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Nau mai haere mai – Greetings – Tena Koutou – Kamusta – Malo e Lelei – Talofa Lava – Namaste – Ni Hao – Hallo – Kia Orana – Bula – Fakaalofa Atu
 

Dear Families

Welcome to our first newsletter for 2023. We have had two weather issues interrupting the start of the school year - not what we anticipated! As always the safety of our students and staff remains paramount.

A very warm welcome to our new families and students joining our wonderful school whānau.We encourage you to share in your child/children’s education and faith journey by participating, supporting and working in partnership with us. This will ensure that our students will have every opportunity to grow and develop as young christians, learners and citizens.  

Last week It was great to see the happy, smiling faces of our students and whānau returning and the buzz around the school was joyful and VERY settled.

Towards the end of December we had a burglary in our school office. Our school cameras and alarm were working, but still the two individuals smashed open the glass front doors and entered. Thankfully not much was uplifted; they made a big mess and some keys were taken. No doubt they were looking for money, but we don’t have cash onsite. The whole inconvenience and dealing with insurance paperwork etc has taken a lot of time for the office staff and myself. A shout out to the Police for their fast response and actions.

On Staff Only Day we unpacked our school vision and what this means in child speak. Every class will be doing this also.
Across the school we are also currently unpacking what our school values mean in words and actions. Talk to your child/children about these values and how RESPECT and EXCELLENCE also applies at home.
Classroom Teachers 2023
Year 5/6 Learning Community
Mrs Maree Flashman - Learning Community Leader
Mrs Charmaine D’lima
Mr Ned Drumm
Miss Jade Fepuleai

Year 3/4 Learning Community
Mrs Vicki Hyland - Learning Community Leader
Mrs Natasha Teviotdale
Mrs Leonie Agnew
Miss Casey Clubley
Miss Alisha Hutton

Year 0/1/2 Learning Community
Mrs Sarah Nelisi - Learning Community Leader
Mrs Dani Worthington
Mrs Emily Heyworth
Mr Shaun Ryan
Miss Jessie Ahearn
Mrs Eugene Kim
If you have a query, the first point of call is with the classroom teacher and then the Learning Community Leader before coming to the Deputy Principal or myself.

Reminders 
Updating Contact Details If any of your contact details have recently changed, (phone numbers, address, email address or emergency contact details), please be in touch with the school office.

Uniform  Please ensure your child/ren have all their uniform pieces named including the school hat. The lost property box has unnamed items in there from last week!

Front Carpark AfternoonRemember to:
  1. Reverse and fill up all the carparks before starting the line
  2. If you drive in and see parks available in the area when you first drive in, please park and collect your child from the pick up area.
  3. Have a very clear  sign with full name and room number on displayed on your car  dashboard
  4. Patience is a virtue!
Back Gate Afternoon
This area is a NO parking space at all times. A sign is displayed. If we have an emergency at school, we need to be able to open the double gates to allow access for emergency vehicles to the field space. Again we reiterate - please don’t park there.

Kapa Haka Tutor 
We are currently looking for a Kapa Haka tutor  for our school. If you know somebody or you are interested in this position yourself, please email me ASAP and we can arrange a time to meet to discuss this position.  
 
Ash Wednesday 
Wednesday 22 February is Ash Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a special Season of the Church’s Liturgical year.It is a time for us to stop and reflect on where we are in our walk with God. It helps us to identify areas in our life which are in need of change. As the ashes are placed on our forehead, in the sign of Christ’s cross, we are encouraged to turn away from sin and turn towards God. The ashes are an external sign of our desire to do that. The distribution of ashes will take place with a liturgy in each Learning Community.
 
Poipoia te kakano kia puawai - nurture the seed and it will blossom

Staff in a Catholic school endeavour to nurture the seed of faith for the young people in our care. 
Wishing you all a safe and blessed fortnight ahead. 

