Kia ora, Ni hao, Dobar dan, Malo e leilei, Hola, Konnichiwa, Talofa, Namaste, Chão, Vannakkam, Kamusta, Hello!

Over the last couple of weeks we have welcomed back, with open arms, our whānau; and you have taken up the call to participate and help out where you can. The number of family members who have been active in our school over the last couple of weeks has been really impressive. Let us continue to build this momentum as we truly live our mission: “Inspired by Mary, we use our Head, Heart and Hands to know, live and share the joy of the gospel.”

Our 2022 schoolwide theme of Tūrangawaewae–a Place to Stand is alive and flourishing as our tamariki and wider community once again comes together in learning.

What’s Been Happening at Our Place?

You walked with our Hub 1 children as they visited our maunga ( Mt Ōwairaka) and gained a deeper understanding of tangata whenua and our Tūrangawaewae. You visited, with the children, our historical Alberton House and learnt as much as the children about the Kerr Taylor Family and Victorian Times. It will be exciting watching the children’s learning evolve over the next few weeks because of these two practical experiences. The outside environment is a crucial learning classroom. The other Hubs have excursions coming up, I hope you will have the opportunity to accompany your child/ren to one or more of these. I personally gained so much from my experience with Hub 1 at Alberton House this week.

We also appreciate whānau support in marshaling our neighbouring streets as the Years 4-6 children began running training this week in preparation for our cross country running events. Thank you also to those parents who have already volunteered their time to help with this event.

Our Garden to Table programme kicked back into action with your ongoing support, and we welcomed Naomi MacDonald as a Garden Leader. This programme continues to provide opportunities for our children to learn important life skills and develop healthy eating choices to build a sustainable future. Come along and see it functioning and lend a helping hand–Wednesdays 9-1pm.

Lunchtime activities are also underway and some others are planned to start soon…from Kapa haka and Chess Club, to Knitting, Library and Running. A huge thank you to Mrs Igarta for teaching our children Chess and to Sheila MacDonald for taking on the Kapa Haka teaching. A big thank you also to the staff who contribute to and support these initiatives, without you all, they could not occur.

Our environment also provides physical & sporting activities from the Cycle Track, football field ( a big thanks to the Pritchard family for their donation towards the new football goals), portable basketball goal and indoor table tennis.

Netball sessions have begun and a huge thank you goes to Mrs Lockie for her overseeing of this sporting code and to all of our fantastic coaches and managers. We wish them all the very best for the session teams!

Our after school programmes started once more with Drama, Art and Music classes being fully subscribed.

The first Open Sessions for Term 2 had incredible support and it was also lovely to connect with some of our newer families to Marist School. Next week’s session is Wednesday 25th May 11.30am-1pm.

Hub 1: Year 5 - Garden to Table, Year 6 - Literacy

Hub 2: Literacy

Hub 3: Literacy - Writing/Reading

Hub 4: Writing and Maths

Hub 5: Maths/Religious

We held our first Hui Zoom this term with our Māori families and others who were interested. This was a very special session and has raised lots of thoughts around what we know, would like to know and how we go about learning more Te Reo Māori and about Tikanga ( Māori practices/customs). The families were reflective and affirming about what, as a school, we are doing and we look forward to sharing more with the whole community later in the term. Again a huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to such a special evening.

Our Pasifika Fono Zoom is next week on Tuesday 24th May 7pm, we hope you can join us if you have an affiliation to any Pacific Nation.

We have a large group of children who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation through the parish programme–First Reconciliation, First Holy Eucharist & First Confirmation. We pray for all of these children as they partake in this next crucial step in their Catholic faith journey.

No matter how little you think you can contribute, we THANK YOU–helping put away readers, helping in the library, sorting in the uniform shop, coaching, managing, contributing through PTFA & BOT—every single one of you makes a difference to our place, our Marist community and your assistance makes a difference for our tamariki—our future! Tino pai!

Please keep the Perera Family, and all those who have lost loved ones, in your thoughts and prayers at this time. We continue to pray for those in our community who are unwell or suffering at the moment.

Do you have a child at home who you are planning on starting at Marist School? We are currently taking enrolments for the remainder of this year and future years.

A friendly reminder even if you have a child already at the school, you need to enrol your younger children as soon as possible please.

Please contact Denise Sampson in the office or email admin@marist.school.nz for more information.

Pre-enrolment and Preference forms can be downloaded at https://www.marist.school.nz/enrolments/ or can be picked up from the school office

Today your children will receive a sponsorship form and a letter as we launch into The Heart Foundation charity Jumping June in preparation for a school event to be held on June 20th. This promotes keeping our tamariki fit in a fun way, learning skipping and jumping skills along the way. The school also benefits from receiving a skipping rope for every child at our school.

