Noa’ia ‘e ma. uri gagaj ‘atakoa (greetings everyone)

The first of the language weeks start in a week. Rotuman is first up. I love language weeks but I also hate them. The fact we have them is so sad, language and culture loss affects so many and is taking so much time to reverse once realised. English is so dominant, and we aren’t even close to England, we are a pacific island, let’s continue to support our friends throughout the pacific in their language revitalisation work.

NEW CATHOLIC PRINCIPAL / TUMUAKI KATORIKA HOU
We are so proud to announce that Dean Isherwood has won the principal position at Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Sumner starting term 3. I could fill the whole newsletter with things Dean has achieved for our school and professionally while at St Anne’s, but we’ll get all gushy later in the term closer to the time he finishes. This post is to give you as a community a ‘heads up’ that there will be change at St Anne’s, but mainly to tell Dean that on behalf of the Board of Trustees, the staff and the community how proud we are of the work he has put in for our school, our kāhui and Catholic Education to now lead in that space. I am taking him with me next week to the Canterbury Catholic Primary Principals Association conference in Hokitika to meet his, soon to be, new colleagues. Whilst I’m sure there will be sadness at the thought of him leaving, I hope the flood of pride that our school (teachers, students and leaders) have grown a catholic leader who will influence and make a difference for a whole community, will wash away that sadness. May God bless him in his work to come. Please congratulate him when you see him!
Photo: I was away so Mr Isherwood was principal. I give prizes for the stars of the week, Mr Isherwood has a party!!! (Matua Te Māio gatecrashing)

SECOND LANGUAGE SPEAKING FOCUS: STARS OF THE WEEK (LAST WEEK) / AROKA KŌRERO: KĀ WHETŪ O TE WIKI (I TĒRĀ WIKI)
Speaking of ‘Stars of the Week’, here are the stars of last week. The term focus is second language conversational use. REPLYING in the second (or third) language (Māori or Sāmoan) or exceptional conversational use will get your child noticed by teachers i.e. actively using the second language without prompting. These students have all been doing this week 1!
Room 2 – Joziah – for having a go at answering questions in Māori across all subjects.
Vasega 10 – Ana – Using Samoan during her library duties to give expectations when looking for books. She did this with no scaffolding or prompts.
Rūma 8 – Gabby – When thanking a Māori speaking adult, used complex Māori without being asked or prompted. 
Room 1 – Jake – Responding to: kei te pēhea koe correctly in Māori.
Vasega 9 – Amos – Using Sāmoan at Ju Jitsu and teaching others what he is learning (in the real world!)
Rūma 4 – Jaime – Using Māori confidently and beginning to converse in it. 
Rūma 3 – Johan – For requesting permission (to do things) and answering questions spontaneously in te reo Māori.
Room 5 – Dylan – For enthusiastically learning reo Māori and immediately implementing new words or phrases.
Rūma 7 – Prue – For speaking using full Māori sentences in discussions or requests in the classroom.

PRINCIPAL’S TRIP (AND MR SHANAHAN) / TIRIPI TUMUAKI (ME A MATUA PALO)
In the last week of the term we celebrated those that had given it everything to achieve our goals for the term which were praying with more meaning and singing our faith songs with more passion. They were treated to a trip up the gondola, the time tunnel, some exploring and the best hot chips in Christchurch!

EX STUDENT SUCCESS / TE ANGITU O ĀKOKA O MUA
Janelia Ainu’u – Year 9 Dean’s award for being a caring and supportive student.
We were notified of this by the principal of Marian College (who was at school today) and Janelia received this for 2025 at last year’s prizegiving. Thanks to Mary Lou Davidson for coming to school today with Theresa Vergara and Kalista Maaya to talk to everyone.

NEAR MISS / MŌREAREA
One of our students was biking home a few days ago on the footpath, as he was going past the entrance to New World on Ferry Road, a car hit his wheel. Skillful as he is, he didn’t fall over, but was witnessed by pedestrians and the driver was told all about it. This highlights the need to remind our children to be alert, wear a helmet, and be bright. Also traveling in groups can help to be seen. We don’t want to scare you off using wheels or feet as the more that do, the more motorists get used to children being around!

LEAGUE AT NGĀ PUNA WAI / RIKI I NGĀ PUNA WAI
As usual, our students represented us with pride at the annual league tournament at Ngā Puna Wai. They played with strength, respect and team work. Thanks to the family/whānau/aiga who were there in support and our teachers for organising.

RĀPAKI
Last week our juniors visited the beautiful Rāpaki Marae. Ngāti Wheke welcomed us with open arms as our children experienced a Māori welcome, a history tour, an information talk on carvings, and then some activities run by our staff and senior students (poi, waiata, pao, haka). It was a beautiful day and look out for some videos popping up on Facebook. Thanks to our five senior students who came, they were great teachers.

