Newsletter Week 2 Term Three

Kia Ora,

Today our Junior and Senior Kapa Haka groups headed off to Aquinas College in Tauranga for the Annual Kahui Ako Ahurei. Our Junior Kapa Haka performed beautifully and I was very impressed with them on and off the stage. In fact they were awesome.

Our Senior Kapa Haka are still to perform. Thanks to Tai Waititi, Lorraine Thomson, Delwyn Bowen, Alan Davey and Matt Lilley, along with our Kapa Haka Tutor, Koro, for preparing our Tamariki, and thanks also to the parents who accompanied us.

Our Matariki Cultural Dinner is planned for Thursday 10th August in our school hall. This will be our 10th Dinner that has been hosted by our Whanau roopu. All the past dinners have been successful and a lot of fun. All families are invited to bring a dinner dish to share. Families can bring a lantern made using a can and a candle.

Tomorrow we start our 'Mini Munchy' Makers Competition with our Year 5 & 6 students. This is a cooking competition and it will be running on a Thursday lunchtime for the rest of the term. Room 5 starts with eight teams of three and after five weeks eight teams from all the Year 5 & 6 classes will be chosen to be involved in four cooking classes and then the teams will compete in a final cook-off in the last week of the term.

Our Three Way Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday 1st August from 3.10 pm to 6.00 pm and Wednesday 2nd August 3.10 pm - 5.30 pm. You need to go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and enter the event code 6hk6w.

The purpose of the conference is so parents/students/teachers can co-construct literacy, maths and values/key competency goals.

The Key Competencies are capabilities that help your child learn. Using the scale, you tick the appropriate box that you think best describes your child. Please return the form to your classroom teacher by Friday the 28th of July. This document will form part of the discussion, in order to co-construct your child’s next learning goals, at the learning conferences.

I hope you have a great week.

TERM 3 DATES:

Tuesday 1 August : 3-way conferences

Wednesday 2 August : 3-way conferences

Thursday 10th August Matariki Cultural dinner

Friday 11th August Mary Mackillop Mass

Thursday 24th August Tough Guy/ Girl Challenge

Monday 28th August Chess Regionals at St Mary’s

Friday 8th September Nativity of Mary Mass

Wednesday 13th September STEAM afternoon/evening

Tuesday 19th September to Friday 22nd September MAD School Art Exhibition - Art Village

Tuesday 19th September Totara Team Exhibition

Thursday 21st September Mini Munchy Makers final cooking competition

Friday 22nd September Final Day of Term 3

Ngā mihi

David Macmillan

This week we are starting a Baptism Programme at school. We have around 14 children involved for the next 4 weeks. The sessions will be carried out in school time and then the children will have the chance to join in the celebration of Mass each week.

On Friday 11th August at 9 am, we will be having a whole School Mass to celebrate the feast day of our special Saint Mary Mackillop. Everyone is most welcome to join us.

Today is the feast day of St. Joachim and St. Anne. They were the parents of Mary the Mother of Jesus. It took them many years to conceive a baby, but an Angel appeared to them and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child.

Here is a little prayer for you to say to Joachim and Anne today.

God our Father, you gave Saints Anne and Joachim the privilege of Mary, the Mother of your incarnate Son. May their prayers help us to attain the salvation you have promised to your people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed week. God bless you all.

Lorna Dobson, DRS.

Lucky book orders due back 4 August 12 noon, no late orders please. Please ensure that your child’s name and classroom number are on the order form otherwise the order will remain in the office. There are 2 ways of paying either 1) through the loop system which is on web page LUCKY Book Club | Scholastic New Zealand and selecting the parent’s tab, or 2) paying cash and sending the money and order form to the school office. If the order is a gift then please mark this clearly and you will be contacted to collect the order from the office.

There is a free book giveaway promotion for online orders only

Spend $30 + = 1 free book

Spend $50 + = 2 free books

Spend $70 + = 3 free books

Lucky books donates the school 15% of the total amount spent to purchase extra books or on classroom resources

IMPORTANT NOTICES.

• JPC enrolments for 2024 close 4th of August

• Photolife orders have arrived and were sent out last week.

Term 3 got underway with 2 teams of 5 players competing in an online tournament here at school. Our teams finished 1st and 3rd, but more importantly the children were challenged. They won games that they were behind in (which was great ) but also lost games when they were on top (also great learning.)

Claire won all her games, but had to fight really hard in a couple of her games. Well done again.

For our experienced players the tournaments this term are about practising and building towards the Nationals later in the year. While we may have 14 qualifiers for these Nationals, unfortunately we are only allowed to take a team of 8.

For all Year 5’s and below, the next two terms are about playing as much as possible and practising heaps. Remember Wednesday lunchtimes are practice days for anyone.

Outside of this I am trying to work through small group sessions with children.

Other great ways for them to play are = spare time in class against each other or online via Chesskids.com (a safe and free chess website suitable for children.)

From Wednesday 2nd August I will be starting after school practice for those who want to or can make it. It will be in Room 2 and run from 3.15 to 4.00pm.

Special thanks to all the parent support I get for chess. It is really appreciated and enables the children to participate in a greater number of tournaments.

I am still doing metal recycling (now for both the Chess and Golf clubs), so any scrap metal is welcome. So far this year we have raised over $800, which is greatly appreciated.

Happy chessing

Mr G

After School Painting Drawing and Mosaic Classes With Janet Keen

Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays

3.30pm to 4.30pm or 4.35pm to 5.35pm.

Enrolling new people aged 7 and upwards now for the rest of term 3 and 4.

Text 027 3513887 for more details.

Email: janet@jkeen.net

www.janetkeen.blogspot.com

Cricket - Incrediball & Hardball

Registrations are open for incrediball and hardball. Registrations close the 8th of September 2023

All information and registration link is on our website under sports.

Supersmash cricket information hasn't come out yet, but the website will be updated once the information is to hand.

Tough Guy and Girl

Registrations close: 3.15pm this Friday 28th July 2023

All information and registration link is on our website under sports.

When: Thursday 24th August 8.30am - 12.30pm
Where: Lakes Ranch, 79 Rotokawau Rd, Rotorua
Who: Years 4 - 6 children only
How: Own transport / carpool if possible (note: we can not guarantee transport for your child)

Football

Please keep in your diary the 5th of August and the 2nd of September. These are our next club duty days.

I have also emailed all coaches to see who is interested in the Rotorua Junior Festival. See flyer below.

Please send any team photos through to sports@stmarysrotorua.school.nz