Kia ora e te whānau,
Welcome back to Term 2!  I hope you all enjoyed a restful and joyful Easter break with your loved ones.

It is with deep sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis, the leader of our global Catholic Church.  His life of service, compassion, and tireless advocacy for peace and justice has left a lasting legacy in the hearts of millions.  At our school, we give thanks for his guidance and witness to the Gospel.  We give thanks for the life and leadership of Pope Francis, whose deep compassion and unwavering commitment to justice and mercy touched the hearts of many around the world

It has been wonderful to see our students return with such energy and focus—their positive start to the term has been impressive.  We are also pleased to welcome Ms Johanna Talbot,  currently teaching in Room 6.  Ms Talbot will be with us until Week 3, when we look forward to welcoming Mrs Mareta Pelenato-Togiaso.  Mrs Pelenato-Togiaso brings with her a wealth of teaching experience, and we are excited for the contributions she will make to our school community.

STORYTELLING CELEBRATION/ WHAKANUI PŪRĀKAU
Our Kāhui Ako is excited to host a storytelling celebration that showcases the rich cultural diversity across our four schools.  Students will begin by sharing a traditional cultural story in their classrooms next week, with the chance to progress to a school-wide celebration. Two standout storytellers from each school will be selected to form a special Kāhui Ako storytelling group, who will then perform at each school in our hub.  Stories must be culturally based, delivered solo with minimal cue card use, spoken in English, Māori, a mix of both, or a home language, and be under 10 minutes, with no visual aids.

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIOCESE/HE HARERE NĀ TE PĪHOPATANGA
The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch would like to thank everyone for their patience as they transition to the CathConnect system.  While they had hoped to be in a position to invoice the 2025 Attendance Dues and Special Character Contributions by now, they have had some delays.  It is likely that invoices will not be issued until June, at which point they will be able to advise you of the new bank account details and referencing required for payments. In the interim, please continue with any payment plans you currently have in place.  The Diocese will be working closely with our parish to ensure these payments are correctly applied to your account once the invoice is issued.  All payments made to the parish for these costs will be transferred to the diocese in due course.

Amounts for 2025 are as follows:
– Attendance Dues $500 + GST – total of $575
– Special Character Contributions $60

If you have any questions regarding this, please get in contact with the team via email dues@cdoc.nz or phone Lydia 03 378 3642 or Petro 03 353 0758.

REVOLUTION CAMP/HOPUNI
Revolution Camp inspires taiohi /young people to revolutionise their lives and change the world through their relationship with Jesus Christ.  Revolution Camp includes inspiring conversations, crazy games, creative activities, the Sacraments, and lots of fun and friendship!

Revolution Camp is for Year 7-9 students from 27-29 June.  Woodend Christian Camp is the host, and tickets are already selling fast, with early bird pricing available.  Get a group together from your Parish and School and make this the best camp ever!  All the details and the link to register are at www.cyt.org.nz/revolution.  Sponsorship is available, and donations to support these are welcome.  Enquiries and any other questions to mcurrie@cdoc.nz.

PINK SHIRT DAY/ RĀ HĀTE MĀWHERO
In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day works to create schools, workplaces, communities, and whānau where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected. On Friday the 16th of May 2025, we will celebrate Pink Shirt Day.  We ask that students bring a gold coin donation to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation to help fight bullying.

We will be transformed into a sea of māwhero/pink as we stand together to spread aroha, celebrate diversity, and end bullying!  The Faith Team will create a coin trail outside the office.  Wear anything pink with your school uniform – a ribbon in your hair, a t-shirt, some shorts, a dress, or more! Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, stop bullying!

SCHOOL GRIT CHALLENGE/ WERO MANAWANUI O TE KURA
Our school’s GRIT Challenge is back!  Following our Pink Shirt Day celebrations, we dive into the heart-pounding excitement of our school GRIT Challenge (Cross Country).  Picture this: students dashing through our school grounds and exploring the adjoining creek.  It’s bound to be muddy, wet, and absolutely exhilarating!

Remember to pack a change of clothes that can handle a bit of adventure, and for those planning to pick up their children by car, a couple of towels for post-run comfort is a wise idea.  The fun kicks off after lunch, and we extend a warm invitation to all parents to join us in cheering on our students.  Our seniors will lead the charge, setting an inspiring example for our younger ones as they tackle the challenge with grit and determination.  It’s an event you won’t want to miss!

