Dear Parents/Whanau On Friday we celebrate St Mary ‘of the Cross’ MacKillop’s feast day. Mary MacKillop started the religious order, the Sisters of St Joseph. A lot of Mary MacKillop’s sayings are on the outside walls of our school. It was these sisters who started St Mary’s Catholic School in 1903. The school, when it first started, was called St Michael’s and was next to St Michael’s Church at Ohinemutu. The school moved to its present site here on Carnot St in 1924 and was renamed St Mary’s in 1958. On Friday we celebrate Mass together and you are very welcome to join us at 9.00am. During the day there are activities focusing on Mary MacKillop’s work that the children will be involved in. We will also be remembering Susan Townes at this Mass and we intend to bless a garden in Susan’s honour later in the day. For those who didn’t know Susan, Susan passed away during the lockdown so we were unable to recognise Susan’s service as an awesome teacher at St Mary’s. Susan taught here for many years and was much loved by children and staff she came in contact with over the years. At the end of this week we farewell Kate Keaney who leaves us to take up a position at St Michael’s School. I would like to thank Kate for being an awesome teacher to the children in Room 14 and I wish her well at her new school. We welcome back Tai Waititi to our staff. Tai comes back to us from Otonga School and she will be teaching in Room 14. Last weekend three of our students were Baptised, Confirmed and made their First Holy Communion. Congratulations and God bless Sophie Stirling, Cameron Gordon, and Amy Daiya-Barkley who are now members of the Church and our Parish. Please keep these children in your prayers and also the many children who are preparing for their First Holy Communion in a few weeks time. Last Wednesday the PTA held their AGM. Thanks to the parents who made an effort to attend. We are so lucky to have an active PTA in our school. They do great work. Not only do they fundraise for us but they also coordinate meals for families/whanau during times of need. During the meeting, Sarah-Louise Tapsell was elected chairperson, the secretary is Jenni McGowan and the treasurer is Giovanna Fredrickson. Renee Cleaver has stepped down after many years as Chairperson. Thanks Renee for your great service as Chairperson over the years and also to Juanita for her meticulous work as treasurer. Both Renee and Juanita are staying on the committee to support the people in new positions. Just a heads up that we have a Teachers’ Only day on Friday 18th September, so there will be no school for our children on this day. Staff will be involved in professional development focusing on science and digital technologies. Our other Teacher only day is scheduled in Term 4 on Friday 13th November. Have an enjoyable week. David Macmillan. PHOTOLIFE : RECENT CLASS PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING - The online ordering system works off each STUDENT'S NAME giving them an individual Photo Access Key to view and order their photographs. Your child will be issued with their Online Photo Access Key slips via their class teacher today as photos are now uploaded and ready to view online. Please attend to your ordering requirements as soon as possible. Free delivery expires at midnight on Sunday 30 August 2020. Please contact the office if you have any queries. - SCHOOL TIMES AND SCHOOL GATE:
FROM MONDAY 10 AUGUST PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING EXPECTATIONS -
Arrival time at school
Students can enter the school grounds from 8.15am each morning. We will try to have a staff member on duty at the Church Carpark gate each morning.
Classes start at 8.45am and we expect all students in class at that time. There are quite a number of children currently still arriving between 8.45am and 9.00am who will need to arrive at school a little earlier please. - Departure from school
Bus students and students who attend After School Care at Glenholme
will continue to be released from class at 2.45pm - All other students
Students will be released from class at 3.00pm and are expected to have left the school grounds by 3.15pm. Please do not tell your child to wait for you on the playground - they need to go to the school gates straight away. (an exception is if your child is being supervised by an adult for a sports practice). - Please note that we are unable to be responsible for your child/children after 3.15pm. This includes the senario that if a student is waiting for their sibling who is at a practice they will not be supervised from 3.15pm onwards.
 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.
Online Uniform Sales: Uniforms are available online via our website using paypal. FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES: Atua Koutou. This Friday we celebrate Mary MacKillop Day. We begin with Mass at 9:00am in the Church. Classes will then come back for a shared morning tea in their rooms, before activity rotations begin. In the afternoon we will have tabloid sports. It is so wonderful to be able to attend Mass as a school again. At this Mass we will also pay tribute to the late Susan Townes. We also remember Sister Carina who retired last year. Mary Mackillop of course was the foundress of the Josephite nuns, the community of Sister Carina.
