 Newsletter No 02 17 February 2021 |
Hello Everyone, We have had an interesting start to the week with Aucklanders going into Level 3 and the rest of us to Level 2. Thank you for your support with the changes that we have had to make in the school. Today is Ash Wednesday and in the Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is one of the most important Holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. As a school we celebrated Ash Wednesday with a liturgy today in our school hall. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. This Friday is our Opening School Mass and presently it will be at St Mary's Church at 9.00am. We would love to have you join us. This may change if we are still in Level 2 as we might have to transfer Mass to our hall. If we do have to make the change and have Mass in the hall, we will unfortunately not be able to have you with us. This week we welcome Jessica Newman, artist and author of the Journey Project, a fun exploration into the importance of health and wellbeing. Jessica is working with our Totara Team students and she will be with us until the end of term. This initiative is a Creative in Schools Project and it is being funded by the Ministry of Education. An exhibition of the children’s work will take place at the end of term. A number of children read lots of books over the holidays and this was evident with the number of holiday reading logs that have been returned so far for the draw. Thank you for your support with this. On Friday 26 February we have our draw at our school assembly. And finally … THE COUNTDOWN IS ON .... 16 days to our Gala Day!!!! Thursday March 4th. This is an important date on our calendar and we need EVERYONE to help make the gala a success. Thanks to all those families who have contributed so far to our Gala. Please see our Gala Countdown requirements later in this newsletter. Of course we will accept other things up until Gala Day. All gala contributions are to be taken to your child’s class box in the hall foyer. Each item received wins 1 point towards their class; the two classes that receive the most points (pro-rata on number of children per class) wins a surprise lunch!!! PLEASE NO clothing, damaged or broken second hand goods. Have an awesome week. David Macmillan, Principal. IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 1: 19th February Friday Opening School Mass. 9.00am St Mary’s Church David Macmillan, Principal. FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES: Ash Wednesday is a Christian Holy day of prayer and fasting. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Western Christians. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection. The congregation will be invited to receive the ashes on their foreheads. Usually, the priest or pastor will dip his finger into the ashes, spread them in a cross pattern on the forehead, and say, “From dust you came and from dust you will return.”The ashes are prepared by burning palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday. Kia noho te Atua ki a koe kia tutaki ra ano tatou. BERNIE HALL G A L A. ...... 4TH MARCH 2021 ...... WEEKLY UPDATE **The School Gala is going to be fantastic! White Elephant drop starts tomorrow, thank you all for your support. We have received some amazing prizes from local businesses and families that will be up for grabs at our Gala! These include family passes to local attractions, bikes, bean bags, vouchers - and that is only naming a few! Be in quick to secure a baton for the quick fire draws for $100.00. Email the PTA on stmarysptarotorua@outlook.com to secure a baton, or if you can offer any donations. DAILY COUNTDOWN TO GALA DAY THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY WHITE ELEPHANT DAY - books, toys, Baby Elephant - board games, children's sporting equipment, CD's, DVD's, playstation games, jigsaws, homewares FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY Tinned goods, bags of sweets, tin beetroot, fruit, peaches, Macintosh's, jet planes, licorice allsorts. Any preloved baskets or platters you no longer require would be gratefully accepted for the quickfire raffle. Baby elephant items, soccer boots, books etc. MONDAY 22 FEBRUARY Mystery Jar Day - a bit like a lucky dip. Fill an empty jar with anything new that children will like. This could include party favours, bubbles, slime, lollies, chocolates, toy cars etc. Bring these in unwrapped so we can sort them into boys and girls. TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY Nacho Day - Corn chips, tinned tomatyoes, chilli or kidney beans, onions, nacho mince rfecipe sachets WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY Books, toys and baby elephant - board games, children's sporting equipment, C D's, DVD's, playstation games, jigsaws  Remember to update your child's class for 2021. Log onto www.lunchonline.co.nz and click on 'members'. SCHOOL LUNCHES : PITA PIT : **Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays FRIDAYS: Sausage Sizzle and Juicies available. $1.50 each item. Order from your classroom teacher ON FRIDAY MORNINGS. Uniform Shop volunteers required urgently: CHESS CLUB: Fundraising for the Chess Club - still wanted - LUCKY BOOK ORDERS are due back 19 February 2021, at 12 noon. NO late orders please. First Credit Union School Banking 2021 First Credit Union provides a school banking service to all pupils at St Mary's School. Getting started is easy - just pick up an application pack from the school office, fill in the application form and return it to the school office. If your children are already doing school banking, remember that the school banking is collected on Thursday each week! SPORTS NEWS UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS: SPORTS REGISTRATIONS SCHOOL APP - SPORTS ALERTS SPORTS/PE UNIFORM FOR 2021 Uniform can be purchased via the School Uniform Shop open Monday & Friday 8.30 - 9.00am and Wednesday 2.30 - 3.00pm and via our School Website HERE  Whaea Leanne - School Sports Coordinator SPECIAL MENTION  Last weekend we had Zariah & Noah Lomas attend the 2021 New Zealand Junior Swimming Festival in Hamilton. This is an age group qualifying event for swimmers 12yrs & under, Zariah and Noah qualified & competed in up 7 individual events each with some fantastic results. GO BY BIKE DAY!  Kauria Te Moana – Free Children’s Swim Clinic When: 13/03/2021   LEARN TO SWIM:  |
