition and we are grateful for the support of our school community who provide goods to raffle and to sell. This year we have received a generous amount of new toys which means there will be multiple children’s raffles for our children to win. Tokens are now on sale so that children don’t need to handle money on the day. Our Year 7&8 children are working hard to make this a special day for our younger children and their teachers and support staff who are working extra hard behind the scenes. Special thanks to Mrs Burns. The purpose of this fundraising is for our children to help other children in our Mission Sisters’ missions.

Tomorrow Sr Anne Sklenars will be joining us for our Liturgy, prepared by Ako 1, and staying on to enjoy the day. In the past, our Pukekohe Sisters always joined us so it is nice to have that contact one more time. Sr Anne is a liaison for the RNDM Missions in New Zealand, and last year she visited the school in Vietnam that we sponsor. We also sponsor another school in India. Both schools had a relationship with Pukekohe as Sisters once working there, had also been in our school.

There is so much happening as we speed through Term 4. This week our Year 6, 7, and 8 children received information specific to them as we navigate the celebratory events to end their years at St Joseph’s School. We hope they enjoy their final term at our school. If you have not received anything please contact Mrs Burns or Mrs Eglemeer.

I look forward to seeing some of you next Tuesday to acknowledge the valuable contribution parents and caregivers make to the life of the school. There are so many times that events could not go ahead without your support. It seems our most valuable commodity these days is time so we do not under-estimate the assistance we receive to provide your children with rich learning experiences particularly outside of the classroom.

Blessings to you and your whaanau always.

Special Catholic Character

St. Pat’s Kids Choir

Practice for Kids Choir today at 3pm at the Church.

Next Sunday singing date: Sunday 26th November, 5pm Mass

Last practice and bowling outing: Thursday 23rd November

Key Dates

Term 4 Key Dates

Please note these dates are subject to change For further dates see calendars on the Skool Loop app or at: www.stjosephs.co.nz

School Board

SchoolDocs Term 4 Policy Review

This term we are reviewing the Learning Support section: Student Achievement Information/Student Assessment and Achievement, Home Learning, and Distance Learning.

Parents can view our school policies and procedures online by visiting the schooldocs website. SchoolDocs updates, modifies, or creates policies in response to changes in legislation or Ministry guidelines, significant events, reviews/requests from schools, and regular reviewing from the SchoolDocs team. To review:

1. Visit the website https://stjosephspukekohe.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm

2. Enter the username (stjosephspukekohe) and password (mission).

3. Select the Parents and Whanāu section on your SchoolDocs site

If you don’t have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form. These policies will be approved at our Board Meeting on Wednesday 22nd November.

If you would like to contact the Board directly at any time, please do so through our new email address schoolboard@stjosephs.co.nz

School Notices / Upcoming Events

NEW ENROLMENTS 2024

If your child, or someone you know, wants to attend St Joseph’s School next year,

we need them to enrol now!

Knowing how many children are coming helps us to plan ahead for our staffing.

Please contact the office stjoesoffice@stjosephs.co.nz

Attendance Dues

Term 4 attendance dues are now due and should be paid by 30th November 2023.

Thank you to all those families who have made an effort to have these paid on time in these tough times.

2023 School Magazine Orders: Purchasing our annual school magazine is a lovely record of your child’s year at school, especially in their final year and the school’s centennial year. The cost of $26 will be added to your school account however the purchase is optional. If you do want to buy this year’s magazine, payment will need to be made by November 17th. The magazine is printed in December and distributed at the end of the school year.

Second Hand Uniforms

The second hand uniform shop is open on Mondays and Thursdays 2.30 – 3pm

School Uniform

We should see all of our students in their summer uniforms now. This includes a green school hat. Years 3-8 also need a P.E. uniform and a P.E. shirt and green shorts, especially when representing the school at sporting events. Students should bring their P.E. gear daily, we do not have spare P.E. gear at the office. There are some smaller P.E. tops available in the second hand uniform shop.

Students are not to cut the backs off their sandals.