Ngā mihi nui
Sue Kubala
Principal
Key Dates Reminder
*Please note all dates and events are correct at the time of publishing. Please monitor your school eTap emails, Facebook communications or look on our school's Public Calendar for up to date information*

TERM 1 - 2023 Key Dates:
Monday 20 February - Meet the Teacher Evening (refer to email for start times)
Tuesday 21 February - Community in Action meeting 7pm
Wednesday 22 February - Ash Wednesday
Thursday 23 February - Board Meeting 6pm
Friday 24 February - Second Hand Uniform Sale 8.15-9am
Thursday 2 March - Community in Action Whanau Picnic 5.30pm *note new date
Monday 13 March - Dental Van (onsite 2 weeks)
Thursday 6 April - Last day of Term 1 (normal finish time)
Friday 7 April - Good Friday (school closed)
Monday 24 April - TBC - Staff Only Day (TBC school closed)
Intermediate School Open Days and Enrolment for 2024 Admission
Please note: Please use this summary as a guide only. Check with the website and enrolment officer of each school to ensure you have the most up to date information, events and deadlines. 
Baradene College (website)
Open Days: 1 & 2 March (9am, 10am & 11.30am sessions - bookings required)
Enrolments Close: 17 March 3pm
Marcellin College (website)
Open Day: 28 February 3.30-6.30pm
Marist College (website)
Open Day:1 March 9am and 11.30am sessions
Sacred Heart College (website)
Open Day: 8 March 10am and 1pm sessions
Enrolments Close: 31 March

St Mary's College (website)
Open Day: 9 March 2.30pm and 6.30pm sessions
Enrolments Close: 17 March

St Paul's College (website)
Open Day: 9 March 9.30am and 1.45pm sessions
St Peter's College (website)
Open Day: Tues 21 February 9.30am and 1pm sessions
Quick Links
Click to skip to the following sections:
Special Character - Key DatesCommunity Notices - Contact Us 
Note: The Quick Links work in the 'browser view', not in the embedded email.

Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.

Our learning journey for 2023 began in quite an unusual way! A strong analogy could be drawn to Noah and the building of his Ark as he prepared for days of rain and storm. This analogy is a practical lesson to begin our teaching/learning journey in Religious Education. At the end of the storm, there will be clear blue skies and the hope and promise of a new day - as God promises!

On Friday 10th February we had our first Whole School/Year 6 Leaders Commissioning Mass and it was a grand experience for all present. Our children, in spite of being in school for only 3 days, sang like a chorus of angels. A big thank you to all our whanau who attended Mass. 

We carry in our hearts and prayers, the people all over New Zealand who have been affected by the floods and the cyclone. We also pray for the people of Turkey and Syria who continue to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake. May all those involved in relief operations in both these situations be strengthened with courage and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for January 2023 : 
For Educators
We pray that educators may be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity rather than competition and helping the youngest and most vulnerable above all.

Ma te Atua tātou e manaaki
God’s blessings

Charmaine D'lima
DRS

Room 15
Hello St Mary's Community and welcome to Room 15! 
Over the past few days Room 15 have been getting to know each other and enjoying getting back into routine. This week we have been learning about our school values, Respect and Excellence and what they look like at St Mary's. 
Sophia “Respect looks like sensible hands.”
Amelie “Excellence looks like correct school uniform.” 


We have also been learning and celebrating what love is for Valentine's Day. 
John 15:12: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 
Corinthians 13:4-5: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Luke 6:31: Do to others as you would have them do to you. 
Corinthians 16:14: Do everything in love. 
Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times. 
~ Miss Ahearn
Room 14
Room 14 had a good start to this term. On the first day, the children went on a school tour and they particularly loved our Prayer Garden.

