Kia ora e te whānau,
It’s been lovely to settle into Week 3 and to see the school full of life once again. The winter sun has allowed our tamariki to return to playing on the field at breaktimes, which has brought a real sense of joy and energy to our playgrounds.
Last week, we were also delighted to welcome Mr Wichman back to school. However, this week, he is attending Te Maeva Nui, the largest cultural celebration of the Cook Islands. It’s a wonderful way for him to round off his sabbatical, continuing to deepen his learning around his language, his culture, and his whakapapa. We look forward to hearing more about his experiences when he returns.
We’re excited for all that’s ahead this term, as we continue to learn and connect together as a school community.
FAITH FACTS/KĀ MEKA O TE WHAKAPONO
Each newsletter, as we are a school dedicated to God, we will publish a few fabulous faith facts.
Te Wairua Tapu – The Holy Spirit: Te Wairua Tapu is the reo we use for The Holy Spirit, the 3rd person of the Trinity.
Īnoi – to pray – Another term you will hear used in the school community is īnoi, the reo for, to pray, This is often interchanged/confused with the word karakia, which means to recite a prayer or ritual. Some karakia are not Christian prayers.
ST ANNE FEAST DAY/RĀ HĀKARI O ANI
Last Friday, we celebrated St Anne’s Feast Day. It was a special occasion to honour our school’s patron saint, who we see as the ultimate teacher and a guiding example of faith, love, and wisdom.
The day began with beautiful class prayer services, thoughtfully led by teachers, students, and our amazing Faith Team, who continue to impress us with their leadership. Some classes also enjoyed a fun St Anne’s themed quiz, and in the morning, students created heartfelt cards for their grandparents.
At noon, we gathered for a special Mass, warmly welcoming our grandparents to join us, followed by a lovely shared lunch together. It was a day filled with aroha, reflection, and community – a wonderful way to celebrate the spirit of St Anne in our school.
FAITH TEAM TRIP/HAEREKA A TE TĪMA WHAKAPONO
Yesterday, our Faith Team had the wonderful opportunity to visit Te Maire St Francis of Assisi Catholic School to hear Cardinal John Dew speak about his recent experience at the Conclave in Rome. It was an amazing opportunity, giving our Faith Team the chance to hear first-hand about such a significant event in the life of the Church.
We are incredibly grateful to Te Maire St Francis of Assisi for inviting us and so warmly hosting our team. It was a memorable experience that deepened our understanding and strengthened our connection to our Catholic faith.
STRENGTHENING OUR SHARED EXPECTATIONS / TE WHAKAKAHA I O TĀTOU TUMANAKOTANGA
I’d like to take a moment to gently revisit some of the shared understandings and expectations we hold as a kura which are grounded in our school values and help support our tamariki to grow in confidence, responsibility, and pride in who they are, both as learners and as part of our wider St Anne’s whānau.
School Uniform/Kākahu Kura
We’ve recently noticed a number of students not wearing the correct school uniform, and we’d like to remind everyone of its importance. At St Anne’s, we are a school dedicated to God, and our uniform is a symbol of who we are!
Uniform items are available through Mainland Uniforms, either online or in store at 189 Peterborough Street. You can visit their website here .
(Some items below noted with *, can also be purchased elsewhere)
Girls/Kōtiro
– St Anne’s culottes (optional navy shorts* or trackpants*)
– St Anne’s polo shirt
– St Anne’s tunic /jersey
– navy or black socks*
– plain black, school-appropriate shoes*
Boys/ Tama
– Navy shorts* or trackpants*
– St Anne’s polo shirt
– St Anne’s tunic/jersey
– navy or black socks*
– plain black, school-appropriate shoes*
Time Keeping & Punctuality/Kia ū ki te wā
Lately, we’ve seen some students arriving quite early, well before our supervised start time of 8:30am. While the gates may be open, there is no staff supervision before this time, which raises safety concerns.
If an earlier drop-off is needed, we warmly encourage families to make use of Kidsbase, our before-school care programme. Roza and Liv are onsite from 7:30am, providing a safe, friendly, and structured environment. There is a fee for this service, but subsidies may be available—feel free to reach out to Matt Howden at: info@kidsbase.co.nz
At the other end of the spectrum, we’ve noticed a number of students consistently arriving right as the bell rings or shortly after. Unfortunately, this causes them to miss or disrupt the important start to our day, including prayer time, as they retrieve a late pass from the office.
We kindly ask that tamariki arrive with enough time to unpack, connect with their peers and teachers, and be ready to begin learning by 9:00 am. These small routines help a calm and settled start and set the tone for the day ahead.
We completely understand how busy and unpredictable mornings can be, and we want to thank you for the role you play in supporting these routines.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION/HĀKARAMETA O TE WHAKAKAHA
Congratulations to the following students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Sunday, with Bishop Michael presiding:
Kalista Maaya, Kaisa Rowe, Lorenz Rivada, Eduard Watson, Elsie Taylor and Jaydean Fabian.