Centenary Shopping Tote Bags available for sale. Gold coin donation. All money raised will go towards Mission Day.

Mission Day – is tomorrow!! Friday 17 November

12 – 1:30pm Parents Welcome

Come to school in Mufti – bring a gold coin for the Mission

What you need to know

This is an annual event run by the Year 7 & 8 students to raise money to support the RNDM Mission Sisters’ missionary work. It is similar to a gala day, with a variety of stalls and raffles. Tokens will still be on sale on Mission Day, for students to use. 1 token = $0.50

Bake Sale – There will be a scrumptious bake sale. We are still accepting bake sale items from all school families. If you would like to donate one of your yummy slices, biscuits or cakes, please do so Friday morning. Please bring it to the school library.

If this is your first Mission Day, here are a few things to know…

There are a variety of stalls with varying prices.

Sausage Sizzle – 4 tokens

Used Toys – ranging from 1 token to 6 tokens

Raffles – 1 token

Bake Sale – items starting from 2 tokens

Activities (varied token prices) – face painting, wacky hair, bracelets, finish the lyrics, lucky dips etc.

Thank you for all your generous donations so far!!

2024 Road Patrol Parent Helpers

We are looking for parents to help on Morning Road Patrol for 2024. You will need to supervise our trained Year 6’s from 8.15am till 8.45am. If you can help in some capacity please email Kelly McArthur on kellym@stjosephs.co.nz

Celebrations

Group Athletics:

Well done to all our students from Year 4-8 that participated in the Franklin Group Athletics competition last week. So many of our students placed and qualified for today’s competition at Zone Athletics and we look forward to hearing their results.

Ako 1

Ako1 students have been learning about a local artist – Helen Parsons. We have practiced mixing colours, blending, and using different brush strokes. Check out our artworks inspired by Helen painted by our lovely Ako 1 students. We have had a lot of fun in our afternoon rotations and have a lot of Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Picasso and Michelangelos in the making.

Ako 2

We have been super busy these last two weeks, mainly with our integrated concept on Protecting Aotearoa. Students have been busy creating information on their endangered NZ animal, coming up with solutions to their predicament and thinking of products that could potentially save them. As well as this, they are making some pretty creative diorama’s of their animals habitat. The last part of this concept is to promote themselves as a Charity for their animal in a Financial Literacy unit aimed at raising funds to create their product that will help their animal. We are really looking forward to their pitches in Week 8! Some of our Ako 2 students represented our school in the North Group Athletics last Wednesday, they were outstanding and the next stage to this is Franklin Athletics which takes place TODAY! We have been working really hard on Patterns and Relationships in Algebra, I have been very proud our students perseverance to solve difficult equations!

Arahi

It has been a great couple of weeks in Arahi. We have been working away like little beavers getting everything set for Mission Day. This day is going to be bittersweet as the last Mission Day run by Year 7&8 students. When we have not been working on Mission Day our students have been learning about different career options and researching what a variety of jobs entail. It has been really great to see such high aspirations of our children. I have no doubt that we will hear many success stories from this group of tamariki.

Community Notices

Scholastic Book Club Issue 8

Brochures out today orders due back Monday 20th November

Music Lessons

My name is Cornea De Jager and I have been teaching piano at St Joseph’s for the past six years. I am affiliated with the New Zealand Modern School of Music and next year we’ll have our 45th annual competition. Students of NZMSM have the opportunity to take practical examinations, write theory examinations and take part in our competitions. Due to the opening of St Ignatius next year, thirteen spaces will be opening up for new Piano/Keyboard students at school for 2024. Please send email to cornea.dejager@gmail.com for an enrollment form or more information.

The BNZ Breakers have 8 Auckland games remaining this season and every single game promises plenty of fun, giveaways, and entertainment for the whole family. Choose the dates that suit youand get behind the BNZ Breakers. Tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.co.nz

St Joseph’s will be open for voting on Saturday 25th November

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Call us on 09 238 7745

Email us at stjoesoffice@stjosephs.co.nz

94 Seddon St Pukekohe 2120

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Term Dates 2024