Term 4 Week 3 Newsletter #10 2026

Term 4 Week 3                              29 October 2026                                    Newsletter #10

Principal’s Message

Special Catholic Character

Values Awards

Aroha

Aadya Jefin-Sakaria – for including someone who needed a friend and showing kindness, love and care, just like Jesus teaches us to do.
Bryn McDonald – for noticing rubbish on the ground and picking it up without being asked because he knew it was the right thing to do.
Ethan Jijo – for using initiative and showing leadership by cleaning up the classroom on a wet lunch day and being a kaitiaki of his learning space.
Olive Creasy – for always thinking of others before yourself. The joy you show when others are successful is just so wonderful to watch e.g. A fellow student filled up their sticker chart and you were so excited that they could go in the prizebox.

Key Dates

Term 4 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   

School Board News

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.

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

School Notices / Upcoming Events

Term Dates 2026

Term 4 – Monday 12th October – Tuesday 15th December

Please email the office if your children are taking a holiday during the school term. stjoesoffice@stjosephs.co.nz

 Term 4 School Attendance Dues are due by Week 5.

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

2026 School Magazine/Year Book

If you would like to order a school magazine/yearbook please pay $23 to St Josephs School (Pukekohe) Board bank account 12-3023-0338374-01 with code: student name.  Ref:  mag.

The oldest student in each family has been invoiced for an OPTIONAL magazine.

 $23 to be paid before 13 Nov.  No late orders as we need to advise the Printer how many we require.  

The school magazine is a lovely record of our school year which will be distributed at the end of Term 4

Masterpiece Photography

Please contact Masterpiece directly regarding class photos, individual photos and sibling portraits.  

Email: info@masterpiecephotography.co.nz

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. 

In Term 4 students should be wearing their summer uniforms including a sunhat.

The Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open in the holidays date to be confirmed.

New items can be purchased from The Uniform Shoppe on Glasgow Road, Pukekohe

Click on this link to access the Maths Practise Tool to support your child’s maths learning at home. 

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

Celebrations 

Aroha

In aroha we have been learning about the fascinating concept of nocturnal animals and their habitats.  Students have enjoyed creating artwork and participating in drama as they learn about where and how animals live. Another topic that is bringing excitement is our keeping safe lessons where our students are learning about keeping safe in our community and daily life with an earthquake drill, road safety and sun safety lessons. We also presented a liturgy about The Rosary in week 2 where a few of our students were given the opportunity to speak in front of the whole school, we were so proud of them!

Ako

Ako team started the term with two exciting days of Craft Lab. All five Ako classes had the opportunity to take part in a range of fun, hands-on activities. The children worked together to build shelters, learnt how to create sparks using flint and steel, and cooked delicious doughnuts over an open fire. They also got creative with harakeke (flax), making little necklaces and trying out a traditional game using flax sticks and woven hoops. It was a wonderful way to begin the term, learning new skills, working as a team and enjoying outdoor adventures together!

Arahi 

Year 6 has had a busy and exciting start to the term as we prepare for our upcoming Mission Day! We have been busy organising stalls, food stalls and raffle prizes, all while working together to make this a special day for our school community.

All money raised on Mission Day will go towards supporting the Mission Sisters (RNDM), who help those most in need. Our school takes great pride in serving others and living out our mission, following in the footsteps of Euphrasie Barbier, who dedicated her life to helping others.

A heartfelt thank you to all the families who have already generously donated items for our raffle. Your kindness and support are truly appreciated!

If you are able to contribute, we would be very grateful for donations of toys, boys’ or girls’ items, or grocery items. These can be sent to the Year 6 classroom at any time.

Thank you for helping us make Mission Day a success and for supporting this wonderful cause. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference!

Community Notices

HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING

COMMUNITY NOTICES 

From 1 November to 28 February we’re running Catch for Conservation, a community koi carp tournament where anglers help remove invasive koi carp from Waikato waterways, with DOC and Waikato Regional Council as programme partners.

It’s free for kids and families to enter, and it’s a fun, hands-on way for whānau to learn about pest fish and look after our rivers and lakes.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://tangler.co.nz/conservation&source=gmail&ust=1792608004717000&sa=E 

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