Kia ora e te whānau,
What an unforgettable day we’ve had at St Anne’s today! We kicked things off with Pink Shirt Day, celebrating kindness, inclusion, and standing up against bullying. It was fantastic to see our students and staff proudly wearing pink and spreading positive messages throughout the school.
In the afternoon, we rolled straight into our GRIT Challenge (Cross Country) — and what a challenge it was! Our students tackled the muddy, wet course with determination and courage, weaving through the school grounds and along the creek. From our youngest runners to our senior leaders, every student showed grit and team spirit. A big mihi to Mr Shanahan and Mr Halkett for their organisation!
A big thank you also to all the parents who came along to cheer, support, and provide those much-needed post-run towels! Your presence made the afternoon even more special.
(more pics on Facebook page next week)
STORYTELLING CELEBRATION/ WHAKANUI PŪRĀKAU
This week, our school was buzzing with creativity and culture as we held our St Anne’s Storytelling Celebration, part of our wider Kāhui Ako initiative. Students from across the school shared traditional cultural stories in their classrooms, showcasing the rich heritage and diverse voices that make up our school community.
The students impressed us with their confidence, clarity, and powerful delivery. Watch for the announcement of those selected to represent St Anne’s in the Kāhui Ako storytelling tour! They will join representatives from the other schools in our Kāhui Ako to perform their stories at each school in our hub.
Congratulations to all students who took part — your stories were heartfelt, inspiring, and a true celebration of culture. We are so proud of you!
STUDENT SUCCESS/PIKI ĀKONGA
Congratulations to Sophia Botos! She recently passed her grading to 5th Kyu / Blue Belt in karate. She also recently won both silver and bronze medals in the Kumite Tournament held on 4 May, and a gold medal on 6 April. Well done, Sophia!
If your child has achieved something amazing outside of school, please email your child’s classroom teacher. We love celebrating the achievements of our students, both inside and outside of school!
WEEKLY BASKETBALL COMPETITION/WHAKATAETAE PĀHIKETEPAORO
Basketball Season has begun and our school basketball teams have now hit the court! We are very grateful to Nathan Gould and Jonny Parker, who have generously stepped in to coach and manage our school’s teams.
TEACHER ONLY DAY/RĀ MŌ KĀ KAIAKO ANAKE
A reminder that this Monday, 19 May, is a Teacher Only Day. There will be no school as our staff, along with colleagues from St James, St Mary’s, and Catholic Cathedral College, will be working together on the new Mathematics Curriculum.
CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL COLLEGE OPEN EVENING
Catholic Cathedral College’s Open Evening is on Thursday 5 June 2025 at 6 pm – you can enrol now for 2026! See CCC’s Enrolments page for more information.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION – PARENT PORTAL
The Minister of Education has launched a new webspace for parents, designed to help them support children’s learning at home and to strengthen relationships between families and schools.
The Parent Portal is an online platform that provides parents and whānau with easy-to-use resources and tools to support children’s education at home. It allows parents to work in partnership with their school and to keep informed about what their child is learning, by including:
- Year-by-year Curriculum Learning Guides
- Practice activities: activities that parents can use to support their child’s learning at home, such as phonics cards with audio files to model correct sounds; and
- Informative videos and resources.
As the national curriculum continues to be refreshed over the next few years, the Ministry will continue to add activities designed to cater to different year levels and learning needs. Their goal is that this section of the education website becomes a tool for every family, regardless of their child’s learning journey or language needs. If you haven’t already checked it out, the Parent Portal can be accessed here: https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/parent-portal
SAU IA FEST’ 25
The Tagata Mai Saute Festival will be held on 26 June at the Christchurch Town Hall. Tickets to this amazing event are available via Ticketek.
Students will have the opportunity to rehearse with other schools at 9 am on the day and will travel to and from the venue by bus. Performers will need to arrive between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm for a 6:30 pm start. The festival is scheduled to finish at 8:00 pm.
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!
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 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
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
God bless,
Dean Isherwood
Acting Principal
God bless,
Dean Isherwood
Acting Principal
Coming up for kids and families at the Isaac Theatre Royal in June
Matariki Glow Show
On Sunday 8 June, the Matariki Glow Show will light up the stage with its giant-scale, glow-in-the-dark puppetry. This year, the show tells the magical story of Matariki, sharing the magic behind the Māori New Year. The Matariki Glow Show brings the mythical tale to life with its unique puppets, which glow under UV lights in a black box theatre.
The performance is told in both te reo Māori and English, weaving together themes of whakawhanaungatanga, friendship, and family. It offers a truly uplifting and positive experience for all, making it a must-see event for children and families.
website.www.isaactheatreroyal.co.nz