St Mary's School

Kia ora e te whānau,

Rooms Kiwi and Kea have been our leaders in prayer for the last two weeks. Room Kiwi shared with us the book they have created alongside Father Sani about the different places, objects and meanings in our Church. They have kindly made a bound book with lots of great photos in it for each class to have in their classroom library. If you'd like to learn more about the Catholic Church, pop in to your child's class and have a read.

Room Kea's prayers were focused on why Jesus loves them and as per usual, they had some great ideas to share. Also, check out their beautiful, vibrant art. Aren't they clever?

Jesus loves me because I help people when they get hurt. Skylah

Jesus loves me because I am caring and kind. Arthur

Jesus loves me because I play soccer with Patrick. Fletcher

Jesus loves me because I am creative. Toby

Jesus loves me because I am special. Taleah

Jesus loves me because I am kind to others. Martha

Jesus loves me because we are his best creation. Carter

Jesus loves me because I can make 3D beads. Hunter

Jesus loves me because I pray to him. Jack

Jesus loves me because I play with others and help others. Murphy

Jesus loves me because I am kind. Zef

Jesus loves me because I like making stuff for people. Patrick

Jesus loves me because I try my best in everything I do. Kate

Jesus loves me because I have an awesome smile. Ollie

Jesus loves me because I love my parents. Cassie

Jesus loves me because I pray to him. Shara

Jesus loves me because I show Faith, Hope and Love. Declan

What does Jesus love about you?

We hope you have a fantastic holiday break and we look forward to seeing you all back on Monday 29th April.

Ma te Atua e manaaki - God bless,

Mallory

Principal | Tumuaki

Wowee!! How lucky are we?? Check out the awesome new playground painting that's appeared around our place over the last week. The kids are absolutely loving each and every one of them!

While we love a good miracle, this certainly wasn't one - lots of generosity of labour and materials was given for this outstanding outcome.

Some thank you's:

• My mate, Mr Puna at Gore Main School for putting me onto the fact that the stencils were in town for the week

• Gemma O'Neill and the crew at Active Southland for supplying the brand new stencils free of charge and squeezing us into the schedule while they were in Southland

• Dulux New Zealand for generously donating all the vibrant concrete paint #duluxnewzealand

• Our Home and School Committee particularly Gemma Perry who designed the layout and organised the troops (she also dragged her poor husband Shane Mulqueen into a few days labour), Laura Braithwaite and Vanessa Bennett, and some of our awesome TA's Rachael Smith and Jackie Ashby who hung around one afternoon to help out.

Call in and have a look - you'll be super impressed! Thanks again to all those who made this possible.

St Vincent de Paul are an amazing support in our local community and school. They are always there to support families in need, and we use them quite regularly. Their support often ensures all our children are able to attend camps, buy school uniforms, and have lunch and food on the table each day. If you are able, our Young Vinnies would love to be able to help them fill up their cupboards.

Alex and the family team at Brock Deer got 1st and 3rd in the 2yr old velvet class at the NZ Rising Stars Velvet Competition in Hamilton recently. The velvet weighed in at 7.3kgs and 8.2kgs. Here is Alex proudly holding the trophy they won, and what a beauty it is too!

Here are the crew who spent Tuesday afternoon setting up our brand new tunnel house, care of the Home and School Committee. The Home and School have also shouted us a subscription to the Garden to Table programme which teaches children how to grow and cook their own vegetables. Thanks to Hilary, Simon, Abby, Ryan, Mel and Laura for all their help getting this beast put up. Mrs Snell is excited to get the programme up and running later next term.

A message from Hilary: Friday (12th April) from 12pm can we please have as many helpers and wheelbarrows as possible to get the dirt in place for the vege gardens and tunnelhouse?

Hasn't he done well? Congratulations to Charlie Sloper who won the Rider of the Term award and a trophy to match from the Eastern Southland NZRDA. Keep up the good mahi, Charlie.

