Mālō e lelei,

This week is Tongan Language week and the theme for the week is "Fakakoloa ‘o Aotearoa ‘aki ‘a e Lotu Mo’oni" which in English means "Enriching Aotearoa New Zealand through Prayer and Faith". Each year a different theme is used to promote the richness of the Tongan language and culture within the Tongan community but also for all New Zealanders.

Yesterday our Kahikatea team students had their poetry finals. Congratulations to our place winners.

Year 3:
Abbygail Hesom (1)
Mahaki Dender (2)
Harry Miler (3)

Year 4:
Devpriya Vinod (1)
Peyton Erskine-Shaw (2)
Kieran Groves (3)

All children participating were well prepared and gave good quality performances. Well done to you all

Unfortunately we are unable to join parishioners on Friday for the Nativity Mass so we will be having a liturgy on Thursday in the hall instead at 12.15pm.

Registrations for summer sports are now open. You can register your child via the google form which can be accessed from our school website under ‘Our Sports - Registration Forms’. Unfortunately due to the pool at the Aquatic Centre being modified, flippa ball is not being offered in Term 4.

Our Senior Gymnastic team is competing in the Rotorua Gym festival on Friday. We wish them all the best.

Because of Covid, a number of events have been cancelled. The Rotomaths competition amongst Rotorua schools was planned to take place this term but unfortunately it has been cancelled.

You will receive a form today regarding class placement for your child for 2021. The information you provide will help us with classroom planning for 2021. Please return your completed form to the blue box in the school office no later than Friday 25 September.

Our Food Pantry in the church car park continues to operate well. We get lots of bread on a Monday. So, if you need it, please help yourself. Bread is also placed in the pantry on Thursdays. A number of you are putting items in the pantry too to share with those who need it, so a big thank you to you. If you have any spare fruit, vegetables, preservatives, grocery items please pop them onto the pantry and people who need things can help themselves.

A reminder that we have a Teachers’ Only day on Friday 18th September. We will be involved in professional development focusing on science and digital technologies. If you need care for your child on this day you can contact Mary-Ann Roling to book a place for your child.(PHONE 0211 215599) Our other Teacher only day is scheduled in Term 4 on Friday 13th November.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
You may be aware through the media, of a very disturbing post of a live suicide by shotgun which has appeared on platforms such as Tik tok, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please be aware of this presence on the internet and be very vigilant about what your children are viewing.
This is the advice from the Mental Health Foundation and the Chief censor:
The Mental Health Foundation has issued a warning to Kiwi parents and caregivers over a distressing video circulating on social media.
"Do not share this video under any circumstances," Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said in a statement.
"And don't share websites or places it can be found. It puts vulnerable people at an extremely high risk of real harm."
Anyone who may be affected by the video is urged to take a few days off from TikTok and other social media platforms, where it may continue to be shared in the upcoming days.
Chief censor David Shanks says parents need to be aware of this video so they can support their tamariki to be safe and avoid watching it.

AND FROM NETSAFE:
It is important to be aware of the need to talk with young people who have heard about this video and to encourage them to express their feelings in response to the video. We recommend that having regular, open conversations at home around online safety is important to help young people navigate the myriad of digital challenges they will experience.

You can read more on our parental control advice page here. There is an option to switch to Safe Search when using Google search or alternatively, you can consider looking into this article to block Google images without blocking Google search.

Kind regards,
David Macmillan, Principal

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.

PROMOTION FOR LUNCHONLINE : Refer a friend - who subsequently makes an order -
and you go into the draw to win $500 - check out their website

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING : ****RESCHEDULED

Year 2 Parent Information Evening - Rescheduled

When: Rescheduled for Wednesday 23 September (providing we are at Alert level 1)
Time: 7.15 - 8.00pm
Where: Room 14
Who: The target group for this meeting is parents who will have a student in Year 3 in 2021.
Parents with students at other levels at our school are also very welcome to attend this meeting, if they wish.

Purpose of meeting: To help parents gain a better understanding of how and why we use both G Suite for Education (formerly called Google Apps for Education) and Chromebooks, to assist our Year 3-6 students with their Learning.

Note: Please feel free to stay behind at the end of the meeting and ask our school staff any questions you may have.

FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES:

Kia tau te rangimārie kia koutou – Peace be with you.

This week we celebrate the birthday of Mary with a school Liturgy on Thursday. This will be at 12.15pm in the school hall. Our students are learning that without Mary there would be no Jesus. That Mary was chosen because she was willing to do God’s will and ready to receive the Holy Spirit.

From Father Eamon: In Alert Level 2 we are back to booking in for Mass. Here is the link. We also have the ministry of Health QR Code in both churches for those who have the government app installed on their phone.Please make sure those who do not get this email or FB know about this weekend’s Mass schedule.
https://www.cognitoforms.com/AlexBailey1/_1516AugustStMarysStMichaels

Nga manaakitanga

BERNIE HALL
Director of Religious Studies.

