Kia Ora,

Rice Day, Swimming Sports, Pasifika Cultural Day, Caritas speaker and Annunciation Liturgy, it was certainly another busy week.

Thank you to all those who helped us with those activities as they are all very important and the children get so much from being involved in them. What really impresses me about our school community is the support we get from our families when you are asked to help. We got a great response from you.

We were certainly lucky with the weather for the activities that were staged outside. Thanks to Lorna Dobson for organising the swimming sports, which is a huge event, and thanks again for the great support we got from parents. I was really impressed by how our children wanted to be involved in so many races. I am sure they all slept well on Friday night.

Last Saturday was Pasifika Day - celebrating Pacific Cultures. The celebration was held at the Village Green, Rotorua Lakefront. It is organised and run by the Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust and there was a large number of people who came to support the day. Our Pasifika group performed there with a number of other schools, early childhood centres and cultural groups. It was great to see our children performing in front of hundreds of people. Thanks to our tutor and teacher Sany-Joy Maguire for preparing our children. The event is huge now with the day stretching well into the afternoon. When we were first involved four years ago it was very small with just a few schools participating. It was great to see JPC participating too and the majority of their students participating are former students of ours.

Over the next few weeks, our children will be involved in Liturgies which lead into Easter.

Stations of the Cross. Thursday 4th April. 9.45am St Mary’s Church.
Donkey Parade - School Field
Washing of the Feet. Thursday 11th April. 10 am School Hall.

Please also take advantage of the Church Services during Easter and take your children to services at St Mary’s or St Michael’s. Easter is one of most sacred events on our Catholic calendar.

We also, as a school, celebrate Mass together this Friday. This will also give us an opportunity to welcome and bless our new families. You are all welcome to join us for this.

Last week Kakano, our Year 1 students, led the Annunciation Liturgy. It was a wonderful liturgy and I was very impressed with these children’s confidence in presenting. Well done children. Thanks to the many parents and grandparents who were able to join us.

A number of our summer sports teams have finished or are finishing their season over this week or next. Some of our teams have reached semi-finals and finals. I wish them all the best with their games.

Have a great week everyone and I hope to see you at our Mass on Friday.

Have a great week.

Kind regards,
David Macmillan, Principal.

Science Survey
We would really appreciate it if parents and caregivers would complete the following science survey to assist us with planning for science learning at St Mary's Catholic School. Please click on the following link.
We will put all respondents into the draw for a $50 New World voucher. It is optional to provide your name - but please note that in order to be able to contact you, if you are the respondent randomly selected for the New World voucher, we will need a name. Please note that the names of respondents will not be used for any other purpose.
The draw for the voucher will take place this Thursday - 4 April!

Science Community Survey Link

FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES:

Thanks to all the helpers for Rice Day last week. We made a grand total of $450 dollars for Caritas. Thanks to Deli Hut who also cooked some of the rice for us and our faithful parent helpers. Our Caritas visitors were impressed with our student donations and indeed how much our students knew about South Sudan.

On Thursday we hold our Stations of the Cross Liturgy in the Church at 9:30am-all welcome. The Stations are a prayerful reflection on the last hours of Christ’s life. It helps us to reflect on our own lives and how we too bear our burdens and help others with theirs. The Stations -view.
On Friday we have our school Mass at 9:00am and we will welcome all new families to our school.

Family Challenge: Go to a Mass this Lent as a whole family, sit, listen and reflect. What did you hear in this weeks' Gospel? What did it mean to you? Sending our children to a Catholic school means we have to be ready to lead by example. Attending Mass, even in our busy lives, is one way to help our children grow spiritually and encounter Christ.**

Blessings,

Bernie Hall, Director of Religious Studies.

Interested in becoming a Catholic?
You are invited to come and learn about the Catholic Faith. This will run weekly on Thursday nights commencing Thursday 2nd May 2019 for four weeks until 23rd May, 7.00 pm at St. Mary's, on the corner of Seddon and Ranolf Streets. For further enquiries, please email Fr. Eamon Kennedy at freamonkennedy@gmail.com

Our condolences to the family of Peyton Erskine-Shaw (Room 15) whose great grandfather passed away this week. His tangi is in Waimana. Please keep the family in prayer.

SCHOOL LUNCHES :

PITA PIT : Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
orders online via www.luncheonline.co.nz

FRIDAYS: Sausage Sizzle and Juicies available. $1.50 each item. Order from your classroom teacher.

 

SHOWQUEST 2019
Practices will be starting in Week 9 - see below.
Sales for Showquest are now available - to to Tauranga Ticketek to book!

Online Uniform Sales: Uniforms are available online via our website using paypal.

Change of Address/Contact Phone numbers:
For change of personal contact details : Please notify the office or email : dorothyj@stmarysrotorua.school.nz
The school newsletter is available on Wednesday afternoons via email.