Ivy learned about Gore Cat Rescue when a kitten was dumped in February at her Granny's house. Gore Cat Rescue arranged a foster, vaccination, and eventually desexing before rehoming the kitten. Since then Ivy has been determined to earn money to sponsor (and name) a kitten through making and selling loom band bracelets for 20c.

Ivy has since teamed up with Aubree and they have been busy over the last few weeks making the loom bands - how kind are they? They reckon they've sold HEAPS and they must have because they've already made $18.50. Their families are going to top that up to make up to the $50 donation to sponsor a cat for the Cat Rescue. Well done Ivy and Aubree, we've loved seeing our Catholic Social Teachings put into action and your kindness towards animals would make Jesus super proud (just like we are). Ka pai.

Even though ANZAC Day unfortunately falls in the holidays, at St Mary's School we never forget! Cooper and Nikolai from Room Pīwakawaka have created these super cool pieces of art based on The Ode. Check out that super neat handwriting! Ka pai boys.

They shall grow not old

As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

We will start next term with an ANZAC Liturgy, 9am Monday 29th April

Climbing up the cliff face, bullets flying over my head, dodging them all. Hiding behind big bushes, peeking over the bushes and seeing dozens of Turkish soldiers shooting at us. Grabbing our guns, and shooting back. Running up to the enemy but there are more than we expected. Jumping into the safety of our trenches. Loading my gun and firing through the gloomy, misty sky. Crackling fire fills the battlefields, and blood-stained bodies fall to the bottom of the cliff. Thinking to myself, is this the end for me?

By Brock Cunningham

Puffing and huffing up the rocky, grassy hill. Dodging all the bullets I can. Frantically diving down to get cover. Feeling so so nervous. Fumbling around with the scope on my gun. Boom boom, running towards my mate, blood squirting everywhere. Patching him up and carrying him to the trenches. Suddenly feeling a sharp pain in my leg, is this the end?

By Jacob Coats

Anxiously crouching in the trenches, bullets flying over my head with a bang! Dodging bullets and teammates screaming in pain. It is just chaos! Sharpnel hitting everyone. Blood on the battlefield. Wow, just wow will I survive?

By Riley Heyrick

Rushing off the ship, hearing bullets whooshing through the air, hoping I dodge them, hearing my friends screaming in pain, diving into the trench, feeling the cold wet mud surrounding me. Cannons boom as we anxiously crawl out of the dirty wet trench. More screaming pierces my ears. Cautiously helping my friends to the safety of the trench. Hoping this is not the end!

By Iyla Mantell

Dodging the fast shattering bullets, crouching in the cold, soggy and smelly trench. Pulling the trigger, bang! Listening to the sound of the hot, cracking fire burn. Anxiously looking at the wounded soldiers suffering. Blood-stained bodies crashing to the ground. Smokey and dusty air filling the battlefield. Feeling the sense of someone watching us. Snipers scattered everywhere. Is this the end for me?

By Hannah Hunt

A few weeks ago, Mrs Jane-Anne Windle, a past teacher of St Mary's School passed away. Mrs Windle taught at our school for 38 years and she was everything you could wish for in a primary school teacher. She was generous with her time, loving and patient with a real love for reading.

On Friday we gathered as a school along with Bridget and Susan (2 of Jane-Anne's daughters), her brother Ray, and Mrs Trish Rogers (past DP and new entrant teacher) and Mrs Phil O'Connell-Cooper (past Principal) for a short ceremony before Father Sani blessed the tree we have planted and the plaque we have had made in her memory.

Mrs Windle taught 7 of our current staff members and many of our current parents. As well as being a much loved teacher, she was also a friend and colleague to many, some of whom are current staff members here.

The photo below shows what I believe was her favourite class during her time here at St Mary's. It just happens to have 3 of our current staff members in it. Can you spot them?

