Term 3 Week 6 27 August 2026 Newsletter #8
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Tena Koutou Katoa Talofa Lava Kamusta Malo e lelei Mauri Malo ni Faka talofa atu Namaste Greetings to all
Term 3 is well underway with many exciting opportunities being provided for our students. Thanks to our teachers, several activities have been taken in break times and our children have plenty to choose from: art, Lego, threading, choir, improv and sport, not forgetting our cultural groups. This week we welcomed our Cohort 6 children into our St Joseph’s School family.
Pasifika Week offered us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diverse Pasifika cultures within our school community. Each day, we honoured the unique heritages of Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Kiribati, the Cook Islands, and Fiji. This cultural journey culminated in a spectacular multicultural celebration on Friday, starting with a colourful international dress parade for all of our children. The afternoon assembly was a true showcase of talent and pride, with our Pasifika boys’ and girls’ groups performing brilliantly, and our young Kiribati dancers were a particular hit! A huge thank you to Miss Massey for her coordinating such a memorable week.
The Pasifika celebration continued on Thursday as St Joseph’s and Pukekohe Intermediate co-hosted the Franklin Pasifika Speech Competition in our school hall. Our students represented their fāmilies with immense pride. We were privileged to welcome judges from the Ministry of Education and Pukekohe High School, alongside our MC, Moana Greig, from Franklin Attendance Services. Events like these are vital in welcoming our local Pasifika community into our schools and providing a platform for their children to shine. The competition was followed by a shared lunch, made possible by the contributions of all competing schools. I am especially grateful to our Pasifika mums who worked tirelessly in the kitchen and setting up the hall to make this gathering so special. Mālō ‘aupito.
It was a blessed occasion last Sunday as 37 of our wonderful students joined a larger group from our parish to receive the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation. This special milestone in their faith journey was beautifully celebrated in a mass concelebrated by Bishop Steve, Fr Robert, and Fr Joseph. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to these children and their families on this significant and sacred step.
Yesterday, our Year 5&6 students were excited to take part in the annual St Anne’s Shield Competition, an event that is always a highlight of our school year. Established in 1963, this multi-sport tournament brings together South Auckland Catholic primary schools. This year St Joseph’s came third overall. We are immensely proud of how wonderfully our students competed and connected with their peers, some of whom they will meet again in their high school years.
As you will know, communities across New Zealand are experiencing high rates of winter illnesses. We understand that some parents have been finding it tricky to know when their child is well enough to attend school and when an unwell child should be at home. You will find helpful information about winter illnesses below in our community notices.
Wishing you and your families blessings of good health and warmth as we approach the remaining winter season.
Nga manaakitanga ki a koe.
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Special Catholic Character
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Values Awards
Aroha
Jack Edmonds – for showing service to the school. When waiting after school, he helped Mrs Hall pick up rubbish and sports equipment. He showed care for our school property and our environment. Thank you Jack.
Willow Edmonds – for showing service to the school. When waiting after school, she helped Mrs Hall pick up rubbish and sports equipment. She showed care for our school property and our environment. Thank you Willow.
Ako
Lance Mangila – for trying something outside his comfort zone and giving it his best effort.
Luke Hageman – for displaying Ako by challenging yourself and giving lots of new things a go. I love how you are becoming more confident and resilient. Well done Luke. Never stop learning
Arahi
Stella Sacayanan – for playing in a different netball team during the netball tournament, ensuring all girls got the most time on court. Even though this was outside her comfort zone she still gave it her best and had a great day.
Christianna Navarro – for playing in a different netball team during the netball tournament, ensuring all girls got the most time on court. Even though this was outside her comfort zone she still gave it her best and had a great day.
Proclaiming the Word School Finals
On Tuesday 11th August we held our annual Proclaiming of the Word Finals. A big thank you to our two judges, Lizzie Farrell and Father Robert Steele, for taking on the hard task of deciding on the winners. Congratulations to all our finalists and winners.