It marked an important step in their spiritual journey as they received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We are so proud of our Confirmation candidates and pray that they continue to grow in faith, courage, and love.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” – Acts 1:8
2025 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS/KĀ PŌTITAKA POARI KURA 2025
Nominations closing midday next Wednesday, 6 August.
FILIPINO LANGUAGE WEEK/TE WIKI O TE REO FILIPINO
Mabuhay! Next week, we are excited to celebrate Filipino Language and Culture Week at St Anne’s!
We encourage our students of Filipino descent to wear traditional Filipino clothing throughout the week to share and celebrate their culture with pride. Each day, our senior students will be visiting classes to teach a little about the Filipino language, customs, and traditions. It is always a wonderful opportunity for all our tamariki to learn and grow in cultural understanding.
As always, we will finish the week with a shared lunch on Friday. A highlight we all look forward to, none more than Mr Halkett! A big thank you to Brunette Abelen for her organisation and support behind the scenes. Maraming salamat!
YEAR 7 & 8 SKI TRIP/ TE HAEREKA O KĀ TAU 7 ME TE 8
We are getting closer to the exciting event of the Year 7 & 8 ski trip! We are off to Porters on the 28th of August. Should the mountain be shut for any reason, our postponement day is the 1st of September.
On the day, students will need to be at school by 0700 hrs. We depart school at 0715 hrs. We are travelling to Porters on a chartered bus. We will return at around 1730 – 1800 hrs. Updates will be posted on Skool Loop. As stated previously, staying warm and comfortable on the mountain is essential to having fun. Please make sure your child brings the following:
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm layers of clothing, thermals etc.
- Waterproof/-resistant pants
- Waterproof/resistant gloves/mittens
- Warm socks
- Sunglasses/ski goggles
- Footwear with good grip.
- Warm hat
- Scarf
LEARNING CONFERENCES/HUI AKORAKA
A heartfelt thank you to all the parents and caregivers who attended our Learning Conferences last week. Conferences are such a valuable opportunity to connect. Our teachers appreciated the opportunity to share in your child’s learning. Please remember, if you ever have questions or would like to have a conversation about your child’s learning, our fabulous teachers are always happy to meet.
However, I kindly ask that you contact your child’s teacher via email to arrange a suitable time. Please note that the first thing in the morning is not always ideal, as teachers are busy preparing lessons and setting up for the day. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.
KORU GAMES/KĀ TĀKAROA O KORU
As stated last fortnight, our Year 7 & 8 students will be participating in the Koru Games. Training for the Koru Games has started. The Selwyn Sports Trust have launched its merchandise range. Pre-orders are now open and will be available for pickup at the Games in September. If your son or daughter is interested in getting some cool merch, the range can be found here. https://dynastyteamstore.co.nz/collections/koru-games-2025
FROST BUSTER/KAIPATUA HUKAPAPA
Frost Buster returns on the 22nd of August. All senior students were given a detailed notice on Wednesday. This included a map. Please have your son or daughter return this to Mr Shanahan in Room 8 ASAP. Unfortunately there is no backup day due to the setup equipment being in hot demand.
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 3 / WĀHAKA TORU
WEEK 4 / WIKI WHĀ
Filipino Language Week – mareta@stannes.co.nz
Monday 4 August: Room 4 Trip to the Art Gallery – matt@stannes.co.nz
Saturday 9 August: Senior School Mass – josh@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 5 / WIKI RIMA
Cook Island Language Week – mareta@stannes.co.nz
Tuesday 12 August: Room 4 Trip to Bottle Lake Forest- matt@stannes.co.nz
Wednesday 13 August: TTRS (Rooms 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8) – palo@stannes.co.nz
Friday 15 August: Feast of the Assumption – josh@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 6 / WIKI ONO
Thursday 21 August – Room 4 Trip to the Teece Museum – matt@stannes.co.nz
Thursday 21 August – Room 7 & 8 trip to the Art Gallery – josh@ stannes.co.nz or palo@stannes.co.nz
Friday 22 August: The St Anne’s Frost Buster at Ferrymead Park – palo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 7 / WIKI WHITU
Swimming lessons begin at Te Pou Toetoe Linwood Pool
Thursday 28 August: Year 7 & 8 ski trip to Porters – palo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 8 / WIKI WARU
Swimming lessons continue at Te Pou Toetoe Linwood Pool
Thursday 4 September: Jubilate at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral – jo@stannes.co.nz
WEEK 9 / WIKI IWA
Wednesday 10 September : School Board Election voting closes at 12noon
WEEK 10 / WIKI TEKAU
Cook Island Language Week – mareta@stannes.co.nz
Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 September: Koru Games – palo@stannes.co.nz
Have a lovely weekend, everyone.
God bless,
Dean Isherwood
Acting Principal