Over the next few weeks you can expect to see Spotlight posts showing your child/ren working in a variety of curriculum areas. The children may be working individually, in pairs or collaboratively in a group situation.

If you have not set up your Spotlight App yet or have not been using it, please follow the instructions below and use this App. We will be using this tool to share your child/rens progress and achievement throughout their schooling at Marist School. This will be supported with mid year Better Together Conversations and end of year reports.

There is a PTFA meeting on Tuesday May 24th at 7:15pm via Zoom:

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/95550699576?pwd=Q3c1alh1U2RWaVcvODlyUXluTTB3QT09

Meeting ID: 955 5069 9576

Passcode: X397wm

All are welcome to attend. The focus of this meeting will be the community and fundraising activities for the remainder of the year. If you unable to join but want to volunteer for one of the events please email: PTFA@marist.school.nz

Three teams from Year 5 and 6 are going to represent the school at the Eden Albert Football Tournament next Tuesday 24 May. Thank you so much to our parents who have put hands up to coach and manage, however we are still in need of support for our girls team and with refereeing. If you are free and able to help we'd love to hear from you!

Many thanks to those of you who have already volunteered to assist with our whole school and Eden Albert cross countries. Organising these events are a huge undertaking however and we can never have too much help! If you could help with set up, marshalling or pack up on the 31 May and 21 June please let us know!

Thanks you!

2022 Term 2 Dates - important dates for your calendars!

Monday 23 May - Garden to table Bake Sale 1.15-2pm (continues 3pm if there’s anything left)

Tuesday 24 May - Eden/Albert Soccer (Years 5 & 6)

Tuesday 24th May - 7pm Pasifika Fono Zoom

Thursday 26th May - Hub 4 & 5 Tāmaki Makaurau Trip

Friday 27th May - 2.30pm Hub 1 Celebration Assembly in Church

Monday 30 May - Hub 2 visit to the Auckland Museum

Tuesday 31 May - Whole School Cross Country at the Domain

Wednesday 1 June - Sacrament of First Reconciliation, St Mary's Church 7pm

Friday 3 June - Staff Only Day (SCHOOL CLOSED)

Monday 6 June - Queen’s Birthday holiday

Thursday 16 June - Class photos

Tuesday 21 June - Eden/Albert Cross Country at the Domain

As part of our place Tūrangawaewae Mt. Albert we walked to our mountain Ōwairaka and explored it as we recalled the history of who the first people were and what they came for.

We noticed how there was almost no historical information on the maunga so we created our own virtual tour using the coding tool Scratch. We created a simple program using sequencing and outputs whilst debugging our algorithm in the process. Experience some of our virtual tours below:

Gus, Kaedyn and Nathan B's Ōwairaka maunga tour

Lulu, Violet and Pippa's Ōwairaka maunga tour

Alistair, Anaiah and Ed's Ōwairaka maunga tour

As well as our trip to our maunga, this week we visited Alberton house. We learnt about what living in Mt Albert was like in Victorian times as we explored the beautiful homestead and made out own butter.

This term in Hub 1 we have been learning about Anzac day. We explored items from the past. Each item carries a very different story. We investigated what the objects were and who they were connected to. Read what we found out.

William’s Dental History

What is this object and how is it connected to New Zealand?

This object is William Henry Lynch’s dental history. The army had to make sure soldiers were healthy so they had to visit William Lynch and make a record before he went to war. It is connected to New Zealand because he was an ANZAC soldier.

Who are the people connected to it?

William Henry Lynch is connected to this because it shows his dental record and how this affected him joninng the army soldiers. Soldiers had to have strong teeth- strong enough to bite into the army biscuits, hardtack. If they didn’t have good teeth they wouldn’t be allowed in the army!

What is something interesting about its story?

William Henry Lynch had such bad teeth he had to have them all removed and had to wear dentures. When the war started 35% of people were rejected from the army due to bad teeth.

By Naila and Janelle.

Map of Girdlestone’s Track

What is this object and how is it connected to New Zealand?

The object that we picked is the map of Girdlestone`s track. Hurbert Earle Girdlestone drew the map and the people named after him. Hubert was killed in action.

Who are the people connected to it?

The person connected to the map is Hurbert Earle Girdlestone.

He was an ANZAC soldier in the war. He worked as a surveyor for the New Zealand government. He was also an alpine climber. He especially loved the Tararua Ranges, and spent a lot of his time there, working and climbing.

By Benjamin, Raphael and Otis

KJ Strack’s Memorial

What is this object and how is it connected to New Zealand?