Year 2&3
Finalists – Matias Vieira, Daniel Elika, Evelyn Pryor-McNicol, Billie Stewart
Winner – Daniel Elika
Year 4
Finalists – Raydan Ashburner, Jade Colbran, Braeden Bianan, Lars Ventura
Winner – Raydan Ashburner
Year 5
Finalists – Zoe Webster, Jake William, Aeros Mabatid, Francheska Llames
Winner – Jake William
Year 6
Finalists – Desiree Fermin, Ava Farrell, Sophia Hewitt, Kylah Hampton-Batten
Winner – Sophia Hewitt
Our Year 6 winner, Sophia Hewitt, then went on to participate in the Auckland Catholic Schools final. Well done on this wonderful achievement Sophia, you represented our school beautifully.
Confirmation and First Holy Communion
Congratulations to the following students who celebrated their Confirmation and First Holy Communion on Sunday 23rd August.
Miha Maori
Please join us for our annual Miha Maori which will be celebrated on Wednesday 16th September at 1pm at St Patrick’s Pukekohe. This year we are once again joined by Paa Pita McDermott who will celebrate Mass for us. We are asking all whaanau to bring an item of non-perishable food for our Parish Foodbank.
The Reuben O’Neill Bursary
What is the Reuben O’Neill Bursary?
The Reuben O’Neill Bursary has been established by the Catholic Diocese of Auckland to assist in making Catholic education available to some families and their children who otherwise would be unable to receive a Catholic education.
The Reuben O’Neill Bursary has been established to honour Reuben O’Neill (1932-2025) who was an exceptional volunteer and supporter of Catholic education throughout his lifetime. Reuben O’Neill was a husband, parent and grandparent and was recognised by Pope John Paul II in 1989 receiving a papal knighthood for his services to the Catholic Church of New Zealand. Reuben was proud of his own Catholic education and worked faithfully to make Catholic education accessible to as many people as possible, through building the Common Fund Cooperative, developing new schools, and improving the standard of existing schools across the Diocese of Auckland.
Who can apply for the Reuben O’Neill Bursary?
Whānau/families can apply at primary or secondary levels. Eligibility criteria include a desire for Catholic education for your child, and financial benefit to your family. Students of any year level can apply for the scholarship for the following school year.
What does the bursary cover?
The bursary covers the cost of Attendance Dues.
- Primary (2026) $544.00 per annum GST incl
- Secondary (2026) $1,124 per annum GST incl
The bursary funds the cost of Attendance Dues for a child while they are enrolled at a Catholic primary or secondary school. A primary school student will be awarded the bursary through to the end of Year 6.
A secondary school bursary will be awarded through to the end of Year 13.
How do I apply for the bursary?
Forms are available from your Parish office/Parish Priest or School Principal.
Forms should be submitted by 11 September, 2026.
Forms can be sent by email to: scholarships@cda.org.nz or by post to:
Pompallier Diocesan Centre,
Private Bag 47904,
Ponsonby, Auckland 1144
Attention: Vicar for Education
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Term 3 Key Dates
Please note these dates are subject to change For further dates see calendars on the website at: www.stjosephs.co.nz or the eTAP app
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SCHOOL POLICIES
SchoolDocs T3 Review: This term we are reviewing the following policies: School Community Engagement Policy (board), Inclusive School Culture (board), Enrolment, Student Attendance (board), Student Uniform/Student Dress Expectations, Concerns and Complaints Policy (board). Review closes 25 September 2026
A link to our school policies can be found on our school website or through www.schooldocs.co.nz
- Go to www.schooldocs.co.nz/
- Click Search for your school
- Start typing the school’s name (St Joseph’s School Pukekohe) and then select it from the dropdown list.
- Enter the community username: stjosephspukekohe and password: mission.
If you would like to contact the Board directly at any time, please do so through our email address schoolboard@stjosephs.co.nz
Our next School Board Meeting is Wednesday 9th September at 7:00 pm
HEALTHY EATING
As we are a Health Promoting School, food & drink brought to school by children is to be healthy.