SPORTS NEWS

SUMMER SPORTS TERM 4

REGISTRATIONS are now open for Term 4 Sports. This will be an online google form for each sport,
Touch Registration here
Cricket Registration here
The forms can also be found on our School Website under Our Sports - Registration Forms here
Registrations close 3.15pm Wednesday 16th August. We can no longer accept late registrations, so please ensure you complete these in time.
This will be a new process for many, so please contact me directly if you require any help or have any questions.

FLIPPABALL:
There will be NO Flippaball for Term 4 due to the Aquatic Centre 50m pool undergoing maintenance.

TOUCH RUGBY:
This year grading will take place on Saturday 17th October. It is important our teams are participating in this, so please keep this in mind when registering your child.
Grading Day: The proposed start: Years 1-4 at 10.00am, Years 5-8 at 12.00pm.
The Junior Touch competition will then start:
When: Tuesday 20 October (Years 5&6) Wednesday 21 October (Years 1-4)
Where: Westbrook Fields, Devon St, Rotorua.
Cost: $25 per player
The Junior Touch competition will run for 8 weeks ending Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th December.
Managers & Coaches Meeting
The Managers & Coaches evening will be held at Rotorua International Stadium, Devon Street on Monday 28th September, 6.00pm. There will also be a referee session, this is a great opportunity to learn the game and be able to step in as a referee if need be.
Uniform: School issued Singlet & PE Shorts. Please make sure you have a sports bond in place and have returned ALL school issued uniform, no uniform will be given without a bond & with outstanding uniform.
No bare feet or metal sprigs. Players are to wear closed shoes eg sports shoes.

CRICKET:
Superstar Academy* (Y2-4 mixed), Incrediball (Y4-6 mixed), Incrediball (Y3-6 girls)
*There is no cricket for Y0-1 this term.
When: Thursdays from 3.30-5.00pm approx. Starting 29th October until 10th December.
Where: Smallbone Park, Devon Street, Rotorua.
Hardball Cricket* (Y5&6 or experienced Y4 - mixed)
When: Saturdays from 8.30am onwards - Starting 31st October until 12th December.
Where: Games are played on grounds in either Rotorua or Tokoroa.
Cost: $30 per player.
All equipment is provided by Rotorua Cricket.
*If we only have enough players for one hardball team then this team will be a selected team
*Please note if a player plays both Incrediball and Hardball then only one fee will be charged.
UNIFORM for all year levels is the School PE top & shorts. Hardball can choose to wear cricket whites (pants only). Our School Uniform shop is open Monday & Friday 8.30-9.00am and Wednesday 2.30-3.00pm or you can order online via our School Website here

GIRLS CRICKET - HAVE A GO SESSIONS:
We will be running an Incrediball ‘have a go’ session for our year 3 - 6 girls.
This will be run over 2 days. The aim is to encourage enough girls to enter 1-2 teams for Thursday after school cricket.
Who: Open to all girls from Y3 - 6.
When: Thursday 10th & Monday 14th September - Lunchtime.
Where: School Field (Cricket Nets)
Thanks to Shane Neilson who has kindly volunteered to run these sessions.

JUNIOR TOUGH GUY & GAL CHALLENGE
Registrations are open again for this event. Registrations close 3.15pm Wednesday 16th September.
Event details and Registration Form can be found on our School Website here under 'Our Sports > Registration Forms'

SPORTS TEAM PHOTOS
Thanks to Jeremy Hill Photography, we will be doing Sports Photos this year.
Winter sports team photos will take place on Tuesday 22nd September from 9am in the School Hall. Photos will be $17 each. An email will be sent to sports parents letting you know what your child will need to bring and how to purchase photos. Please email Whaea Leanne should you have any questions.

Whaea Leanne - School Sports Coordinator
sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz
027 285 7579 or via School Office 07 348 1701

Holiday Art Academy: 28 September to 9th October

In the September/October holidays we are running two awesome 5-day programmes. Young artists (8-12 yrs) will learn new skills, make new friends, try new materials, and create cool art to take home and share with their whānau.

Our program is taught by local artist and educator Maui Riley, and provide a stimulating environment for nurturing young creatives. Each week runs Monday to Friday, from 9am - 3pm each day.

12:1 Supervision Ratio
Cost: $150 per week
All materials are supplied but BYO kai & drink bottle.

Programme link here
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9ukUjuybrYc2vgnOmpQhZfGIrLygnpVp6cZRt1VGX0Pp4XQ/viewform

HEADFIRST TRAVEL ..... options for school holiday trips :

Headfirst is a NZ wide tourist bus company with a depot in Rotorua. Like so many who are without tourists at the moment they have put together a cost based programme of trips aimed at the school holidays to try and give local children a chance to visit places during the school holidays at extremely good prices.

Any questions please direct to :

Neil Carr
Operations Manager

M:+64 27 4367253
Headfirst Travel
Bringing Alive Local Legends
www.headfirsttravel.com
www.tomydoor.kiwi

PTA CARING COMMITTEE:
Our school has a hospitality group to provide support to school families e.g. meals, school lunches, baking. This is a service we can provide at times of sickness or loss of a family member. WE NEED YOUR HELP! The more volunteers the more the responsibility can be shared. Any help appreciated. Please phone the school office if you have any questions or complete details below.

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Meals ................. School lunch ................... Baking ......................

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