*Please note - if you are calling in to see the plaque, it's currently being kept safe inside until it can be concreted in place.

Alongside structured literacy, Room Moa have been busy learning about similes. Here are some examples of their clever writing.

Addison, Esmae and Harper from Room Pūkeko popped into Room Moa during Structured Literacy time to share their skills reading aloud. The big kids (and their teachers) loved it.

These 4 did an outstanding job of Altar Serving over the Easter period. As you will have seen, we have lots of children signed up to take on this role and they are well trained by Father Sani and Rach but if you've been to any services or vigils over Holy Week and Easter, you'll know that these can look quite different so it was fantastic to see these kids take it in their stride. Top work team.

We are delighted to be launching our new communication and reporting system, Hero in Term 2. An online sharing platform with complementary smart app. This will eventually replace our current assessment system for teachers (PaCT), our mid and end of year reports and the School App leaving our Facebook Page and Newsletter for celebrating our students and community.

Hero allows schools to customise an online environment that enables teachers, students, and families to view and share content anytime, anywhere on any device. The software is secure, easy to use and brings together all school-related information in one place.

It will take a year or so to fully implement all its features. With Hero, you will have the ability to:

- read and comment on posts relating to your child’s learning

- view information on your child’s progress and goals,

- read and comment on school notices sent to the class or groups your child is part of

- respond to school notices such as surveys and trip permission requests

- view school term dates

- view a school calendar of events

- notify the school if your child is absent or late

- navigate to other school-related webpages

- customise your account by adding a profile image

- select how you wish to receive notifications

Learning posts combined with curriculum information and goal-setting will form an online report designed to build year-on-year so that over time you will have access to written posts, images, video, work samples, and helpful resources all in one place.

We are looking forward to sharing this with you, including you in your child’s learning journey.

Watch this space.

Please ensure that Di has your correct email address so we can get each families accounts ready to set up.

These wonderful children below have not long started their spiritual journey through the Sacramental Programme. They will spend a number of Sundays throughout the year working with our Director of Religious Studies, Mrs Gray learning more about the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and Holy Communion before they receive them. We ask you to keep these children in your prayers.

A message and offer from Maegan and Nicola Mitchell ...

We are reaching out to you because we are super excited to be hosting a FREE Folk/Country Waiata Workshop for tamariki from year 6 to 10. The workshop is something we’ve been dreaming of putting together for a long time now and kapa haka was such an important part of the time we spent at St Peter’s so we can’t wait to host this event at this year’s Tussock Country Music Festival.

The workshop will be at the Hokonui Rūnanga from 10am-2pm on the 28th of May. The workshop is free however, registrations are essential. At this stage we are aiming to have around 60 tamariki at the workshop so you will need to make sure to get your tamariki in before the workshop fills up.

Info about the day:

We have heaps of exciting things planned! Including learning some waiata that we grew up listening to and learnt when we were in school as well as learning a couple of new waiata written by ourselves and some other Kiwi Folk/Country Artists who we love. Whether you've got experience with te reo Māori or are new to the language there will be something for everyone and a unique opportunity to connect with other tamariki who share our passion for te ao Māori.

REGISTER HERE

Week 11 (8th - 12th April) - Mrs Butterfield and Sheilah

Monday - Monday prayers in the Church - 8.50am - Room Kea

Thursday - Bring a can for St Vincent de Paul

Thursday - John Parsons Parent Evening - TBC

Friday - Room Kea Class Mass - 11am in Room Kea

Friday - Assembly - 2.20pm in the Church

Term 2 - Week 1

Monday - ANZAC Liturgy 9am in Room Kiwi (or Church)

Other Dates:

Next Home and School Meeting - TBC

Next School Board Meeting - TBC

Email: admin@stmarys.school.nz
Website: https://stmarys.school.nz/
Location: 14 Ardwick Street, Gore 9710, New Zealand
Phone: +64 3-208 7733
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1407464649522913