Please do not include large bags of potato chips, burger rings, twisties etc or large packets of biscuits, sweets, instant noodles, fizzy drinks, juice or flavoured drinks or chewing gum.
Fruit is a wonderful nourishing sweet choice and a marmite and cheese sandwich is a great savoury option.
It doesn’t have to be fancy to be filling and nutritional. Please try and limit sugary, processed packaged foods.
We like to acknowledge children’s birthdays at school but we ask that parents don’t send along birthday treats-cakes, lollies etc. to be shared with the class as this makes it difficult for children with allergies & may put pressure on other parents to do the same.
WINTER ILLNESS
We are currently seeing an increase in viral illnesses within our school community, including viral stomach bugs, head colds, flu-like illnesses, influenza A, sore throats and fevers.
To help reduce the spread of infection, we ask that you please:
Keep students at home if they are unwell or have a fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, or are feeling generally unwell.
Students with **vomiting or diarrhoea** should remain at home for at least 48 hours after their last episode before returning to school.
Students with **fever** should remain at home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication and are well enough to participate in normal school activities.
If your child has **sore throat**, particularly if it is severe, associated with a fever, swollen glands, difficulty swallowing, or there is no obvious cold or cough, please have them assessed by your GP.
SCABIES OUTBREAK
There are currently widespread outbreaks of scabies across the North Island of New Zealand. If you think you child might have scabies please take them to a GP, as it can lead to severe complications like rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Health authorities emphasise that successfully stopping the cycle of reinfection requires treating everyone in a household simultaneously and washing all bedding and clothing at high temperatures (60°C).
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At St Joseph’s, we know that regular school attendance is essential for every child’s learning and success.
Our goal is for 80% of our students to attend school at least 90% of the time.
Winter bugs have well and truly hit our community over the last few weeks and we are seeing this reflected in the significant drop in percentage of students attending regularly. While we are asking whaanau to prioritise having children at school whenever possible, at the moment, it’s essential that students stay home to recover if they are sick. We’ve had many tamariki and staff away unwell, with students also falling sick during the day and needing to be collected.
If your child is unwell, please keep them home until they are feeling better. This helps them recover properly and reduces illness from spreading to other tamariki, whaanau, and staff.
If your child is going to be away, please remember to notify the office via the eTAP app, the website or phone message by 9:00 AM.
St Joseph’s School Pukekohe Attendance Management Plan
For any questions or concerns regarding attendance, your child’s teacher should be the first point of contact. Requests for holidays during term time or for extended periods of absence should be submitted to the principal – Principal@stjosephs.co.nz
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School Notices / Upcoming Events
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Term Dates 2026
Term 3 – Monday 20th July – Friday 25th September
Term 4 – Monday 12th October – Tuesday 15th December
Labour Day Holiday Monday 26th October
Please email the office if your children are taking a holiday during the school term. stjoesoffice@stjosephs.co.nz
Term 2 School Attendance Dues are now overdue and should be paid in full.
Term 3 School Attendance Dues are due by week 5!
Dues should be paid by Week 5 of every term into our
ASB account: St Joseph’s School (Pukekohe) Board 12-3023-0338374-01 ref: student’s name
These can also be paid at the school office by eftpos or cash.
Thank you to the families who have made the effort to get their dues paid.
The Catholic Character Contribution is a voluntary contribution forwarded to the Catholic Education Services Board. The St Joseph’s Development Trust Contribution is a voluntary contribution which the Trust is extremely grateful to receive. This is used in our school for improvements to our site and facilities. Both of these voluntary contributions are tax-deductible
School Hours & Playgrounds
A reminder of school times: Students should not be at school before 8:00 am and all students should have left the school grounds by 3:00 pm unless supervised by their parents.
If families are running late for pickup, parents need to notify the office and children should be collected from the front of the school. Staff are not available to supervise children after hours.