The object is an article in a newspaper about a memorial for Karl Justus Strack. It’s connected to New Zealand because he grew up in New Zealand and his family lived there. Karl was an ANZAC soldier.

Who are the people connected to it?

Karl loved his family and Lily Hulbert. Lily and Karl were not formally engaged but that they had 'an understanding'. Lily donated the Hymn Board to Karl's Methodist Church in Hawera but did not attend the opening.

Karl was killed in action somewhere in France on October 4th 1917 for his country. Karl Justus Strack also wrote letters about his fond memories of his hometown, Hawera, (a town in the North Island), to his family, and told them about the hymn book he carried everywhere. When his memorial was published in the local newspaper, they included beautiful passages he’d written.

What is something interesting about its story?

A hymn book may seem like something most people would take for granted, but for Karl, it was an important reminder of his love of music and his time at Sunday School. Receding hymns took him to a place he remembered being surrounded by happiness and love.

By Tara, Ava and Hunter

Check out Willow's cool and informative slide show!

Have been sharing their taonga - our family treasures - with their Hub whānau. Kowhai shared a beautiful photo of her great, great grandmother.

Mila's mum, Aimee, came in to help Mila show Hub 2 her grandfather's amazing carving taonga.

My Taonga is special because it was my Nana's mum's.

It is a silver necklace with beautiful patterns and it can open up. My Nana’s mum used to keep matches in it.

The case is silver and is the shape of a banana. It is decorated with crosses and flowers.

My Nana gave this to me and I got it when I was 9 years old. I don't wear it very often because it is precious. I keep it in the bottom of my jewelry box with all of my special things.

By Sophie Billings

The whole hub got involved in presenting their family treasures.

This term, our Year 5 had their first sessions in the garden and kitchen.

It has been an exciting few weeks exploring the garden and learning new skills in the kitchen.

In the garden the children were harvesting, weeding and planting. They also learnt the names of different garden tools and how to use them.

In the kitchen, the children started their knife skills training. In week 1, they prepared and cooked Greens and Cheese Fritters for everyone to enjoy. Click here for the Green and Cheese fritters recipe. This is one of the most popular recipes from Garden to Table.

In Week 3, they prepared and cooked another favourite recipe Vegetable Risotto. Click here for the Vegetable Risotto recipe. They also made Beetroot and Chocolate mini cakes. Click here for the Beetroot and chocolate mini cakes recipe.

The children have also been making delicious teas using ingredients from our wonderful tea garden.

Volunteers

We need you 😀

Garden to Table relies on regular and dedicated volunteers to help small groups of children in kitchen and garden classes. They are a much-valued and essential part of our school's Garden to Table team and without them our programme cannot run.

If you would like to volunteer either occasionally or on a regular basis please sign up using Sign up Genius or email s.white@marist.school.nz

Welcome

We are delighted to welcome Naomi MacDonald to the Garden to Table team. Naomi will be working with Helena in our garden.

To find out more about the Garden to Table programme please watch this Garden to Table video. You can also follow our journey with Garden to Table on our school blog https://maristgardentotable.blogspot.com/

• Sacrament of First Reconciliation - Wednesday 1st June 2022, 7pm in the Church

Classes @ 8.45am; Sundays 15th, 22nd & 29th May 2022 (in Marist Primary’s new classrooms)

• Sacrament of Confirmation – Saturday 27th August 2022 at 2pm in the Church

- Classes @ 8.45am; Sundays 12th, 19th & 26th June, 31st July, 7th & 14th August 2022

- Parent/Child Session with worksheets (refresher) @ 8.45am – Sunday 21st August 2022

- Practice with Sponsors – Thursday 25th August 2022, 7pm in the church

• Sacrament of First Eucharist – Sunday, 28th August 2022 – 10 am in the Church

This year we are continuing with Marist Meals - a pastoral care initiative. These meals are provided to families in the school & parish community when a little extra support is needed (e.g. a new baby, sickness, bereavement). With the impact of covid and many of our school and parish families isolating or unwell, it would be great if we could fill up the freezer so we can help lighten the load for families during these challenging times.

If you would like to contribute, we welcome any homemade, brought meals or baking for our freezer. Meals can be dropped off to the school office.

Containers available at the school office.

St Mary's Parish Foodbank is feeding nearly 2000 a month. PLEASE remember them when you are shopping - they are in desperate need of donations! Anything you can contribute will be very much appreciated.

There is a box on the front porch of the presbytery.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support!

Follow these links to read the latest Marist College and St Peter's College newsletters:

Email: admin@marist.school.nz
Website: https://www.marist.school.nz/
Location: 14 Kitenui Avenue, Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
Phone: 09 846 7408