AIGA DAY/ RĀ WHĀNAU
We’re excited to announce that Aiga Day will begin in Week 3 and will be held each Friday in the Mission Centre.  Led by Mrs Pelenato-Togiaso and Ms Tiatia. Aiga Day is a special time to celebrate family, culture, and identity—values that are deeply rooted in Pacific Island traditions. The word aiga means “family” in Samoan, and these sessions will focus on fostering cultural awareness and connection among our students.  We look forward to the richness these gatherings will bring to our school community.

WEEKLY BASKETBALL COMPETITION/WHAKATAETAE PĀHIKETEPAORO
The school’s basketball teams begin their weekly competitions at Cowles Stadium starting next week.  Our Saints team (Year 5 & 6) will play on Tuesdays, while our Chargers team (Year 7 & 8) will take the court on Thursdays.  We wish both teams the very best of luck for the season ahead!  Game draws and updates can be found on the Canterbury Basketball website.  Mr Shanahan has also emailed parents.

PARKING/TŪNGA WAKA
We kindly ask all families and staff to refrain from parking on the church grounds during school drop-off and pick-up times.  Fr Job has shared that parishioners, particularly our elderly community members attending daily Mass, are finding it difficult to access parking, and the priests are also experiencing challenges using the driveway.  Your cooperation will go a long way in supporting our parish and ensuring the church remains accessible to all. Thank you for your understanding.

TEACHER ONLY DAY/RĀ MŌ KĀ KAIAKO ANAKE
On Monday, the 19th of May, we have another Teacher Only Day.  Please remember there is no school as our staff, St James, St Mary’s, and some from Catholic Cathedral College, are all working on the new Mathematics Curriculum.  We apologise for the inconvenience to you.

POLICIES / KĀ HERE
A reminder, if you are interested and would like to take part in our termly reviews of policies, or are interested in any, they can be found here. Please follow the link and then have a look around!
He mea maumahara tēnei, mēnā tō hiahia, tirohia kā here, mahia kā arotake hoki. Kai konei kā here. Whāia te honoka, kātahi, tirohia!

Finally, as we begin this new term together, may we be guided by the simple yet powerful words of Pope Francis: “We all have the duty to do good.”  May his legacy continue to inspire us daily and in the way we care for one another within our school and wider community. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

UPCOMING EVENTS / KĀ TAIOPEKA E HAERE MAI ANA
If you have any questions, please email or talk to the person whose email address follows the reminder. If there is no email address, it is just something to be aware of.
Mēnā he pātai āhau, īmēra atu te īmēra kua tuhia, kōrerotia ki te takata kua whakaikoatia. Mehemea kāhore he īmēra, he mea hai whakamōhio noa iho.

TERM 2 / WĀHAKA RUA
WEEK 2 / WIKI RUA
Friday 9 May – Mrs Pelenato -Togiaso’s Welcome ateliana@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 3 / WIKI TORU
Wednesday 14 May – St Thomas of Canterbury College Open Day, 9-12noon
Thursday 15 May – Cross Country Training at Ferrymead Park palo@stannes.co.nz
Friday 16 May – Room 8 Trip to Travis Wetlands palo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 4 / WIKI WHĀ
Monday 19  May – Teacher Only Day – No school
WEEK 5 / WIKI RIMA
Thursday 5 June – Catholic Cathedral College Open Evening https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DQmgd58pA/
WEEK 6 / WIKI ONO
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Samoan Language Week
Monday 2 June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday – No school
Wednesday 4 June – South Zone Cross Country palo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 7 / WIKI WHITU
Thursday 12 June- First Reconciliation janette@stellamarisparish.org.nz
WEEK 8 / WIKI WARU
Friday 20 June – Matariki Public Holiday – No school
WEEK 9 / WIKI IWA
Monday 23 June – Zone Basketball Tournament palo@stannes.co.nz

TERM 3 / WĀHAKA TORU
WEEK 1 / WIKI TAHI
Monday 14 July – 9am start for first day back

God bless,
Dean Isherwood
Acting Principal