Children should not be playing on the junior or senior playground before or after school unless they are supervised by their parents/caregiver. This is a health and safety issue
Helping in the classroom
If you have the time and energy, we welcome parents or grandparents to volunteer to work alongside some of our youngest children for an hour a day. If you are interested, please contact Lesley Wallace – lesleyw@stjosephs.co.nz
Second-Hand Uniform Shop
The Second-hand uniform shop is open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 2:30 – 3:00 pm.
All students should be in their winter uniforms. Boys should be in darker winter weight shorts, there are still some boys wearing summer shorts.
New items can be purchased from The Uniform Shoppe on Glasgow Road, Pukekohe
TERM 3 Lunch Options
Cybersafety
As a parent or caregiver at St Joseph’s, you have free access to Qustodio, a parental control tool that helps you monitor and guide your child’s online activity, and an online safety hub with digital safety advice.
Click here to access the St Joseph’s School Online Safety Hub
About halfway down the front page, you will find the section for Qustodio. If you would like to create a free account, you need to use the link from the St Joseph’s School Online Safety Hub.
Qustodio allows you to:
- Filter content and apps
- Monitor activity
- Set time limits
- Locate family
- Track calls and SMS
- Receive reports, alerts & SOS
You will only have access to Qustodio while you have a child attending St Joseph’s School, and for as long as we are able to include this as part of our Linewize subscription.
If you have any questions or issues regarding your Qustodio account, please contact their support team – myschool@qustodio.com
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Aroha
This week we welcomed our new cohort of 8 students and their families to our Aroha team and wider school that are starting their schooling journey. A warm welcome to Olive Creasy, Matthews Mejo, Evelyn Hall, Angus Lovett, Damian McMahon, Natalie Madrona, Sia Hirave and Emilia Waldon.
Last week during Pasifika Week our students took part in mixed class rotations and learnt more about the Pacific Islands that were covered over the week. They completed art and craft activities, heard stories from the islands and enjoyed spending time and getting to know one and other in their groups.
Room 13 has been having a lot of fun learning about the 5 senses and how our bodies have special parts to help us explore the world.
Ako
Our tamariki in Ako have been exploring the world around them using microscopes to examine eggshells, leaves and other living creatures up close. They were fascinated by the tiny details they discovered and enjoyed developing their scientific observation skills. Students also used clay to recreate models showing the life cycles of butterflies and birds, bringing their learning to life in a creative and hands-on way.
Our in-class Pasifika celebrations were in full swing, with students creating vibrant artwork, learning fascinating facts about Pacific Island countries, and sharing their culture through dance and music. Students also explored traditional Pasifika myths and legends, and developed their fact-finding and writing skills as they researched, discussed and retold stories from across the Pacific. These experiences provided a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate the rich traditions, stories and diversity of Pasifika communities while connecting their learning across the curriculum.
 Arahi
This term, Arahi Y5 have been learning about the relationship between the Sun, the Moon, and Earth. In week 5, they learnt about the phases of the moon. They sketched each phase and were tasked with recreating the phases using Oreos or modelling clay. Take a look at their amazing recreations; apparently, according to many students, the moon tastes delicious.
We also had a visit from the Tokyo City Boys, who were visiting from Japan and were hosted by St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College. They taught our students origami. This was a highlight of the day, and they did not want to stop. It was a wonderful experience for all. Take a look at our awesome learning.
 On Wednesday, as part of Cultural Week, we welcomed 10 special guests into Room 1 & 2, who travelled all the way from Japan to visit us. They taught our Year 4 students how to create origami cranes and planes. It was a wonderful experience and lots of fun!
We were delighted to welcome Fr. Robert to our classroom! As part of our Religious Education learning, students prepared questions about the Sacraments. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to deepen their understanding and explore their Faith in a meaningful way.
Pasifika Week 2026
Last week, our school community came together to celebrate Pasifika Week. It was wonderful to see so many of our Pasifika students proudly representing their heritage by wearing cultural attire to school.
A major highlight of the week was hosting the Franklin Pasifika Speech Competition on Thursday. Bruce Ramoni, Zoey Talavou, Janaiah Nichols, Anthony Helu, and Ponita Finau represented themselves, their cultures, and our school with incredible pride and excellence. A special congratulations goes out to Janaiah and Ponita who both won their respective categories!
We extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents and families who gave their time and shared their rich cultural traditions with us. We simply couldn’t host events like Pasifika Week or the Franklin Pasifika Speech Competition without your generosity and support.
Multicultural Day
What a vibrant way to wrap up Pasifika Week with our Multicultural Day celebration! It was wonderful to see the court filled with colour as students proudly wore attire representing their diverse cultures during our whole-school parade and photo.
We all came together again in the afternoon for an assembly, which was highlighted by beautiful performances from our school choir and a captivating dance by our Kiribati students – a heartfelt thank you to the group of parents who helped prepare them. Our Year 4–6 Pasifika group blew us away with their items, showing off the results of their hard work. We extend a huge thank you to Siaosi (George) for generously donating his time to teach our students new dances for the occasion.
Thank you to everyone who made this day such a success!
Mathex
On Friday 21 August, our talented Mathex team proudly represented St Joseph’s at this year’s Mathex competition. While we didn’t take home the overall win, the achievement of all our students who participated in the Mathex programme this year was outstanding.
Our journey began in Term 2 with 29 students taking on the challenge of Mathex training. Through perseverance, teamwork and plenty of tenacious problem solving, eight students, along with two reserves, were selected to represent our school.
The competition was tough! Our students showed they had the mathematical knowledge to solve the problems, while also learning an important Mathex strategy, knowing when to persevere with a question and when to pass so they could make the best use of the limited time.
I am immensely proud of our team and every student who committed to Mathex this year. Their determination, teamwork and willingness to challenge themselves were fantastic to see.
Bring on Mathex 2027!
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COMMUNITY NOTICES
SEASONS FOR GROWTH
A grief or loss and coping with change process for children and teens
COMPANION TRAINING DAYS
Whanau Room
Mangere East Primary School
16 Ferguson Street, Mangere East, Auckland
Thursday 17th and Friday 18th September 2026 9am to 3pm
To request an application for Companion Training email Liza Zapata: liza@mefsc.org.nz
Administration Assistant Wanted
Marriage & Family Life Ministry is seeking a part-time Administration Assistant (16 hours per week) to support its work serving marriage and family life. Based at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre. For details and to apply, visit: www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/staff-vacancies. Applications close Friday 4 September.
Online GP care now free for all under-14s
With lots of winter illnesses about right now, health services are experiencing very high demand. If you need to speak to a GP and can’t get in to your usual doctor or its after hours, Online GP provides a great option for accessing safe and quick care. The service is available from anywhere in the country, anytime day or night, and is now free for all under-14s.
Appointments usually take place through a video app or a phone call, and the service can prescribe medicine and send prescriptions to your nearest pharmacy.
It also provides another care option for rural communities, reducing the need to travel.
To learn more visit Online GP Care: https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/online-gp-care
Online GP costs for young people
0 to 13 years = Free
14 to 17 years = up to $13.50 (With Community Services Card)
= up to $45 (With no Community Services Card)
For more info on which health service to use when you or your child are unwell visit: www.healthnz.govt.nz/which-health-service-should-i-use
For advice on when you should keep your child home from school or ECE if they’re unwell visit: www.healthnz.govt.nz/knowing-if-your-child-is-well-enough-to-go-to-school-guidance-for-parents
Or download this factsheet: https://healthed.govt.nz/collections/school-guidance/products/should-i-keep-my-child-home-from-school-or-childcare-he7040
Triple P – Positive Parenting
The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® gives parents and carers simple, evidence-based strategies to build strong family relationships, guide children’s behaviour and handle parenting challenges with confidence.
It can also help them work together with schools and educators towards positive outcomes, such as helping tamariki:
- Cooperate and listen
- Get along with others
- Problem solve
- Enjoy learning
- And feel good about themselves!
It’s all backed by four decades of ongoing research – and it’s free!
There are 4 FREE programmes now available online. Choose one or do them all!
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