Watching a video about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we discussed what 'treaty' means and why it is important. Then, we made our class treaty and made a collaborative korowai. Here are some voices from the treaty project:
Be kind to each other. - Jack and Florence
One person speaks at a time. - Alyssa
Help friends in need. - George
No pushing. - Lucia
Sharing our toys. - Mary and Stella
~ Mrs Kim
Room 12
Despite a wet and windy start to 2023, Room 12 has made a wonderful start to the year. We have enjoyed getting to know our new classmates as well as learning some of the new games and activities we're going to do throughout the year. Some of our favourites have been Sight Word POP! and playing with our Top Trump cards.

We've also looked at ways we can show our school value of Respect in the classroom to others, our environment, and ourselves. We are looking forward to an exciting year! 
~ Mr Ryan
Room 11
Despite the disruptions to the start of the year, students in Room 11 have settled beautifully into our new classroom. We've had lots of fun getting to know each other and are excited about the year ahead. 

We have particularly enjoyed getting creative and exploring patterns with pastel and dye. We're learning that although we are all different, just like our paintings, we can grow in our 'garden of learning' together and celebrate each other's differences.

We also got creative with our new buddies in Room 9 and have decorated a 'buddy book' which we will use together throughout the year. I'm sure we'll have many great friendships bloom through spending time together.
~ Mrs Heyworth
Room 10
Room 10 has had a great time getting to know each other and have enjoyed our few days in school. They have all settled back into school well. We had some interest in making paper jets and started off by flying them in the classroom. We then decided to take our paper jets out to the field and fly them there, what a lot of fun it was. Lots of laughter and smiles.
~ Mrs Worthington
Year 0-2 Hui
Nau mai, haere mai,
We are very excited to welcome all our new Learners and their Whānau to St Mary's School and the Year 0-2 Learning Community. Our teachers have been building and strengthening Learning Focused Relationships within their classes through the theme “The Garden of Learning”.

When positive Learning Focused Relationships exist, students are more motivated to learn, they participate more actively in their learning, and the learning is likely to be more successful. “Every child is a different kind of flower and all together make this world a beautiful garden”
~ Mrs Nelisi
Room 9
It is fantastic to be back at school with all the lovely children. Room 9 have been learning new routines and how things are done in the Year 3-4 Learning Community. 
Last week, our prayer monitors decided to take us out into the Prayer Garden which was lovely, as the sun was shining and it was so peaceful. We have also connected with our buddies, Room 11. We all have a buddy and a special ‘Buddy Book’ that we will add to each week. 
~ Mrs Hyland
Room 8
On the first day of school the students in Room 8 bounced in the door and started to make connections with each other. Everyone settled very quickly and are excited about the year ahead.
We read the book 'Ish' by Peter H Reynolds together. It is a wonderful story about giving things your best shot and not worrying if things do not quite work out how we planned. This is such an important message for success.
A big thank you to Juliana and Lina, who have led Prayer Time in our class for the first few weeks, with enthusiasm and reverence.
~ Mrs Teviotdale
Room 7
What a wild, wet and windy start to Term 1! Room 7 has done a fantastic job of settling into their learning despite the storms and flooding. We spent the first week getting to know each other and forming new friendships, our Wow Wall is looking very colourful. It was great making connections with our new classmates. The students began their second week with some recount writing and were very diligent and focused, the school values of Respect and Excellence were evident inside the walls of Room 7. We are looking forward to the rest of the term's learning - hopefully uninterrupted! 
~ Miss Hutton
Room 6
The Room 6 team have loved getting to know each other and building relationships for the start of the year. We worked with buddies for a dictionary challenge. Together we practised finding words in a dictionary using alphabetical order. With our buddies we also learned that a dictionary can tell us what type of word they are and what its meaning is. This valuable skill will support us with independent learning this year.
~ Miss Clubley
Room 5
In our class we had a busy first week setting up classroom expectations and routines, writing introductory letters and enjoying our first school mass of 2023. Our Year 4 students have shown great leadership too, supporting some of our Year 3 students with using their devices and logins for the first time.
~ Mrs Agnew
Room 4
Well, Room 4 opened on a positive note and then Cyclone Gabrielle decided to come and ruin the party! Never mind, we are all back on task and enjoying working both collaboratively and independently. 