CONGRATULATIONS REBEKAH / Ā MĀTOU MIHI KI A REBEKAH
When I first arrived at St Anne’s, Rebekah was a year 8 student. She was always around school as has been part of our amazing Youth Group Team at St Anne’s. Being so amazing with children, she joined us as a teacher aide. When the brand new bilingual teachers training programme began (that I was working with UC on), I convinced Rebekah to jump in. Well, three years later, she finished and is a teacher!! We are so proud of you Rebekah, you have graduated at the same time as being a mother of two beautiful children, you are amazing!
Photo: Rebekah (right) and Bella (left), a student teacher here in the past also. 

KAPA HAKA
This year we were invited into the competition Te Rangaihi. It is a huge event and definitely a competition (our cultural festivals are just celebrations of cultures, not competitions). Unfortunately, as with all competitions, they come with rules. One is 40 students on the stage. We have 90 students in Kapa Haka. In choosing our team, we have been watching weekly for about 4 weeks and had a performance at school on Tuesday. We have been videoing and reviewing between staff and instructors. We have been using the criteria Te Rangaihi will use. We have also asked every child how motivated and committed they are to our approach. Some pulled out as they weren’t ready for the ‘big time’ yet.
Priority was given in split decisions on senior students, as our juniors will get another chance in two years. We have confirmed around 20 students and have another 26 that will continue to work for the last 20 places. So basically we are down to 46 but will form 40 with 6 reserves over the next 10 weeks. Students will need to learn words at home and practice regularly.

Although half the group haven’t made it, no one was bad, we love watching all of you in this space. We thank you for being in the group and the effort you put in. We are working on ways to ensure you still lead in this space in your classrooms and events like welcomes at school. You are also welcome to join again next year when we can be larger again. Thank you for your understanding, and know it pained every member of the four adults to make these decisions. We will send letters home on Monday with those in the final 46.
Photo: Kapa Haka Rōpū performing at the school this week.

BUILDING UPDATE / HAI MŌHIOHIO MŌ TE WHAKAHOU O KĀ RŪMA
We are slightly behind schedule on Rooms 5 and 6, as with the Catholic Education Office, we decided to change the ceiling for better lighting, sound and look. Otherwise, everything is tracking well. Here are pictures of a week and a half ago. We are looking at a completion date of sometime in the second half of this term. Reminder: Room 4 will move to the library, and Rooms 3 and 5 to the Mission Centre  following the completion of Rooms 5 and 6  so that Rooms 3 and 4  can have a similar transformation. Room 9 and 10 will move into the refurbished rooms as the ‘Samoan Unit’.
Looking from Room 5’s door toward what was the whiteboard and teacher storage area.
Looking into what was the cloakroom. Now right through the back room of both rooms.
Looking from entering Room 6 towards what was their whiteboard space.

PLEASE!!REMINDER OF SCHOOL HOURS / TĒNĀ, HE WHAKAMAUHARA TĒNEI O KĀ HAORA KURA
School is open from 8.30am – 3.15pm.  Students are still arriving as early as 8.00am and are not enrolled in Kidsbase.   We have requested this for some time now, and with the added risk of vehicles (for our building) entering and exiting freely outside these times it is particularly important.

LITTER FREE LUNCH BOX REMINDER /  HAI WHAKAMAHARA MŌ TE TINA RĀPIHI KORE
A litter free lunch means no plastic wrap, no foil, no zip lock bags and no packages. Your child can still eat foods that come in packages but please take the food out of their wrappers and packages before putting them in your child’s lunchbox. Thank you for your support.

KĀ HERE / POLICIES
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!

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 (If an event is for your child and you have misplaced the notice, go the the calendar entry on the Skool Loop app for all the information you need for the day)
WĀHAKA RUA
WEEK 2 / WIKI RUA
Friday 1 May – Marian High School Visit

WEEK 3 / WIKI TORU
Monday 4 May – Cross Country Heathcote – palo@stannes.co.nz
Tuesday 5 May – Kapahaka – First week of training for Te Rangaihi (reduced group) principal@stannes.co.nz
Wednesday 6 May – Friday 8 May – Dallas and Dean at CCPPA conference, Jo Smart acting principal
Thursday 7 May – Tagata Mai Saute (lavalava needed) mareta@stannes.co.nz
Thursday 7 May – Rugby Fun Day palo@stannes.co.nz

WEEK 4 / WIKI WHĀ – ROTUMAN LANGUAGE WEEK
Monday 11 May – TTRS WEEK
Monday 11 May – Marian College Open Day

WEEK 5 / WIKI RIMA 
Monday 18 May – Dennis Ngaha (student teacher) starts Room 7
Monday 18 May – Rāpaki trip Rooms 4,7,8 dean@stannes.co.nz

Te Atua te aro’a ‘ē kia manuia,
Dallas Wichman
Tumuaki / Principal / Pū ‘Āpi’i Ma’ata