Mary MacKillop Quote:
“Never see a need without doing something about it”
BERNIE HALL
Director of Religious Studies. Sacramental Programme :
Students who have been working through the Sacramental Programme at St Mary's Church have been given a flyer about upcoming session times : re-starts this coming Sunday 9 August. These are the classes re-scheduled after Covid-19.
If you wish to delay receiving the sacraments until 2021 please contact Andrea at the church office. Phone 3480 289 ext 2. ICAS Tests
We have decided, for a variety of reasons, that this year we will not offer the ICAS tests. University of Canterbury Kiwi Spelling Bee Competition:
This year we will offer an optional opportunity for students to enter the 2020 Kiwi Spelling Bee. It is an online competition administered by the Centre for Assessment and Monitoring at the University of Canterbury. The competition covers grammar, spelling, and vocabulary and will be run during the last 3 weeks of this term. The cost to participate is $9.00 per student. All participating students will be awarded a certificate and prizes will be awarded nationally to the overall top students in each year group. Year 5 and 6 students are eligible to enter. Entry forms will be sent home today with Y5/6 students. If your child wishes to enter, their entry form and payment must be handed into the School Office no later than Wednesday 12 August, by 1pm. NO late entries can be accepted sorry. Lucky Book Orders:
Lucky Book Orders are due back on 7 August by 12 noon. no LATE orders please.
If paying by cheque please make it payable to Scholastic Books.
Please ensure that your child's name and class number are on the order form. Wanted - Coat hangers for school uniform shop:
If you have any spare coat hangers please leave at the school office. Keen Gardeners wanted:
Now that the school roses have been pruned, we would like some assistance weeding the surrounding flower beds. This could be done during the school day - or maybe a Saturday afternoon.
Please contact Dorothy at school if you are able to assist in any way. Thank you. dorothyj@stmarysrotorua.school.nz Emily Conway
Caregiver Recruitment Coordinator
CCS Disability Action, National Office MOB 027 208 2496 EML emily.conway@ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz www.ccsDisabilityAction.org.nz NOTICE FOR ANY STUDENTS ATTENDING ROTORUA INTERMEDIATE IN 2021 : SPORTS NEWS SPORTS DRAWS:
Your coach will let you know when and where your games are each week.
However,you can also find the weekly draw on our school website - click here to access it.
Please note the sports draws can change once published, we will update any teams involved as soon as possible. IMPORTANT:
Sports notices will be made via the School Newsletter and School APP please make sure you are receiving these. If you have registered for sports, please check your emails regularly also. Whaea Leanne - School Sports Coordinator
sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz
027 285 7579 or via School Office 07 348 1701 FOOTBALL - DUTY CLUB
We are the Duty club for Football this Saturday, 8th August. It is expected that 1-2 parents from each team help out on the day.
We are still needing parents/volunteers to help run the BBQ from 9.00am - 1.00pm
Please check your emails or contact me if you can help out.
Thanks,
Whaea Leanne Y5/6 RUGBY TOURNAMENT
Due to low numbers we will NOT be participating in the Y5/6 Rugby Tournament.
We will be in touch with those who have registered - please see below regarding CBOP Rippa Rugby. CBOP RIPPA RUGBY - Entries Due: 3.15pm Friday August 7th 2020
Coaches/Parent help will be required as this is run outside of school hours.
BOP Rugby are proud to announce the first Rippa module for our CBOP school kids.
There will be two divisions - Y3/4 and Y5/6. It will run for 3wks in Term 3.
The key focus for this “new” Rippa / RIP Module is on PARTICIPATION. The objective is to get as many kids as we can, to be active, participate and have an AWESOME, FUN experience. This is a NON competitive tournament –promoting Fun and give it a go!(There will be no Semis
or Finals played).
Dates:
Monday 10th August 2020
Monday 17th August 2020
Monday 24th August 2020
Time: 3:30pm – 5:15pm
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium, Main Field– Entry Via Smith Gate on Devon Street.
Entries Due: 3.15pm Friday August 7th 2020
Cost: $8 per child
If your child is interested in playing, please complete the online registration form HERE. JUNIOR TOUGH GUY AND GAL CHALLENGE
Monday 24th August 2019 (8:30am–12.30pm) REGISTRATIONS to be completed by 3.15pm Thursday 6th August.