It was fun sharing our story endings last week. What an imaginative bunch of children Room 4 has! We are all enjoying getting to know each other and becoming familiar with our routines. It was great receiving the Year 6 leadership badges at mass on Friday. We look forward to a great year of learning.
~ Mrs Flashman
Room 3
Room 3 has had a fantastic start to the year! The students have been spending their first week together getting to know one another as people as well as learners. They did a 'bus stop' activity answering questions about how they learn in class and made T-shirt art all about themselves.

Their problem solving skills and teamwork was put to the test during Maths time when they were in groups and created their own equations using only four 4's. It was great to watch the students work together so well and I look forward to seeing them flourish through the year! 
~ Miss Fepuleai
Room 2
Despite a disruptive last few weeks, the students in Room 2 have loved getting stuck in and meeting new friends! We have been learning lots about both the Treaty of Waitangi and what Cyclones are. We are excited to continue to work together over the course of the year! 
~ Mr Drumm
Room 1
Mena Kore E heke mai te ua, Ehara te Kopere
Without Rain There Can Be No Rainbows
This proverb in Maori sums up how the first two weeks of Term 1 has been! The children of Room 1 with their positive attitudes, conscientious work ethic and big smiles on their faces lit up every area of the school as they returned to school with enthusiasm for 2023.

The highlight of our first week has been a “Classroom Bingo” a great way to get to know each other. We also learned some new facts about the Treaty of Waitangi and hope to continue with this. In Writing, the children have also worked on a poem about themselves - an insightful activity. 
~ Mrs Dlima
Room 4 Summer Poems
~ Mrs Flashman
Bounce Back - People Bouncing Back 
If you are resilient you will be able to cope reasonably well with difficult situations and things that go wrong and then ‘bounce back’. Throughout life, children will need skills and attitudes to help them to bounce back. They will encounter everyday challenges such as making mistakes, falling out with a friend, moving house or school and losing in a sports competition. Many will also face challenges such as adapting to family break ups, a step-family, the illness or death of a family member, or being bullied. People bouncing back is the Curriculum Unit that teaches children the 10 Bounce Back! Statements. 

Key messages to communicate to your child about ‘bouncing back’ 
  • Life is mainly good but now and then everyone has a difficult or unhappy time. Things always get better even though sometimes they may take a bit longer to improve than you would like. It is important to stay hopeful and expect things to get better. 
  • You will feel better and have more ideas about what to do if you talk to someone you trust about what’s worrying or upsetting you. 
  • Unhelpful thinking isn’t necessarily true and makes you feel worse. Helpful thinking makes you feel better because it is more accurate and helps you work out what to do. 
  • No one is perfect. We all make mistakes and find out there are some things we can’t do well. 
  • If you can find something positive or funny in a difficult situation, no matter how small, it can help you to cope better. 
  • We all need to take fair responsibility for the things we did or didn’t do that contribute to a difficult or unhappy situation. However, we should not over-blame ourselves because circumstances, bad luck or what others did may have contributed to the difficult situation, too. 
  • If a situation can’t be changed (e.g. having to move house or school or losing a pet) then you just have to accept it and live with it. 
  • Don’t make yourself miserable by exaggerating how bad something is or by assuming the worst possible picture is the one that will happen. 
  • When something goes wrong it usually only affects one part of your life. Concentrate on the things in your life that are still going well.
~ Miss Hutton
Digital 
Year 4 children have been amazing at helping their Year 3 buddies how to get online and find learning tasks in Google Classroom. It is important for the Year 3 children to learn how to be digital citizens by navigating their way, safely, through different learning platforms.

