Virtue for the Fortnight - CONFIDENCE
An example of Confidence in the New Testament is as follows: JOHN 6: 47-51
“I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will love for ever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”
Welcome back to Term 3 everyone. Where is the year going? We have another exciting term of learning ahead and we look forward to working with you and your children over the next couple of months. It was wonderful to have a holiday break with such beautiful weather. Everyone seems to have returned to school refreshed and ready for another term
SPECIAL CHARACTER:
Our first school/parish mass for the term is being held next Sunday 1st August. Please try and keep this morning free to join with our school and parish community to celebrate mass together. The mass is central to our Catholic faith so it is important we set aside the time to share in the eucharist as a community. The Home and School are also holding a cake stall after this mass as a fundraising opportunity for our school. All families will be asked to donate a plate of home baking for this so please support this fundraiser, remembering that it is your children that benefit. Also, why not purchase your home baking for the week ahead!
The final “Mass in Slow Motion” session is being held at St Joseph’s Church on Wednesday 4th August and all are encouraged to attend.
Please bring along a plate of finger food to share for tea.
NEW STUDENTS:
A very big welcome to our new students and their family who joined our school community in the last week of last term: Matthew and Samantha Hoogeboom. Mathew is 8 and is in Room 3 and Samantha is 6 and in Room 4.
Welcome to St Pius and we hope you enjoy your time here with us.
PRINCIPAL’S CONFERENCE:
As you will have known I attended the New Zealand Principal’s Conference with 550 Principals from around the country in the last week of Term 2. The conference was held in Queenstown and having not been there before I was absolutely amazed at the beauty of this city. The conference theme was, “Truly Remarkable’ and focused on managing and understanding ourselves as the school’s lead learner and provided strong messages about how we as leaders can grow in our understanding and influence of those around us. It was also a great opportunity to create valuable network opportunities.
GRANDPARENTS’ MORNING:
This coming Monday, 26th July, is the feast day of St Anne and St Joachim, Jesus’ Grandparents. Each year we like to celebrate this special feast day with a Grandparent’s morning. Please encourage Grandparents, (or for those who don’t have Grandparents that can attend please invite a special friend) to come along to the Church at 10am for a short liturgy to be followed by an invitation for visitors to come and visit the children in their classrooms and stay and have morning tea with the teachers at 11am. This is usually a very popular morning at our school so come along and join in the celebrations.
HOME READERS:
Teachers have asked that you please check at home for any school home readers that may be lying around. We seem to have quite a few readers missing so would love to see any returned ..... no questions asked, we’d just love to have them back.
MEETINGS:
We have a Board of Trustee’s meeting this coming Tuesday night, 27th July, at 7pm in the School Staffroom. Also the Home and School Committee have a meeting this Wed 28th July at 7.30pm. also to be held in the staffroom. You are very welcome to come along.
MATH-A-THON:
Hopefully all the children are very busy learning their basic facts for the Maths-a-thon to be held next Friday. Testing will be done in all classes on Friday morning, 30th July.
Please encourage the children to get as many sponsors as possible as this is a very worthwhile fundraiser for our school and also an extra learning opportunity.
ASSEMBLIES:
Our assemblies this term are as follows:
30th July, 13th August, 27th August, 17th September (Speech Finals) Assemblies are held in the Church on a Friday afternoon at 2.15pm and we would love to see you there
SPEECHES:
The children will have been discussing the upcoming speeches that will need to be ready for presentation by Monday 23rd August. All children in Yrs 3,4,5 & 6 are required to give a speech and it is voluntary in Rm 4. Speeches are an important part of our oral language programme and are a great learning opportunity for the children.
HELICOPTER LANDING:
WOW what an exciting Tuesday morning we had here at St Pius with Callum Butler, his mum Myla and Joshua D’Ath coming to school in a helicopter and landing on our sports field! Callum won the helicopter ride in a radio competition.
Congratulations Callum, what a wonderful opportunity.
RIPPA RUGBY COMPETITION:
Rooms 1 & 2 are going to be involved in a Rippa Rugby competition on Tuesday 10th August for the day. There will be a note going out with more information about this day, but we do need parent helpers and transport for the day, so if you can help please let Pat Swanson or Jade Harrison know.
CROSS COUNTRY:
Children from all classes have started training for our annual Cross Country event which is being held on Wednesday 1st September at 1pm at Vogeltown Park. Cross Country is part of our fitness programme at St Pius so all children are expected to participate daily. Children with injuries or illness MUST provide a detailed note. Children may like to bring PE gear and/or running shoes to train in.
INQUIRY:
All classes are continuing our “What’s Beyond Our Earth” inquiry for the first half of this term. To remind you, this is a Social Sciences-Planet Earth and Beyond Inquiry. On walking around the classrooms in the afternoons it’s exciting to hear all the rich questions the children are asking and finding out answers to.
Ask the children what they have been learning.
ICAS EXAMS:
ICAS exams continue for children this term with English being held on 3rd August and Maths 17th August.
HOME AND SCHOOL NEWS:
Cake Stall
To be held after Mass on 1st August. We will send home a plate next week for you to fill with your yummy baking. You can bring back your plate on Friday, Saturday morning or Sunday before Mass.
Quiz Night
Any donations of gifts or vouchers that could be used as prizes in our upcoming Quiz night would be greatly appreciated. We would be more than happy to put in a plug for business in the advertising flyer and on the night!!
MC Needed for Quiz Night - Is there anyone willing to MC at our Quiz night? (20th August).
Pat Swanson will be our “Quiz master” but we need a volunteer to act as Host/MC.
NEW ARRIVAL:
Congratulations to Gabriel Herlihy and family on the safe arrival of brother Liam.