Your registration is not complete until your payment has been received. Please click HERE to go to our School registration form. The online google form is the preferred registration. However paper registration forms are available from the School Office. St Mary’s School will be entering a team for the Junior Tough Guy and Gal Challenge. This is a chance for our kids to get involved in New Zealand’s biggest mud run series in a version tailored especially for them! The Junior Tough Guy and Gal Challenge will include many of the same amazing perks as the adult version, such as outstanding goodie bags, challenging obstacles, incredible venue, hot showers and spot prizes. Cost: $25 per child
Payment must be made when registering your child - via online banking to the school acc 06-0209-0229658-00 or via the School Office. Please use Tough Guy as reference and your child's name as code. There are 2 Course Options
Yr 3 & 4 - Ankle Biters 1.5km
Yr 5 & 6 - Little Nippers 3km
Event Timetable
8.30-9.30am Registration and late entries
10.00am: Start (Years 7-8 Boys, Years 7-8 Girls, Years 5-6 Boys, Years 5-6 Girls, Years 3-4 Boys, Year 3-4 Girls) Location
Lakes ranch SH30, a course with spectacular scenery for the ultimate experience. The facilities include hot showers, hot food, coffee for sale and good parking should you want to come along and support your child. To make this a successful & enjoyable event for everyone we will require parent help with transport and supervision. Entering your child yourself
We ask that you still complete the School Online Registration form here especially if your child requires transport to/from the event.
Parents who would like to enter their child online themselves, there is a question section where you must put in their school name and tick a box to say if the Teacher/Sports Coordinator or Parent is picking up the race bag on the day of the event. As long as you put in your full school name and tick the box to say Teacher/Sports Coordinator/Parent will collect the race bag then Event Promotions will be able to link you with St Mary’s and have everything waiting for you on the day of the event. It is very important that you follow these instructions or you will not be linked to our school group. MINI MARATHON - Wednesday 12th August
ENTRIES IN ASAP!
Please ignore the Entry close date on the permission slip, as it applies to schools not parents. We need entries in ASAP so that we can organise transport/parent help.
Date: Friday 25th September (no postponement date) Time: Marshals briefing 9.15am, 10am first race starts
Venue: Energy Events Centre, Queens Drive, Rotorua
Who: Year 1 - 4*
Cost: $5 per child to be paid to the school office with your entry form
ENTRIES CLOSE: permission slip must be returned to the School Office with payment by Wednesday 12th August. No late entries will be accepted, this is Sport BOP Policy.
***Please note that this event is only for Year 1 -4 this year as our Year 5 & 6 students have the Cultural Sports day on the same day.** Please contact Lorna Dobson for enquiries for Mini Marathon, lornad@stmarysrotorua.school.nz BOP Squash Championship
Jacob Egger’s recently participated in the Sports BOP Squash Tournament held here in Rotorua.
With many players having less experience, Jacob showed true sportsmanship throughout all his games. It was a pleasure to witness parents and players approach Jacob, thanking him for giving their child the opportunity to learn, grow and develop their game.
Well done Jacob! You definitely deserved to be the Y5/6 BOP Squash Champion 2020.  ST MARYS NETBALL TRIP
On Sunday, some of our netball players and their whanau travelled to Hamilton to support the Splice Construction Waikato BOP Magic team take on the Mainland Tactix.
What an amazing experience it was for everyone, especially those who were watching their first live game of Netball too. Many left feeling inspired and in awe and ready to take the court this week.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped out, without you this trip would not have been possible.
Special thanks to Claud & Tony Bradley, Brad Johns, Mrs Keaney, Mrs Dinniss, Bryan Graham and the Waikato/BOP Management, Alan from Ready2roll Shuttles and all our parents and nana’s that attended. Looking forward to next year's trip! YEAR 5/6 HOCKEY DEVELOPMENT
The Rotorua Hockey Development Program is on again this year. Please read the flyer below for further information.
Registrations are done directly to Rotorua Hockey via their website, click HERE. PARKS AND RESERVES :
Our Local Council is running a survey to help Council better understand what our community values about local parks and reserves.
We want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and tell us what you value most about your local park or reserve. Survey link - We want to hear from young people too! Get your tamariki to create a picture of the park or reserve that they like to use, and what they like most about it and send it in to Council for a chance to win a family pass for the Redwoods Treewalk and Family Aquatic Centre passes. Click here to find out more about the competition, prizes and how to enter. SPLICE CONSTRUCTION WAI/BOP MAGIC
FINAL HOME GAME - 7.15pm Sunday 9th August, Claudelands Arena, Hamilton. Purchase your tickets via ticketek HERE |
