Tena Koutou Katoa Talofa Lava Kamusta Malo el lelei Mauri Hello Everyone
Tēnā koutou katoa me ngā mihi i runga i ngā tūāhuatanga o te wā, kua hipa te tau.
Greetings to you all as we start a new school year. It is lovely to see our children back at school. So far, so good.
On Tuesday we began our year with a powhiri welcoming our new families as best we could within Covid Red restrictions. Although all aspects of the powhiri could not happen, and our wider school family could not attend, it was a lovely occasion to begin our school year. Special thanks to Mrs Robin Burns and Ms Paridice Tarapa who coordinated this.
The school year has started smoothly and we are trying to keep our teaching and learning programme as close to normal as possible. We are having more breaks during the day so that children get outside regularly as well as additional outdoor education opportunities. This year we are back in four teams (Aroha: Y0-2, Ako 1: Y3-4, Ako 2: Y5-6, Ārahi: Y7-8) and you will get a letter from your roopu next week letting you know things that are happening for them. Today we have 80% of our children back at school and we encourage everyone to return soon.
Some of our children are arriving very early. Just a reminder, they can enter the school grounds from 8:00 am and wait outside the admin building. At 8:30 am all teachers will be in their rooms and students can then go to their classrooms. Aim to drop your children off at school at 8:30 am. Our school day begins at 8:45 am and it is important that the children are already there to begin their day with their roopu in prayer; an essential part of our life as a Catholic school. The school day finishes at 2:45 pm and it is important that children are collected before 3:00 pm. For our youngest, Aroha, we are saying they can be dropped off 5 minutes later and picked up 5 minutes early just to relieve congestion at the gate. Also parents are welcome to wait for their children outside the admin building but we ask that you do not go down the steps. We are trying to keep everyone safe.
We are very aware that our entrance, on a busy road, needs to be altered and there are plans to do this for our centennial year 2023. In the meantime, you might decide to drop your children off at our Dublin St entrance or get them to walk to a point away from the school for collection. Of course, if you were ever late I would prefer they were in the school grounds after school. The Dublin St and Seddon St pedestrian gates are locked at 3:00 pm but children can still wait inside our grounds outside the admin block where they will be safe. The driveway gates will remain open.
There will be a mufti day next Thursday to support the Caritas Pacific Relief Fund: Tonga Appeal. Several of our school families are Tongan and we wish to show our support for them at this time. Bishop Michael has also organised an online fundraiser event 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm on Saturday 12 February. We are hoping, as a school, to also be part of this. Bishop Michael asks us to pray for the people of Tonga who have been affected, all those who are responding and, of course, our Tongan fanau here in Tāmaki Makarau Auckland who are worried about family back home.
Next week on Friday 11 February, Father Robert is coming to celebrate our School Dedication Mass in our school grounds. Once again, for this to go ahead during Covid Red Level we cannot invite parents to attend. As soon as other adults come into the school, it is deemed a gathering. While at school we do not have number limits for students and educators, just distancing.
Friday also is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. We have her statue as a focus in our prayer area; a visible sign to our children that we are a Catholic school.
We hope your children have had a good start this week. They look happy and it is great to see them back at school.
Stay safe and God bless.
Ngā mihi nui
Ursula Hall
Principal – Tumuaki
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