Google Classroom is an excellent extension of the classroom. The children will be learning how to create docs and share them with others as well as displaying their learning through Google Slides.
~ Mrs Hyland
Sustainability 
Hello St Mary's Community!
Trash Free Lunches
I have been so proud of the beautiful lunch boxes I have seen, as they have been mostly or entirely rubbish free! Keep up the good work team. 

Working Bee
On Wednesday we had a very successful Working Bee. Thankfully the rain stopped and we were able to have a lovely afternoon in the garden. A huge thank you to all the parent helpers who came in, we are very grateful and blessed to have such a helpful and caring community here at St Mary's. 

Gardening Club Notice 
Going forward we will run another Working Bee next Wednesday 22 February. 
If you would like to join or become a member of the St Mary's Gardening Club please email Miss Ahearn, jessica@stmary.school.nz 
~ Miss Ahearn
Board News
Tēnā koutou
The start of 2023 has been a challenging one for us all. The recent weather events have never been seen in Aotearoa by most of us. Our learners have taken it all in their stride and are happy to be back at school. The recovery from the flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle will be a long process but there is a lot of support available for those affected, please reach out to the appropriate agencies if you have been affected.
 
Our Board sub-committees have met this week ahead of our first Board meeting next Thursday 23 February. We are all looking forward to getting back into it.

Thank you to all the staff for ensuring a smooth start to the year, despite the delays. Please keep our weather affected regions in your prayers.

Noho ora mai
Si’ata
~ Si’ata Tavite
Presiding Member - St Mary's Board of Trustees
Community in Action News
Welcome back to school from the Community in Action! A special welcome to all the new families who have joined our community this year. The Community in Action are looking forward to supporting the school for another fantastic year, and we have plenty of events, activities and fundraisers planned. Keep an eye on your emails as we'll be sending out regular updates and information through our newsletter. Click here to subscribe. We also use the St Mary's Ellerslie Parents facebook page for updates, so please join it if you use facebook. 

The first meeting for the year will be held next Tuesday, 21 February at 7pm in the staff room. All are welcome to attend - we'd love to see you there!

Second Hand Uniform Sale - Friday 24 February before school 8.15 - 9.00am

The Whanau Picnic has been postponed due to the cyclone. It will now be held on Thursday, 2 March at 5.30pm. Pizza is available to purchase on kindo.

Round the Bays is happening on Sunday, 5 March and St Mary's have a hospitality site for afterwards. Individual entries and family passes are available - sign up to the St Mary's Team here. We'll provide more information early next week.

We'll be selling Hoodies and House T-shirts again this term. Information will be in next week's newsletter. 

To get in touch with us, email stmaryspta@gmail.com.
~ Justine Harvie
Chairperson - St Mary's Community in Action
Community Notices and Advertisements
Swished On
This year, Youth Basketball New Zealand (YBNZ) will be rebranding to - Swished On. More of this will be released through of website and social media platforms which you will all be shared on soon. Along with the new brand we will also be utilizing Hero as a management platform for all of our operations.
Term 1 St Mary's (Ellerslie) School Year 3 - 6 Basketball Session Info:
Week 3 (15th Feb ) - Week 10 (5th Apr);
Wednesday 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm;
Term Fee: $72 (8 sessions);
Hero Annual Fee: $35 (per year);
(only 30 spots)

Enrolment steps:
Please click the enroll link: https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/SwishedOn. Fill up the form for each palyer, choose the school programme, and/or club time and year you would like to book for your child.
Each player will need to pay $107 to enroll in HERO(Year) and Term 1, Please transfer the money to our bank account: 02-0108-0531348-000 (Reference - "Child's Full Name + SME", example James Smith SME);
Once we receive your payment, you will be able to sign into your HERO. 
Keep in Touch:
St Mary's Facebook Page
St Mary's Website
Email the St Mary's School Office
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St Mary's Ellerslie · 58 Main Highway, Ellerslie · Auckland, Auk 1051 · New Zealand

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