To advise School absences

Leave a message on the answerphone
Notify us via the school website (see quick links-absences)
Notify us via the School App - see absentee form

GYMNASTICS has started again for the year. Tuesday, lunchtimes in the school hall.
Your child is welcome to come along and join in.

Sports News

SPORTS INFORMATION

For all information regarding Sports events you can look under the sports tab on our school website

Sports DRAWS click here

Sports EVENTS click here

Sports RESULTS click here

SCHOOL HOLIDAY and SPORTS PROGRAMMES click here

TEAM PHOTOS

Please send any team photos you have to Catherine - sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz

WINTER SPORT REGISTRATIONS

Winter sport registrations have now closed. Team lists will be posted on the school website under the sports tab by the end of next week.

Miniball Days
Midgets (5 & 6 year olds) MONDAYS
Middles (up to Yr 4) Grades C & D WEDNESDAYS
Middles (up to Yr 4) Grades A & B FRIDAYS
Seniors (up to Yr 6) FRIDAYS

CBOP Swimming Sports

Children selected to represent St Mary's at the CBOP Swimming Sports will bring home a notice this week. Please return this notice by Friday to the office. CBOP Swimming Sports is next Wednesday 10th April, 2019.

SPORTS UNIFORMS

Please return summer sports uniforms to the office asap. Touch singlets are used for Miniball and Cricket shirts are used for Hockey so it is important these shirts are returned please.

Children can collect their winter sports uniforms at the start of Term 2.

FOOTBALL BOOTS

We have loads of football boots that are FREE to a good home. There are lots of different colours and sizes, many of which have only been used for one season. If you would like a pair then please just pop into the uniform shop during their normal opening hours to pick up/try a pair on.

ROTORUA MINI MARATHON

DATE: Friday 3rd May 2019 (No Postponement)
VENUE: Energy Events Centre, Rotorua
TIME: Check-in at 9:00am. First race at 10am. Prize-giving at completion of Mini Marathon.
AGE: Year 1 - 8 Children
COST: $5.00 per child to be paid to the school office with your entry form
ENTRIES CLOSE: Friday 5th April 2019. No late entries will be accepted, this is Sport BOP Policy.

Entry forms have been sent home with children. We do have a bus available on the day for only $2 per child, however there are limited seats so this will be filled on a 'first in first served' basis.
To view all the information and entry forms please look under the 'Sports- Events' tab on our school website click here

TOUCH - FLIPPABALL - CRICKET

Final week for Flippaball next Tuesday 9th April 2019.

Click here to view the flippaball draw WEEKLY DRAWS

IMPROVE YOUR SWIMMING WITH SWIM ROTORUA
If you are wanting to improve your swim skills or build up your fitness, then you should join Swim Rotorua. We are a very friendly club with over 100 young members training in our Platinum and Diamond Squads at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre. If you are wanting to do well at School Swimming Sports, then please join us and have a go.
If you can swim laps of Freestyle & Backstroke, then please contact Tara Watt on 022 332 6922 or at swimrotoruajunioracademy@gmail.com
Swim Rotorua – building confidence in every swimmer

Marist St Michaels Junior Rugby 2019 Registrations

Marist St Michaels Junior Rugby- 2019
Any queries contact Trudy Edwards Ph 027 6072689.

Holiday Programmes

To view School Holiday Programmes please see our school website - under sports Tab or click here

SPECIAL MENTION

Nate Rowe-Hawkins, Izac Anderson and Isla Adriaansz all competed in the Rotorua MCC Schools MX Challenge held on Saturday the 30th March.
As a team they ended up coming 13th for the primary & intermediate section from schools all over the top half of the north island, with Nate getting a 4th place & Isla & Izac both taking 10th spot. All the kids gave it there all and had a great day representing Saint Marys. Congrats Nate, Isla and Izac!

Ariel Muchirahondo was part of the Swim Rotorua team of 19 athletes that competed at the Waikato Junior Swimming Championships on 23rd and 24th March. The meet, held at the St Peter’s College pool in Cambridge attracted more than 200 swimmers aged up to 12 from around the North Island.

Ariel, 10, led the Rotorua medal charge with 10 individual golds. Ariel was also part of the boy’s medley relay team that secured a gold by a handsome margin. Ariel’s relay team also won bronze in the freestyle event.

If you have anything worth a special mention, sport or otherwise, please email Catherine with a photo if you have one sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz

TERM DATES FOR 2019
Term 1 Monday 4 February to Friday 12 April
Term 2 Monday 29 April to Friday 5 July
Term 3 Monday 22 July to Friday 27 September
Term 4 Monday 14 October to Friday 20 December

Teacher Only Days 2019
31 May COL Teacher Only Day
23 August COL Teacher Only Day

Public Holidays 2019

Waitangi Day 6 February
Good Friday 19 April
Easter Monday 22 April
Easter Tuesday 23 April
Anzac Day 25 April
Queen's Birthday 3 June
Labour Day 28 October